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34 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



November 11, 1009. 



with the goad-keeping qualities of the 

 blooms, brings them into the front rank 

 for choice table decorations. 1 have asso- 

 ciated them in that work with (.'attleya 

 gigas and they have been as much ad- 

 mired as that flower. Also with alla- 

 mandas; they present a beautiful effect, 

 harmonizing with them, and giving 

 enough color to make them pretty and 

 effective. And while, like nearly all flow- 

 ers used for that work, they are better if 

 cut and placed in water a few l.ours be- 

 fore being used, I have cut them direct 

 from plants, stemmed them so that the 

 foot-stalks stood out from any moisture 

 whatever, in the hottest days of the sum- 

 mer, and used them for table decoration 

 without any signs of wilting at the finish. 

 But if they are cut fresh and placed in 

 water they will keep in good condition 

 a week. And another thing in their favor 

 is that they can be flowered twice a year. 



"They make their growths at the end 

 of the tubers and great care should be 

 taken not to injure these ends in any 

 way or the bulbs will be useless, as they 

 will not start from any other part of the 

 tuber. When they have made a growth 

 of about three or four inches they should 

 be placed in their flowering pots, pans 

 or bo.xes. If I have several tubers start- 

 ed I prefer to grow them in either of 

 the last two mentioned, as they make a 

 much better show than when grown sin- 

 gly in pots, although, for the convenience 

 of handling, four or five tubers can be 

 l)laced in a 10-inch or 1-2-inch pot, and 

 they will ilo equally well. The pans or 

 boxes should be seven or eight inches 

 doep, or a little deeper for large bulbs. 

 As thev grow, the growth is sustained by 

 the old bulb, which gradually wastes 

 awav. and a new tuber is produced at 

 the 'base of the growth. They should 

 have plenty of room to develop, as larger 

 tubers are" produced than when cramped 

 for room. 



"I usually place eight or nine large 

 tubers in a 16-inch or 18-inch pan, cover- 

 ing the tubers all over with about an inch 

 of soil, which consists of about four parts 

 good fibrous loam to one part dried cow 

 manure, but not with all the life dried 

 out of it, placing them in a greenhouse 

 with a temperature similar to that of a 

 rose house, with no shade whatever, even 

 in the height of summer. They require 

 good drainage, as they want plenty of 

 water when growing, and they will be in 

 full bloom five or six weeks after being 

 potted. When they have finished bloom- 

 ing they should be gradually rested until 

 the vines are quite dead, when they can 

 be stored away in a temperature of from 

 46 to 50 degrees, either in pots or pans 

 in which they have been grown, without 

 disturbing them; or taken from the soil 

 carefully and placed in boxes of sand to 

 prevent them from shriveling, and they 

 remain there until ready for starting up 

 at the option of the grower, according to 

 the time he requires them to flower. If 

 required for winter, or early spring 

 months, they should be started in a tem- 

 perature of 70 to 80 degrees, either in 

 damp moss or sand, not keeping them too 

 wot. but just nice and moist." 



THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN. 



W. J. Smyth, at the corner of Thirty- 

 first street and Michigan boulevard, con- 

 ducts one of the leading retail flower 

 stores in Chicago. The high character 

 of his business adds to the interest with 

 which the reader will peruse a letter 

 which reached Mr. Smyth the other day, 

 addressed in scrawly pencil, "For a. 



florist dealer in flowers and ferns on or 

 near the corner of Thirty-first street and 

 Michigan avenue. City." The letter, 

 printed verbatim, follows: 



Wednesday. 



A woman told me the push cart with ferns 

 and Uowors that passed Thli'ty-flrst street was 

 yours. I don't see the cart now. I suppose 

 the weather Is too cold, but If It comes my 

 way and If you arc still selling geranium slips 

 for five cents a pot, you may send me Just three 

 pots for fifteen cents, and if you have a slip of 

 lOnglish or Irish ivy for five cents, bring me one 

 slip, and if you have a pot of moss the kind 

 that lives out of doors all winter, for five cents. 

 I>rlng it to me any time and come right to my 

 r<x)m. Don't go to any door but my door. On 

 the other side is my address. I think the new 

 number is 217, anyway, I live over the Fair 

 Store In the Thomas building on Thirty-first 

 street, half block west of Wentworth avenue, 

 second floor up one flight stairs. Find flat B. 

 Walk into a private hall. Knock at first door 

 in flat B private hall. I'm here every minute. 

 Don't go up to the third floor to Lairds School. 

 -Mj- name is Mrs. Laird. I'm an aged woman 

 and live in flat B. I..ater on I'll want some 

 ferns. I have a dandy fern that was bought 

 at your place. 



Mrs. Laird, the old number was 441 Thirty- 

 first street. 



P. S. — I saw a lovely fern that was bought 

 downtown for ten cents, a Boston fern, I think, 

 a very slim, narrow leaf. I have had lots of 

 forns in my day. I call this narrow leaf fern 

 Tradescantla. If you have this kind, a perfect 

 plant, for ten cents, you may send me one if 

 you wish. 



A REVIEW OF THE YEAR. 



[.\ paper by Elmer D. Smith, of Adrian, 

 Mich., president of the Chrysanthemum Society 

 of America, read at its meeting in New York, 

 November 10.] 



