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MAKCH 25, 1909. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



79 



These Are the Little Liners That Do theBosiness 



the demands of cut rose houses, local 

 growers have frequently discussed the ad- 

 visability of attempting to meet the de- 

 mand for 3-inch stock for planting in 

 May or June, but they are always up 

 against the stubborn fact that the ?-inch 

 pot occupies the same space as three 2- 

 inch pots, and bench room for a large 

 quantity of 3-inch seems never to be 

 available, being always in demand either 

 for the 2-inch or 2^ -inch stock, or for 

 that which is on the benches for propa- 

 gating purposes. 



No Trade Secrets. 



Finally, as to the Springfield method 

 of rose growing, it has in some cases 

 been assumed that this is in the nature 

 of a trade secret, but such is by no means 

 the case. Every department of every 

 greenhouse in this locality is open to the 

 inspection of any and every person prac- 

 tically every day and night of the year, 

 visitors invariably being given a cordial 

 welcome. Nevertheless, the success of the 

 local plant growing industry has been 

 Duilt on years of long and varied experi- 

 ence, and the art is not to be learned in 

 a day. Moreover, all natural requisites 

 yT ^}' ]iand, among which are admirably 

 ^?fP*^;i soils, just the right sand, suit- 

 ^Die stable manure mingled with straw, 

 ravorable climate, experienced help, 



central location for shipping, encourage- 

 ment of one grower to another, and a 

 multitude of other considerations too nu- 

 merous to mention. 



From start to finish, the battle against 

 diseases, pests and possible disasters too 

 numerous to mention is something ter- 

 rifying, and the unceasing vigilance and 

 extreme caution required might best be 

 likened to raising a baby. Among other 

 things, the stock plants are liable to be 

 attacked by grub worms, fungus, green 

 fly, scorching from sun heat by reason 

 of slight delay in watering, while the ad- 

 visability of disbudding or not and the 

 proper ripening prior to cutting are 

 problems requiring critical judgment and 

 watch-care. The cuttings in the hotbeds 

 are constantly on a tremble between life 

 and death, being subject to fungus and 

 other attacks, and sensitive to momentary 

 changes from cloud to sunshine, from 

 sunshine to storm, and from moist to dry 

 atmospheric conditions, so that happy is 

 the head grower after he lifts a choice 

 lot of rooted cuttings showing a fair 

 or extra good strike. When finally potted, 

 the young plants are still tender, and a 

 little too much or too little sun or under 

 or overwatering may prove fatal, and 

 even after having been started fairly on 

 the journey of life their enemies are le- 

 gion; mildew, black spot, red spider, leaf 



rollers and a host of other pests are seek- 

 ing their lives by night and by day. 



The Problem of Varieties. 



For the commercial rose plant grower, 

 one of the most difficult problems is to 

 determine what varieties to grow and 

 what not to grow and what quantity of 

 each to plant. One season there may be 

 a shortage of a certain variety and the 

 next a Surplus, so that it keeps one con- 

 stantly guessing as to the probable trend 

 of demand for the numerous sorts in 

 more or less popular favor. Even more 

 difficult is it to correctly forecast the 

 rapidity with which a new sort will be 

 taken into favor liberally by the trade, 

 and the matter of buying stock plants at 

 10 cents to 30 cents or 50 cents each is 

 somewhat in the nature of a gamble, for 

 the average grower having no traveling 

 salesman to personally introduce a new 

 rose at a comparatively high price. 



On this subject, the best informed man 

 in America, if not in the whole world, in 

 our opinion, is your esteemed member 

 from Indiana, who irrepressibly bobs up 

 every few months with not only one new 

 and great thing, but a whole bookful of 

 tempting novelties and late introductions 

 from Europe, and he is ready to prescribe 

 on a moment's notice the very thing 

 which will best meet any long-felt or 

 short-felt want which you may happen 

 to express, and you pay your money and 

 take your choice. Despite the fact that 

 Mr. Hill has a keen eye for business, we 

 view him upon the whole as a philanthro- 

 pist in the matter of disseminating valu- 

 able knowledge and in encouraging 

 greater things in the growing of roses 

 and other beautiful things in general, to 

 say nothing of his own accomplishments 

 in the line of hybridizing. 



PINK ASTILBES. 



There can be no question as to the 

 beauty and value of the new pink flow- 

 ered astilbes (more commonly called 

 spiraeas), and therefore we must accord 

 all the more praise to Astilbe Davidii, the 

 strong growing, deep colored species that 

 is so fine grown near water, says an Eng- 

 lish gardeners' magazine. The latter 

 was one parent of the newest race of 

 pink astilbes, and A. astilboides flori- 

 bunda is the other. Several beautiful 

 forms of this hybrid were exhibited be- 

 fore the Koyal Horticultural Society July 

 21 last, and attracted a great deal of 

 attention. The plants were all of sturdy 

 growth, and said to be absolutely hardy. 

 These crossbred plants, raised by Mr. 

 Arends, of Ronsdorf, Germany, open up 

 a fine prospect for planting in moist 

 situations and in beds or borders for giv- 

 ing charming effects, for, with rare ex- 

 ceptions, all the herbaceous members of 

 the spiraea group of plants are elegant 

 and beautiful. Two varieties, among the 

 several that Mr. Arends has raised, stand 

 out prominently by reason of their dis- 

 tinctness, vigor and delightful coloring, 

 and these are Astilbe Arendsi Ceres and 

 A. Arendsi Pink Pearl. The former 

 grows about two and one-half feet high 

 and produces graceful plumose spikes of 

 deep rose-pink flowers. A. Arendsi Pink 

 Pearl is soft, pearly pink, quite distinct, 

 and equally beautiful, and the ^flowers 

 open more slowly than in the case of the 

 first-named variety, so that the flower- 

 ing period is prolonged. To each of 

 these two new astilbes tie Royal Horti- 

 ' cultural Society has granted an award 

 of merit. 



Thx Reviiw sends the Florists' Man- 

 ual, by Wm. Scott, postpaid, for $5. 



