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The Weekly Florists*' Review* 



July 15, 1909. 



is a uative of Mexico, being introduced 

 to England in 1840. The variety majua 

 is more robust in habit than the type^ 

 the flowers also being larger. It is one 

 of the most persistent blooming of or- 

 chids. Our plants invariably throw a 

 good crop of spikes both in fall and 

 spring. The flowers, which are pure 

 white, are produced on thin but wiry 

 stems. They are deliciously fragrant, 

 the odor being not unlike that of lily of 

 the valley, and it is sometimes called the 

 lily of the valley orchid. 



The flowers keep fresh for several 

 weeks and for boutonnieres, small 

 epergues or choice funeral work are ex- 

 cellent. It succeeds well under condi- 

 tions the reverse of suitable to such 

 varieties as crispuni and Pescatorei, and 

 for these reasons is well worthy of the 

 attention of commercial growers. The 

 leaves, produced in pairs from the dark 

 green bulbs, are quite narrow and ovoid. 

 The plants grow well in pans of sphag- 

 num moss and chopped fern fiber in the 

 cool orchid house, a north house being 

 necessary in summer. 



W. N. Craig. 



VALLOTA PURPUREA. 



Vallota purpurea is not much grown 

 commercially. Its flowering time is Aug- 

 ust, when the demand for pot plants is 

 at a soniewhat low ebb. There are, how- 

 ever, not a few retail growers who have 

 call for flowering plants during the sum- 

 mer months, and for them the Scarbor- 

 ough lily, as it is commonly called, would 

 be extremely useful. Introduced from 

 the Cape of Good Hope 135 years ago, it 

 is surprising to find how many people are 

 yet unacquainted with it. Both here and 

 in Europe it is a favorite with amateur 

 growers who possess no greenhouses, and 

 fine specimens are often seen in cottage 

 windows which excite the envy of the 

 florist or gardener. 



While belonging to the family Amaryl- 

 lidacese, the vallotas do not want any 

 winter rest, as do the amaryllises them- 

 selves, and failures in culture can usually 

 be traced to drying off in winter, and to 

 overpotting. Like the Guernsey lilies, or 

 nerines, the vallotas are impatient of root 

 disturbance, and will not flower unless 

 the pots are matted with roots. A suit- 

 able compost consists of fibrous loam and 

 dry cow manure in equal parts, adding a 

 little flaky leaf-mold, sharp sand and 

 charcoal. The bulbs should not be cov- 

 ered, but should rise above the surface, 

 as in the case of amaryllis. A little frost 

 will not injure the plants, which can be 

 carried over winter in an unheated pit 

 or frame. In California and some of the 

 more balmy southern states these bulbous 

 plants succeed well outdoors. Once in 

 three to five years is as often as the 

 plants will require repotting. They re- 

 quire no shade, and succeed well outdoors 

 from May to October. 



TosONTO, Ont. — J. H. Dunlop reports 

 an excellent season, but says retail busi- 

 ness has now fallen away. Geo. M. 

 Geraghty says he thinks it even quieter 

 in a retail way in Toronto in summer 

 than it is in some cities farther south. 



Peoria, III. — A recent fire at 224 

 South Adams street, next door to the 

 hotel where F. Nichols has his flower 

 stand, gained such headway that great 

 effort was necessary to prevent its 

 spreading to the neighboring buildings. 

 Mr. Nichols was the first to lend a hand 

 in fighting the flames and rendered gal- 

 lant service. 



Georges Mills, N. H. — Mr. Kichard- 

 son, of Waltham, Mass., is at work for 

 Robert Gould, the local florist. 



QuiNCY, Mass. — E. Arnold, the florist 

 at 1505 Hancock street, in the Music 

 Hall block, has opened ice cream parlors. 



Lenox, Mass. — Ernest Marsh has com- 

 pleted his work at the Elm Court green- 

 houses and has sailed for Liverpool, Eng- 

 land. 



Everett, Mass. — The board of alder- 

 men has ordered an appropriation of 

 $1,500 for the repairing of the green- 

 houses at Glenwood cemetery. 



BOAVDOINHAM, Me. — E. B. Sprague 

 was in Woolwich recently, delivering 

 7,000 cabbage plants and several thou- 

 sands of celery to F. W. Carlton. 



Buffalo, N. Y. — Mrs. William Scott, 

 whose condition recently was reported as 

 serious, is now able to be about the house 

 and her condition gives promise of com- 

 plete recovery. 



Brookline, Mass. — The firm of J. F. 

 & D. J. Quinn, on Harvard street, has 

 been dissolved, James F. continuing at 

 the old stand and David J. going to the 

 Beacon street store, at Coolidge corner. 



Neenah, Wis. — Louis Otto has torn 

 down his old greenhouses and has begun 

 work on the construction of a new range. 

 The material for the new houses is fur- 

 nished by the John C. Moninger Co., 

 Chicago. 



