AuoDST 6, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



n 



three feet by four feet. Only a few 

 points iseparated the first and second ex- 

 hibits, but the balance was in favor of 

 B. Bolton, Warton, Carnforth, who has 

 been going strong at several shows this 

 year. His exhibit contained fine vases 

 of Helen Lewis, Countess Spencer, John 

 Ingman, Primrose Spencer, Mrs. C. Fos- 

 ter, Evelyn Hemus, The Marquis, Con- 

 stance Oliver, etc. The second prize and 

 silver gilt medal were awarded to Silas 

 Cole. 



Decorated dinner tables were a lovely 

 feature of the show; also decorative 

 vases, epergnes, etc., of sweet peas. Miss 

 Cole and Miss Cuthbertson being award- 

 ed the highest honors. 



Of course, growers had many new va- 

 rieties on view, and critics were busy 

 morning, noon and night, and no doubt 

 will continue to be for many days to 

 come, but according to N. S. P. S. rules, 

 no awards are made until varieties have 

 stood the tests of the society's trials, 

 seeds for which have to be sent in as 

 may be directed. Thirty-five varieties 

 engaged the attention of the floral com- 

 mittee. These were exhibited under 

 number only, the exhibitor's name being 

 unknown to the members. Fourteen va- 

 rieties were recommended to go forward 

 for trial, and until July of next year 

 there will be little more to say about 

 them. 



Altogether, the eighth show of the so- 

 ciety was a grand success, a glorious dis- 

 play of flowers, and favored with beau- 

 tiful weather. 



There was a large attendance at the 

 show, including Arthur M. Kirby, of 

 Peter Henderson & Co., New York, who 

 oflBciated as one of the judges; also W. 

 Miller, of the editorial department of 

 Country Life, New York, and Mrs. Mil- 

 ler, and enthusiasts from British Colum- 

 bia, New Zealand, France and Germany. 



At the annual dinner, held the same 

 evening, William Cuthbertson, J. P., 

 president of the society, occupied the 

 chair, and in the course of the proceed- 

 ings presented a testimonial to the hon- 

 orable secretary, Chsis. H. Curtis, from 

 the society, in the shape of a check for 

 £60 and an album of photographs of 

 sweet pea growers. Mr. Sherwood, of 

 Hurst & Son, London, followed with the 

 presentation of a gold bracelet to Mrs. 

 Curtis. 



A. M. Kirby, in replying to the toast 

 of the judges, said that the world looked 

 to England as the leading country in the 

 advancement of the sweet pea. At pres- 

 ent much diflSculty was experienced in 

 the fixing of new varieties; this he at- 

 tributed to the break in the blood through 

 the advent of the Spencer type. The 

 main object of his trip was to see what 

 the N. S. P. S. show was like, and he 

 was greatly impressed with its high 

 standard of excellence. 



W. Miller, in proposing the toast of 

 the society, said that England beat Amer- 

 ica hollow in the cultivation of sweet 

 peas, and he spoke many appreciative 

 words regarding the work of English 

 hybridists in bringing the flower to such 

 perfection. He concluded an interest- 

 ing speech by proposing long life and 

 prosperity to the National Sweet Pea 

 Society. 



The last toast on the list, "The La- 

 dies," was entrusted to S. B. Dicks, of 

 Cooper, Taber & Co., London, who spoke 

 in his usual effective and humorous vein. 

 Referring to the toast as the most im- 

 portant toast on the list, he coupled it 

 with the names of Mrs. Miller and Mrs. 

 Cuthbertson. 



'-« 



Israel Rosnosky. 



Mrs. Miller, New York, replied. She 

 naively remarked that the toast was the 

 last on the list, to give the ladies an op- 

 portunity of having the last word. Con- 

 tinuing, she said: "I knew it was an 

 honor to come to the sweet pea show, an 

 additional honor to be invited to the 

 dinner, but to be invited to speak — I am 

 simply speechless. Today I have noted 

 with admiration the grace, the elegance 

 and the dignity of the sweet pea, and I 

 never expect to see a more beautiful 

 show, a fitting finale to the splendid two 

 months spent in England." Bee. 



LONGIFLORUMS FROM FORMOSA, 



[A paper by 1. Rosnosky, of the Henry F. 

 Michell Co., Philadelphia, read before the Phil- 

 adelphia Florists' Club, August 4, 1908.] 



The Formosa lily was discovered about 

 three years ago, by Mr. Uhei Suzuki, of 

 Yokohama, Japan. 



Mr. Suzuki, after repeated efforts to 

 bring a lily on the market that could 

 compete in earliness with the Bermuda 

 Harrisii, discovered on the island of For- 

 mosa a wild-growing lily of longiflorum 

 type. The bulbs were collected and cul- 

 tivated exactly as they are on the main- 

 land. The cultivation proved highly suc- 

 cessful, and three years ago six cases, in 

 miscellaneous sizes, of the Formosa lily 

 were shipped for the purpose of experi- 

 pienting in the United States. 



The experiment proved a success, and 

 as the following year a further consign- 

 ment of sixty cases resulted equally well, 

 the Yokohama house was instructed to 

 plant as many Formosa lilies as possible. 



Quality of Blooms. 



The Formosa lily flowers in the month 

 of February in its native island, which 

 is about two months earlier than the 

 Harrisii in Bermuda. By the end of 

 May the bulbs are ready for shipment 



and ought to reach here in August. Be- 

 peated experiments have proved the For- 

 mosa lily to be strictly free from disease 

 and the bulbs are good for either pot, 

 plant or cut flowers. 



There are about six different kinds of 

 Formosa lilies, but the flowers are al- 

 most identical and bloom at the same 

 time. The flower opens up a fine, pure, 

 waxy white, and keeps splendidly. The 

 average size of the plants is thirty inches 

 to forty inches high, with leaves from 

 the root up. The plant produces three 

 to eight flowers to a plant and, accord- 

 ing to size of bulbs, they stand out firm 

 and strong, and last long. The plants 

 stand very erect and their stalks are firm 

 and hard. 



Peculiarities of Ctiltttre. 



I wish to call special attention to the 

 fact that if the Formosa lilies are not 

 forced too much they will all turn out 

 the same height. If forced very early 

 they will grow rather tall and may not 

 produce flowers as large as they should 

 if grown in a temperature of 50 to 55 

 degrees. 



If the lilies are wanted for Easter, 

 the bulbs should be potted in November 

 and kept cool. This long rest that the 

 bulbs get, from the time of their arrival 

 until they can be potted, is very bene- 

 ficial. 



An interesting result was achieved by 

 the Hinode Florist Co., of Whitestone, 

 N. Y., with this year's lot of multiflorum 

 lilies. They did not pot the bulbs until 

 a week after Cliristmas and, much to 

 everyone's surprise, the plants were ready 

 for the Easter market in perfect condi- 

 tion. Furthermore, the Hinode Florist 

 Co. only had to throw out ten per cent 

 of their multiflorum lilies, while some 

 other growers sustained a larger loss on 

 the other varieties. They kept their lilies 



