58 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



Afbil 9, 1908. 



one that cannot be seen from any dis- 

 tant point, but one where a host or 

 hostess can guide his or her guests and 

 land them by surprise among the rose 

 beds or under the arbor in the season 

 of bloom; and while the plants are at 

 work preparing for next June they will 

 not be critically commented upon for 

 their rustic looks. 



The rose is a strong feeder and is 

 best suited in a heavy, moist, but well 

 drained soil. If they can be planted with 

 a shade from the east, but by no means 

 an overhead one, that the dews will 

 hang on until 9 or 10 a. m., so much 

 the better. 



The best time to plant hardy roses is 

 in the fall, about the first or second 

 week in November. In planting, be sure 

 that the graft is well buried in strong 

 growing varieties — I recommend a depth 

 of seven or eight inches — and the weak- 

 est growers should not be any less than 

 four inches below the normal surface of 

 the soil. Roses planted at this time 

 should be laid down at once and cov- 

 ered over with three or four inches of 

 soil. In that way they will keep over 

 the winter and turn out plump and fresh 

 in spring. 



If it is desired to plant roses in spring, 

 have it done just as early as the ground 

 will permit; for there is no plant that 

 I know of that suflferes from late plant- 

 ing as much as does the rose. Should 

 your plants show the least sign of shriv- 

 eling when received in spring, dig a 

 trench and cover them entirely with about 

 eight inches of soil for three or four 

 days and, unless they have been all the 

 more dried out, you will generally find 

 the wood and buds quite plump when 

 you lift them from the trench. If 

 any wrinkles remain on the bark the 

 chances are that these plants will die, 

 and should they survive the growth will 

 be extremely poor for the first season. 



Culture and Feeding. 



The last of March or first of April, 

 in this section, is generally the best 

 time to prune hybrid perpetual roses. 

 At this time all danger from damaging 

 frosts is past and we can spread what 

 covering has' been used for winter pro- 

 tection. After the pruning is done, a 

 good loosening up of the soil with a 

 spading fork and they are ready to start 

 work. Few gardeners prune their rose 

 busies closely enough. With but few ex- 

 ceptions, I prune down to from one to 

 ,four inches of the soil, and these excep- 

 tions are only such roses as Margaret 

 Dickson, General Jacqueminot and Prince 

 Camille de Bohan, which are aj^t to run 

 blind on the extra strong shoots from 

 the bottom. Even with these varieties 

 care should be taken to cut out all two- 

 year-old wood close to the soil. 



If the manure used for protecting 

 during the winter is dug in in spring, 

 no additional fertilizer need be applied 

 until May 20, when a liberal applica- 

 tion of some stimulant, such as pure bone 

 meal, a good grade of commercial fer- 

 tilizer, or liquid manure from the barn- 

 yard, whichever is convenient, is of great 

 benefit. Should the weather be dry from 

 this time until the flowering period is 

 well over, the ground shoidd be well 

 saturated with water. Where the soil 

 is light, a mulch of from four to six 

 inches of litter or cut grass is good 

 to retain moisture and also to keep 

 the roots cool, although it adds nothing 

 to the beauty of the beds. I would 

 prefer litter instead of the grass as a 

 mulch, as I have seen the grass during 



a dull spell create a bad dose of mildew. 

 If a mulch has been used up to and 

 through the flowering period, it should be 

 removed early in July and the beds kept 

 well cultivated from then until October. 

 (To be continued.) 



ST. LOUIS. 



The Market 



The general run of business has been 

 quiet all through Lent. Only two weeks 

 more, and then business should take a 

 jump and make up for lost time. It 

 is said among some of the oldest florists 

 that they have never before felt Lent 

 as this year. Had funerals come under 

 the same ban as the social affairs, re- 

 garding flowers, some of us would have 

 to close up shop, especially this year. 

 In fact, every industry is still curtailed 

 and collections are slow. 



The wholesalers still have plenty of 

 stock in all varieties and grades, although 

 carnations were not nearly so plentiful 

 last week as they were the wefek pre- 

 vious and prices stiffened up to $3 

 per hundred for fancies. White has had 

 a steady call. 



In roses, there are plenty of the col- 

 ored sorts, while of whites there are 

 enough. The demand is better fof Ameri- 

 can Beauties. There are enough in all 

 grades. 



Callas were a sort of glut for a while, 

 but there were not enough of Harrisii. 

 In other bulbous stock the market is 

 well supplied. Valley is especially fine. 

 Tulips and Dutch hyacinths, too, are fine. 

 In green goods, everything is in good 

 supply. 



Various Notes. 



During the last week we had a number 

 of visitors in the shape of popular trav- 

 eling salesmen who represent well-known 

 Philadelphia firms. The first in the field 

 was E. J. Fancourt, of S. S. Pennock- 

 Meehan Co., followed by S. S. Skidelsky. 

 Then came J. J. Karins, representing H. 