Putnam, Conn. — E. M. Arnold, who 

 already has two large greenhouses on 

 Farrows street, is about to erect two ad- 

 ditional ones. This florist-gardener re- 

 ports an unusually brisk business so far 

 this summer. 



Beatrice, Neb. — The Nebraska State 

 Horticultural Society will meet here July 

 21 and 22. A feature of the entertain- 

 ment the second day will be a ride 

 through Carl Sondregger's nursery and 

 a visit to the greenhouses of the Dole 

 Floral Co. 



Dixon, III. — C. H. Fallstrom, for a 

 number of years associated with one of 

 the leading florists of Chicago, has 

 opened a flower shop at 106 First street. 

 He will handle all kinds of cut flowers 

 and potted plants in season, making a 

 specialty of designs and bouquets. 



Dalton, Mass. — The contract has been 

 let for the erection of an eight-room 

 colonial residence for the use of John 

 Shield, florist on Fred G. Crane's estate. 

 This cottage will cost $9,000 and will be 

 conveniently located with reference to the 

 greenhouses which were recently built 

 on the Crane property. 



Bay City, Mich. — In the great indus- 

 trial parade on the second day of the 

 city 's semi-centennial celebration, July 

 6, two firms of florists made a showing 

 that was highly creditable to the trade. 

 Boehringer Bros, had a fine display, sur- 

 mounted by snow-white doves, one driv- 

 ing a flock by means of pink ribbons 

 held in her beak. The William Eoethke 

 Floral Co. had a beautiful bower in 

 which sat a young woman playing a floral 

 harp, while around her were several pret- 

 tilv dressed, little girls. 



Spencer, Ind. — A. Gray, of this place, 

 is now shipping gladiolus blooms in large 

 quantities. The stock this year is extra 

 fine. He will cut this year about 100,000 

 blooms, under ordinary conditions. Mr. 

 Gray grows nothing but gladioli and 

 gives his entire time to gladioli for cut 

 flowers. 



Madison, N. J. — Charles H. Totty has 

 taken over the Florham Farms green- 

 houses on a lease and so, after a lapse of 

 five years, returns to the scene of his 

 earlier efforts. He will run the Florham 

 Farms houses in conjunction with his own 

 place and will have facilities for enlarg- 

 ing his wholesale business in young stock 

 of chrysanthemums, roses and carnations. 



Wichita, Kan.— The Gulp Florist Co. 

 has outgrown its quarters at Elm and 

 Market streets. It is just about to move 

 into a plant three times as large as the 

 original. The new greenhouse will cover 

 1,800 square feet, while the property com- 

 prises a whole block at Dort and Harrison 

 streets in West Riverside. The company 

 will now be able to grow all its cut flow- 

 ers on the premises. 



Kearney, Neb. — W. L. Hunt, for the 

 last year or so manager of the Kearney 

 Floral Co., has gone to Roekford, 

 111., where he will engage in business 

 for himself. Downing & Son, proprietors 

 of the greenhouses, state that the new 

 manager, Edward W. Schueler, of Cin- 

 cinnati, 0., will arrive in Kearney Au- 

 gust 1, to take charge of the houses. In 

 the meantime Paul Carroll, who has been 

 under the tutorage of Mr. Hunt for sev- 

 eral years, will look after the place, as- 

 sisted by the Downings. Mr. Hunt has 

 built the Downing houses up to a high 

 standard of excellence. 



Cambridge, Mass. — The store at 1927 

 Massachusetts avenue, formerly occupied 

 by John McKenzie, and the old house 

 adjacent to it, have been torn down, pre- 

 paratory to the erection by Mr. McKen- 

 zie on the same site of a modern four- 

 story brick apartment house which is to 

 contain fourteen apartments and a new 

 store for Mr. McKenzie, which will be 

 much larger and more convenient than 

 his old store. He expects that the block 

 will be completed by November 1. In 

 the meantime he is to conduct his busi- 

 ness from his greenhouses, which are lo- 

 cated on Whittemore street, at the foot 

 of Magoun street. 



Cedar Falls, Ia. — July 4 was the 

 sixtieth wedding anniversary of Mr. and 

 Mrs. Joseph Bancroft, and the occasion 

 .was celebrated on Monday, July 5, by 

 the family and by a party of about 175 

 friends and neighbors, assembled at the 

 Bancroft home. The health and strength 

 of the host and hostess indicated that 

 the years had dealt kindly with them. 

 The sons and their wives, Mr. and Mrs. 

 J. W. Bancroft and Mr. and Mrs. George 

 Bancroft, assisted in entertaining the 

 company. The rooms were made at- 

 tractive Avith choice flowers and potted 

 plants. Festoons of smilax were draped 

 over the dining-room table and tied with 

 red, white and blue ribbons, while flags 

 were everywhere in evidence. Two ele- 

 gant chairs, upholstered in leather, were 

 presented to the honored couple. 



