The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Mat 11, 1911. 



■elf J. E. Jay, thinks so well of his idea 

 that he offers himself as the first sacri- 

 fice. He sends the photograph of the 

 standing cross reproduced herewith and 

 invites criticisms of it. Just to see 

 what is in the idea, The Eeview will 

 give a half column space to anyone who 

 cares to offer criticism of this design, 

 or suggestions for its improvement. 

 Sign your contribution, for the editor's 

 benefit; your name will not be pub- 

 lished. 



WEDDING BUNCHE6. 



If there is any one thing that counts 

 most for or against a florist, it is the 

 character of the wedding work he turns 

 out. Pretty nearly all the guests at a 

 wedding know who supplied the flowers 

 — and you may be sure that nothing at 

 such an event escapes critical considera- 

 tion. It is to the favor with which its 

 wedding work has been received that 

 the GoldBboro Floral Co., Goldsboro, 

 N. C, attributes much of its success. 

 The concern, which is owned by J. L. 

 O'Quinn and H. C. Smith, is only 

 eighteen months old. It was started 

 with about 6,000 feet of glass, but the 

 business is growing so rapidly that 

 additional supplies are required. The 

 manager is S. A. Starr, who is only 21 

 years of age. The illustration on pagb 

 11 is reproduced from a photograph of 

 one of Mr. Starr's bouquets of valley 

 and plumosus. 



PROPAGATION OF AZALEAS. 



Please explain how azaleas are best 

 grown, from seed or euttings. Where 

 can the seed be procured? Also give a 

 description of the different" varieties. 



J. K. 



Probably you have in mind the green- 

 house or Indian azaleas only. The fam- 

 ily is quite an extensive one and in- 

 cludes quite a number of beautiful 

 outdoor American varieties. Azalea In- 

 dica is seldom raised from seed, except 

 it may be by Belgian and other spe- 

 cialists. This is a slow method of prop- 

 agation. The two methods usually 

 adopted are cuttings of half ripened 

 wood in August or September in a close 

 frame with some bottom heat, or by 

 tongue grafting. It is much cheaper 

 to import than to try to raise Azale i 

 Indica at home, except in the case oi; 

 some of the dwarf sorts, like Ch iries 

 Encke, Firefly and some others, .vbout 

 all azaleas from Europe are grafted. 

 Strong growing azaleas and, to some 

 extent, rhododendrons are used for 

 stocks, the azaleas being raised from 

 cuttings. 



A few popular varieties of azaleas 

 are: Deutsche Perle, double white, 

 early; Empress of India, double rosy 

 salmon; Mme. Van der Gruyssen, semi- 

 double, light pink; Vervseneana, dou- 

 ble, salmon rose; Apollo, vermilion red; 

 salmon rose; Apollo, vermilion red; 

 Bernard Andre alba, late, double 

 white; De Schryveriana, double rose, 

 shaded red; Prof. Wolters, single, bright 

 pink; Simon Mardner, double, velvety 

 rose; Indica alba, fine single white; 

 Sigismund Eucker, rose, bordered white, 

 spotted crimson, a fine single; Fielder's 

 White, single white; Raphael, double 

 white; Niobe, double white; Empereur 

 du Bresil, double rose, banded white. 



C.W. 



Oklahoma City, Okla. — J. G. Angel 

 lost nearly 4,000 feet of glass during a 

 recent hail storm. 



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IMPRESSIONS 



OF AMERICA ^ 



I 



By a British Visitor. 



Commercial floriculture in America 

 is run very much on the lines that I 

 anticipated. For many years I have 

 been a reader of the American horti- 

 cultural press, and therefore conversant 

 with floricultural affairs as recorded 

 therein. I had formed definite views 

 of what to expect at each establish 

 ment that I visited, and so faithfully 

 had each been portrayed in the col- 

 umns of The Review from time to time 

 that I received no surprises. All that 

 I expected to see was there and just 

 as I expected to see it. 



I was fortunate in visiting America 

 just before Easter, thereby obtaining 

 a view of the plant and flower cultures 

 at their best. According to population, 

 the American plant trade is not so 

 extensive as ours, but in most lines the 

 culture is equal to the average of Co 

 vent Garden market. In America cut 

 flower growers specialize on fewer vari- 

 eties; this tends to working the estab- 

 lishments with less expense, though 

 at the same time it gives the American 



Will You Offer Criticism? 



public a smaller choice of varieties to 

 select from. 



Carnations — English and American. 



In carnations I anticipated great 

 things and I was not disappointed. The 

 fine, healthy plants and their cropping 

 qualities are marvelous, but for quality 

 our English blooms are quite equal to 

 the American standard, and when I say 

 that I take as the standard the blooms 

 shown at the Boston show. Our British 

 Carnation Society, established in 1906, 



brings out larger displays from indi- 

 vidual growers, with blooms equal to 

 those in America and the entire show 

 more artistically arranged. I think 

 E. G. Hill, of Richmond, who visited 

 one of our shows last year, will endorse 

 my views, and J. R. Fotheringham, of 

 the F. R. Pierson Co., who was an eye- 

 witness of one of our first shows in 

 London, must also carry favorable im- 

 pressions in his memory. 



The Wonderful American Beauty. 



Cut roses, American Beauty excepted, 

 are on a level with ours; probably you 

 surpass us in the first two months of 

 the year. American Beauty has not 

 installed itself as a favorite with our 

 growers, and to me the blooms and 

 stems seen in America were most won- 

 derful; we have nothing approaching 

 them in England. 



Sweet peas, as seen at Boston, are 

 far ahead of anything we produce in 

 March. We do not obtain equal quality 

 until late in April and in the first part 

 of May. No doubt the clearer atmos- 

 phere in America is an important factor 

 in bringing about the result. 



In cut flowers I was delighted with 

 the pink antirrhinums which frequently 

 came under my notice, a line we have 

 not struck in England yet for early 

 work. For decorative purposes they are 

 superb. 



The Immense Chicago Ranges. 



The extent of the glass establish- 

 ments around Chicago is marvelous. In 

 our small island there is no room for 

 such; our markets could not take the 

 produce. A few of our largest modern 

 establishments excepted, the American 

 systems of greenhouse building, heat- 

 ing and ventilating are ahead of ours. 

 I admire the skill and enterprise of 

 your horticultural builders. I congratu- 

 late them on their skillfully planned 

 advertisements in the trade press. They 

 know how to build and they know how 

 to make it known that they can build. 



Great as the floricultural industry is 

 in America, it appears to me that it 

 has a still greater future, and that at 

 no distant date. The cut flower trade 

 is no doubt abreast of the times. There 

 is room for the development of the 

 plant trade. 



Opportunities in Plants. 



In our homes, our hotels and restau- 

 rants we decorate freely with plants. 

 In the American hotels I noted the ab- 

 sence of large palms in the halls and 

 corridors. Foliage and flowering plants 

 in the lounging places afid public rooms, 

 such as we are accustomed to in sum- 

 mer and winter, were also lacking, and 

 plants were conspicuous by their ab- 

 sence from the dinner tables. There is 

 an opportunity there for the develop- 

 ment of the plant trade. It appeared 

 to me that the American public does 

 not take such a keen and enthusiastic 

 interest in home gardening as we do. 



