I<l(ffll III, I, 



■•.,--»» T-»7.'— r'«T''»-V -"^TTT"^?!* ■ 



March 14, 1912. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



21 



Group of Rose Plants at the Chicago Spring: Show, Exhibited by Vaughan's Seed Store. 



is an excellent fertilizer and is not 

 sufficiently used. Poultry manure is 

 too strong, and unless applied with 

 caution and then only in the form of 

 top-dressings, is liable to do harm. 



Depth to Cover Seed. 

 Many seed catalogues advise the light 

 covering of sweet pea seed, say an inch 

 at first, and afterward filling in around 

 the plants with fine soil as they grow. 

 Others advocate covering two and one- 

 half to three inches deep, and later fill- 

 ing between the plants similarly. This 

 filling in has done much to discourage 

 sweet pea culture. It starts stem-rot 

 and is responsible for a whole lot of 

 failures. Cover the seeds three inches, 

 firm them well and do not fill in be- 

 tween them at all, and there will be 

 less stem-rot and far healthier plants. 



Varieties. 



The varieties of sweet peas are now 

 multiplying at such a tremendous rate 

 that it is bewildering to the small 

 grower to know what to buy. This year 

 there are about 100 novelties being in- 

 troduced in England and America. If 

 half a dozen survive they will do well. 

 The varieties now catalogued are need- 

 lessly numerous and would better be re- 

 duced to one-fourth the present num- 

 ber. Private estates may like to grow 

 a large collection, but to the man in 

 the trade a much boiled down list is a 

 necessity. Furthermore, only certain 

 colors will sell well, and these shades 

 only should be planted. 



The Spencer type, which originated 

 in England in 1900, is now immensely 

 popular. This giant waved type has 

 now become quite fi:fed and to^e are 

 probably 100 varietu?f. listed todaegr, in- 

 clusive of novelties,'"' No sweet pea to- 

 day is more popular than the Countess 

 Spencer, of a lovely rOse-pink color. 



This has great vigor and can be relied 

 upon to produce long stems the whole 

 season, if given good treatment. Helen 

 Lewis Spencer, of a rich orange color, 

 is the best of its shade and popular 

 in the markets. Mrs. Boutzahn Spen- 

 cer, apricot, flushed with delicate pink, 

 is beautiful. Evelyn Hemus, or Mrs. 

 C. W. Breadmore, is of a lovely shade, 

 the groundwork cream, edged with 

 pink. King Edward Spencer, rich 

 scarlet, is the leader of its color. In 

 pure whites Nora Unwin and Dorothy 

 Eckf ord are both superb. Frank Dolby, 

 light lavender, and the old but reliable 

 Lady Grisel Hamilton, lavender blue, 

 are equally good. Asta Ohn Spencer is 

 of a lovely shade, lavender suffused 

 with mauve. Where flowers of a rosy 

 carmine color will sell, John Ingman 

 should be planted. Constance Oliver is 

 of a delicate creamy pink color. Lord 

 Nelson is a fine dark blue, and Mrs. 

 Andrew Ireland an excellent bicolor, 

 rosy pink and blush. 



The foregoing list comprises practi- 

 cally all shades of colors which will 

 sell. The most popular are pink, orange 

 pink, white and lavender, and it is al- 

 ways well to plant most heavily of 

 these. ' yt, 



PIEBSON'S FEABLS. 



Following are some of the gems of 

 thought from the address of Wallace 

 R. Pierson before the New York 

 Florists' Club, March 11: 



"I enjoy talking on a subject that 

 interests me, and roses are a big part 

 of the flower business of this country. 

 The rose stands in ft place which no 

 other flow«i; can hojle to usurp. It is 

 in a class .iby itself. .:iv^* 



"The glas's market ^fts caused a 

 building boom. We shall have to look 

 for an increased outlet for the product 



or face a glut in the markets of the 

 country. 



"The essentials for success in the 

 rose growing business are good soil, 

 good houses, water, steam heat, good 

 plants, good management, shipping 

 facilities and a proper handling of the 

 product and collection of accounts. 



"Good houses for roses are houses 

 that grow roses well. The ideal house 

 is a matter of opinion only. 



"Steam heat I consider absolutely 

 essential. Hot water gives a uniform 

 heat and a steady supply. Every house 

 on our place has both steam and hot 

 water heat, which worked in conjunc- 

 tion we consider ideal. 



' ' We find in commerce not over 

 twelve or fifteen varieties of roses 

 that are being grown in quantity for 

 cut flowers. 



"The Killarney family is entitled to 

 a Roosevelt medal for the variety and 

 number of its offspring. 



"In new roses this year there are 

 but a few leading varieties which ap- 

 peal to the commercial grower. 



' * A flower lover sooner or later be 

 comes a flower buyer. 



* * For the flower business our parks 

 are wonderful advertisements, and the 

 building up of the business depends on 

 the elimination of prejudice and the 

 education of the masses. 



"To our retailers we must look for 

 the salvation of the business. 



"The wish to see and buy the latest 

 creations of the millinery art would be 

 duplicated in the flower business when 

 we can offer to each customer some 

 thing that is different and which ap- 

 peals not to established precedent, but 

 to individual taste. 



"Salvation must come throueh the 

 retailer and grower working in har- 

 monv. 



