u 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



Dbcbhbbb 19, 1907. 



Bible, by a little judicious feeding. I 

 find weak soot water a very good stimu- 

 lant; also a little Clay's fertilizer, dis- 

 solved in the water, occasionally is very 

 beneficial. The best plan I know of for 

 preventing leaf disease is to scatter dry 

 soot between the pots. It not only pre- 

 vents disease, but also has a stimulating 

 effect on the foliage. 



When staking your plants, it pays to 

 use small, green-painted stakes, and to 

 make the ties with green raffia. It is 

 wonderful how a little extra care in this 

 respect will add to the value of each* 

 plant. 



Housing the Plants. 



I should like, before closing, to write 

 a few words about housing begonias. 

 I may say that there is no way in which 

 the deadening formalism of plant houses 

 may be more effectually removed than by a 

 little care and taste in the arrangement 

 of our plants. "With florists and private 

 gardeners alike it will give the most 

 pleasing results, and will impress upon 



others the beaaty and value for decora- 

 tive purposes of each particular class 

 of plants. What do we see as a general 

 rulef Perhaps a good batch of Lor- 

 raines, which, if carefully staked and 

 artistically arranged, would look attract- 

 ive and be a credit to the grower, but 

 on the other hand are spoiled for want 

 of a few extra stakes and a little taste 

 in their arrangement. 



A Model Begonia House. 



The accompanying illustration is a 

 splendid example of what may be ac-. 

 complished in this respect. No words of 

 mine could give the reader an adequate 

 idea of the glorious brilliance of this 

 magnificent range of begonias. The gen- 

 eral brilliance of effect was truly be- 

 wildering. While there was here a fixed 

 idea prevailing in the grouping and ar- 

 rangement, we entirely escaped anything 

 which might be called monotony in de- 

 tail or outline. 



The large plants in this establishment 

 were flowered in 8-inch pots, and av- 



eraged three feet in height and about the 

 same through. The main batch, however, 

 were in 6-inch pots and pans, this being 

 the most serviceable size for general use. 

 For the edge of the benches plants in 

 4-inch pots were used; these were al- 

 lowed to grow naturally, without any 

 staking whatever. 



*.'. Beautifying the Roof. 



A very attractive feature of this range 

 was the method of taking away the bare- 

 ness of the roof. For this purpose hun- 

 dreds of small cork baskets were used, 

 and the effect when in flower was most 

 satisfactory. 



At the present time we have but two 

 distinct colors in this class of begonias. 

 Looking into the future, however, I can 

 see a day coming when yellow and scar- 

 let will be included in the number. When 

 that time comes, then indeed begonias 

 will be booming, and the critics who tell 

 us that Lorraines are much too common 

 will take a back seat. 



Wm. McM. Bkown. 



REVIEW OF THE SEASON. 



Profit or Loss. 



, The season is practically over and we 

 can now look back over it and draw a 

 few lessons. For many growers the sea- 

 son has been a disastrous one and, while 

 the financial trouble did not affect all 

 parts of the country so much as it did 

 my section (New York), still its effects 

 are everywhere felt to a greater or 

 less extent. The market started out 

 bravely and the early kinds were bring- 

 ing good money. Monrovia, Mrs. A. T. 

 Miller, Polly Rose, Pacific, Mrs. 

 Coombes, White Coombes and Beatrice 

 May paid handsomely — and then the 

 panic struck us and it has been a case 

 ever since of taking what one could get. 

 Stock that other years could be easily 

 disposed of at $5 and $6 a dozen could 

 not be moved for half that, and to many 

 of us the midseason kinds show nothing 

 but a balance on the wrong side of the 

 ledger. 



All signs fail in a dry time and also 

 in times of financial trouble, and to give 

 a selection of varieties that sold the best 

 when nothing at all sold would be sheer 

 absurdity. I believe that if the market 

 had continued as it began we would 

 have had the best year, or at least one 

 of the best years, for a long while, so 

 that supply and demand did not figure 

 this year. It was really the outside in- 

 fluence that affected the market, a con- 

 dition, perhaps, that may never occur 

 again. The quantity of stock in sight 

 was not in excess of former years and 

 the market in a normal condition would 

 have absorbed it all right, but this year 

 it was not a case of moving stock quick- 

 ly by lowering the price. There was no 



market and stock simply did not sell at 

 all. 



There is considerable stock in the 

 market at the present time (December 

 14), but the price it is selling at is not 

 very alluring. While late varieties may 

 pay well in some sections, there is but 

 little call with us after Thanksgiving. 

 The season is over and people turn once 

 more to the roses and carnations. 



The kinds most in evidence just now 

 are Nagoya, Helen Frick, Maud Dean, 

 Nonin and Mrs. R. MacArthur. 



The Single Varieties. 



I was pleased to see the notes on the 

 single varieties in the Review December 

 12. They are the one bright spot in the 

 market this year. Grown as pot plants, 

 they sold well and brought good money. 

 Being more or less of a novelty, of 

 course, had some bearing on this, but 

 their light, graceful beauty has made 

 them welcome. Among the best people 

 their merits are recognized and the com- 

 ing year will see them grown by the 

 thousand to supply the demand. 



There is one objection to the single 

 varieties as cut flowers. They do not 

 ship very well, owing to their flowers 

 getting jammed, but as pot plants or 

 for growing for a home trade, few 

 plants will turn in the profit that the 

 single varieties will when properly 

 handled. Chables H. Totty. 



MUMS FOR EXHIBITION. 



We have just had a successful chrysan- 

 themum show in northwestern Texas and 

 I want some advice as to varieties to 

 grow for next year's exhibition. Please 

 give the names of the best exhibition 

 chrysanthemums, including each of the 



colors, and please designate those which 

 are medium early and which sorts are 

 very late. I like the incurved varieties 

 best, but what I want is the largest, 

 best formed ar^d brightest colors I can 

 get. R. S. 



If R. S. will turn back to the Review 

 of December b', page 8, he will see a 

 list of forty varieties that I consider the 

 best kinds in cultivation today. They 

 are for exhibitions ranging from Octo- 

 ber 25 to November 16, which is when 

 the most of the shows are held. 



An earlier selection would include 

 Mary Godfrey, Mrs. A. T. Miller and 

 L. H. Cochet, while late varieties that 

 are good are M. J. Rosette, Kathleen 

 Stoop, Mrs. Geo. Beech and Mrs. Swin- 

 burne. These are all of the incurv- 

 ing style and are useful for late flowers, 

 but the very largest and most satisfac- 

 .tory varieties for exhibition are the 

 forty varieties mentioned above. In 

 most cases the Japanese types give larger 

 flowers than the incurved. 



Charles H. Totty. 



MUMS FOR POT CULTURE. 



Please give a list of the best varieties, 

 early, mid-season and late, in three or 

 four of the best colors, to grow in pots. 



G. L. E. 



A good selection for pot work would 

 include the following varieties: 



White — Polly Rose, Beatrice May, 

 Moneymaker, Mrs. Clay Frick, Mrs. R. 

 Beckett, Mrs. .T. Tranter and Merza, 



Yellow — Cheltoni, Mary Godfrey, Sou- 

 venir Scalarandis, A. T. Stevens and Oak 

 Gold. 



Pink — Pacific, L. H. Cochet, William 



