1640 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



April 26, 1906. 



seed will likely be dear at any price. 

 -^ It should be understood that this 

 strain of sweet peas is not generally 

 recommended for outdoor culture. One 

 of the new types, a red one named Mrs. 

 Wild, does finely, but speaking generally 

 the colors are too delicate for our hot 

 summer days. Mr. Zvolanek recom- 

 mends that the white-seeded varieties be 

 sown in sand and then transplanted, 

 even when grown under glass, but per- 

 sonally I have had no trouble with 

 germination. 



These flowers are now a staple article 

 in New York market, from December 

 onward, and while there is ready call 

 for all the white and light colors, the 

 call for dark blue is only moderate until 

 the end of March or so, after which 

 time it sells as well as the others. 



The illustration on the preceding page 

 was taken in the houses of Robert D. 

 Foote, of Morristown, X. J., R. Vince, 

 gardener, on December 21. The seed was 

 sown September 1, and the picture 

 gives but a faint idea of the quantity 

 of bloom showing at the time. It is 

 the Christmas Pink variety, and struck 

 me as being one of the most beautiful 

 sights I ever saw. 



Mr, Zvolanek says now he is merely 

 crossing for size, as he already has all 

 the colors and the stem is ample. Sev- 

 eral plants had flowers with double 

 standards, and if this could be fixed 

 it will almost double the size of the 

 flowers. I do not tiiink that the end is 

 yet, by any means, and that a few years 

 more will show some grand things 

 brought out in these winter flowering 

 peas. Charles H. Totty. 



appropriated by the various growers, 

 although there will be provided more 

 than half as many more stands as in 

 the old market. This extension is at 

 the junction of Russell street with Well- 

 ington street, running down to the main 

 entrance of the existing market in Well- 

 ington street. Our American friends 

 who have paid a visit to London will 

 no doubt be able to easily locate the 

 position of the new portion. 



In the cut flower market, trade has 

 shown a considerable improvement, prob- 

 ably on account of quantities arriving 

 being much less. It is /eally just be- 

 tween seasons, and good bulb bloom is 

 rather scarce. It makes good business 

 for outdoor stuff, and the Lincolnshire 

 growers have cause to congratulate 

 themselves. 



The lily of the valley trade has not 

 yet recovered from its recent long 

 slunif), although this week will prob- 

 ably see the last of the forced fresh 

 crowns, when prices will rapidly ad- 

 vance. For a wonder London has been 

 much lower for this line than most pro- 

 vincial markets. 



I have noticed during the last year 

 or so how colored foliage has been ap- 

 preciated, both in London and else- 

 where. Even the reddish tops of rose 

 shoots have found a ready sale. Col- 

 ored beech leaves, tinted ivy, hydrangea 

 and different kinds of cupressus, etc., 

 have all experienced a brisk demand at 

 remunerative prices. Of course, the 

 colored foliage of these hardy subjects, 

 is only obtainable in the autumn, but 

 tinted rose foliage may easily be ob- 

 tained in the early spring, and would 



Chicago's CMdest Florist and His Youngest Grandson. 



NOTES FROM ENGLAND. 



For a long time the various stand- 

 holders in Covent Garden market have 

 been hampered through insufficient 

 room and many new growers have had 

 to wait a long time before they could 

 occupy a stand, there not being one 

 vacant. To meet this want an exten- 

 sion has been in course of building for 

 some time, and a portion is now so far 

 completed as to be opened for use some 

 few days ago. I am informed the whole 

 of the new stands have been eagerly 



pay well. I have often heard the re- 

 mark among experienced growers that 

 it is difficult to obtain, but from my 

 observation it consists of little more 

 than getting the growths under glass 

 and afterwards putting them outdoors, 

 exposed to slight frosty nights. 



Violets have been benefited to some 

 extent by the prevailing fashion in 

 colors. In some districts these are 

 grown by the ten acres, and the grow- 

 ers have had good business. The Czar, 

 Princess of Wales and Avelyn are the 



principal sorts grown. The Czar is still 

 the very best for continuous bloom and 

 sweet scent. It was thought La France 

 would be a leading variety, but it is 

 too big for market violet. Its immense 

 size has occasioned the remark : ' ' When 

 is a violet not a violet? When it's as 

 big as a pansy. " If a violet is too 

 big it loses its character and the public 

 has not the same sentiment for these 

 big florists ' varieties. J. B. 



CHICAGaS VETERAN. 



The many friends of Edgar Sanders 

 will take pleasure in the accompanying 

 portraits of Chicago 's oldest florist, and 

 his youngest grandson. The photograph 

 was taken last summer, while his daugh- 

 ter, Mrs. William E. Spon, of Bayonne, 

 N. J., and her son Francis were visiting 

 at Chicago. The scene is Mr. Sanders' 

 porch at 1639 Belmont avenue. To the 

 craft it will be good news that Mr. San- 

 ders is in health to enjoy the sunset of 

 a long life full of kindly thought for 

 others. 



V^etable Forcing. 



VEGETABLE MARKETS. 



Chicago, April 25. — Cucumbers, 40c to 

 80c doz. ; 1-3 bu. boxes, $1.50 to $2; 

 lettuce, heads, $1.50 to $3 bbl.; leaf, 25e 

 to 30c case; mushrooms, 35c to 40c lb. 



Boston, April 23. — Cucumbers, $3 to 

 $6 box; lettuce, 30c to 85c doz.; parsley, 

 $2 box; tomatoes, 30c lb.; mushrooms, 

 $2 to $3 4-lb. basket; radishes, $2 box; 

 bunch beets, $1.75 doz. 



New York, April 23. — Cucumbers in 

 light supply, 75c to 90c doz.; No. 2, $3 

 to $4 box; lettuce firm at 25c to 65e 

 doz.; mushrooms in light demand at 10c 

 to 45c lb.; radishes $1.50 to $2 100 

 bunches; rhubarb, ^2 to $4 100 bunches; 

 tomatoes, 20c to 30c lb.; mint, 35c to 

 50c doz. bunches. 



CHARCOAL SCREENINGS. 



In the Revieav of April 19 I note what 

 Mr. Croydon says about hot-house grapes 

 and the best way to feed them. At New 

 Hamburg, N. Y., they are using 

 charcoal screenings to advantage and 

 as they have repeated a large order 

 it must give satisfaction. They say 

 that it saves the sourness caused 

 by late feeding and is even better in 

 some ways than the wood ashes that 

 were formerly used. E. V. Sidell. 



LETTUCE. 



If the last crop of the season is just 

 about completed and those in the cold 

 frame almost ready to cut, the conditions 

 for a continuous supply will be all right. 

 Where cold frames are not depended on 

 so much, another crop in the greenhouse 

 will have to be under way to keep up 

 the supply to meet the first outdoor crop. 

 Some of the larger growers do not 

 trouble much with cold frames, but with 

 us the cold frame crops are the most sat- 

 isfactory of the season. True, the earlier 

 crop for some time after planting re- 

 quires a good deal of attention in regard 

 to covering and protecting during cold 

 spells, but once the warm spring weather 

 sets in this trouble is reduced to a 

 minimum and the plants seem to grow 

 along without any trouble. We have 



