June 4, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



fitAff- 



COMMERCIAL VARIETIES. 



Cypripedium losigne. 



Of ■all cypripediums, C. insigne is still 

 the most valuable one commercially. The 

 fact that it will succeed fairly well in 

 almost any temperature, and is slow to 

 resent adverse conditions, causes it often 

 to be greatly neglected. We doubt if 

 there are many plants which will give 

 better returns for the care bestowed upon 

 them and the space occupied than these 

 cypripediums. One advantage with these 

 flowers is that if the market does not 

 want them one day, they can be carried 

 over a week or even a month in good 

 condition, something which cannot be 

 done with any other of the florists' sta- 

 ples. 



While this orchid is often kept the 

 year around in a warm house, we have 

 seen equally fine plants grown in ordi- 

 nary greenbouses. At the present time 

 there can be no better place than a cold- 

 fraipe in which a good bed of coal ashes 

 has been spread. The plants are better 

 elevated on pots or pans, and if their 

 tops come within eighteen inches of the 

 glass they will be all right. Syringe 

 them overhead on all clear afternoons, 

 but leave the foliage dry on damp days. 

 Provided pots are well filled with roots, 

 give them a little weak cow manure 

 water once a week. Keep a little air in 

 the frame all the time and shade the 

 glass with kerosene and white lead. 



The plants can be left in the frames 

 until the middle of September. Treated 

 in th\s way they will make a splendid 

 growth and flower profusely, far better 

 than if kept in a crowded greenhouse, 

 far from the light. The golden yellow 

 C. insigne Sanderse is still too high- 

 priced for florists. A decade hence, how- 

 ever, we expect to see it a popular com- 

 mercial orchid, bringing at least double 

 the price of the ordinary types. 



Dendrobiums. 



Dendrobiums are mostly East Indian 

 orchids and prefer a rather close, warm 

 and moist atmosphere while making 

 their growths. The popular florists' 

 sorts, such as nobile in variety, War- 

 dianum, formosum, giganteum and Pha- 

 Isenopsis Schroederiana, do specially well 

 in a small house well up to the light, not 

 too heavily shaded and syringed freely 

 every clear afternoon, the ventilators 

 then being closed. A chink of air may 

 be given again toward evening. 



A house in which palms are grown may 

 also be utilized for these plants, pro- 

 vided the shading on the glass is not too 

 heavy. Any repotting or rebasketing 

 should have been done after flowering. 

 Boots will now be appearing freely and 

 it will help the plants to give them a 



gSfocing of fresh sphagnum moss, if 

 is has not been done. Good plants may 



be grown in pure sphagnum moss, if 

 care is taken not to overwater th»m. 



POINSETTIAS. 



What is the best time to propagate 

 poinsettias, and the method of cultiva- 

 tion to bring them in bloom for Christ- 

 mas? R.P. &Co. 



If you wish to grow your poinsettias 

 in pots or benches for cutting, you can 

 start propagating at once. Cuttings are 

 not difficult to root if you can give them 

 a little bottom heat. Keep them shaded 

 from the sun and do not allow the sand 

 to become in any way dry. The best cut- 

 tings are those rubbed off with a heel. 

 Trim the leaves off fairly close before 

 inserting them. If your stock plants are 

 still dormant, get them under way as 

 soon as possible. They will soon produce 

 a quantity of new shoots. 



If you want plants in pans for Christ- 

 mas sales, it is too early yet to propa- 

 gate. In June and July is sufficiently 

 early. I have had nice, dwarf plants 

 struck during August, but we think from 

 June 15 to July 10 the best season to 

 root cuttings for pans. At that season 

 no bottom heat is needed and any ordi- 

 nary greenhouse or frame may be used 

 for propagating purposes. 



Pot off into small pots containing a 

 mixture of leaf-mold, loam and sand be- 

 fore the plants become in any way hard- 

 ened. For bench culture you can plant 

 out as soon as the little pots are filled 

 with roots. If you want large bracts, 

 space them twelve inches apart each 

 way. For pan culture the number de- 

 pends on the size of pan used. As a rule, 

 three will suffice for one six inches in 

 diameter; five for an 8-inch, and seven 

 for a 10-inch. 



The plants must be carefully watered. 

 Too much or too little will cause a loss 

 of foliage. They can be grown quite 

 cool until bracts begin to form, when a 

 minimum temperature of 60 degrees is 

 desirable. Move into a slightly cooler 

 house when the bracts are well expanded. 

 Feed with liquid manure once a week 

 as the bracts develop, but make the doses 

 moderate. Poinsettias are of easy cul- 

 ture, but like all other plants need care- 

 ful treatment, especially in watering, to 

 insure best results. For the final potting 

 use such compost as you would place 

 your chrysanthemums or geraniums in. 

 You will find frequent cultural refer- 

 ences about poinsettias in the Eeview's 

 Seasonable Suggestions. C. W. 



THE RETAIL 



FLORIST 



HOUSE DECORATING. 



For Social Functions. 



How many times has some lady come 

 into your store to get information in 

 regard to "my daughter's wedding"? 

 Quite often, you will say. If that lady 

 chanced to be some wealthy person, no 

 doubt you made arrangements to call at 

 the house to talk it over, for you were 

 anxious to get the job. But if you 

 judged, from the way the lady talked, 

 that she meant only to spend from $10 

 to $20, what then? The chances are 

 she went away without your even in- 

 quiring as to her name. 



From your store she went across the 

 avenue to one of your competitors, who 

 accorded her all the information she 

 wanted, then secured an appointment at 

 the house and finally landed the decora- 

 tion. 



Small Work Leads to Larger. 



You will say there is not enough in 

 these small decorations to pay for going 

 after them. Of course, you would make 

 more clear profit on a funeral design at 

 $15 than on a decoration at that figure, 

 but you must take into consideration the 

 advertising you will derive from the 

 decoration. At the wedding or reception 



there may be a number of prospective 

 customers to whom the pleased hostess 

 will recommend your work. Often you 

 may get a new customer in this way. 



The next time you get an opportunity 

 to call at someone 's home and offer a few 

 suggestions, do not let it slip by. 



Don't Alter Your Prices. 



When you are being shown through 

 the different rooms to be decorated, ask 

 enough questions so that you will be 

 well posted as to what is wanted, but 

 do not do all the talking. Take a gen- 

 eral survey of the surroundings and try 

 to get some idea as to how much the 

 people wish to spend. Make a price 

 for doing the work at so much for 

 palms, so much for smilax, flowers, etc. 

 If your price strikes your prospective 

 customer as being too high, suggest the 

 use of a few less palms, etc., but do not 

 cut your price. It will pay you to be 

 just a little independent here. 



Having finally received orders to go 

 ahead with the work, make note of what 

 you will need in the way of palms, ferns, 

 greens, etc. If you will need any greens 

 or flowers that you do not regularly keep 

 in stock, be sure you order in time. 

 Should you be at a loss as to where 

 to order the various greens used in deco- 



