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September 6, 1906. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



985 



I Th 



gave some of the other retail men a 

 chance to give the wholesale growers 

 j>* plants a pointer on washing the pots 

 before delivering plants to the stores. 

 The mixing of colors in store windows 

 was also taken up, and strong criticisms 

 were made on the way scjme florists mix 

 together everything they have in their 

 store, and use all colors to make a win- 

 dow display. 



Social Features. 



On Thursday afternoon the members 

 and friends of the association were en- 

 tertained by the Guelph Horticultural 

 Society on the college lawn. An orches- 

 tra was in attendance, and a first-class 

 luncheon was served. The members of 

 the society had a chance to test the 

 quality of the cream produced at the 

 college. W. J. Lawrence gave a couple 

 of songs which were well received. J. 

 H. Dunlop took the chair, and after 

 proposing a number of toasts, which 

 were replied to by prominent gentlemen 

 from Guelph and members of the asso- 

 ciation, he called upon "William Gam- 

 mage, who in a short but pleasing ad- 

 dress presented William- Fendley, the 

 retiring president, with a cut glass fruit 

 dish, sugar bowl, and cream pitcher. 



Election of Officers. 



At the evening session the election of 

 officers took place, and resulted as fol- 

 lows: President, W. J. Lawrence, To- 

 ronto; first vice-president, John Walsh, 

 Montreal; second vice-president, E. Dale, 

 Brampton; treasurer, Herman Simmers, 

 Toronto; secretary, A. H. Ewing, Wood- 

 stock. The executive committee com- 

 prises nine members, three retiring each 

 year, as follows: One year, A. Pino- 

 teau, E. Annandale, W. Taylor; two 

 years, J, Suckling. J, Eddy, J. Camp- 

 bell; three years, W. Kehoe, A. G. Ste- 

 vens, F. Dicks, 



The next place of meeting was decided 

 to be London, Ont. The convention dis- 

 solved after singing "Auld Lang Syne" 

 and "God Save the King." A notice- 

 able feature this year was the number 

 of ladies present. • D. J. 



V.J.LAWRENCE. 



W. J. Lawrence, of Toronto, the presi- 

 dent-elect of the Canadian Horticultural 

 Association, was born in Toronto, in 

 1866, and has been in the florist's busi- 

 ness since 1880. He served his appren- 

 ticeship at the private establishment of 

 the late Sir D. L. Macpherson, under 

 George Vair. In 1885 he went to Ham- 

 ilton, and for two years was in the 

 employ of F. G. Foster. Eeturning to 

 Toronto, he took charge of the store 

 for the James Fleming estate. He was 

 also with Grainger Bros., Deer Park, for 

 a short time. 



In 1894 he took the foremaaship of 

 the greenhouses of J. H. Dunlop. This 

 position he held for four years, leaving 

 to go into business for himself. Mr. 

 Lawrence is a tenor singer of consider- 

 able ability, taking part in many lead- 

 ing concerts. He is also councilman in 

 the city where he resides. D. J. 



ASPARAGUS. 



What is the nature of Asparagus my- 

 riocladus? I have a large plant of it 

 in a 12-inch pot and want to grow a 

 quantity of it. Can it be propagated 

 by means of cuttings, and when and how 

 should it be done? E. L. K. 



The New Crec;o Aster. 



species referred to. As far as we are 

 aware, there is no asparagus that can 

 be propagated by cuttings, but all of 

 theni are easily and readily propagated 

 from seed. Division of the roots is an- 

 other method of propagation, but much 

 slower and more expensive than seed. 

 Encourage your old plant to make a 

 strong growth, and flower and fruit will 

 follow. It would be interesting if you 

 would tell us if this asparagus was valu- 

 able as an ornamental plant. W. S. 



A NEW ASTER. 



We must confess we do not know the 



Another new and fine aster has made 

 its appearance on the Chicago cut flower 

 market, where it is handled by E. C. 

 Amling, and will, in the course of time, 

 find its way into other cut flower cen- 

 ters and int* the seed catalogues, for 

 both the grower and Mr. Amling feel 

 sure that it is the coming aster, so far 

 as late varieties are concerned. 



The new aster originated eight years 

 ago in the private garden of G. S. Crego, 

 at Maywood, 111., and is evidently a 

 combination of the best qualities of the 

 highest grade asters grown at that time, 

 the Comet blood being apparent in the 

 form of the flower. The original plant 

 came from a small planting of home- 

 grown seed, and produced four extra 

 large white blossoms. The seed was 

 carefully sown the following season and 

 a small percentage of the plants came 

 true to the new type, the balance being 

 destroyed. This rule has been syste- 

 matically followed each year until Mr. 

 Crego thinks the new form has been 

 fully fixed. He says the flowers come as 

 true as in any of the older sorts. 



The blooms are unusually large, those 

 photographed being three and one-half 



inches to four inches across in their na- 

 tural position; if extended to get the 

 measurement of the full length of petal 

 the diameter is frequently four and a 

 half inches, or even more. 



In ordinarily favorable seasons, the 

 flowers are borne on long, stiff stems, 

 and are of a beautiful fluffy and uncon- 

 ventional form, closely resembling the 

 early mums. At present the stock is in 

 three colors, shell pink, pure white and 

 dark pink. 



The Crego aster is still in the hands 

 of the originator, but it is probable that 

 the seed will be offered to the trade next 

 year, as it is understood that this year's 

 crop will yield a considerable harvest. 



STRENGTHS OF CYANIDE. 



I read with considerable interest the 

 article recently written by that past maB- 

 ter of horticulture, W. S., giving direc- 

 tions for using potassium cyanide for 

 fumigation. 



I notice an omission, however, in his 

 article, and, by the way, not in his 

 alone, but in every other surticle on this 

 subject that I have read, which seems 

 to me serious enough to account for the 

 failures and injury to plants which so 

 many have experienced in its use. 



I refer to the great variation in the 

 strength of the potassium cyanide found 

 in commerce. The commercial article is 

 listed in various strengths from thirty 

 per cent to sixty per cent, and even a lit- 

 tle higher, while the chemically pure can 

 be obtained containing ninety-nine per 

 cent. 



In view of these facts it is readily 

 apparent to any one that should W. S. 

 have used that containing, say, sixty per 

 cent and found it successful, any one 



