,;*j»'iTT]iv \V- -■''\*~ " 



Januabt 16, 1008. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



FLORICULTUBAL EDUCATION. 



I write today, not only for myself, but 

 for all the young men who intend to give 

 their life and time to floriculture or hor- 

 ticulture in its full sense. I have, I 

 think, a fairly good knowledge of most 

 plants as far as culture, treatment and 

 their habits are concerned, but I do not 

 understand very well the art of budding 

 or grafting, and do not thoroughly un- 

 derstand hybridizing, although I have 

 done a little of it. 



But what I wish to ask you, Mr. 

 Editor, is a question which would inter- 

 est all young men who are contemplat- 

 ing entering this most beautiful work, a 

 question which should interest the profes- 

 sional man and all who call themselves 

 florists, nurserymen or plant breeders. 

 The question is this: Where can we 

 young men learn our trade as you florists, 

 . nurserymen and plant breeders have 

 learned it? 



I am, and I know others are, more 

 than wanting to learn what there is to 

 learn, from seed sowing to hybridizing, 

 but I fail to find a single place where 

 they are willing to take us and bother to 

 tell or show us anything more than what 

 we can pick up ourselves. And as for 

 college, it takes money and there is a 

 lot of red tape, and only book knowl- 

 edge when you get out. And I don't 

 see why in our florist trade, which is the 

 trade beautiful, any firm would object to 

 taking in .a couple of us and giving us 

 the alphabet clear through. 



I am sure that if we young fellows 

 don't learn, the florist will be a thing of 

 the past in a short time. Kindly, Mr. 

 Editor, see what you can do for us all, 

 as in my special case I would find it 

 most helpful if I could come with some 

 firm or individual doing budding, graft- 

 ing, etc., commercially. Don't believe, 

 however, that I mean it in these lines 

 only. It is the same in the retail store, 

 where fancy decorating and such things 

 iire done. Thos. A. Kempton. 



Pasadena, Cal. 



[Such inquiries are frequently found 

 in the Editor's mail. Tb^ Review will 

 be pleased to publish, for the benefit of 

 all, any reply that those interested in the 

 subject may wish to make to this young 

 man.] 



BEST STRAINS OF ASTER. 



I want to plant a bed of asters in the 

 greenhouse, so I can get blooms for 

 Decoration day or sooner. What varieties 

 should I plant f Where can I secure the 

 seed? A. M. M. 



There are half a dozen advertisers of 

 aster seeds in this issue of the Review. 

 Any one of them will be glad to supply 

 your needs. 



ASTERS.FOR INDOOR CULTURE. 



I have been informed that asters grown 

 ia greenhouses for early cut flowers are 

 :il>out twice the size of those grown 

 nit doors. What is the best time for 

 sowing the seed and for potting them? 

 •Mso give me any other hints on grow- 

 them. G. H. H. 



I 'J 



It 



is a fact that asters can be grown 

 U!Mer glass successfully and of remark- 

 ^"^y fine quality. If you are desirous of 

 tr. ,ng this method of culture, sow a 

 Dfitth of seeds about the end of Janu- 

 ^^ in shallow flats. Keep these shaded, 

 ^' well up to the light. Remove the 

 ling as the little seedlings germinate. 



Bride's Bouquet of Roses and Valley. 



Sow in a compost of leaf -mold and loam, 

 using more of the former than the latter. 

 A temperature of 55 degrees at night 

 is ample for successful germination. I 

 prefer to prick off into flats and from 

 these into the benches direct, rather than 

 trouble with pot culture, which entails 

 much more labor. Any unused benches 

 in a house kept at 45 to 50 degrees at 

 night will grow good asters. They like 



a generous compost, such as you would 

 grow chrysanthemums or carnations in. 

 Do not plant in soil which has been 

 impoverished by another crop, or you 

 will only have failure for your efforts. 

 When planting in the benches, allow 

 nine inches each way between the plants. 

 Stir the surface soil frequently and 

 do not overwater at first. They need 

 lots of Avater, however, when growing 



