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12 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



Mabch 26, 1908. 



gests them. For shipping long distances, 

 no flower is more suitable or certain of 

 satisfactory results, viewed alone upon 

 its splendid keeping qualities. Eetailers 

 of the seaboard cities use roses almost 

 exclusively in their steamer trade. 



I am reminded of the case of some 

 blooms of the Richmond rose, being 

 shown at a meeting of the Detroit 

 Florists' Club three years ago. The 

 same flowers, after being kept in a re- 

 frigerator, were shown at the exhibition 

 of the American Carnation Society in 

 Chicago eight days later. This trait of 

 cut roses commends it to the retailer 

 and to his customer, and also when the 

 question of the dealer's supply is con- 

 sidered, as the rose can be shipped to 

 him if necessary by his grower situated 

 far away, and the availability of the 

 rose in all seasons adds great value to 

 his chief commodity in stock. 



Appropriate in all Places. 



On no occasion of the many where 

 flowers of some kind are used is the 

 rose ever considered unsuitable or in- 

 appropriate. Indeed, were the rose 

 eliminated from retail floriculture, the 

 cavity would be so great it would be 

 diflicult to properly identify it. Keep- 

 ing pace with the evolution of the rose 

 came the improved methods in decora- 

 tions. Other flowers may in their re- 

 spective seasons find a measure of favor, 

 usefulness and even popularity with the 

 lovers of the beautiful in nature, and 

 in decorations you may mix them in an 

 incongruous mass without doing great 

 violence to their individual character, 

 but the rose alone cries out pleadingly 

 for a position of isolation where, un- 

 aided by associates, ribbons, ferns or 

 other accessories, the rare, unrivaled 

 splendor and magnificence of its decora- 

 tive effect are most pleasing and appre- 

 ciable. 



The Gill for Novelty. 



Eetailers deplore the seeming indif- 

 ference of many growers in the impor- 

 tant matter of providing them with 

 more of the novelties in roses, the neces- 

 sity for which is most apparent. So 

 pronounced and general is this interest, 

 and indeed eagerness, of the rose pa- 

 trons to satisfy their delights in new 

 varieties, that I venture to say that 

 If some of the once favorite roses 

 that are now relegated almost to ob- 

 livion, and which the so-called up-to- 

 date grower of these times would dis- 

 dain to grow, were resurrected, they 

 would find a ready market and many 

 warm, appreciative friends among rose 

 enthusiasts. As an example I might 

 cite the case of old Bon Silene, which 

 is now grown in some quarters and is 

 meeting with an encouraging demand. 

 And in considering the adoption of 

 varieties to meet this changing taste of 

 the people, it is well to remember that 

 it 18 not the size alone that constitutes 

 the chief elements in a beautiful and 

 most acceptable rose, as is clearly and 

 constantly shown by even the most fas- 

 tidious patrons of the retail stores while 

 making their selections. 



The public is craving for novelty — 

 something different from the monot- 

 onous few varieties. Any of the older 

 varieties are sufficiently attractive to 

 the casual buyer, but the steady patrons, 

 who are our most valuable ones, must 

 be shown something new to hold their 

 continued and increasing interest in 

 our chief commodity. As an evidence 



of this tendency on the part of a large 

 portion of the flower lovers, for variety 

 and novelties, witness the increasing in- 

 terest shown by them the last two or 

 three years in the dainty pompon and 

 anemone chrysanthemums, and often by 

 identically the same persons who for- 

 merly sought the largest specimens of 

 that flower at the time obtainable. How 

 eagerly would the rose enthusiasts to- 

 day seek the beautiful hybrid roses, 

 as they were formerly grown, if they 

 were now available! 



The Story of Killarney. 



As an illustration of the respective 

 attitudes of the retailers and many 

 growers I will cite the case of Killar- 

 ney, a variety the superior merits of 

 which are now universally conceded. 

 Witness its struggle for the recognition 

 deserved. 



Soon after the Killarney 's introduc- 

 tion in this country, about nine years 

 ago, a few growers experimented with 

 it in a limited way. The keen, well- 

 trained eyes of the retailers, who by 

 chance came into possession of the cut 

 blooms, recognized instinctively their 

 rare beauty and prospective value, and 

 true to the enterprising methods that 

 had already gained for them a big rose 

 trade, they soon acquainted their cus- 

 tomers with the distinctive finished 

 beauty of the novelty, the supply of 

 which is as yet limited. The increas- 

 ing popularity of this variety and the 

 consequent demand for it kept much in 

 advance of the supply, which fortunate- 

 ly improved rapidly in the hands of but 

 a few growers. Retailers everywhere 

 urged more growers to plant it. The 

 latter, nevertheless, were distrustful, 

 and persistently refused to give it a 

 fair trial, and in this case, as in many 

 others, totally ignored the advice of 

 the man behind the counter. 



