656 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



January 25, 1906. 



high prices, are moving off freely. Of 

 other articles, such as spinach and rad- 

 ishes, there will not be much left at tne 

 end of the season. The sales of flower 

 seeds might in some cases be better. The 

 high prices of the better classes of asters 

 seem to have acted as a deterrent. 



The weather has been unusually open. 

 The moist conditions have been unfavor- 

 able for the drying of late articles, such 

 as leeks and French beans, so that buyers 

 have been perforce kept waiting for de- 

 livery. It is to be hoped that some frosty 

 weather will soon supervene, or the old 

 saying "that a black Christmas means 

 a white Easter" is only too likely to be 

 realized, and a cold and late spring is 

 just what the Erfurt seed grower does 

 not want. — ^Horticultural Trade Journal. 



HOLLOW STALK OF CELERY. 



Beferring to the article on celery seed- 

 ing prematurely on page 505 of the 

 Eeview for January 11, we are in re- 

 ceipt of the following from Thos. H. 

 White, of the Maryland Agricultural 

 Experiment Station, College Park, Md. : 



In your last edition, tlie remarlis on the hol- 

 low atallc of celery are entirely at variance 

 with tlie conclusions drawn from experiments 

 conducted here. Seed imported from i^ance in- 

 yariably grew solid. American-grown seed 

 ranged all the way from ten to forty per cent 

 of pithy stalks (variety Golden Self- Branching), 

 and all grown under exactly the same condi- 

 tions. Seed saved here from pithy stalk devel- 

 oped Into pithy celery; not a single solid stalk. 



By virtue of these experiments I am willing 

 to positively assert that by rigid selection this 

 pithy celery can be eliminated. The percentage 

 of green celery In most of the stocks of Amer- 

 ican grown seed certainly shows a want of close 

 selection. To the growers here these green 

 stalks are nearly as much of a loss as the pithy. 



Apparently our seed growers are paying more 

 attention to this matter, as some California 

 stock tested here this season was almost up to 

 the French imported. 



We take pleasure in presenting the 

 above as throwing additional light on an 

 important subject. The item in the 

 Review to which it refers was in sub- 

 stance a condensed statement of what 

 certain celery growers of long experience 

 thought about the different matters 

 treated. The growing of celery as prac- 

 ticed by them, although it may be termed 

 an art, is not an exact science, and for 

 this reason even they differ as to the 

 causes that produce defects in the crop. 



That the tendency of seed grown from 

 a pithy stalk would be toward the devel- 

 opment of a pithy celery no one will 

 deny, but that even the closest selection 

 will altogether eliminate the pithy stalk 

 and assure a crop free from that defect 

 under all conditions of soil and weather 

 is still a debatable question in the minds 

 of the celery growers consulted by the 

 Review. 



Not wishing to question in any way 

 the great value of the findings of the 

 experiments conducted at the different 

 agricultural stations in matters of this 

 kind, the Review must hold to the sub- 

 stance of its item as voicing the opinions 

 of some very successful and experienced 

 celery growers. 



The growers of celery are all aware 

 that there has been, and in many places 

 is yet, a predilection in favor of French- 

 grown seed of the Golden Self -Blanching 

 celery. Experiments similar to those 

 mentioned above have been conducted by 

 private individuals as well as by repre- 

 sentatives of the colleges for a consider- 

 able time. The findings of these experi- 

 ments were all in line with those men- 

 tioned by the professor, but they do not 

 disprove this: French-grown seed has 

 been frequently known to produce a 

 good crop one year and a portion of the 

 same seed retained for the next year's 



NEW SWEET PEAS 



•^ 



EVELYN BYATT 



A GORGEOUS 

 NOVELTY 



The most gorgeous colored Sweet Pea yet Introduced. It may be termed a self Oor^eons, 

 baving a rich orange salmon standard, and falls or wings still a trifle deeper color, giving a 

 rlub, fiery orange or deep sunset color to the whole flower, very strildng and unique. It baa 

 caused quite a sensation wberever shown during tbe past year. 



PHYLLIS UNWIN 



A GIANT 

 NOVELTY 



I 



I 



Color a deep rosy carmine self, the same form as GLADYS UNWIN, with the prettily waved 

 and bold standard of that variety, but a little larger, producing 3 to 4 flowers on a stem. It 

 is quite sunproof and perfectly flxed. The sterna are long and stout, and it may be described 

 as A OIAVT IN EVBSY WAT. 



