August 11, 1904. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



5J5 



likely to be overdone for some time to 

 i-ome, for the growth of our country is 

 such that her ultimate possibilities are 

 <,'reater and grander than all the Euro- 

 pean and American states combined. 



VIOLETS. 



[A pnptT by Wiu. Fciidh'.v. of liriiiiiiitiiii, rciul 

 lii't'orc the C;ni:i(ii:iii lloi-t iiiill iiimI A-:s<jci;ition 

 :it Ottawii, Out., August l(i.] 



I was asked to open a discussion on 

 the culture of violets. As I am here 

 before you, I am in your hands — and in 

 iny few remarks, if I should overlook 

 uiiythiny you would like to ask about, 

 speak u^j, for this is the place for dis- 

 russion, and I will answer any questions 

 Id tht; best of my ability. 



1 have been growin^^ violets for the 

 past ten years and 1 am learning their 

 iiabits better every year. In the lirst 

 place, I am sure that sand-rooted cut- 

 tings are the best, as you get young, 

 >ajipy growtli to start your plants from. 

 1 root them very slowly, taking runners 

 trom only the best plants. This applies 

 ii> both single and double varieties, espe- 

 rially doubles. You should never take 

 stock from jioor plants. Take only the 

 strongest runners. After the cuttings 

 ;ire well rooted, prick them oif on a piece 

 (if bench, not too close together, so that 

 ilicy will not be crowded when planting- 

 oiit time comes. 



My method is to jilant singles in the 

 lii l<l in ^lay and doubles in the beds 

 uhcre they jtre to stay for next season's 

 crop, as 1 have found, to my sorrow, tliat 

 I lie double violet is a very slow root 

 :ictnr. That is to say, roots that will 

 throw blooms. It is not so with the 

 -iiighs. I think it is hard to kill them. 



X'iolets want good drainage. I hon- 

 estly believe there are more violets spoiled 

 witli overwatering than there are by going 

 tiio dry. Never let your plants go to 

 bed damp. Water only on bright dtiys. 

 Keep the house at 38 to 41' degrees if you 

 uant good color and plenty of fragrance. 

 A good violet should have a stem twelve 

 t" fourteen inches long, with bloom not 

 Miialler than our half dollar. The stem 

 --lunild hold the bloom ui)right. 



On the other hand, if you are going in 

 f'lr quantity, not quality, run your houses 

 ;it -IS to 50 degrees and you will have 

 I'lcnty of nice foliage and pale blooms 

 with weak stems. I plant doubh s from 

 nine to ten inches apart and singles 

 ten to twelve inches apart, .'iccording tn 

 I he size of plants when lifting rnuu 

 the field. 



I have often bet ii asked the (piesfion, 

 "h:it is a good cut for this lumse ,' For 

 'l:e month of IVbrnaiy this vi'ar f eut 

 'il.TT") violets. [ expect to ha\c I'oiir 

 ■iiiii'^ as loaiiv the cuiniiii: seasnii a^ I 

 hail tills 



BOWLING PRIZES. 



There is .-in end)airas--ineiit ot' ri<'hcs 

 n the bowling dcpait nii'nt fnr I he St. 

 '■"uis convention. Aside limri ;in' laige 

 Miiii'ici' of prizes arraneed for by the St. 

 I.oiiis committee, incliidiiiL; the hand- 

 ■itiie vjhi 1- hiving cn|i nfi'eie.i |i\ tin 

 Anheiiser Iln-^ch Co.. Ti-.;.-iircr II. T?. 

 I ■catty, of Oil City and I'ittsburg. has j 

 'iffered a loving cii[) for the team cdii 

 tes( ,-iti(l three liamlsome fiieees of silver 

 'er the ladies, 



\^'. I'. K;istii';^ has nfTered a sydendid. 

 ni.issive scliij silver loving ciipi as a per- 

 ("'tiial ( hallengp fronhy. This is n most 

 ' \<-e!leiit iih'a, as the team wini'ieg it nt 

 the convention will doididrss j'iw] called 

 upon to def(>nd it .-igaitist all comers at 



The Kasting Challenge Championship Bowling Trophy. 



any time of the year. Mr. Kasting is 

 well known as never doing anything by 

 halves and the trophy is naturally one of 

 the handsomest for which llorists ' bowl- 

 ing teams have ever been privileged to 

 cdiiipete. .\ picture of it appears in this 

 issue. 



