u\2 ^ The Weekly I^orists^ Review* 



October 27, 1904. 



other soil from pasture land being prefer- 

 able; 



It is rather a dangerous proceeding to 

 remove mulching after it has been on for 

 a sufficient time to allow the feeding 

 roots to enter it, as this exposes thest- 

 very tender members to the sunshine and 

 ■dry air, under which conditions they are 

 certain to wither and die, thus leaving the 

 plants in a starving condition. Better 

 keep adding to it lightly and frequently. 



Try a night temperature of 56 degrees, 

 with plenty of ventilation, giving particu- 



lar attention to night ventilation, even 

 at the expense of a few extra tons of 

 coal. Keep the air sweet and have the 

 foliage dry before sundown. 



Thrijjs can be kept in subjection by a 

 systematic fumigation, doing it frequent- 

 ly and lightly. Thrips are frequently in- 

 troduced into the house with the mulch, 

 and are certain to be so introduced if the 

 mulching material has been neglected and 

 allowed to be overrun with weeds during 

 the summer, as such places are their fa- 

 vorite stamping grounds. SiBES. 



>*'**i» 



M.'^ 



KEEPING SHOW FLOWERS. 



Owing to the fact that flowers will not 

 always open just when they are wanted, 

 and an exhibition on any given date will 

 not be suitable for all varieties alike, as 

 to time of flowering, it is often necessary 

 to put flowers away in cold storage to 

 hold them in perfect condition. 



Flowers to keep well should be cut 

 just as soon as they are fully open and 

 before being placed in water every stem 

 should be tied to a bamboo or wire stake, 

 so that there shall be no strain on the 

 , neck of the flower. With very stout - 

 stemmed kinds like Appleton this may 

 seem unnecessary, but I believe it always ) 

 pays, because it keeps the stem straight 

 and allows the water to pass freely up 

 to the flower. Barrels cut down a little 

 are the best thing to set the flowers in 

 jand they should be half filled with water. 



.The best place to store the flowers is 

 •a, 'cool, dry cellar with only just a little 

 light and a temperature as near 40 

 degrees as possible. It is not necessary 

 to change the water oftener than every 

 five or six days, as too frequent handling 

 is apt to bruise the flowers considerably. 

 A few drops of ammonia or a pinch 

 of salt will keep the water from smell- 

 ing badly. 



Flowers treated in this manner will 

 keep in good condition for three weeks 

 or more and, because the stem is soaked 

 full of water, they generally keep in 

 better condition during a show than flow- 

 ers cut only the day before. 



Any flower should be placed in water 

 at least twentv-four hours before it is 

 exhibited and, if the stems are very 

 long, forty-eight hours is better. If 

 this plan were always followed we 

 •would not see so many of the long- 

 •stemmed classes looking like 30 cents or 

 less the second morning of an exhibi- 

 tion. 



Methods of Staging. 



There seems to be a disposition in 

 «ome quarters to regard any method of 

 •staging other than the one of six, twelve 

 or more long-stemmed flowers in a vase as 

 a retrogression and a violation of prece- 

 dent and good taste. While all will 

 recognize the fact that the big vases are 

 •spectacular and very effective, the 

 ■classes calling for 15-inch stems, one 

 iiower to a vase, are as attractive to the 

 ^neral public as anything in the show, 

 and they will keep in good condition for 



a week should the show last so long as 

 that. I think there is lots of room to 

 exhibit both ways, and any other way that 

 may suggest itself to the mind of the 

 show promoters. 



Ezhibitmsf. 



Exhibiting entails a good deal or work 

 on the exhibitor and the results, even if 

 he is successful, are out of all propor- 

 tion to the labor involved, but the satis- 

 fa<rtion of winning is something that 

 cannot be counted in a mere monetary 

 sense, as every grower knows. Where 

 seven or eight years ago the prominent 

 exhibitors could almost be counted on 

 one's fingers, today they can be counted 

 by the hundred, and the end is not yet, 

 by any means. The desire for a country 

 estate by the wealthy is indirectly respon- 

 sible for this. As soon as one gets the 

 establishment running, then comes the 

 desire to beat his neighbor in raising 

 something, and one of the first things 

 the gardener turns to is the mum. The 

 result is everywhere seen, and today the 

 quality of^ the^ flowers set up at a dozen 

 shows^^n the 6ast is not surpassed any- 

 where in the world. 



By the time uiese .notes are in print 

 the shows will have^lJegun and culturally 

 there is nothing more to tell, but we will 

 keep a careful record of varieties ex- 

 hibited and report our impressions later. 



Brian Boru. 



EARLY MUMS. 



Please give a list of best early chrys- 

 anthemums, pink, white and yellow. We 

 have Glory of Pacific, Willowbrook and 

 Parr, but are looking for something bet- 

 ter. I do not mean earlier, but ones that 

 will bloom about the same time as the 

 above. S. F. P. 



There are three standard yellows that 

 are quite largely grown for early, Mon- 

 rovia, Omega and October Sunshine. 

 These can be had by October I. These 

 are all fairly good, the last named be- 

 ing best. Mrs. T. W. Pockett will come 

 in by October 8 and is very fine. The 

 new Merstham Yellow, as exhibited be- 

 fore the C. S. A. committee on October 

 1, easily discounts either of these kinds, 

 as it is of exhibition size and finish. 

 For some reason a great call developed 

 for early yellows this year and they were 

 very profitable. 



Pacific seems the best pink for earliest 

 work, though Lady Harriet and Mrs. 

 Coombes can be cut in grand shape by 

 October 5 to 10. I know of nothing n^w 

 in early pinks this year. 



In whites I would ask nothing , better 

 than Alice Byron to come in Oej^her 5, 

 following immediately after White Pa- 

 cific. The white sport of Mrs. Coombes 

 -named Daphne will also be very valuable 

 as an early pure white. The new Clem- 

 entine Touset was shown on October 8 

 this year and is very large for its earli- 

 ness in flowering. The color is a pinky 

 white and it is a fine, big early mum. 



It should always be borne in nund that 

 to get early flowers and get them big, 

 plants should be set out by May 15 on 

 the benches. It is useless to plant late 

 in June or July and expect fine flowers 

 by October 1, whether the variety is nat- 

 urally early or not. Brian Bobu. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY. 



The Boston Meeting. 



Just as we go to press we are in re- 

 ceipt of a telegram from Secretary 

 Lemon announcing that the annual busi- 

 ness meeting of the Chrysanthemum So- 

 ciety of America will be held at Horti- 

 cultural Hall, Boston, on the afternoon 

 of November 4. The revision of the 

 constitution and the adoption of the 

 new scales for judging will be in order. 

 Address entries to Wm. Nicholson, Fram- 

 ingham, Mass. 



Store of S. Hoffman, Cambridge, Mass. 



