Febkuary 13, 1913. 



The Florists^ Review 



15 



A Coroer of Albert A. Sawyer's Field of the As'ermum, at Forest Park, III. 



SAWYER'S ASTER FIELD. 



For several years ^. A. Sawyer, of 

 Porest Park, 111., has oeen sending ex- 

 ceptionally good asters into the Chi- 

 cago market and those who attended 

 the last S. A. F. convention will recall 

 with pleasure his display of the cut 

 blooms. The accompanying illustration 

 shows a corner of the field from which 

 they came. 



Mr. Sawyer has been at work on 

 the development of his aster for the 

 last eight years. He wisely calls it the 

 Astermum, a name that attracts the 

 attention and sticks in the mind. Stock 

 has been worked up in three colors, 

 white, light pink and an especially 

 good lavender. Mr. Sawyer, who before 

 he became known as an aster specialist 

 was recognized as exceptionally success- 

 ful with pansies, says that the Aster- 

 mum is of such upright habit that he 



plants only nine inches apart. The 

 stems are eighteen to twenty-four 

 inches long and each plant makes ten 

 to fifteen blooms. He has grown his 

 stock for market without disbudding. 



PITTSBURGH. 



The Market. 



Pittsburgh is so near Punxsutawney 

 that we naturally keep one eye on that 

 burgh for reports about ground hog 

 day. The report came that he saw his 

 shadow and the greenhouse men be- 

 gan hauling coal, and have kept at it, 

 as we have had near-zero weather ever 

 since. The closest was on the morn- 

 ing of Thursday, February 6 — 3 de- 

 grees above — and that is bad enough, 

 in contrast with the former warm 

 weather. 



Roses are scarce and will continue 

 so for a couple of weeks, but there is 

 plenty of everything else. Bulbous 

 stock is fine and should be a treat to 

 flower buyers after the steady diet of 

 roses and carnations, if the retailers 

 will only try to make their customers 

 understand. The shortage of roses is 

 really for a shorter time this year than 

 for several years. Of course there are 

 but few Beauties, but they are not 

 asked for and are not missed much. 

 Carnations are getting more plentiful 

 every day and the wholesalers have 

 been having a comfortable time for the 

 last week. 



Among the retail shops there was a 

 decrease of trade last week. That is 

 the rule in the first few days of Lent, 

 but for the last few years it has not 

 been noticed much after the first week. 

 While there may be no large affairs, 