Some Things Needed. 



The growers' indifference to the con- 

 stant pleadings of the retailers to 

 awaken to the importance of growing 

 varieties that would be particularly 

 available in the summer season has de- 

 layed inexcusably the full development 

 of the lucrative trade for both grower 

 and dealer that is attainable during this 

 period. The present growers cannot 

 justify their lethargy in the past in 

 this respect by the absence in com- 

 merce, as they allege, of such varieties 

 as will by their productiveness, color 

 and quality commend them for the pur- 

 pose named. 



The retailers often wonder what 

 would be the extent of the commercial 

 importance and increased popularity of 

 the rose were it not for its present pro- 

 hibitory price to the masses, which op- 

 erates to its disadvantage, commercial- 

 ly speaking. With that barrier re- 

 moved appear to them visions of acres 

 of glass being annually added to the 

 existing large area now devoted to its 

 culture, and the additions of thousands 

 of florists engaged in this healthful and 

 profitable industry, and in view of the 

 vast strides made by hybridizers in recent 

 years, may we not reasonably expect 

 that a type of roses can yet be brought 

 out which, in addition to the quality 

 of the cut flowers will also be suf- 

 ficiently productive to allow them to be 

 sold at a price that will place them in 

 the hands of the masses, and their pop- 

 ularity thus extended to the full grati- 

 fication of every lover of the rose; and 



this blessing may by the same process 

 be extended to the multitudes of homes 

 where outdoor culture of the rose is 

 possible were the suitable varieties 

 available. 



How frequently on our premises the 

 prospective buyer, who is viewing with 

 delight a splendid blooming plant of, 

 we shall say Frau Karl Druschki, 

 asks if it is hardy! We proudly answer 

 in the affirmative and prepare to take 

 an order. When again questioned, 

 "Will it bloom again this season?" we 

 reluctantly answer in the negative, as 

 we see our prospective sale fade away. 

 There is where we are deficient. We 

 have not yet adjusted our productions 

 to the actual requirements of the peo- 

 ple we attempt to serve. We cannot 

 expect the public to purchase and be 

 satisfied with such varieties that even 

 in the hands of skilled florists will not 

 succeed under similar conditions. 



American Beauty. 



Society has, as a result of a combi- 

 nation of circumstances, aided by the 

 florists themselves, forced the American 

 Beauty to a position of prominence that 

 seems at times to discourage the hybrid- 

 izer in his endeavor to produce a suc- 

 cessful rival to that famous variety, 

 but, as every retailer knows, that va- 

 riety at times is anything but a real 

 beauty. Personally, I should prefer to 

 see half of the glass at present devoted 

 to Beauty given to a few of our lead- 

 ing sorts, and a further extension of 

 our present list of forcing varieties to 

 include those particularly reliable for 

 summer blooming, but in this position 

 I fully realize that I am in danger of 

 standing almost alone. 



But it is a well known fact that no 

 longer are retailers embarrassed when 

 they are unable to answer the call of 

 the critical rose customer for Amer- 

 ican Beauty if they are prepared to 

 offer Richmond as a substitute, or its 

 worthy and popular companion, Kil- 

 larney. Indeed, these are now often 

 preferred to Beauty, irrespective of the 

 cost. When we reflect upon the dismal 

 failures attending the attempts of some 

 growers with Beauties we are moved 

 to pity and regret that the same glass ■ 

 and eft'orts were not devoted to other 

 varieties which would be most certain 

 to yield better if not entirely satisfac- 

 tory results. 



LILIES LOSING FOLIAGE. 



The lower leaves on my lily plants are 

 turning yellow and dropping off. The 

 Harrisii seem to be affected the worst. 

 They are nice, strong plants, from one 

 and one-half to two feet high, full of 

 buds and otherwise in fine condition. Will 

 you kindly suggest the reason for this 

 and help me to find a remedy? 



G. A. T. 



You cannot well prevent your lilies 

 losing a few of the bottom leaves, but 

 too little water and crowding the plants 

 are fertile causes of this trouble. Keep 

 your lilies well watered, and if the drain- 

 age is good and you spread them out so 

 that the leaves of the plants do not touch 

 each other, and get good light among 

 them, you should have little further yel- 

 lowing of the leaves. C. W. 



RowEHL & Gbanz, Hicksville, L. I., 

 say they believe they are the largest 

 growers of Japanese irises in this coun- 

 try, and possibly in the world. 



