i746 



The Weekly Horists' Review* 



April 25, 1007. 



early batches pinched and don't allow 

 them to flower yet. 



Large-flowered jjelargoniums, or Mar- 

 tha Washington geraniums, will now be 

 coming into flower. Keep thelh cool and 

 airy and do not allow gi;een aphis to 

 secure a foothold* on them./. •. 



If you have any space in your propa- 

 gating bench, put in a good batch of 

 English ivy cuttings. They will make 

 fine plants for sale anothel: spring and 

 can be wintei^ed in any frame where it 

 does not frfeeze too severely. 



Brunner and other hybrid roses, if 



boxed now and grown along outdoors 

 through the summer, will make the best 

 possible stock for forcing another 

 spring. 



Do not allow fires to go out yet; it 

 would be false economy, what the British 

 term "a penny wise and pound foolish 

 policy." Wait until we get more settled 

 weather. Some fire heat at night is still 

 necessary for most plants, and our cli- 

 mate is very variable. 



Give young hydrangeas a shift before 

 they become pot-bound, and give mar- 

 guerites similar attention. 



PREPARATIONS FOR BENCHING. 



The preparation of young stock to be 

 ready for the planting . season^ reguirea 

 great thoughtfulness and care. In pre- 

 paring our planting plans due thought 

 should be given to have our plants in 

 just such a condition that they may be 

 able to get the full benefit of a shift, 

 either into larger pots or, as the season 

 is advancing, into the more congenial, 

 cooler and freer possibilities of the 

 bench. 



To reap the full advantage of bench- 

 ing, the proper stage of growth should 

 be calculated correctly, so that plants 

 which require a shift may either receive 

 such at once, or, if everything is in order 

 and readiness, may be immediately 

 benched. If they are in such a stage 

 and planting is impossible, it is best to 

 repot at once, as there is nothing so 

 detrimental to young stock as leaving 

 them in a pot-bound condition after the 

 advent of hot weather. 



If repotting has to be resorted to, it 

 will be necessary to give the plants at 

 least three weeks in the larger sized pots 

 to get them into condition again before 

 attempting to turn them out to plant 

 them on the bench. The reasons for this 

 are obvious. If the plant requires a 

 shift it ought to get it at once ; if it does 

 not require it, let it alone until it does. 



This is the true theory of rose culture. 

 Give the plant what it requires at the 

 right time, but do not attempt to force 

 it to take what it does not require at 

 any time. 



The student who, by careful observa- 

 tion, investigation and close study, suc- 

 ceeds in learning and understanding the 

 requirements of the different classes of 

 stock under his care is surely brushing 

 aside the obstacles to success in his fu- 

 ture career, and this should form, if he 

 wishes to master his profession, the prin- 

 cipal part of his studies. 



Plants which are handled according to 

 this method seldom require more than a 

 few days after benching to demonstrate 



very perceptibly that they appreciate this 

 kind of treatment, as in that time vigor- 

 ous root action is quite apparent, while 

 in cases where the shifts closely follow 

 each other the stock will come to a real 

 standstill, and the difference between a 

 standstill and a backward slide is so im- 

 perceptible that no grower would care to 

 take chances on it. 



■To obtain really the best results, care 

 should be taken that no checks shall oc- 

 fcur at any time during the life of the 

 rose, and as these are easily brought on 



IfHIVERY now and then a well 

 liSl pleased reader speaks the word 

 which is the means of bringing a new 

 advertiser to 



m 



Such friendly assistance is thoroughly 

 appreciated. 



Give us the name of anyone from 

 whom you are buying, not an adver- 

 tiser. We especially wish to interest 

 those selling articles of florists' use 

 not at present advertised. 



FLORISTS' PUBLISHING CO. 

 520-40 Caxton BIdg. Chicago 



during their period of life in pots and 

 especially as hot weather approaches, 

 this is really the time when the greatest 

 care should be exercised in order to ob- 

 ■viate any tendency that may lead to the 

 devitalizing or weakening of the plants 

 in any sense. Eibes. 



FiNDLAY, O. — Perry Foster, who is 

 night fireman in his father's green- 

 houses, spends his spare moments work- 

 ing in clay. Some of his busts are ex- 

 cellent. 



AMERICAN ROSE SOCIETY. 



Some Notes by the Secretary. 



The exhibition of the American K^se 

 Society held in Washington, D. C, last 

 month, and the publicity given to the 

 same by the press, has made it apparent 

 that a widely extended interest exista in 

 the affairs of both rose growers and lo- 

 cal societies in various places. Aside 

 from organizations or growers, letiAis 

 from people of cultivated tastes, vii^ 

 address the secretary for informati.)n, 

 show an interest that is widespread mkI 

 leads me to give some facts pertain :nr 

 to the working of the society and lie 

 preparation for the shows. 



Looking over the trade papers, th le 

 are dozens of advertisers offering re >;« 

 of all varieties for sale, each one of 

 whom could assist the society as a wo;k- 

 ing popular force by joining as a m^.n- 

 ber. 



The American Eose Society is gain- 

 ing in a life membership fund, but tiie 

 sustaining membership is absolutely re- 

 quired and this may be done by every 

 rose grower in America without being a 

 burdensome expense to any one. 



A photograph of the exhibition now 

 before me, gives a fine reproduction of 

 the beautiful effect as one entered tlie 

 hall at evening with the full effect of 

 the electric lights pouring down over the 

 great, square hall with its wealth of 

 color and form that at once took the 

 eye. But forty-eight hours before, the 

 secretary, as he faced the same space, 

 all ready to fill up, which the Florists' 

 Club of Washington had worked so hard 

 to make ready, was puzzled when, at ') 

 o'clock the night before the show was 

 to open, a gentleman from New York 

 City said: "This looks well, but what 

 have you got to fill it up witht" At 

 that instant every entry of all degrees 

 counted thirty-seven vases, a drop ii> 

 the bucket only. 



A few Washington men gathered ami 

 the word was passed, "We will have a 

 show if we have to empty our own 

 houses. ' ' Here was a perplexity to those 

 on whose shoulders rested the responsi 

 bility of getting up an exhibition; at 

 the last minute they were in ignorance nf 

 what was coming and the work of prcji 

 aration was done on faith. It was l'> 

 o'clock Tuesday night when a dispatch 

 came from W. H. Walsh, Woods Hole. 

 Mass., saying: "I am leaving Boston 

 with a carload of ramblers." This dis 

 patch was like General Sherman's signal 

 * ' Hold the Fort, for I am Coming. 

 Then came a dispatch from Pierson sa> 

 ing: "We have missed a train but will b' 

 there with some fine blooms. ' ' 



Wednesday morning (the show was t ■ 

 open at noon) came load after load f roi ' 

 one and another who had started the aft 

 ernoon or night before but had sent n^ 

 word; hence we were in the dark. Thri 

 or four who had entered were disaj 

 pointed at last, but by noon there hn 

 vanished all doubt as to not having 

 rose show. The roses were on hand. 



The judges, Messrs. Craig, Kastin 

 and Hauswirth, could not begin wor 

 until late and this point I wish to giv 

 out to all future exhibitors: try and le 

 whoever is in charge know ahead tha 

 you will come. There is a whole lot o' 

 detail work in arranging these shows, an 

 such shows as the American Rose So 

 ciety does put up are worthy of bein 

 visited by thousands of people; th 

 sight is one of beauty. 



The prizes taken numbered fifty-five 



