34 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



Decembbb 16, 1909. 



the great boiler rooms, and from there it 

 is pumped by steam into every green- 

 house on the place. In every greenhouse 

 there is a set of manure water pipes in- 

 dependent of the clear water ones. A 

 wire screen in the manure water tank 

 •sifts out any rough material that may 

 come into it, but this is seldom neces- 

 sary. The strength of the liquid may 

 be diluted by running clear water into 

 the tank. Stock yards manure is what is 

 used. If the water is too cold a jet of 

 steam run into it raises it to proper 

 temperature. He has used a commercial 



tankage manure he got from the Buffalo 

 stock yards and found it excellent. It 

 needs no screening. It is dry and comes 

 in 100-pound bags. But in view of the 

 ease with which he can get other manure, 

 this tankage is a little too costly. 



Besides running the refrigerating plant 

 for the storage and packing rooms, and 

 home ice, last summer Mr. Burki made 

 about 3,000 pounds of ice a day to sell 

 to his neighbors, who came for miles 

 around to get it. Last winter was so 

 mild that no natural ice was saved around 

 Pittsburg. William Falconer. 



CALANTHE VEITCHII. 



Among winter-flowering orchids it is 

 doubtful if there is anything to equal a 

 batch of calanthes when well grown. 

 Commercially they are not much grown, 

 but the few who grow them for market 

 never have any trouble in disposing of 

 them at excellent prices. C. Veitchii is 

 still the finest of the family, although 

 some fine hybrids have been raised of late 

 years, notably by the late Norman C. 

 Cookson, of Wylam-on-Tyne, England. 

 C. Veitchii is the result of a cross be- 

 tween C. vestita and C. rosea and was 

 raised by James Veitch & Sons, London, 

 which firm also must be given credit for 

 Calanthe Dominyi, the first hybrid orchid 

 raised under cultivation. 



C. Veitchii has flowers of a rich, rosy- 

 pink color, the throat being of a paler 

 tint. The gracefully arching spikes are 

 often three feet, or more in length and 

 will carry forty to fifty flowers, or even 

 more. No orchid in cultivation makes a 

 more beautiful table centerpiece than 

 Calanthe Veitchii. Lovely as its color is 

 in the daytime, it is even finer under arti- 

 ficial light. The flowers last a week' or 

 more in good condition in a warm room. 



Calanthes grow well in pots containing 

 a compost of fibrous loam, to which has 

 been added some rough, gritty sand, dried 

 cow manure and a little broken charcoal. 

 A 6-inch pot should be allotted to each 

 strong bulb; 5-inch pots will suffice for 

 those a size smaller. For medium bulbs 

 three may go in a 6-inch pot. It is a 

 good plan to start the bulbs in flats of 

 chopped sphagnum and sand before pot- 

 ting them. The bulbs should not be 

 raised above the rims of the pots, but be 

 kept a little below them. Long and 

 heavy bulbs may need a short stake to 

 keep them from shaking. Water should 

 be supplied in limited quantities until the 

 pots are getting well filled with roots and 

 the plants in active growth, when they 

 require copious supplies. In addition cow 

 or sheep manure liquid can be added 

 once a week. Reduce the water supply as 

 the foliage disappears. Calanthes enjoy 

 a brisk, moist heat while growing; 70 to 

 75 degrees at night is about right. A 

 successful grower thinks a drack of fire 

 heat every night during the growing sea- 



son is the main reason why his plants do 

 so well. Narrow span-roof or lean-to 

 houses, where a brisk heat is readily bot- 

 tled up, suit calanthes. Blinds are re- 

 quired during sunshine in summer and 

 are to be preferred to shade on the glass. 

 After the leaves have dropped and spikes 

 are pushing up, a slightly lower tempera- 

 ture can be given. After the flowers are 

 cut, the bulbs must have a thorough rest. 

 A shelf well up to the glass, and where 

 no water from the hose will reach, is an 

 ideal place. W. N. C. 



FLORISTS LEAD FASHIONS. 



Influeoce on Dress Styles. 



In former years florists depended 

 largely for ribbons and chiffons upon the 

 wholesale dry goods and millinery 

 houses. In those days, before the keen 

 competition of today, no distinction was 

 made between florists' textiles and those 

 intended for general consumption; 

 gradually, however, the demands of the 

 leading decorators became so insistent 



for distinctive fabrics that a few house 

 studied the question of more perfeo 

 blendings and harmonious styles, an. 

 thus we evolved that branch of the rili 

 bon business known as florists' textiles 

 The houses that lead in this develop 

 ment were correct in assuming that th. 

 florist wanted goods appealing to th, 

 taste of his ultra-fashionable clients, th 

 class who are large users of flowers, an' 

 with whom cheapness of materials is no 

 the primary consideration. The result 

 have been surprising, and aside from thi 

 gratifying increase of business we hav. 

 seen styles introduced for florists' deco 

 rative purposes set the dress fashion^ 

 for tne following season. The Dew Droj 

 chiffon, which we introduced as a florists 

 fabric, has become the rage as a dress 

 fabric, being now sold in wide Avidths 

 by the leading department stores. Thr 

 joint introduction of this chiffon for 

 debutante bouquets by McConnell and 

 Thorley, of New York, at the coming oui 

 reception of Miss Marjorie Gould caused 

 considerable comment at the time and no 

 doubt furnished the inspiration* to New- 

 York's fashionable modistes. 



For next season we note that fashion 

 authorities are proclaiming glac6 and 

 ombre silks as proper for feminine dress. 

 These effects are no novelty to the 

 florists' trade. 



The point to emphasize is this: The 

 exclusive florist, with his flower trim- 

 mings, now has an influence upon the 

 dress fashions of the following season. 

 His class of customers, being the first 

 to adopt a new fashion, are particularly 

 susceptible to the influence of innova- 

 tions in embellishments for corsage and 

 wedding work. In days of old florists 

 used trimmings woven for other classes 

 of trade; now his styles set the pace. In 

 other words, the tail now wags the dog. 

 Sydney B. Wertheimer. 



Westville, Pa. — The greenhouses of 

 Lewis Duncan, which were recently de- 

 stroyed by fire, are being rebuilt of con- 

 crete. 



Calgary, Alta. — J. E. Terrill is with- 

 drawing from the firm of A. M. Terrill 

 & Co. and will embark in the greenhouse 

 and retail florists' business at Leth- 

 bridge, Alta. Western Canada, develop- 

 ing fast in other respects, also affords a 

 broadening field for florists. 



CaUnthe Veitchii. 