Each of above novelties, $14.60 per 100 packets; 

 $1.76 per dos. (Retail, 86 cents). 



GLADYS UNWIN 



LAST YEAR'S 

 NOVELTY 



I 



I 



TMs finest ot all Pink Sweet Peas we introduced last season. It is a striking 



and sterlingr improvement, quite fixed and dibtinct, and a 



ffreat acquisition for Out Blooms. 



GT>ADY8 tTjM wIN has a very large and bold flower, not hooded, but with a very striking 

 upright crinlcled or wavy standard, and broad wings. Color, a pale rosy pink A strik- 

 ing feature is that about 75 per cent of the long flower stems are with ionr blooms, which 

 is a most unusual thing in Sweet Peas. It was first raised four years ago, viz., in 1901, and 

 has kept perfectly true and fixed in character each year since and we have no hesitation 

 in saying it is a bona-fide departure in pinks. For marliet growers especially it cannot be 

 surpassed, and is just the lovely pink color which is so much in demand. $4.60 per pound. 



Veeretable and Flower Seed catalogues ftree on application. 



WATKINS & SIMPSON, 



SEED MERCHANTS 



12 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London, England 



■■HMHBBBB ■■■■■■B MHSi^HBM nVIBHBS ■■■■■ 

 Mention The Review when yon write. 



Dahlias 



Avearded 10 



Gold Medals 



in 1903, 



12 in 1904 



and 



12 In 1905. 



Awarded the 

 Silver Medal 

 by the 



International 

 Jury at the 

 St. Louis 

 Exposition. 



POT ROOTS FOR SHIPMENT AT ONCE Every section, including the popular CACTUS. 



Show, Fancy. Pompon and Single, at $6.00 per 



100 in 25 sorts. Better and newer kinds at $8.00 and $9.00 per 100. These are post free 

 terms. Note this when comparing prices. Terms casU witn order. 



TEMPTING BARGAINS I'bose who prefer to have their goods through a forwarding 

 ,^^^^____^^_^^_^ house instead of by parcels post can be supplied in every section, 

 including Cactus at $4.00, $5.00 and $6.00 per 100 in 25 sorts. 



12 SEEDLING CACTUS DAHLIAS A111903 sorts and certificated by the Dahlia Societies 

 .^___^^__^^___ in England; post free for $2.50: Charm, Comet, Dor- 

 othy Vernon. Effective, F. M. Stredwick, Gracie, Mrs. D. Cornish, Mrs. H. L. Bronson, 

 Mrs. J. W. Wilkinson, Northern Star, Osprey and Yellow Gem. 



1 904 SEEDLING CACTUS DAHLIAS a rare opportunity; only a few to offer at $1.25 

 __^_^^_^_«^___^^__^^^__^_ each, post free m quantities of not less than 4 sorts. 

 Harbor Light, Sybil Green, Edith Groom, Helen Stephens. J. B. Riding. Ella Kraemer. 

 Fairy, Sir A. Lamb, Radium, Antelope, Nero, Alfred Morgan, Thos. Portier. Pearl, Tri- 

 color and Sambo. One each of these 16 novelties post free for $16.00. Terms casii 

 with order. 



HOBBIES LIMITED NoitrnK'NURSEmls Dereham, Eng. 



Mention The Review when yon write. 



A BED OF MUSHROOMS 



Raised from our Spawn will BEAR LONGER and YIELD BETTER than from any other 

 variety of Spawn. This i8 proven by facts. Pull particulars and information how to succeed In Mush- 

 room raising free. We warrant you If using our method of growing Mushrooms that all will go well. 



KNUD GUNDESTRUP A CO., MUSHROOM SPECIALISTS, 

 4273 Milwaukee Avenue, CHICSGO. 



Mention The Review when yon write. 



planting has gone pithy. American seed 

 does no worse or better, except in pro- 

 portion as it has or has not been care- 

 fully selected. 



Celery seeding prematurely is in my 



opinion caused by the plants being at 

 some time or other too dry in the seed- 

 bed. So many people raise their plants, 

 especially for the early crop, in a hot- 

 bed. This is entirely wrong, as it is 



