86 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



NOVEMBEIl 30, 1905. 



Showing a Few of the Uses for the New Adjustable Baskets. 



AN ADJUSTABLE BASKET. 



In these strenuous days the demand is 

 ever for novelty and anything possessing 

 the merit of newness is sure to be taken 

 up; for its retention by the trade it 

 must depend on its other qualities. The 

 latest novelty in the supply line is the 

 adjustable basket shown in the accom- 

 panying illustrations. It is said by those 

 who have used it to be one of the most 

 useful baskets ever brought out. It can 

 be pressed into any shape desired, will 

 cover fibre or glass vases filled with cut 

 flowers, or cover pots up to an 8-inch 

 size, also cover fern pans or rose bowls, 

 being especially useful for table decora- 

 tions. They can be used also for the 

 bride or bridesmaid to carry at wed- 

 dings; they can be adapted to go with 

 any color or size of flower, from the 

 long-stemmed American Beauty or chrys- 

 anthemum, to the lily of the valley or 

 violets; in fact, the uses are too numer- 

 ous to mention. In a moment you can 

 press them into any shape desired. They 

 are made in a variety of colors, to match 

 the different colors of flowers or to form 

 a contrast. As shown by the illustration, 

 when ribbon or chiffon is used in connec- 

 tion with these adjustable baskets, the 

 effect is most pleasing. M. Kice & Co., 

 Philadelphia, who are the introducers, 

 report that this is one of the catchiest 

 novelties they have ever got hold of; 

 everybody buys at sight. 



BOSTON. 



The Market. 



Weather conditions during the past 

 week have reminded one more of June 

 than November, shade temperatures of 

 65 and 70 degrees being recorded. We 

 do not remember any previous Novem- 

 ber when we had such clear skies and so 

 little rain and cloudy weather. While we 

 are now getting it cooler, the weather 

 favors a big Thanksgiving crop of flow- 

 ers. Chrysanthemums are now nearing 

 the end and will not cut much of a figure 

 in the market after this week. Bonnaf- 

 fon, Merry Christmas, Yanoma, Maud 

 Dean and Mrs. Jerome Jones are mostly 

 seen, also some of the old Minnie Wana- 

 maker. Nothing has yet been raised in 

 chrysanthemums to surpass Mrs. Jerome 

 Jones. It is a special favorite here 

 and certainly in stem, foliage and flower 

 is well nigh perfect. It is also a splen- 

 did keeper in water, to say nothing of 

 its excellent shipping qualities. In addi- 

 tion to the yellow and white forms, some 

 of a delicate pink color are seen which 

 are very beautiful. Bed varieties, such 



as CuUingfordii, sold well for the foot- 

 ball game on November 25. 



Roses are still too numerous. Espe- 

 cially is this true of Brides and Maids 

 and little advance on these for Thanks- 

 giving is likely. Beauties of the better 

 grades show a hardening tendency, also 

 Liberty and Richmond. The last named 

 promises to be a prime favorite another 

 season and will displace Liberty to a 

 large extent. Wellesley, Killarney and 

 Chatenay are all selling very well. A 

 few Bon Silene and Safrano are seen in 

 the market. 



Carnations are selling very well except 

 whites, which continue rather too plenti- 

 ful. Fancies are making $3 to $5, some 

 even higher. Good ordinary blooms 

 bring $1.50 to $2. Violets sold heavily 

 for the Harvard-Yale game and went as 

 high as $1.50. Present prices are 75 

 cents to $].2o. Quality is remarkably 

 good. Quite a little bulbous stock, stevia 

 and bouvardia is coming in. Cattleyas 

 are becoming scarce, but Cypripedium 

 insigne comes from several growers, mak- 

 ing $8 to $12 per hundred. Lily of the 

 valley still sells well and there is an im- 

 proving demand for asparagus and other 

 green stock. 



Club Meeting. 



