12 



The Florists^ Review 



January 9, 1913. 



today's basis is what might be termed 

 just a fair average price, and the pros- 

 pects are that the present prices will 

 prevail throughout the coming year, 

 with probably some advance when the 

 spring trade opens up. 



"The latter half of 1912 has unques- 

 tionably seen the largest consumption 

 of glass in the history of the country, 

 and the present indications are that 

 1913 will be a banner year for building 

 throughout the country, which will 

 mean the largest demand for glass of 

 all kinds that we ever have seen." 



PEOPAOATION OF CINCINNATI. 



I would greatly appreciate it if you 

 could tell me the proper way of propa- 

 gating Begonia Glory of Cincinnati; 

 also the proper time for it. C. A. E. 



Begonia Glory of Cincinnati is propa- 

 gated in the same manner as the ordi- 

 nary Lorraine begonia, namely, by leaf 

 cuttings, and early spring is the best 

 time for the operation. W. H. T. 



MEXICAN TUBEROSES. 



I should like to ask when Mexican 

 tuberoses should be taken up in the 

 Qlimate of southwestern Texas, how the 

 fculbs should be separated and how han- 

 dled for market. W. L. H. 



Eeplying to the question about tube- 

 roses in Texas: They do not have to 



be taken up in the winter south of 

 Austin, or, I might say, in the south 

 half of the state; but every two years 

 they should be taken up and divided. 

 We presume the best time to do it is in 

 March or April, as one kills a crop of 

 weeds at that time and tuberoses will 

 not grow until the ground gets warm. 

 If not divided after blooming for two 

 years the flower stalks are short and 

 slender. 



In the north and northeastern part 

 of the state they should be taken up 

 after frost and dried and laid anywhere 

 just so they do not freeze, and then 

 planted in March or April. 



About once in ten or twelve years 

 the temperature here reaches zero, but 

 only for a short time. If it continues 

 a few days it kills the bulbs near the 

 top of the ground. F. T. Eamsey. 



TULIPS FOE EASTEB. 



I have 20,000 tulips of several varie- 

 ties, many of them of the higher priced 

 sorts. These tare, however, single 

 early. I have also a lot of Darwins 

 of many varieties. I boxed them all 

 about November 15, in what I call 

 virgin soil of medium quality. I have 

 not given them any manure. Do these 

 bulbs want any feeding and what 

 would it be best to give them? I do 

 not expect to have them early, as I 

 have no glass except coldframe sashes. 

 Can I in any way manage, here in 

 British Columbia, to have them in for 



Easter? Any suggestions regarding 

 this will be highly appreciated. 



C. V. A. 



You should have no trouble in flower- 

 ing any of the early varieties of tu- 

 lips for Easter in your coldframe. Al- 

 low them to remain covered until they 

 have sprouted two to three inches; 

 then place them in the coldframe on a 

 bed of coal ashes, which will help to 

 keep out worms. On cold nights it 

 may be necessary to protect the sashes 

 with hotbed mats. Easter comes quite 

 early in 1913, the date being March 23. 

 Your tulips should therefore be placed 

 in the light not later than the middle 

 of February. 



If you had mixed some sand and old, 

 well decayed manure in your compost, 

 your bulbs would have done better. 

 However, seeing you have not done so, 

 you can materially benefit them by 

 watering with liquid cow manure once 

 in four or five days, after they are 

 placed in the frame. I do not know 

 how low a temperature you get in 

 February and March. If it is quite 

 frosty it would be an advantage to use 

 a few inches of warm horse manure in 

 the frame. Tramp it firmly and evenly 

 before spreading the coal ashes on. 



The Darwin tulips will flower well 

 during April. They would hardly be 

 in condition for Easter. Another sea- 

 son endeavor to box your_ tulips a 

 month earlier and they will do better; 

 November 15 is rather late. C. W. 



THE ART OF FLOWER 

 i^ ARRANGEMENT s^ 



By FRED C. V. BROWN 



DOUBLE INTEREST DESIGNS. 



The Broken Column. 



In our last installment we introduced 

 the subject -of double interest designs 

 and we wish here to emphasize , more 

 strongly the necessity of definiteness 

 and simplicity in the construction. 



It is composition that counts in these 

 larger forms, and it would be well al- 

 ways to keep before you the fact that 

 composition is like a monogram, in 

 which the letters interlace one with 

 another in pleasing proportion. So, also, 

 in your designs, the parts must knit to- 

 gether into one harmonious whole. 



Note the first of the two pictures of 

 broken columns. This sort of design, 

 because of iti double interest, is neces- 

 sarily complicated; hence we must be 

 careful, in our treatment of it, to sim- 

 plify it as much as possible. 



The Barber-pole Twist. 



We find that the double interest of 

 shaft and base has been further com- 

 plicated by the barber-pole effect, which 

 almost seems to shout at you, "U. E. 

 next I" This is poor treatment, for 

 we find that it further intensifies the 

 complexity of the subject. 



Be simple, but in your simplicity be 

 forcible. 



Flowers might grow in some such 

 simple form as is shown in the second 

 illustration, where only half the mate- 



Mr, Brown will be pleased to answer, as this 

 series of articles processes, any criticisms or 

 questions that may occur to his readers. The 

 first article of the series was printed in the Issue 

 of October 10. The next installment will appear 

 in an early issue. 



rial was used for the cluster, but they 

 will never be considered graceful when 

 placed with the mathematical accuracy 

 of a barber-pole twist. 



Just here I wish to deviate from the 

 consideration of the art features and 

 utter a strong warning against the use 

 of those big designs that so many of us 

 still seem to admire. 



Opposition to Funeral Flowers. 



Among the general public at the pres- 

 ent time there is a custom, more or less 

 prevalent, of inserting in the death no- 

 tices in the newspapers a request that 

 there be no flowers. It is impossible to 

 estimate the loss to florists through 

 this channel alone, and it is surprising 

 that so little effort has been made to 

 trace this public custom to its origin or 

 to locate the cause. I have heard it 

 suggested that it is simply a fashion or 

 fad, and also that it is often done on 

 account of a fear that there will not 

 be a generous response of friends in 

 sending floral tributes. 



After careful investigation, however, 

 the writer has come to the conclusion 

 that this unfavorable attitude of cer- 

 tain of the public toward funeral flow- 



ers is largely due to our lack of under- 

 standing of the principles of art. 



Flowers are sent to a bereaved home 

 as an expression of sorrow, and are 

 supposed to help remove some of the 

 bitter thoughts of the human loss. 

 Flowers have been chosen as the mes- 

 sengers of peace because of their- sim- 

 plicity and purity. Have we been faith- 

 ful to what has been required of us? 



Is It the Florists' Own Fault? 



I believe we have only ourselves to 

 blame for this ' * no flower ' ' advertising. 



We are supposed to understand our 

 business and so we have been entrusted 

 with the confidence of the buying pub- 

 lic, for our customers generally accept 

 our suggestions. But, through a lack 

 of artistic training and understanding, 

 we have abused the confidence placed 

 in us, for we have offered, as a maxi- 

 mum of our skill, freak and cumber- 

 some arrangements of flowers and have 

 styled them "works of art," Unfor- 

 tunately, they are frequently glaring 

 examples of thoughtlessness and bad 

 taste and so we find ourselves victims 

 of these ridiculous creations of minds 

 diseased by the greed for money. We 

 have been trusted to produce soothing 

 arrangements, but have gradually al- 

 lowed our ideas to be so perverted that 

 we have advocated these uncouth mon- 

 strosities, veritable travesties on sor- 

 row, and have forced them on a be- 



