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36 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



Januaby 14, 1909. 



after all sorts of mixtures had been 

 added. The consequence of such unfair 

 play was getting the exporter into great 

 trouble with customers abroad, who also 

 in turn had to suffer for it. 



At present, exporters have all become 

 more conservative, and it is rare to find 

 any complaint with the seeds shipped 

 from here, inasmuch as through a care- 

 ful selection of source of supply, and by 

 increasing the exporter's own sphere of 

 culture, the acreage now devoted to 

 onions for seed has been reduced consid- 

 erably as compared with four or five 

 years ago. 



It is estimated that in the full boom 

 of this trade about 100 acres of land 

 were cultivated, but nowadays this figure 

 has been brought down to something like 

 fifty acres only; but undoubtedly the 

 seed is much more select, and the stock 

 is becoming purer and purer every year. 



Growinif the Crops. 



Onions are gathered in the month of 

 July and then warehoused until Septem- 

 ber or October, which is the time for 

 planting to obtain seed the next fall. 

 The land is treated in the same way as 

 for planting potatoes; that is, making 

 furrows about three feet apart, and the 

 onions are planted one foot apart from 

 each other. Before the planting takes 

 place, the land is dressed with stable 

 manure thoroughly mixed up with the 

 soil. The onion plantations are never 

 irrigated soon after the bulbs are in the 

 ground, lest they should be injured, and 

 it is only after the first showers or con- 

 tinuous rains that the bulbs commence 

 their germination. 



When the young plants have attained 

 seven to eight inches, the work of culti- 

 vating and destroying all weeds is pro- 

 ceeded with. After this, and when the 

 main shoot has taken some strength, 

 farmers raise the soil around each plant, 

 so that the roots may get a firmer hold 

 <m the ground and resist the force of the 

 wind. 



At this point the onions require the 

 soil to be continually moist, as otherwise, 

 if the plants are left to suffer a long 

 spell of drought, and then water is given 

 them, the result will be the appearance 

 of disease almost immediately, and the 

 crop is absolutely spoiled. 



The onion has several enemies in the 

 insect life which during the process of 

 development may make their appearance, 

 for several reasons, among which I may 

 mention that if in the early part of the 

 spring we have continuous rains, fol- 

 lowed by a burning sun, the plants get 

 weakened and disease spreads havoc 

 among all plantations, and the heads not 

 growing well, seeds are very scarce and 

 of poor quality. 



The grower of onion seeds must have 

 some amount of experience, for if too 

 much animal or mineral manure is put 

 on the soil, and he does not know the 

 habits of the plant, and when water is 

 needed and when not, and other small 

 but important details, he will have 

 lost his money and his whole time. 1 

 have known of a case where a grower 

 new at this cultivation planted 100 cwts. 

 of onions and the seed crop was only 

 twenty-five pounds. 



Harvesting and Cleaning. 



In the month of July the heads full 

 of seeds get ripe, and the operation of 

 collecting the ripe ones is done. The 

 way to know the state of ripeness is 



DREER'S SUPERB DOUBLE PETUNIAS 



For half a century we bave been makinK a specialty of DOUBLE PETUNIAS, and our strain 

 is accepted as Recond to none either here or in Europe. We annually plant many thousand seed- 

 lings, from which only the finest double frinsied forms are selected for propagating purposes, thus 

 improving the strain every season. We offer fifteen distinct varieties. 



3-inch pots. 75c per doz.; $6.00 per 100; the set of 15 for $1.00. 



SEED OF OUR SUPERB STRAIN OP FRINGED PETUNIAS. Double. 75c per 500 



seeds; $1.50 per 1000 seeds. SinKl»,50c per trade packet; $1.00 per 1-16 oz.; $1.50 per ^ oz. 



Our Quarterly Wboleaale List offers a full line of seasonable Plants. Seeds and Bulbs. 



HENRY A. DREER, PHILADELPHIA, PA. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



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Forcing Gladiolus 



Gladiolus Gandavensis Hybrids 



Many florists plant these in boxes, or 

 among their carnations, in the winter. They 

 are excellent for decorative purposes and 

 realize Kood prices, either wholesale i>r 

 retail. Gladioli are a good catch crop and 

 take up but little room. The lollowing are 

 the best for this purpose: 

 America. The flowers, which are of im- 

 mense ►ize, are of the moct beautiful flesh- 

 pink color. $4-00 per 100; $35.00 per 1000. 

 Aasnata. The florists' best white Gladiolus. 

 First size bulbs, P4 inches and up. $8.00 

 per 100; $18.00 per 1000. 



Bulbs, l>a to 1=>4 in., $ 1 .75 per 100; $16.00 

 per 1000. 



Shakeapeare. White and rose. $4.75 per 



100; $45.00 per 1000. 

 May. Pure white, flaked rosy crimson; the 



best forcer. iSelected bulbs, $1.75 per 100; 



$15.00 per 1000. 

 BrenohleyenBis (true). Fiery scarlet. Se- 

 lected bulbs, $1.50 per 100; $18.00 per 1000. 



First size bulbs, $1.85 per 100; $10.00 per 



1000. 

 Boddlngton's White and Light. Extra 



selected bulbs. 1^4 in. and up. $1.50 per 



100: $14.00 per 1000. 

 Bulbs, Ihi to 1^4 in., $1.25 per 100; $10.00 



per 1000. 



American Hybrids. A mixture of the 

 choicest varieties of Gladiolus in cultiva- 

 tion. $1.00 per 100; $9.00 per 1000. 



s ARTHUR T. BODDINGTON 



_ SEEDSMAN 



342 W. 14lh St. NEW YORK CITY 



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Mention The Review when you write. 



FRESH SEEDS READY NOW 



RAWSON'S MAMMOTH VERBENAS- The most perfect strain. 



FinestMixed koz.,80c oz., $1.00 Blue ^ oz., 30c oz., $1.00 



Pink ■■ 30c •■ 1.00 Scarlet " 30c 1.00 



White " 30c •' 1.00 Striped " 30c " 1.00 



SALVIA 8PLENDENS 



Qrandiflora ^oz.,25c oz., $1.50 Lord Fauntleroy, dwarf.. ^e oz., 75c oz., $4.00 



Compacta 40c " 2.60 Zurich 75c " 5.00 



Bonfire " 40c " 2.50 



W. W. RAWSON & CO., 



6 Union Street, BOSTON, MASS. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



