■;. :^''^ 



JDLY 20, 1906. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



455 



House of Sweet Peas and Violets as Grown by William Sim, Giftondale, Mass. 



Not only may the number and size of 

 the flowers be increased and the length 

 of stem improved, but the time when 

 most of the flowers are developed can be 

 changed. Normally the heaviest pickings 

 of the violet occur during November, 

 March and April. Daring these months 

 prices, of course, are always lowest. For 

 the most profit the heaviest pickings 

 should be in December, January and 

 February. It will be found in marking 

 the plants and dates that certain plants 

 will give a large number of flowers in 

 December and January and a compara- 

 tively smallsr number during March and 

 April. Continuous propagation from 

 such plants will eventually have a tend- 

 ency to change the flowering habit, which 

 would be of marked advantage to the 

 grower. Other things being equal, if the 

 season for the greatest number of flowers 

 could be changed to the scarce months, it 

 would just about double the profits. This 

 is certainly an item worth working for. 



G>st and Profits. 



• 



In conclusion, a few words in reference 

 to the cost and profits in the growing of 

 this crop may not be out of place. Of 

 course, any statements on these subjects 

 must necessarily be general. All things 

 considered, however, it may be said that 

 violets can be grown at a total average 

 cost of about 10 cents per plant. This 

 seems the most satisfactory way of ex- 

 pressing it. Ten cents per plant will 

 cover all items, such as fair interest on 

 investment, fuel, labor, soil, fertilizers 

 and all incidentals. As already stated, 

 the average yield of a violet plant is 

 about fifty flowers, but it should be 

 double this. On the basis of fifty flow- 

 ers, however, the average price for the 

 season should not be less than 75 cents 

 per hundred, or 37% cents per plant. At 

 an average price of 60 cents per hundred, 

 which is a low average, the production 

 per plant would be 30 cents, or a net 

 profit of 20 cents per plant. 



Ordinarily, taking it from season to 



season, the low average wholesale prices 



of violets will run about as follows: 



October | .50 per hundred 



November 50 " " 



December 1.00 " " 



January 75 " " 



February 50 " " 



March 50 " " 



April 50 " 



Average 60 " '* 



With proper management, however, 

 and the growing of good flowers the 

 wholesale prices should run as follows: 



October | .50 per hundred 



November 75 " " 



December 1.50 " " 



January 2.00 " " 



February 75 " " 



March 50 " 



April 50 " 



Average 90 " " 



It is not necessary to comment further 

 on these figures, as they speak for them- 

 selves. Betail prices will be about double 

 those mentioned above. 



"We have emphasized all along the ab- 

 solute necessity for strict attention to 

 business methods. The more I come in 

 contact with workers in these fields and 

 the more I study results, the more con- 

 vinced I become that success is not al- 

 ways dependent on knowledge or ability 

 to grow stock, but it is largely dependent 

 on good business management. It is not 

 the big things that make the difference 

 between success and failure, but it is the 

 cumulative effect of the little things. 

 The field is one which any good man can 

 develop and make profitable if he goes 

 about it in the right way. 



TROUBLE WITH ANTS. 



I have been bothered with black ants 

 getting into flower beds where there are 

 coleus, geraniums, cannas, etc. Can 

 you tell me what I can do to get rid of 

 them without hurting the plants f 



E. A. P. 



These little creatures appear to be 

 very troublesome. Several things will 

 destroy them, but will also kill the 



grass or any vegetation where the ants 

 are working. 



Edward Snow, of Sayre, Pa., writes 

 me as follows: "To destroy ants use 

 tar water applied with a sprayer. You 

 will find it will be effectual in getting 

 rid of your ants. Use genuine pine tar 

 or a solution of it. If you cannot get 

 pine tar you can use oil of tar in solu- 

 tion. Be careful not to make it too 

 strong should you use the oil. Do not 

 use gas tar under any circumstances." 

 Mr. Snow adds: "If I have not made 

 my idea plain, just write me and I will 

 cheerfully respond." Now I am sure 

 if Mr. Snow would send the Review 

 the exact formula for using the tar, 

 method of applying, etc., it would be a 

 great service, not only to the above 

 inquirer, but to hundreds of others. 

 Mr. Snow, please do so, and oblige 



W. S. 



STEAMER SAILINGS. 



Those who wish to post steamer sail- 

 ings in the show window as a means of 

 securing orders for telegraphic transfer 

 to a New York correspondent, or one of 

 the firms represented on the Review's 

 page of Leading Retail Florists, will find 

 here the principal sailings for the next 

 two weeks: 



July 22— Etrurla Liverpool. 



July 22— Pennsylvania Hamburg. 



July 22— Philadelphia Southampton. 



July 22 — Kroonland Antwerp. 



July 27— Cretlc Naples. 



July 27— La Lorraine Havre. 



July 29— Zeeland Antwerp. 



July 29— Caledonia Glasgow. 



July 29— Campania Liverpool. 



Aug. 1— Kronprinz Wllhelm... Bremen. 



Aug. 2— Rotterdam Rotterdam. 



Aug. 2— Teutonic Liverpool. 



Aug. 3— La Touralne Havre. 



Aug. 4- Celtic Liverpool. 



Aug. 5— St. Paul Southampton. 



Aug. 5— Finland Antwerp. 



Aug. 5— Konlgln Louise Naples. 



SWEET PEAS WITH VIOLETS. 



The sweet peas shown in the accom- 

 panying illustration were planted the 

 first week in November, 1904, in rows 