 A. Dreer. He in turn was followed by 

 Martin Eeukauf, who sells for H. Bayers- 

 dorfer & Co. Among those coming this 

 week is Col. Eschner, also from Phila- 

 delphia, representing M. Rice & Co. 



Monday, April 6, the Engelmann Bo- 

 tanical Club held its regular monthly 

 meeting in its rooms in the Central high 

 school. Dr. W. J. King read a paper on 

 ' ' Perfume and Perfume Plants, ' ' and ex- 

 hibited plants from which perfumes are 

 extracted. President Thompson presided 

 and the meeting was well attended. 



The cold weather of Thursday, April 

 3,. played havoc with the early bloom- 

 ing plants in the different parks and 

 at Shaw's Garden, where tulips and hya- 

 cinths are just beginning to bloom. Fruit 

 trees were also nipped by the white 

 frost of Thursday night. 



W. J. Pilcher, of Kirkwood, reports 

 that he cut 40,000 California violets last 

 month from 1,500 plants, when his nearby 

 neighbors were nearly all off crop. He 

 is also cutting a fine crop of early 

 sweet peas in all colors and is looking 

 forward to a big cut for Easter. 



The forestry committee of the St. 

 Louis federation of women's clubs voted 

 that April 10 be celebrated as Arbor day. 

 The children will plant trees in the school 

 yards this day and Governor Folk is down 

 for a talk on "Nature Creed." One 

 thousand programs have been sent to each 

 of the public schools. 



Mrs. Wm. Ellison, of the Ellison Flo- 

 ral Co., visited Chicago recently and 

 also paid a visit to her son, Arthur, who 



is at present employed at , Western 

 Springs, III. 



The Bentzen Floral Co. had a number 

 of pretty floral designs to make up on 

 Saturday for the opening of the baseball 

 season at Sportsman's park, the designs 

 being presented by the different players. 

 Mr. Bentzen 's store is almost opposite 

 the park. 



Chas. Beyer is well supplied with fine 

 blooming plants for the Easter trade; 

 so also are Wm. Schray & Sons, C. C. 

 Sanders and G. B. Windier. C. Young 

 & Sons Co. has a grand stock just right 

 for Easter. 



George Kessler, the landscape garden- 

 er, who is the director of restoration 

 for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition 

 Co., stated in his reply to Park Commis- 

 sioner Scanlan's complaint that, "while 

 the Exposition Co. believes that it has 

 done a great deal more than the ordi- 

 nance required, it was ready to carry 

 out the recommendations suggested by 

 the park commissioner and Avill begin 

 work at once to complete the restoration 

 this summer." 



The trustees of the Florists' Club will 

 meet next week to make preparations 

 for the club's annual picnic. Messrs. 

 Schoenle, Smith and Beyer, who are the 

 trustees, say there will be new features 

 this year. The usual baseball game will 

 take place. J, J. B. 



BOSTON. 



The Market. 



The near approach of Easter has not 

 yet galvanized much life into the cut 

 flower business, which keeps on the even 

 tenor of its way. In spite of prevail- 

 ing dullness, every one expects an ex- 

 cellent Easter trade, but with somewhat 

 lower prices than in preceding years. 

 Roses continue to sell slowly. Many fine 

 Beauties are arriving. Those with stems 

 four feet long make $3 to $4 per dozen. 

 Some extra fine Richmond and Killarney 

 bring $2.50 to $3 per dozen. Bride aiul 

 Maid are too abundant and sell at low 

 prices. As one salesman remarked, ' ' No 

 reasonable offer is refused. ' ' Carnations 

 keep about the same prices, clearing, if 

 anything, a little better. A hardening 

 tendency is likely towards the end of the 

 week. Some growers report their plants 

 as very much off crop, but sufficient are 

 likely to be on hand for all requirements. 



Sweet peas sell well and the best 

 grades are slightly higher. Violets hold 

 on well and 75 cents per hundred is 

 now asked for both singles and doubles 

 of good quality. Many undersized ones 

 sell cheaper. Lilies are bringing 10 cents 

 per bud, a few growers getting 12',-> 

 cents. The lower figure promises to be 

 the predominant one, however. Dutch 

 bulbous stock continues in heavy supply 

 and is only cleared at low prices. Valley 

 is only in moderate request, as are antir- 

 rhinums, mignonette and other seasonable 

 flowers. 



Plant trade shows more activity. Lilies 

 have first call. Rambler roses are good, 

 as are spiraeas, hydrangeas, genistas, 

 Dutch bulbous stock, acacias, marguerites 

 and azaleas. 



Qub Banquet. 



The annual banquet of the Gardeners' 

 and Florists' Club, briefly referred to 

 in the last issue of the Review, was a 

 pronounced success, being called "the 

 best ever" by all who attended. The 

 tables were attractive, with a profusion- 

 of Richmond, Killarney and other roses, 

 carnations, antirrhinums, schizanthus and 