At the meeting on November 21, al- 

 ready referred to, thirteen new members 

 were elected, bringing the membership 

 to 240. Prof. B. M. Watson 's lecture on 

 "Botany for Young Gardeners" was 

 most interesting. While admitting that 

 excellent gardeners without any knowl- 

 edge of botany were numerous, he 

 claimed that a study of it would be of 

 great help to tliem. "How can one be- 

 come a good gardener or florist who does 

 not know the rudimentary principles of 

 his trade? It is true that none of us are 

 botanists and true that many of us have 

 never studied botany from books, but it 

 is also true from any point of view that 

 no one can grow plants intelligently for 

 even a short series of years without 

 learning in the best way possible, that 

 is from the plants themselves, a lot of 

 botany," In the discussion which fol- 

 lowed E. O. Orpet spoke vigorously 

 against the idea that botany was neces- 

 sary or of any advantage to the practical 

 grower. He commented in caustic terms 

 on the constant changing of the scientific 

 names of plants by botanists and in- 

 stanced the New York Botanical Gardens 

 at Bronx park as a delightful example 

 of the work of the botanist gardener. 

 Messrs. Westwood, Elliott, Finlayson and 

 others continued the discussion, some 

 favoring and others opposing the lectur- 

 er 's views. 



M. A. Patten, who had been chosen by 

 the nominating committee for president 

 for 1905, did not care for the office and 

 finally James Wheeler was re-elected by 

 a handsome vote. He made a neat 

 speech and predicted great prosperity for 

 the club in the coming year. T. H. West- 

 wood, who was chosen vice-president, 

 filled the same post in 1904. The ques- 

 tion box was largely availed of, numer- 

 ous queries being asked and answered. 



Exhibits were quite numerous and in- 

 cluded fine Wellesley roses from Waban 

 Conservatories, excellent Bridesmaid roses 

 from Montrose Greenhouses, Mikado and 

 Pink Patten carnations from Patten & 

 Co., Lawson varieties from H. A. Stevens 

 Co., seedling carnations and Enchantress 

 sport from Backer & Co., mignonette 

 from Wm. Nicholson, Pancratium elegans 

 from James Wheeler, seedling carnation 

 No. 408, a fine commercial scarlet, from 

 Peter Fisher and the compact and hand- 

 some Nephrolepis Whitmani from H. H. 

 Barrows & Son. 



With Whitman Growers. 



A. A, Reed is one of the few commer- 

 cial growers of orchids in the neighbor- 

 hood of Boston. While not a large 

 grower, he is an enthusiast and a very 

 successful cultivator. Dendrobium for- 

 mosum giganteum and D. phala^nopsis 

 Schroederiana were flowering well at the 

 time of our visit. A fine lot of Zygo- 

 petalum Mackayi were carrving excellent 

 spikes. Cattleya TrianaB was representpd 

 by a fine lot of plants, some of which 

 were almost in bloom. A variety of other 

 cattleyas are also grown, also Dendro- 

 bium Wardianum and D. nobile, Cypri- 

 pedium insigne, Lycaste Skinneri and 

 Vanda csrulea. A general assortment of 

 other florists' stock, such as carnations, 

 violets, chrysanthemums, etc., are also 

 grown here. 



At H. H. Barrows & Son's establish- 

 ment we found the growing demands of 

 the firm illustrated by two new houses, 

 each 125 feet long. Nothing but nephro- 

 lepis ferns are handled here, but these 

 are grown in thousands. Four varieties 

 are to be seen only, N. Scottii, Boston- 

 iensis. Barrowsii and the new Whitmani. 

 We were chiefly interested in the last 

 named, which has created such a favor- 

 able impression whenever shown. From 

 one original plant in January last there 

 is now quite a large span-roofed house 

 filled with various sizes of plants, some 

 quite large. We looked these over very 

 carefully for any signs of reversion and 

 failed to find such. Mr. Barrows' son 

 says they have never found a single 

 frond not true to the type. We consider 

 it superior in many ways to N. Bar- 