This is our eighth annual exhibition. 

 It hardly seems possible .«o many years 

 have passed since our initial assembly at 

 Chicago. Well do I recall the many new 

 and wonderful varieties then displayed 

 for the first time, the majority of which 

 have been cast aside and their places 

 filled by newer kinds. This constant 

 trend onward has taken place for years, 

 and thus it will ever continue .'■o long as 

 we bend our energies in this direction. 

 We are mortals of emotion and our en- 

 thusiasm of today is tomorrow focused 

 upon a newer and better creation. It is 

 a happy thought and just as it should 

 be. Our aspirations for greater achieve- 

 ment, with power and energy to execute 

 rlusc (U sires, are the ste[)i)ing stones to 

 succe.'s and mark the epochs of chrysan- 

 themum history. We can not mark time, 

 our course must be onward and upward, 

 for we have not reached the limit. We 

 must have larger and bolder flowers for 

 our exhibitions, a race of commercial 

 sorts which carry foliage to the bloom, 

 and hardier and earlier kinds to with- 

 stand our northern winters. Such a type 

 would be of great value to all lovers of 

 border plants. 



In accepting the presidency of this so- 

 ciety a year ago, it was only the desire to 

 do my part toward furthering the inter- 

 ests of so worthy an organization that 

 induced me to consent. I fully realize 

 the year has passed without achieving all 

 that was desired. Financially we are in 

 about the same condition as a year ago, 

 and the membership has not been greatly 

 increased. These matters are of vital 

 importance and need our careful consid- 

 eration, with the hope of devising plans 

 to enhance our treasury and increase our 

 membership. There are too many private 

 and commercial growers who hold them- 

 selves aloof. Our committees pass upon 

 the newcomers, pointing out those best 

 suited for our purpose. This work alone 

 is of sufficient importance to commend 

 this society to every grower. The two 

 dollars annual dues is certainly a trifling 

 consideration, when the private gardener, 

 from the reports of these committees, 

 can select the best for exhibition pur- 

 poses, and the florist, the best commer- 

 cial sorts. There ought to be some way 



to reach every chrysanthemum grower 

 and impress upon them our desire for 

 their hearty cooperation. 



A Cure for Lygus Pratensis Needed. 



A very interesting article appeared in 

 last February's number of Technical 

 World upon parasitic insects, their cul 

 ture and distribution under the direction 

 of the University of Kansas. This ar- 

 ticle suggested to my mind a possibility 

 of finding a remedy for Lygus pratei'-us, 

 commonly known as the tarnished plant 

 bug. Letters were written the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture at Washington, and 

 the University of Kansas, but to no avail. 

 So far as I know, we are still in need of 

 an effective remedy for these persistent 

 and destructive little insects. A parasitic 

 fungus is now propagated and distributed 

 among the western farmers to depose the 

 chinch bug. The name chinch bug is 

 often applied to the tarnished bug, but 

 this is erroneous, as the former is distinct 

 and known in entomology as Blissus leu- 

 copterus. Throughout the middle west 

 the tarnished bug is found everywhere 

 during the summer months, puncturing 

 the stem and extracting the sap from a 

 large number of plants and weeds. The 

 chrysanthemum and aster especially are 

 its favorite feeding places. It is to be 

 hoped our institutions of research will 

 discover a remedy, either in the form of^ 

 parasitic fungus or a parasitic insect that 

 will keep them under control. ^ 



Suggestions for Future Action. 



There are a few suggestions which I 

 will submit for your consideration. It 

 seems to me the president should be em- 

 powered to appoint special committees to 

 examine and pass upon the seedlings at 

 exhibitions in localities which flow are 

 not thus favored, provided the interest 

 in seedlings or the exhibits are likely to 

 be of sufficient importance to demand 

 sucfi appointments, the term of office of 

 such committees to expire at the close 

 of the exhibition they are to serve. 



An exhibition of considerable magni- 

 tude, providing classes and premiums for 

 seedlings, which would attract exhibits 

 from those interested, may be launched 

 upon us at any time in such cities as 

 Pittsburg, Baltimore, St. Louis, Boches- 

 ter, Detroit and Cleveland. You may 

 deem it advisable to place some limita- 

 tions upon the president's power in this 

 matter, to guard against any action 

 which would be regarded as favorable to 

 self-interests or those of intimate friends. 



Another suggestion is that the Chrys- 

 anthemum Society become a standing 

 committee of the Society of American 

 Florists. It is evident that such an affilia- 

 tion would minimize the expense and 

 would better serve the trade. In taking 

 such a course our records would be turned 

 over for safe keeping, and the clerical 

 functions performed by the secretary of 

 the Society of American Florists. 



This suggestion came to me so late that 

 I have not looked up the conditions un- 

 der which such an affiliation could be en- 

 acted, so that definite action cannot be 

 taken at this time. 



The Death of John Thorpe. 



Since our last meeting we have been 

 deprived, by divine providence, of one of 

 the greatest geniuses of American hor- 

 ticulture, and a most ardent lover and 

 cultivator of the chrysanthemum. The 

 familiar countenance and figure of John 

 Thorpe we shall see no more, and his 

 pleasant address and enthusiastic admira- 

 tion for nature's gems will lend no 



