ft) 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



August 6, 1008. 



single violets, and mums, besides, some 

 smilax and asparagus. 



Through the courtesy of Mr. Von 

 Boeselager we were able to drive around 

 in a nice runabout instead of walking, 

 giving us much more time at each place 

 and saving some exertion. 



Leopold Mallest. 



It was a pleasant drive from here to 

 Leopold Mallest 's place. Mr. Mallest 

 built up quite a reputation as a violet 

 grower several years ago and is after 

 the honors again this year. He has a 

 good start, for his stock looks well. Be- 

 sides violets, Mr. Mallest will again go 

 heavily into carnations. These he does 

 exceptionally well. What is no doubt 

 the best patch of asters was seen at this 

 place; the plants are quite free from 

 disease and the varieties are good. Mr. 

 Mallest is fortunate in this, as asters 

 promise to be a scarce article this year, 

 at least as far as Mount Clemens is 

 concerned. 



Brdtmeyer's Sons. 



The genial William Breitmeyer showed 

 us around at their large place. They 

 are pretty well caught up in all the 

 work. Carnations are about all planted. 

 Stock in the rose houses looks well. The 

 only thing that is troubling Mr. Breit- 

 meyer is what he terms a new species 

 of thrips. Whatever it is, it does no 

 end of mischief. The young buds are 

 crippled and the young leaves so badly 

 eaten that they invariably die. In some 

 cases whole plants are destroyed in a 

 night. The Breitmeyers grow many va- 

 rieties of roses. Among them for this 

 coming season will be: Bhea Reid; Pot- 

 ter Palmer; the old Safrano, for use in 

 corsage bouquets; Queen Beatrice, of 

 which Mr. Breitmeyer expects a great 

 deal. The color is a beautiful rose-pink 

 and the plants produce a healthy, vigor- 

 ous growth. One house in the newer 

 range is to be devoted to carnations this 

 year. The old houses have all been put 

 into good shape, though with as little 

 expense as possible, as the idea is to 

 gradually transfer the whole plant to the 

 opposite side. The chrysanthemums look 

 well and should produce good flowers, 

 judging from present appearances. This 

 firm will make another effort to grow 

 good violets, but they will have to live 

 in the oldest houses on the place, as they 

 are not to rfeceive much "petting and 

 nursing," as Mr. Breitmeyer puts it. If 

 they do not look favorable in fall, out 

 with them. Herman Pautke will look 

 after the violets this year. Several 

 houses will be devoted to summer roses 

 for another year. The Breitmeyers are 

 also firm believers in the fact that a well 

 kept place produces better stock. 



Robert Klagge. 



Robert Klagge was not at home, but 

 his son proved to be well posted on all 

 that was going on about the place and 

 he posted us. A nice house of Kaiserin 

 and La Detroit has been helping to 

 swell the receipts from the Michigan Cut 

 Flower Exchange. Mr. Klagge is going 

 heavily into violets this year, room hav- 

 ing been made by growing two houses 

 less of carnations. Many carnations 

 have already been planted and the stock 

 looks fine. Some of the help was busy 

 carting out old lancifolium lily bulbs, 

 which have been bringing good returns. 

 No new houses are under construction 

 this year, but there is some talk of 

 building some Beauty houses next year. 

 Mr. Klagge 's place can also be spoken 

 of as a model greenhouse plant. Every- 



thing, from the coal pile to the rubbish 

 heap, shows care. One thing that has 

 gone back on Mr. Klagge this year is 

 his asters. His early ones are pretty 

 well dried up, and while in other years 

 he has usually supplied the market pretty 

 well, he cannot do so this year until the 

 later crops arrive. The Detroit market 

 is also supplied pretty well with various 

 greens from Mr. lOagge's place. 



Albert L. Stevens* 



Albert L. Stevens' place, just across 

 the way, was next visited. Carnations 

 and violets are grown by Mr. Stevens. 

 He does not intend going very heavily 

 into violets, but will grow the usual 

 number of carnations, and he grows them 

 well, too. The men were busy taking 

 off some of the soil from the soUd- 

 benches, which will then receive a new 

 top-dressing. Mr. Stevens has a fine lot 

 of asters coming into bloom. Up to the 

 time of the visit, Monday, Jflfly 20, few 

 blooms had been cut, but the plants 

 were full of good-sized buds. This plant 

 is not as large aa the two above, but 

 is steadily growing, and what there is 

 of it is well kept. Mr. Stevens divides 

 his stock between our two local commis- 

 sion houses. 



Taylor, Carey, et aL ; 



James Taylor's place was receiving a 

 thorough overhauling. Most of the 

 houses are to receive a coat of paint be- 

 fore any planting will be done. A change 

 from steam to hot water is also con- 

 templated. Mr. Taylor talked some of 

 growing one large house of violets. He 

 has a nice lot of asters for the Detroit 

 market. 



James Carey was, as usual, hard at 

 work. Considerable of his plant is de- 

 voted to roses. Mr. Carey's son, who 

 has been with Poehlmann Bros., will have 

 charge of the rose houses this year. He 

 does not intend to grow any new vari- 

 eties, the old standbys being good 

 enough. Mr. Carey has some fine asters. 

