Dkckmbku «), 11)06. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



J49 



THE FLORISTS' CALENDAR. 



There are several s{)ec'ial occasions in 

 the business year of the florist, and be- 

 ginning in the order of the calendar 

 these important occasions are as follows: 

 New Year's day, upon which date many 

 thousands of floral tokens of regard are 

 delivered to maid and matron, and not 

 only to these representatives of the femi- 

 nine contingent, but also to the heads 

 of corporations and various other offi- 

 cials, both state and national. Next in 

 order comes St, Valentine's day, and 

 the giving of flowers and flowering 

 plants on this tender occasion has most 

 wonderfully increased of late years; in 

 fact, to such a degree has this custom 

 already attained in some of our large 

 cities that it seems almost like an echo 

 of Christmas time to many of the flor- 

 ists. Then comes that greatest of flower 

 festivals, Eastertide, a period that is 

 the most satisfying and withal the most 

 trying of the whole year to the florist, 

 for great quantities of perishable flow- 

 ers and flowering plants must be so 

 timed and prepared as to be at the 

 height of their perfection for that one 

 week. All this preparation must be made 

 regardless of the weather, and timed 

 differently each year, on account of 

 Easter being a movable feast, and as 

 such only recurring upon a similar date 

 at long intervals. 



After this comes the summer routine 

 work of the florist, and the summer vaca- 

 tions of his customers, and it is some 

 times darkly hinted that the unpaid 

 florist's bill from the preceding winter 

 and spring has provided the necessary 

 lucre for the said vacation. But, of 

 course, this is only liearsay, and there 

 are doubtless but few people mean 

 enough to take advantage of an inno- 

 cent florist. And after what are called 

 "the melancholy days" have come, and 

 at the end of ' ' brown November, ' ' the 

 swift passage of time brings us to our 

 national Thanksgiving season, and we 

 are reminded that this period is one of 

 great importance to housewives, to tur- 

 keys and to florists, the one other great 

 flower season that is included in our 

 list for the year being Christmas. This 

 festival utilizes great quantities of flow- 

 ers and plants, and means much anxiety 

 for the florist, owing to the difficulties 

 of safe delivery during midwinter weath- 

 er, and in addition to this there may be, 

 and frequently is, a scarcity of some 

 kinds of stock with a corresponding stiff- 

 ening of the wholesale jirices. 



This variation in prices for cut flow- 



Store of Jacob Schulz, Louisvi'Ie, Ky. 



ers is a frequent source of trouble among 

 dealers and customers, for many of the 

 latter do not realize the fact that flow- 

 ers are a commodity, dealt in by cut- 

 flower commission houses to the anunmt 

 of millions of dollrtrs every year, and 

 that these commission dealers keep a 

 close watch upon the supply and demand, 

 with the natural result that prices are 

 subject to change from time to time in 

 accordance with trade conditions. — \V. 

 IT. Taplin in Rural New-Yorker. 



CARNATION NOTES.-EAST. 



Brick-bottomed Propagating Bench. 



It is due the divine flower to give it 

 every advantage possible that will pre- 

 serve or increase its vigor, there being 

 no better place to begin than with 

 propagation. This operation may be 

 said to be the starting point in carna- 

 tion culture. It is here especially that 



the grower must use keen observation 

 and no ordinary judgn.ent in the selec- 

 tion of cuttings and treatment during 

 their stay in the sand. Of course it is 

 essential that strong, healthy cuttings 

 be procured and just as much so that 

 provision be made for means V)y which 

 to root them properly. 



It may seem persistent on my part to 

 dwell at length on the subject of a 

 brick bottom for the propagatinij bencli, 

 but experience having clearly j)roved its 

 <lecided superiority over any other m-^.- 



terial within the means of commercial 

 growers in general, 1 feel that excuses 

 are unnecessary. 



It may be briefly described as an 

 ordinarily constructed bench, the frame- 

 work of the bottom provideil with an 

 extra number of cross-pieces, j>laced at 

 such distance ai)art as to furnish every 

 brick a bearing of abinit one inch on 

 each end. Lay flat any number of bricks 

 wide that may be decided upon, using no 

 mortar or cement ; sides of same ma- 

 terial set edgewi.se cemented end to end 

 and on bottom. New brick make a 

 neater job and can be more quickly put 

 in place, but for all practical purposes 

 are no better than second-hand ones that 

 have been kept clean and dry. Oven- 

 burnt or crooked brick, otherwise known 

 as swell-bellies, are unsuitable, not being 

 unifoim in shape or porosity. 



(Jive a liberal coat of freshly made 

 whitewash contair.ing flowers of sulphur 

 in about the proportion of one pound 

 of sulphur to forty gallons of wash. 

 Add the sulphur at the time of slaking 

 the lime, when the mixture is boiling 

 most violently, as by this means a por- 

 tion is dissolved, forming a sulphur solu- 

 tion ; consecpiently when applied, the 

 bricks in absorbing the liquid must take 

 into' their pores a certain amount of 

 sulphur, a condition wliicii would not 

 obtain if simply stirred in the ; wash 

 w hen cold or hike warm. Start with hot 

 v.ater in .-laking the lime, thinning with 



