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582 



The Wc^ Florists^ Review. 



July 26, 1906. 



CHRISTMAS SWEET PEAS. 



. The Origin of the Strain. 



Abjbut twenty-five years ago I made 

 my nrst' experiments in raising sweet 

 peas in winter under glass. I tried all 

 varieties which were at that date ob- 

 tainable^ but could never raise a plant 

 which would give flowers before the lat- 

 ter part of April. After several years 

 of such experiments I came to the con- 

 clusion that it was impossible to get 

 sweet peas earlier than the time men- 

 tioned, from the present varieties, so I 

 started cross-fertilization with others, 

 among them the lathyrus, but the first 

 few years without success. I obtained 

 several new varieties, a few of which 

 were double-flowered, but I did not suc- 

 ceed in getting, a free-flowering plant 

 until I made a cross with the European 

 vetch, largely grown on farms in central 

 Europe as green fodder. About October, 

 1891, I sowed some of this seed which 

 I had hybridized with the vetch, and 

 the following January 1, 1892, I was 

 surprised to find two little plants, each 

 with one open flower and several buds. 

 The flowers were very small, color a 

 reddish-pink, and not of much value, the 

 plants growing only to a height of 

 twenty-four inches under glass. But I 

 was satisfied with this for a start, and 

 increased the seed all I possibly could. 

 I crossed and re-crossed each year, and 

 each new hybrid showed improvement 

 over the previous one, in size of flower, 

 color, length of stem, and in the plant 

 itself. The first seedling of value which 

 appeared was obtained from Blanche 

 Jwrry; it came of the same color, but 

 the plant was only twenty inches high, 

 under glass, and produced only about 

 tan single flowers; but after much cross- 

 ing and re-crossing with the parent va- 

 riety, I secured fine, long-stemmed, large 

 flowers, plants over six feet high, which 

 were covered with masses of bloom all 

 winter. 



In 1897 almost every day I was able 

 to send to the New York market sev- 

 eral hundred fine blooms. This variety 

 is now known as the Christmas Pink, 

 but it is today a great improvement 

 over what it was in 1897. Crossing this 

 variety with Emily Henderson, I orig- 

 inated, in 1895, Miss Florence Denzer, 

 which is the best of all whites. 



I now have sixty-four varieties in all 

 existing colors, from lightest salmon to 

 darkest pink and red, from lightest 

 lavender to darkest blue and purple, also 

 yellows and variegated. All these varie- 

 ties, when grown under glass, begin to 

 bloom when three to four feet high, 

 and continue flowering all winter, some- 

 times until June. The plants are cov- 

 ered with a mass of large, long-stemmed 

 flowers. Height of plants, eight to fif- 

 teen feet. 



Sweet Peas in Winter. 



Select the highest light houses for 

 sweet peas. Fill the benches, or well- 

 drained solid beds, with good compost, 

 about three parts sod and one part old 

 horse manure. Drop four to five seeds 

 about 12x20 inches apart; water thor- 

 oughly, keep always on the wet side and 

 in a steady growing condition. 



White-seeded sweet peas, such as 

 Florence Denzer, must be started in 

 sand, as they seldom germinate if sown 

 directly in soil. Or, soak them over 

 night in water; next morning put them 

 in damp sawdust or some similar ma- 

 terial for two to four days until roots 

 about one-fourth of an inch have started. 



As soon as this start has been made, 

 sow them in moist soil which should 

 stand a few days without watering. 

 Plant either in the benches, where they 

 will grow, or in pots. After the plants 

 start to grow, which will be in two to 

 three days, give them some water and in 

 a few days more they can be watered 

 just as heavily as black-seeded ones. If 

 the space on the benches is not ready, 

 sow in 4-inch or 5 -inch pots, and then 

 plant in benches after three or four 

 weeks, but be very careful with the 

 watering, as over-dry or pot-bound plants 

 will never produce good flowers. 



When the plants reach a height of six 

 inches they should be given support, and 

 the best method is this: Stretch one 

 wire on bottom and another wire about 

 six feet above that, and connect with 

 strings, from time to time helping the 

 plants to climb. 