 The same trouble has been experienced 

 here as nearly everywhere in Mount 

 Clemens, namely, dryness, causing many 

 of the aster flowers to come with a yel- 

 low center and small flower. Many fine 

 sweet peas were ready to pick. 



On the whole, the outlook is good for 

 a nice lot of stuff from Mount Clemens 

 this coming season. At present there is 

 a scarcity of asters, due to dry weather 

 and the damage being done by stem- 

 rot or some similar disease. Sweet peas 

 are quite plentiful, and the flowers good. 

 The writer is of the opinion that too 

 many colored asters are sown by the 

 growers. One fine batch seen were near- 

 ly all dark purple and rose-pink. This 

 is a big mistake, as most of the flowers 

 are used for funeral work at this time 

 of the year and light colors are in de- 

 mand. Mr. Rahaley is of the opinion 

 that there is room for more good carna- 

 tions on this market and was surprised 

 that some growers intend growing less 

 than in former years. H. S. 



NOTES FROM ENGLAND. 



National Sweet Pea Show. 



For several weeks the prospects of the 

 sweet pea show at London being up to 

 its usual standard had been a debatable 

 point. At times unfavorable weather 

 caused growers to be despondent and, 

 when a period of rain set in during the 

 first two weeks of July, the hopes of 

 many went down to zero. But the situa- 

 tion was not altogether irretrievable and 



a week's sunshine prior to the show 

 brought about wonderful changes, with 

 the result that the galaxy of blooms 

 under the roof of the R. H. S. hall July 

 24 was never surpassed, and the beauty 

 of the general arrangement of the ex- 

 hibits was the theme and the admiration 

 of all. 



Upon entering the hall, visitors passed 

 under a grand archway of sweet peas, 

 designed by R. Pinches, London, and 

 decorated by R. Felton & Sons, court 

 florists, Hanover square, London, with 

 sweet peas and gypsophila, and for this 

 a special gold medal of the society was 

 awarded. In the center of the hall, 

 Carter & Co., London, had erected a 

 pyramidal stand decorated with thou- 

 sands of sprays of sweet peas, small 

 palms and ferns, and the effect was mag- 

 nificent. For this, also, a special gold 

 medal was awarded. 



Gold medals were awarded to Dobbie 

 & Co., Rothesay; G. Stark & Son, Great 

 Ryburgh; E. W. King & Co., Coggeshall; 

 Baker's, Wolverhampton; Hobbies, Ltd., 

 Dereham, and Cannell & Co., Swanley. 



G. Stark & Son exhibited George 

 Stark, the new variety which received 

 the society's silver medal as the best 

 variety of the year at the trials, and Mrs. 

 R. W. Pitt, rosy pink, another new va- 

 riety of promise. 



E. W. King & Co. put up a flne ex- 

 hibit of vases and stands, surmounted by 

 an arch from which baskets of sweet 

 peas were suspended, but the center of 

 attraction was a new pink, giant flow- 

 ered variety named Ernest King. 



Very high quality was represented in 

 the beautifully arranged exhibits from 

 Dobbie & Co. The head of the firm, 

 William Cuthbertson, is the society's 

 president. Mrs. A. Ireland, a new va- 

 riety which received the society 's F. C. C, 

 was greatly admired. 



Hobbies, Ltd., Dereham, demonstrated 

 in a telling manner that they know how 

 to grow and show sweet peas to perfec- 

 tion. 



Silver gilt medals were awarded to 

 E. Webb & Sons, Stourbridge; W. J. 

 Unwin, Cambridge, and C. W. Bread- 

 more, Winchester, all contributing pretty 

 exhibits. Henry Eckford did not come 

 out quite so strongly as on some past 

 occasions and did not rise above a large 

 silver medal, and Jones & Son, Shrews- 

 bury, received a similar award. 



Considerable interest centered around 

 the tables on which the challenge cup 

 classes were arranged, and competition 

 was never so keto. The Sutton silver 

 challenge cup, trade competitors ex- 

 cluded, for fifteen bunches of sweet peas, 

 distinct, was awarded to Sir Randolph 

 Baker, Blandford. For the Henry Eck- 

 ford memorial cup there was a stiff fight 

 between the champion growers, the judges 

 deciding in favor of F. Wellesley, Wo- 

 king. Last year's winner, T. Stevenson, 

 was fourth, and T. Jones, the previous 

 year's winner, came in second. Thus, 

 in three years it has been won by three 

 different, men. It must be won three 

 times by one man in direct succession 

 before it becomes his property. Its value 

 is 50 guineas. 



The Horace Wright challenge bowl, 

 for nine bunches, was won by Rev. T. 

 McMurdie, Addlestone. 



C. C. Morse & Co., Santa Clara, Cal., 

 presented the prizes in a class for twenty- 

 four bunches, distinct, and W. H. Rams- 

 ley, Alford, secured the first prize. 



For the Burpee challenge cup six com- 

 petitors entered. It is awarded to the 

 best display of sweet peas on a table 