The men's trophy offered by ^Ir. 

 Beatty is a loving cup in sterling silver, 

 standing about twenty-two inches high, 

 with three handles. This divides the cup 

 into three panels, handsomely ornament- 

 ed. The third panel has the words "IT. 

 B. Beatty trophy, won by," with room 

 left for the name of the winner. At 

 the base of the cup are bowling balls 

 and pins finished in black to contrast 

 with the silver. The base is ebony. 



The first prize for the ladies is a beau- 

 tiful llower vase in sterling silver, about 

 eighteen inches high. On one side is 

 etched the words "St. Louis, l<t(l4," 

 with the figure of a woman about t<i ndl 

 a ball. On the other side of the vase 

 are the words "II. B. Bi'atty trophy, 

 won by," with a shield left for the name 

 of the winner. 



The ladies' socoiul prize is a rich com- 

 port for frnit in sterling silver. It 

 stands six inches high, the top being 

 decorated with tli(> et(dung of a woman 

 about to roll a ball. Above are the 

 words "IT. ]*>. Beatty trophy.'' onder- 

 tieath the words "Badies' Prize." The 

 It.-ise is decorated with two panels. A 

 plain shield is then left for the name 

 of the winner. 



The consolation prize is a d;iinty vase 

 ill stiM'liiig silver that staiMK about ren 

 inches high, the top and bottoin 1" ing 

 ornamented v\ith a bcantifnl floral 

 wreath. On the vase are very artisti- 

 <ally etched the vvor<ls "St. Louis, I'lOI, 

 coiisolatioti Jplize. '' Below tills two 

 cKis-f^d i>ins ;iii,| ;| ]i;ili iniilerii(\'ith. On 

 I he other side are the words " TL B. 

 Be.'it'y trophy, won by," with a shield 

 for the name of the Minner. 



FRENCH BULBS. 



Xow that the season has arrived when 

 French-grow II bulbs be(>ome a subject of 

 {:eiieral .attention on the j)art of seeds 



men, these notes will probably be read 

 with interest. 



l-lverybody knows that the French bulbs 

 are especially adapted for forcing, as 

 they have been grown in a warm climate. 

 Yet it is principally during the autumn, 

 winter, an<l spring months that attention 

 is important. The bulbs planted in 

 August fiower in December, and con- 

 tinue to do so until the end of March 

 without any other warmth than that of 

 the sun. Though it is a fact that some 

 cold days occur in winter-time (some- 

 times there is a strong, cold wind, called 

 the mistral), yet we have many beautiful 

 days which may compete with the finest 

 summer days in England. Frost is 

 nearly unknown. Thousands of people 

 here have never seen other than artificial 

 i<-e; natural ice of 'Jiiiudi thickness only 

 occurs in exceptional winters. Karely docs 

 the temperature fall below freezing 

 point. 



During the warm d.iys and the scanty 

 rainfall of March, .Ajiril, ami :May, the 

 bulbs must be planted in smdi a nninner 

 th.at they can be easily watered. The 

 watering is such an important matter 

 that it afl"ects the results of a vear's 

 work. 



Tiie bulbs are planted either in single 

 or doidile rows right across the field; 

 between every row (single or double) 

 is a distance of eight inches. This sjiaee 

 is used for a ptith. and for convenience 

 when watering, and is a little h(dlnwed. 



The water coming from the hills is 

 stored in small canals, from which inanv 

 g.ardens obtain their su|if/ly. Fr<un the 

 priiicip.il canal a branch runs to all the 

 gardens of the same grower. One shal- 

 low path along all the rows of bulbs has 

 a dyke across at every row. When the 

 lock bv which it is cVmne ;e.l with the 

 branch can;il is opened, (he wafer finds 

 its way instantly alone- the first jiath. 

 When this is full from end to end, the 

 first little dyke is removed. ;ind the water 

 runs on into the secoml p;itli. When this 

 is full from end to eml. the secon<l little 

 dyke is removed, fhon tli(> water fills 

 the thir<l path, and so on. 



This w;iy of watering is verv quick 

 though it calls for much attent'ion. L 



