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SUFTBMBUt 27, 1906. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



U%9 



today you might forget it. So I pro- 

 pose to refer to the method whenever 

 there is an essential operation needed. 

 Sufficient is it to say today that the 

 seed sown one inch apart on September 1 

 can remain in the flats undisturbed until 

 about the first part of March. Keep the 

 seedlings in about 55 degrees at night 

 on a light bench, and during winter the 

 more sun they get the better. Mr. Rob- 

 inson says "never let them draw up 

 weak; a lanky cyclamen at any part of 

 its existence is only fit for the dump 



pile." WlIiUAM SOOTT. 



THE RECORD AURATUM. 



Every now and then an unusually 

 floriferous auratum lily attracts atten- 

 tion. Such a one recently illustrated in 

 the Review brought from Eoss Bros. 

 Co., Worcester, Mass., the photograph 

 reproduced in this issue and the follow- 

 ing comment: 



"This auratum lily we had photo- 

 graphed two years ago. We have for- 

 gotten the exact number of flowers on it, 

 but think it was about eighty, and all, 

 with the exception of two buds, were 

 opened at one time; those buds were 

 perfect and opened later. The dimen- 

 sion of the head was about fifteen to 

 eighteen inches and made one complete 

 ball without a break. We think this was 

 without any doubt the most magnificent 

 auratum lily ever seen in this country 

 and it was raised in an> out of the way 

 place without any care whatever." 



PACKING CUT FLOWERS. 



[A paper by H. O. Mulllss, packer for tbe 

 Dale Estate, Brampton, Ont., read before the 

 Canadian Horticultural Association at Ouelph, 

 August 30, 1906.] 



Roses* 



In preparing stock for shipment, roses 

 ought to be cut before the sun is on 

 them in the morning and placed in water 

 as soon as possible, and then put in a 

 cool place, cellar preferred, and left 

 there to harden up, which will take from 

 six to twelve hours. Then the stock will 

 be in perfect shape for shipping. 



In packing roses, use boxes made of 

 wood, 'give them a lining of paper from 

 two to six thicknesses, according to the 

 weather, and then place a small roll of 

 wadding in front on the bottom of the 

 box, and on that, one sheet of wax or 

 oiled paper about four inches wide, and 

 as long as the box is wide. 



Next, put in the roses. Put one layer 

 across the box, and on it one sheet of 

 wax paper, and on the stems, close up to 

 the buds of the first row, put the second 

 row, and then place a third on top of 

 the second, and a fourth on top of the 

 third, and so on until you have the roses 

 level with the top of the box. 



Then fasten them so that they will not 

 shift forward in the box. To do this, 

 take a stick ^x^r^ inches and as long 

 as the box is wide. Put a small wire 

 nail in each end, projecting out from an 

 eighth to a quarter of an inch, and 

 fasten with a blind staple to keep the 

 nail in place. In putting this cleat in 

 the box, put the nail through one side 

 of the box and then spring the box open 

 and spring the stick down tight enough 

 to hold the stems firmly in the box; and 

 then let the box spring back to place. 

 This will hold the stems of the flowers 

 firmly in position. 



If the box is not full to the back, it 

 is a nice place to put in some green, 

 asparagus or smilax, or even violets or 



The Record In Aurattttns* 



lily of the valley, or some other small 

 flowers that you may have at the time. 



Carnations. 



Carnations may be packed in some- 

 what the same way as roses, only we 

 lay them in in bunches, not singly as in 

 the case of rosed. I believe carnations 

 should be packed more carefully than 

 they usually are. Many growers think 

 that carnations will stand rough treat- 

 ment, and on that assumption they are 

 thrown into the boxes without the least 

 thought of injury, and, when the retailer 

 lays a complaint, the grower wonders 

 why the stock did not arrive at its 

 destination in good condition. 



In the summer-time, it is a practice 

 among growers to put a small piece of 

 ice in the back of each box to keep the 

 stock moist. It is not wise to use too 

 much ice. I had an experience with a 

 box of carnations shipped to Regina. 

 The man who ordered the goods com- 

 plained of stock spoiling with dampness; 

 so I sent one box on trial, without the 

 least moisture of any description, and 

 received word that the box arrived all 

 right. When it was opened only a few 

 spots of moisture on the wax paper were 

 found. As it then was 10 p. m., the 

 buyer thought it wise to leave the flowers 

 in the box until morning. When he took 

 them out the next morning there was not 

 the least bit of moisture of any kind. 

 He is of the opinion that they would 

 have traveled back again in as good 

 condition as when they left. If carna- 

 tions will travel four days without ice, 

 why do they need ice when traveling not 

 one-eighth the distance! 



Through the winter months, there is a 

 good deal of complaint, among growers, 

 of carnations going to sleep. Quite a lot 



of this is due to the grower letting his 

 stock get too dry on the benches. If 

 growers would watch their watering a 

 little more closely, there would not be so 

 many sleepy carnations through the 

 country. 



Lilies. 



Mignonette will travel well if picked 

 for about twelve hours before shipment. 

 It will then stand a long trip. Harrlsii 

 and longiflorum can be shipped to ad- 

 vantage on the plant. I have shipped 

 them for three and four-day trips by 

 first making a box five feet long, seven- 

 teen inches wide and ten inches deep, 

 out of %-inch lumber. Line the box 

 with paper. Take the plant and knock 

 the pot off, wrap the soil and roots in 

 paper, and then lay it down flat in the 

 bottom of the box. The box will hold 

 four plants across. First put one row in 

 each end of the box, then another row 

 directly in front. This will make six- 

 teen plants on the bottom of the box. 

 Then fasten a cleat across the front 

 rows and wrap the stems well, in the 

 center of the box, with wadding. Put 

 another four rows on top of the first, 

 making thirty-two plants in the box, or 

 about one hundred and twenty-five 

 blooms. If the flowers are well wrapped 

 they will travel without the least bit of 

 injury. Should the retailer want the 

 pots, they can be packed in boxes and 

 shipped separately. Very few retailers 

 will pay express charges on pots, as it 

 is too expensive. 



Chrysanthemums. 



Chrysanthemums should be packed in 

 wooden boxes by first putting a row 

 across the box, and then another on top, 

 if the box is deep enough to warrant it. 



