OCTOBBB 6. 1921 



The Florists^ Review 



25 



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LOS ANGELES LEADERS 



MUCH TO SEE AT MONTEBEIXO. 



Forty Acres Frost-Proof. 



About eight miles east of Los Angeles, 

 at Montebello, is the greenhouse range 

 and nursery establishment of Eoy F. 

 Wilcox & Co., one of the most inter- 

 esting places to visit in southern Cali- 

 .fornia. Mr. Wilcox purchased this place 

 about two years ago and, by a lavish, 

 yet well considered expenditure of 

 money and an equally important ex- 

 penditure of grey matter and energy, 

 he has added to and improved the place, 

 so that no one would recognize it as that 

 which he took over two years ago. The 

 property now comprises about forty 

 acres on the south slope of the foot- 

 hills, the practically frost-proof nature 

 of the locality being shown by the fact 

 that such plants as the Philodendron 

 pertusuni and other tropical subjects 

 thrive and develop into large plants 

 here. 



The greenhouses form a modern range 

 of about 150,000 square feet of glass, 

 two-thirds of which is planted to roses. 

 The Montebello roses have always had 

 a good name on the market and this is 

 one of the first of the larger ranges to 

 be devoted to this crop. During the 

 last two seasons, a number of the beds 

 have been tiled and the increased vigor 

 of the plants shows the advantage of 

 tiling. Russell, Columbia, Ophelia and 

 other popular varieties are largely 

 grown and Butterfly, a rose that in 

 some places has the name of a shy 

 liloomer, is a great favorite here. 



Kentias without Fertilizer. 



Just north of the rose houses is a 

 range devoted to kentias in small sizes. 

 Here are about 400,000 plants, the pro- 

 portion being about two-thirds Foster- 

 iana and about one-third Belmoreana. 



The exhibition features being prepared 

 for the donvention of the California As- 

 sociation of Nurserymen are expected to 

 draw many trade visitors to Los Angeles 

 October 20 to SSS. Additional interest 

 will be found by them in a number of 

 establishments in the vicinity which oc- 

 cupy a prominent place in owr industry. 

 Some of these are described in current 

 issues of The Beview, one on this page. 



The smaller stock is standing pot thick, 

 or nearly so, on the benches, plunged 

 and topdressed with tankage, which ac- 

 counts for the fine color seen on the 

 young foliage. These houses are of 

 wooden construction, since clear light 

 is not of so much consequence, and the 

 glass has a green shading. A genial, 

 moist and comparatively cool atmo- 

 sphere is generated, which is, appar- 

 ently, much to the liking of the plants. 

 Farther north is the immense lath 

 house, or rather houses, for there are 

 several separate compartments, though 

 they are all under one roof. Here the ken- 

 tias are planted out and the growth they 

 make is wonderful. Stock, from 2-inch 

 pots a little over a year ago, has now 

 made large, leafy plants, and a nicer 

 or more even lot would be hard to find. 

 The roof here has been double-lathed, as 

 this provides more protection from cold 

 and wind and the extra shade thrown is 

 beneficial. Commenting on the fine color 

 of a batch of larger kentias, the writer 

 asked Mr. Wilcox what fertilizer was 

 used and it was surprising to learn that 

 the splendid growth and deep green of 

 the foliage are obtained from the natural 

 soil alone, no commercial or other fer- 

 tilizer being used. The soil is a re<l 

 adobe, hard to work and stubborn, but 

 wonderfully fertile when properly han- 

 dled. In this house the kentias are in 

 all sizes, from newly planted stock to 



specimens, and in all the same fine 

 health and cleanliness are noted. 



Efficient Falm Growing. 



The system of careful and intelligent 

 culture starts with the sowing of the 

 seeds and there is no letup until the 

 finished plants are packed and ready for 

 shipment. Seedling raising is carried on 

 in two long, low houses, in which a con- 

 stantly high and moist temperature is 

 maintained. A hot water boiler, 

 equipped with electrically driven forced 

 circulation, takes care of these houses, 

 so that when steam is not needed in the 

 other houses, there is no change in the 

 temperature here. Seventy bushels of 

 seeds have been sown this season and 

 there is a fine stand, the earliest being 

 several inches high, and apparently, as 

 thick as a lawn, while the ones sown 

 later are not showing. Surely, this is 

 an efficient and active palm factory. 



Another palm that has become in- 

 creasingly popular the last few years 

 is Phoenix canariensis. The stock here 

 ranges from small seedlings to finished 

 specimens. Although some 25,000 are 

 grown, Mr. Wilcox says he never has 

 enough. When its fine color, its hardi- 

 ness and its ability to stand hard condi- 

 tions in corridors, hotel lobbies and simi- 

 lar places are considered, this demand 

 is not to be wondered at. Cocos aus- 

 tralis, though not so popular as the last- 

 named, is a splendid hardy palm, and a 

 fine stock of this in large sizes was 

 noted here. Possibly the grey or glau- 

 cous tint of C. australis is against its 

 popularity, though, as a matter of fact, 

 it is wonderfully attractive to a palm 

 lover. 



The well known Phoenix Roebelenii is 

 also largely grown here, from seedling 

 size to specimens, four to five feet in 

 height. The demand for this fine palm 

 is constant and usually above the supply. 



This Shows About Half the Field Containing Standard, Ball and Other Trained Boxwoods, 



