August 1, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



J3 



The 'Washington Florists' Club and its Friends at the Dickey Homestead, July 25. 



grown so that they can take care of 

 themselves through the winter, they will 

 get along almost anywhere. Canterbury 

 bells are very serviceable plants, either 

 for pot-culture or when planted out in 

 the open ground. D. M. 



ISMENE CALATHINA. 



Ismene calathina is a native of Brazil 

 and does not withstand the trials of our 

 winters outdoors; but it can be planted 

 in the open in the spring to make its 

 growth and to bloom in July. The bulbs 

 must be taken up before frosts occur 

 and be wintered in a dry, frost-proof 

 place. 



The greater worth of this bulbous 

 plant consists in its ability to stand 

 forcing, like a hyacinth or other so- 

 called Dutch bulb. Certainly it is not 

 a,dapted for early forcing, as its vege- 

 tation is not finished so early as 

 that of a hyacinth, and naturally it 

 must have a season of rest be- 

 fore it is awakened to a new life; but, 

 just as is the case with the hyacinth, 

 this rest period can be shortened con- 

 siderably by placing the bulbs in a 

 warm and moist place. The blossoms 

 having great beauty and a pleasant fra- 

 grance, the plant forms a valuable 

 change to the forced hyacinths, tulips, 

 and narcissi. As a cut bloom, with long 

 stalks, and of large size, ismene will 

 find as much favor with the public as 

 the eucharis, to which its blooms have 

 some similarity. 



Treated like gloxinias, the bulbs may 

 be started in a warm house, placing 

 them in damp sand. In the course of 

 two or three weeks the roots will show 

 themselves and the bulbs may then be 

 potted singly or in twos and threes in 

 rich soil and provided with good drain- 

 age. The pots should be placed on a 

 warm bed and not kept dark as is the 

 way with hyacinths, etc. In about three 

 weeks the leaves will begin to show and 

 the blooms will appear as soon as the 

 leaves arc fully developed. The flower 

 buds to the number of three to five ap- 

 pear on stalks sixteen inches high and 

 open in succession, but not so that all 

 are open at one and the same time, as 

 €ven when placed in a cool house the 

 first bloom to open will be past its best 

 before the next expands. As a period of 

 ten to fourteen days elapses between 

 the opening of the first bloom and the 

 passing of the last, florists must take 

 notice of this fact and act accordingly. 



A large flowered variety, I. calathina 



grandiflora, has found its way into com- 

 merce. The bulbs will, with suitable 

 cultivation, continue to flower for many 

 years in succession if after flowering and 

 the leaves have turned to a yellow tint, 

 the bulbs are kept in a perfectly dry 

 condition. 



WASHINGTON. 



The Market. 



There is no change in the cut flower 

 line. Nearly all the stores had the usual 

 week-end rush of funeral work. Stock 



Tbe Kdltor Is pleased 

 when a Reader 

 presents Ills Ideas 

 on- any subject treated In 



tV^ 



As experience Is tbe best 

 teaober, so do ^^e 

 learn fastest by an 

 ezotaanBe of experiences. 

 Many valuable points 

 are brouebt out 

 by discussion. 



Good pentnanatalp, spelling' aod gram- 

 mar, thoug-h desirable, are not neces- 

 sary. Write as you would tallt when 

 doing your oest. 



WK SHALL. BK GLAD 

 TO HKAR VROM TOU. 



continues poor and scarce. Theo. Die- 

 trich is bringing a fine lot of asters. 



The Florists' Outing. 



The Washingtop florists had a sure- 

 enough outing. Never before was there 

 such a gathering of the local craft at 

 one time. Everybody was aboard the 

 two special trains at 2 p. m. The trains 

 were decorated with flags and pin oak 

 brush. The engines looked like floats in 

 some monster street parade. Most of 

 the ladies and children were dressed in 



white, each wearing a dainty blue and 

 gold badge and a huge smile — a sort of 

 a can-it-be-possible smile. The men were 

 introduced to each other and when we 

 got through you could hear on all sides, 

 ' ' I had no idea there were so many flo- 

 rists in the district." 



After viewing the great falls of the 

 Potomac, we gathered around two tables 

 at the historic Dickey homestead, where 

 presidents of the United States have 

 been entertained and many notable peo- 

 ple have satisfied their appetites. Chick- 

 en was served in the good old southern 

 style in the hills of Virginia and eaten 

 by people from the District of Columbia. 

 Winners of the athletic events were: 



Potato race, Frank Flenry, a belt. Potato 

 race for girls. Miss Blsset, a string of beads. 

 One hundred yard dash for men, Robt. Feather- 

 stone, a dozen handkerchiefs. Fifty yard dash 

 for ladles. Miss Eva B. Cook, a parasol. One 

 hundred yard dash for boys, David Burlar, a 

 base ball. Three legged race. J. Sharper and 

 U. Johnson, suspenders and necktie. Sack race, 

 Oliver Beverldge. a penknife. Quoits, George 

 Cooke and Samuel Simmons. 



Several events were postponed, owing to the 

 lateness of the hour. 



F. H. Kramer, who was in charge of 

 the weather bureau, predicted a damp- 

 ness on the inside, and there was, at the 

 Dickey house. Mr. Kramer gave an ex- 

 hibition in black art and was a grand 

 success. His audience is still wondering 

 where all those chickens went to; some 

 say Jim Dumps helped him out. 



Later in the evening Fred Miller, of 

 Gude Bros., and Fred Liepley, of Kra- 

 mer's, carried off the honors in trick 

 riding on the carousal. 



James Hardy, who received an awful 

 bump in the sack race, is out again and 

 says he had a bully time. Mr. Clark 

 made a sensational jump at the falls. 

 Mr. Clark is an old Alpine climber and 

 is as sure footed as a goat. Mr. Eobin- 

 son made the hit of his life as a sport 

 promoter. Geo. Cooke also held up his 

 end as the milkmaid. 



Every flower stand in the city, except 

 two, closed at 12 o'clock on Thursday. 

 The outing was so much of a success 

 that it is more than likely to be re- 

 peated before the season is over. When 

 Adolphus suggested baseball the retail 

 players commenced to watch the clouds 

 roll by. He is the fellow that swatted 

 the ball at Bayridge while playing the 

 Baltimore florists. They still have a 

 committee looking for the ball, with full 

 power to act when they find it. 



Mr. and Mrs. Peterson, from Cincin- 

 nati, stopped this week on their way to 

 New York and Europe. O. O. 



