20 



The Florists^ Review 



June 11, 1914. 



sown now are: Sweet william, digi- 

 talis, Canterbury bell, provided they 

 are not already sown; perennial lark- 

 spur, lupinus, aquilegia, lychnis in va- 

 riety, perennial campanula in variety, 

 arabis, aubrietia, Alyssum saxatile 

 and many other hardy perennials. 



It is too early yet to sow pansies, 

 violas, double daisies and myosotis, but 

 full advantage should be taken of the 

 opportunity to raise good batches of 

 perennials and biennials, all of which 

 are constantly growing in popularity. 

 By starting early really fine plants 



can be had of most varieties before 

 fall. 



Late sowing of a number of annuals 

 now is timely. These include such 

 subject? as Shirley and other poppies, 

 nigella, godetia, larkspur, lupine, aster, 

 hunnemannia, clarkia, alyssum, balsam, 

 calendula and other useful sorts. Be 

 sure to pulverize the ground well where 

 these annuals are to go. Many of 

 them germinate quickly and the hoe or 

 cultivator should be plied among them 

 as soon as the lines show, and they 

 can hardly be stirred too often. 



NEW FORCINa VAMETIES. 



November-Blooming Spencers. 



The sweet pea has become such an 

 important item in the cut flower trade 

 that the entire industry, from growers 

 to retailers, is keenly interested in the 

 progress made with the flower and will 

 attach importance to the announce- 

 ment that two new early winter-bloom- 

 ing Spencers are to be offered this 

 season. 



The sweet pea began to take on im- 

 portance as a greenhouse flower at the 

 time Anton C. Zvolanek introduced his 

 winter-blooming type, of which Christ- 

 mas Pink was the leader, but by far 

 the most rapid strides have been made 

 since the Countess Spencer type of pea 

 was developed into a winter-blooming 

 class. The original spring-blooming 

 Spencers were of considerable value to 

 greenhouse growers, but nothing like 

 the importance of the early-flowering 

 varieties. To give an illustration of 

 the way the trade took these up, Mr. 

 Zvolanek, who introduced those hereto- 

 fore generally grown, offered them at 

 $8 per ounce, or $128 per pound, and 

 has publicly stated that over 3,000 

 growers bought and planted his seed in 

 greenhouses last season; certain grow- 

 ers are said to have used as much as 

 twenty pounds of it and the winter- 

 blooming Spencers have been a big item 

 in the wholesale cut flower markets and 

 in the retail stores, where they are 

 given credit for much of the wonderful 

 increase in corsage work this season. 



Under these circumstances it is nat- 

 ural that everyone should be keeping a 

 sharp lookout for novelties that could 

 be offered as affording a further ad- 

 vance along the same line. While new 

 or better colors were in request, it was 

 apparent that the most important fac- 

 tor is that of earliness; while the win- 

 ter Spencers sold profitably all through 

 the season, the best money was ob- 

 tained, as almost always is the case, by 

 the growers who were on the market 

 ahead of the rush. 



Anita Wehrman. 



One of the earliest peas of the Spen- 

 cer type was offered on the Chicago 



market by the E. C. Amling Co., agent 

 for Henry Wehrman, of Maywood, 111. 

 It was a good, clear lavender and was 

 weeks ahead of other varieties. Mr. 

 Wehrman has been marketing flowers 

 of the variety in small quantities for 

 three or four years. He found it among 

 a lot of the old Countess Spencer, the 

 spring bloomer, where it attracted his 

 attention by going ahead rapidly from 

 the day of germination, being ready 

 to pick weeks earlier than anything 

 else on the bench. He saved the seeds 

 of the first plants and worked up stock 

 until this year he had eight benches 

 of the variety. Alex, Henderson, of A. 

 Henderson & Co., Chicago, has had it 

 under observation from the start and, 

 it is understood, has acquired an inter- 



est in the Stock of seeds which is to be 

 harvested in the next few weeks and 

 will disseminate the variety under the 

 name of Anita Wehrman. John Michel- 

 sen, of the E. C. Amling Co., who has 

 known the variety longer than anyone 

 but Mr, Wehrman, says the flowers run 

 three to four to the stem and that it 

 makes unusually long stems, giving a 

 pick of long stems for a greater length 

 of time than do most peas. By plant- 

 ing early it can be had in good crop 

 for Christmas, or even for Thanksgiv- 

 ing, but it should be remembered that 

 the seed has all thus far been green- 

 liouse-grown, ready in July, or several 

 weeks earlier than the outdoor-grown 

 California seed with which it is com- 

 pared, 



Bose Queen. 



Another pea of the orchid, butterfly 

 or Spencer type that came to notice be- 

 fore this class was available for winter 

 blooming was one that showed up at 

 Indianapolis, at the establishment of 

 Albert J. Pittet. Four years ago he 

 ser\J; flowers to winter exhibitions, at- 

 tracting wide attention. The flowers he 

 has picked have nearly all been used 

 in retail stores at Indianapolis, where 

 they were in much demand.' Mr. Pit- 

 tet 's seed also has been greenhouse- 

 grown, which may account^for the fact 

 that he has been able to wick flowers 

 in the first part of NovemWr,'' but he 

 says it is the earliest and strongest 

 grower he ever has had on the place. 

 He says he found it among a lot of 

 hybrids of Spencer, Unwin and winter- 

 blooming peas and that he soon found 

 it an especially good seller. The color 

 is bright light pink and it is a good 

 keeper. Mr. Pittet has had many offers 

 for the seed, but has held on to it until 

 now — he states that he recently dis- 

 posed of an interest in this year's crop 

 to S. S. Skidelsky & Co., Philadelphia, 

 who are planning its distribution under 

 the name of Rose Queen. 



Rumor has it that these new peas are 



New Winler-blooming Spencer Sweet Pea, Anita Wehrman. 



