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698 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



AuansT 9, 1006. 



Some English importers of carnations 

 are grumbling considerably at the large 

 percentage of loss of plants received 

 from some American firms. Some firma 

 pack carnation plants for export to Eng- 

 land who do the thing so well, hardening 

 and otherwise fitting the plants for their 

 long voyage, that not more than five per 

 cent die after arrival here. Others do 

 not harden and neglect especially to grow 

 and pack the plants, so that in some 

 cases every single plant of a consignment 

 dies soon after arrival. It is the fear of 

 this loss that prevents many English 

 growers from buying from America. If 

 every carnation exporter in America 

 would take special care and pains with 

 plants intended for export, double the 

 quantity would be ordered by England 

 from American growers. One nursery- 

 man here informs me that in one consign- 

 ment of 1,000 plants he lost only six 

 plants. In another consignment of 600 

 from another firm he lost every plant. 

 In a lot of 1,000 from a third firm, be- 

 tween 300 and 400 died. This does not 

 tend to increase orders for American 

 plants. B. J. 



STATE OF GENERAL TRADE. 



So long as prosperity abides with the 

 farmer, so long will it continue with 

 those who manufacture or sell general 

 lines of merchandise ; and the florist will 

 get his share when others are doing busi- 

 ness. This is the way one of the great 

 commercial agencies reports on the pres- 

 ent state of trade in general: 



"There was a healthy volume of busi- 

 ness in wholesale lines last week. In 

 fact, in some departments of industry 

 the fear was expressed that it would be 

 difficult to fill orders this fall owing to 

 the fact that there had been no let-up 

 during the customary period of dullness 

 to catch up with current demands. 



"The movement of merchandise was 

 heavy, shipments of fall and winter 

 goods having commenced. Grain ship- 

 ments were again large, particularly of 

 wheat. Receipts of new wheat at Chi- 

 cago during July broke all records, and 

 indications point to continued heavy 

 shipments of winter wheat until the 

 movement of the spring wheat crop 

 starts. 



"The progress of the crops has been 

 almost uniformly good, the only com- 

 plaints coming from points in Illinois 

 and Missouri, of dry weather. The pros- 

 pects of abundant harvests has given the 

 country merchants added confidence, and 

 many of them already have appeared at 

 primary markets for the purpose of plac- 

 ing their fall orders. 



"In practically every department of 

 the steel and iron trade orders have been 

 booked far ahead, the output of the rail 

 mills having been placed up to near the 

 close of next year. There was a fair 

 degree of activity in pig iron. 



"A perceptible increase was noted last 

 week in the number of orders and in- 

 quiries in the western bituminous coal 

 market. ' ' 



HINTS ON CUTTING. 



Preparation of Young Stock. 



The proper preparation for young 

 stock to successfully bear the first time 

 will now require some time and care. 

 The stock must be healthy, vigorous and 

 of a reasonably fair size before we 

 allow a crop to develop, otherwise the 

 deprivation of the foliage necessary in 

 cutting marketable stems will weaken 

 the vitality and cause a growth of blind 

 wood. 



Proper care in removing the lateral 

 shoots is also necessary. When remov- 

 ing the laterals from young stock 

 preparatory for a first cut, it is best not 

 to remove those near the base of the 

 stems, as they will eventually make good 

 flower stems. This is frequently prac- 

 ticed, to the detriment of the plant, in 

 order to secure a few more inches to 

 the flower stem and so secure the highest 

 price going; the more experienced 

 grower knows this is poor policy. 



As the plants at this time are far 

 from having attained their full growth, 

 each flower stem should be cut not with 

 the object of getting it as long as pos- 

 sible, but with the definite purpose of 

 improving the size and form of the bush, 

 and with the view of enhancing its 

 future productiveness, when the demand 

 will be brisker and prices rule higher. 



The First Cot 



"When taking the first cut, to balance 

 the plants in form, those stems which are 

 longest and strongest should be cut so 

 that three or four eyes with fully de- 

 veloped leaves are left; each one of 

 them is capable of developing a good 

 flower stem. 



On the weaker growths two eyes will 

 be quite sufficient, they being only able 

 to perfect and maintain that number of 

 shoots with strength to form a good 

 flower stem. All abortive and mal- 

 formed flowers should be cut with the 

 same regard for eyes as perfect 

 flowers. 



Special Varieties. 



Liberty and Richmond, having an in- 

 clination to produce a thicket of small 

 wood at this time, will be benefited 

 greatly by having it thinned out judi- 



ciously, allowing a free circulation among 

 the leaves and giving more sunlight to 

 the yet unbroken eyes at the base of the 

 plant. 



Picking out the buds of Beauties, the 

 stems of which are not quite long enough 

 for market, will result in another bud 

 developing at the base of the bud stem, 

 which in a week or two will reach out 

 and increase the length of the stem by 

 six or eight inches. This method can be 

 carried on for some weeks if necessary, 

 as sometimes the price offered for these 

 buds will not repay the injury done to 

 the plants by hard cutting. Bibes. 



MILDEW ON ROSE PLANTS. 



I am bothered with a bad case of mil- 

 dew on my rose plants, and have been 

 for the last eight months. Nothing 

 seems to touch it. The plants have been 

 cut back, and are vigorous and bloom 

 well, but the foliage is poor. I give all 

 the ventilation I can, and use sulphur 

 twice a week, about a pound to a house 

 20x100. My roses are Golden Gate. I 

 was never troubled before to speak of, 

 and would like to know what to do. 



C. P. N. 



I am at a loss to understand how this 

 querist can have vigorous plants which 

 bloom well and which at the same time 

 have rotten foliage, as without good, 

 healthy foliage, which is their breath- 

 ing apparatus or lungs, there can be no 

 vigor; instead, a great lack of vitality 

 must necessarily follow when the foliage 

 is incapacitated, from performing its 

 proper function. 



This lack of vitality is just such an 

 invitation as mildew will readily accept, 

 and until the leaves become of a better 

 texture it will continue to infest the 

 plants in spite of all known preventa- 

 tives and cures; in fact, if the foliage 

 is very thin and poor in texture, sulphur 

 has a debilitating effect on the plant 

 and should be used with great caution. 



If the plants are carried-over stock, 

 and have been cut back, the house should 

 be kept cool and moist and rather close 

 during the day, with ample ventilation 

 at night, until root action has again 

 commenced. Until this takes place great 

 care should bo exercised in watering 

 so that the plants do not have more at 

 the roots than they can readily use. 



Golden Gate, being a- strong, vigorous 

 grower, and of good constitution, is not 

 very susceptible to the attacks of mil- 

 dew, land this would indicate that there 

 is something radically wrong in the 

 cultural methods. Rises. 



AMERICAN ROSE SOCIETY. 



The executive committee held a meet- 

 ing at the Fifth Avenue hotel, New 

 York City, and took up the matter of 

 preparing the way for the next annual 

 meeting and show at Washington, the 

 Washington Florists' Club having joined 

 hands to make a strong effort for a 

 handsome showing. The committee went 

 over the prize schedule of last year and 

 spent some time in devising means to 

 secure ample prizes for the exhibit. 



The effort is being made to gather 

 together and put into permanent form 

 the history of the organization, which 

 was flrst started at Atlantic City in 1894, 

 and the present organization, which was 

 put in force March 13, 1899, W. C. Bar- 

 ry, of Rochester, being the fiyst president 

 ot the society. The motto which was 

 proposed at the executive meeting for the 