Ventilation is one of the most im- 

 portant points in growing sweet peas 



Otto Abele. 



successfully. As soon as sown, all the 

 air possible should be allowed. The best 

 temperature is 45 to 50 degrees at night, 

 56 degrees during cloudy and 65 to 70 

 degrees in bright, sunny days. As soon 

 as coiol nights arrive, let the steam run 

 in two to four pipes; at the same time 

 the ventilators should be kept open as 

 long as possible, especially when tb^ 

 first buds appear. This will prevent 

 the dropping of buds, esjpecially during 

 rainy or inclement weather. 



The first insect which win appear is 

 the green worm, similar to the cabbage 

 worm. These must be picked off every 

 day before they become too numerous. 

 After several hard frosts the worms will 

 disappear. Greenfly is a v^y bad enemy 

 of sweet peas, but light fumigating or 

 syringing with a light solution of nico- 

 tine from time to time will check it 

 if done in time. A. C. Zvolanek. 



NEW ORLEANS. 



CONNEESVILLE, Ind. — Charles A. Eie- 

 man is adding three new houses, up to 

 date in every particular. They are 40x 

 150 feet each. 



Society Meeting. 



July 20 the New Orleans Horticul- 

 tural Society held its twenty-second an- 

 nual meeting. The association is over 

 fifty strong, and nearly every member 

 was present. A few communications 

 were first read by the secretary, C. E. 

 Panter. President P. A. Chopin sent 

 his thanks for the present he received 

 from the members on the occasion of his 

 wedding. Charles Wise, 87 years old, was 

 elected a life member. The old gentle- 

 man, who is still healthy and active, 

 is much pleased with the distinction. 

 The committee on outing reported on 

 the last trip to Grand Isle. The at- 

 tendance was not as large as it has been 

 in former years, and some change will 

 have to be made in the future. The 

 finance committee showed a balance on 

 hand of $663. This may look good 

 enough, but the treasury does not seem 

 to improve in pToportion with the list 

 of members. C. B. Eichli|ig proposed 

 to increase the monthly dues. H. Pap- 

 worth said that Successful -flower shows 

 will bring more money into the treasury. 

 E. Baker was the last to speak and said 

 that our society is as prosperous as 

 any one could wish. Its membership is 

 increasing all the time, following stead- 

 ily the principle on which it was founded 

 over twenty years ago. 



The most important business was the 

 election of officers. Otto Abele was 

 elected president, C. Louis Sieber vice- 

 president, John Eblen treasurer, and C. 

 B. Panter secretary. 



The newly elected president was born 

 in Germany, thirty-three years ago, com- 

 ing to this country when but a boy. 

 His love for nature induced him to 

 learn the florist's business. After serv- 

 ing in several establishments, he started 

 in business on his own account, taking 

 up landscape gardening and the grow- 

 ing of plants while still very young, and 

 was successful from the start. In 1894 

 he formed a partnership with his 

 brother, Paul Abele, under the firm name 

 of Abele Bros. Being a man of good 

 judgment, high ambition and having a 

 perfect knowledge of the business, he 

 will undoubtedly direct the affairs of 

 the society well. He is also a member 

 of the German Gardeners' Qub, of the 

 German Singing Society and other or- 

 ganizations. 



Louis Sieber is connected with the 

 Metairie Bidge Nursery, being the secre- 

 tary of the association. He has been 

 in the business for years, and was for 

 a long time head salesman for the late 

 Mr. Troshler, the veteran seedsman of 

 the south. His nomination was well re- 

 ceived. 



John Eblen can be called the "old 

 reliable," having held the position of 

 treasurer for twenty-two years in suc- 

 cession. 



C. B. Panter was nominated by ac- 

 clamation, which speaks enough in his 

 favor. Dan Newsham was received as a 

 new member. 



To close up the meeting the members 

 sat around a horseshoe table loaded with 

 the best to eat and drink. The toasts 

 were many in number, and were much 

 enjoyed. 



Joe Steckler, treasurer of the new 

 Society of Southern Florists, reports 

 forty-seven members who have already 

 paid their initiation fee. He expects to 

 call a meeting soon to decide the date of 

 the next convention, and we hope that by 



