

986 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



Septbmbbb 6, 1906. 



else happening to get the thirty per 

 cent and using the quantity recom- 

 mended by W. S., would get so little gas 

 that it would likely be a complete fail- 

 ure. 



If, on the other hand, W. S. should 

 have used the thirty per cent and some 

 one who followed his directions had hap- 

 pened to get a sixty per cent strength, 

 the quantity of gas would likely be 

 large enough to cause the injury to 

 plants which many report. 



I have obtained a supply of the ninety- 

 nine per cent pure, and will in the 

 fall, after the houses are closed up, con- 

 duct some careful experiments with it, 

 and will gladly report the results 

 through the columns of the Keview for 

 the benefit of all. 



The ninety-nine per cent cyanide is 



much more expensive than the ordinary 

 grades, but I believe the smaller amount 

 necessary to do the work, and the com- 

 paratively uniform results which will 

 likely attend its use, will more than off- 

 set the difference in price. 



I also believe that the amount of sul- 

 phuric acid recommended by most writ- 

 ers is far in excess of the amount actu- 

 ally required. Theoretically it only re- 

 quires about one-fiJth as much, to aflfect 

 the decomposition of the cyanide, as most 

 directions call for. 



I am surprised that the scientific men 

 in our experiment stations have not 

 called attention to the variation in 

 strength in the cyanide. Some of them 

 inay have, but I have not been fortunate 

 enough to have seen the accounts. 



A. E. SUMMEY. 



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THE RETAIL 



FLORIST...... 



BIRTHDAY BOUQUETS. 



Vincent I. Gorley, "of St. Louis, be- 

 lieves the birthday bouquet deserves a 

 boost. In a little printed slip dis- 

 tributed at the Dayton convention he 

 says : 



' ' Every hustling retail florist ought to 

 use his energy and push the birthday 

 bouquet — help make it a fad. Just 

 think of how many more flowers would 

 be sold the year around in every large 

 city if the sending of birthday bouquets 

 became a more general custom. Take, 

 for instance, St. Louis with 700,000 

 population. Out of that number about 

 400,000 would be eligible to receive 

 birthday bouquets. Suppose that 50,000 

 would buy only $1 worth, which would 

 be the smallest amount; there would be 

 spent $50,000 a year more for flowers in 

 St. Louis, and every florist would be 

 greatly benefited thereby. 



"It's up to the hustling retail florist 

 to develop every branch of the business 

 to its utmost and this is surely a big 

 field to work in. Why are so many 

 flowers bought for the dead? It has 

 become a custom. So let it be with the 

 birthday bouquet. Its promotion would 

 make two hearts happy; the one who 

 receives the flowers and the good, old 

 florist that sells them." 



The birthday bouquet certainly is 

 worthy every assistance on its way to 

 popularity, for in it there lie possibili- 

 ties far beyond those indicated in Mr. 

 Gorley 's modest statement. 



A NOVEL WEDDING DECORATION. 



The illustration on page 987 demon- 

 strates what skill and enterprise can 

 accomplish in decorative work. This im- 

 mense tent, in which was held the Wil- 

 son-Slayback wedding, at Glen Ridge, N. 

 J., June 30, was transformed in its en- 

 tirety — 100 feet long by fifty wide — into 

 a great "church." The semblance to 

 a tent was entirely obliterated. The ar- 

 tificial rafters were covered with oak- 

 colored burlap to produce the wood ef- 

 fect, and the rear pillars were the same. 

 Pin-oak branches and lyrata were used 



to form the roof, and green canvas cov- 

 ered the floor. In the background, the 

 alcove was banked with lilies, blue hy- 

 drangeas, foliage plants and palms. The 

 sides of the church were banked with 

 palms, lilies and white bouvardia. The 

 home of the bride was decorated with 

 asparagus, marguerites and blue hydran- 

 geas. Three hundred fifty strings of 

 asparagus were used in the house alone. 



The work on this excellent decoration 

 was done by William Donohoe, of New 

 York. Under Mr. Donohoe 's supervision \ 

 it required eight men two days to com- 

 plete it. The whole tent was covered 

 with mosquito netting, 1,200 yards be- 

 ing used — a tribute to the far-famed 

 Jersey mosquitoes. 



After the wedding ceremony the chan- 

 cel posts and rails were removed and the 

 immense room was set with forty-seven 

 tables, decorated with sweet peas and 

 maidenhair in bonnet baskets, used af- 

 terward for favors. The whole decora- 

 tion was most unique, and was a credit 

 to the originality of Mr. Donohoe. 

 t J. A. S. 



A FLOEIFEROUS AURATUM. 



The accompanying illustration is from 

 a photograph of a Lilium auratum grown 

 in a i)ot from a 7x9 bulb. This appears 

 to us as being unusual to have an aura- 

 tum, especially that size of bulb, produce 

 a stem bearing thirty-three flowers. Al- 

 though the flowers were not nearly so 

 large as the general stock of auratum 

 coniing into this market, yet the great 

 number of flowers produced on a single 

 stalk made it a very effective and at- 

 tractive plant. This plant was sent in 

 by H. Macherey. C. C. Pollworth. 



ROSES. 



Seasonable Suggestions. 



With the cold, foggy nights and warm 

 [lays which we may expect during this 

 and the next month, we enter on the 

 most critical season for the grower. To 

 keep the stock in good shape and get 

 the leaves and young growth suflBciently 

 hardened, in proper condition to with- 



Lilium Auratum with Thirty-three Flowen. 



