March 28, 1912. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



36 



Azalea MolUi at the Left, Rhododendron Pink Pearl at the Right. 



ilarity, as shown in the illustration on 

 page 36, where each is shown in a white 

 china receptacle, but the blooms of the 

 boronia are too dark to appeal to many 

 of the Easter shoppers. 



If one has the idea that plants are 

 crowding cut flowers at Easter, it is 

 erroneous. Of course the sale of plants 

 is large, but so is the sale of cut flow- 

 ers. The Easter plants are a great deal 

 easier to illustrate than are the Easter 

 cut flowers. There is not much material 

 for a photograph in the retailer's stock 

 of roses, carnations, violets and lilies. 

 Nor are they easy to show in the store 

 in other than the every-day shape. Per- 

 haps that's one reason why plants have 

 had so much popularity since they be- 

 gan to be shown in such attractive form 

 for Christmas and Easter. But it is 

 possible to show cut flowers in a novel 

 manner, too. On pages 38 and 39 are 

 two groups of cut flower arrangements 

 picked in a leading western store last 

 Easter. These were samples only. The 

 florist used them to take orders for 

 loose cut flowers, but he also took orders 

 to duplicate any of the arrangements, 

 receptacle and all, at any designated 

 place on Easter morning — and that such 

 orders are numerous anyone can tell by 

 a glance at the illustrations. 



THE GLASS MARKET. 



Jobbers of window glass express 

 themselves as having no doubt that the 

 recent sharp advance in prices will 

 hold and some of them say they look 

 for a further advance in greenhouse 

 sizes because of the fact that the fac- 

 tories have practically none on hand 

 and no great quantities are likely to be 

 manufactured before the end of the 

 present fire, May 25. It is well under- 

 stood that the smaller sizes are a sort 

 of byproduct of the glass business — it 

 pay* ■§le factojrtesjnuch better to make 

 the'lSfi^e'r'''Bizes,'Dut ili Aiijcing these 

 there is a part of each sheet that must 



be cut to the smaller sizes. This pro- 

 portion is kept at the minimum: the 

 factories will not cut the greenhouse 

 sizes to order except at a price ^consid- 

 erably above the market. There is to 

 be another readjustment of glass work- 

 ers ' wages immediately after the end of 

 the present fire, and on it will depend, 

 to a large extent, the price of glass 

 next season, but it is well within the 

 possibilities that the market will rise 

 during the summer, especially if the 

 early demand continues, for it has been 

 exceptionally heavy this year, j^^-^'' 



BEGONIA GLORY OF CINCINNATI. 



As Compared with Lorndne. 



While some growers persi et'^it giving 

 Begonia Glory of Cincinnati~a15ad name 

 a^ a market plant, saying that it does 

 not branch as fireely as the older Gloire 

 de Lorraine, there is no-xpiestion about 

 its superiority as a market plant when 

 well grown, or of its lasting properties 

 in the store or after delivery to cus- 

 tomers. Having grown the two side by 

 side and noted the peculiarities of each, 

 I am of the opinion that those who find 

 fault with Cincinnati do not treat it 

 correctly. It is trtie that the shoots 

 made do not branch so freely as those 

 of the older variety, but it pushes up 

 more of them from the base and the 

 larger, more persistent flowers make a 

 better display. 



The Shoots from the Base. 



Anyone who examines the roots of 

 Glory of Cincinnati will find a large 

 number of nodules or embryonic buds 

 upon them, which, if given a chance, 

 ty<ffl* all break into growth and push up 

 'fine shoots. And these Shoots grow with 

 great rapidity after about the beginning 

 of August, rendering what up to that 

 time were small and worthless looking 

 plants, fine specimens by Christmas. 



In order to develop properly, these 

 nodules or buds must have a certain 

 amount of air as well as water; conse- 

 quently the compost or soil in which 

 the plants are grown must be porous. 

 Heavy, retentive soil holds too much 

 water and, if dried, cakes up into hard 

 lumps in which the roots cannot run. 

 But a soil containing lightening ma- 

 terial, such as leaf-mold, peat, well 

 decayed horse manure and son^e gritty 

 dividing substance, like coarpe sa^^ o^^ 

 gravel, will do well for this plant. ' '' 



Its cultivation in detail does iot di[f- 

 fer much from that practiced Jfor JiO;f- 

 raine. It is really stronger in gtowtii 

 and not so liable to spot as this good" old 

 favorite, which, by the way, is still 

 worth growing, in spite of its largier 

 rival. 



Treatment of Plants on Arrival. 



As many growers will doubtless buy 

 young stock rather than raise the plauts 

 themselves, a word on the treatment of 

 the stock received may perhaps be in 

 order. When shipped a long distance, 

 the plants in many cases will be dried 

 out considerably and they ought not to 

 be potted immediately after arrival. I 

 have been quite successful by unpack- 

 ing them carefully and moistening the 

 balls slightly, keeping the foliage as dry 

 as possible, and then laying them in 

 flats or on a bench, with moss under 

 and between them, the moss having 

 previously been thoroughly soaked with 

 water. By these means the roots absorb 

 the moisture slowly from the wet moss, 

 and in a few days it is evident, from 

 the freshening up of the foliage, that 

 they are in a fit condition to be potted. 

 J A night temperature of 60 to 65 degrees, 

 a moist atmosphere and light shade are 

 the conditions needed. 



Plants potted on arrival, without this 

 necessary preparation, do not start 

 nearly as well and damping of the 

 foliage, as well as loss of roots, will 

 occur. 



