462 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 404. 



their trees to advantage, and few such estates where the 

 axe ought not to be wielded with promptness and vigor. 

 We are quite sure that every one who fells a tree intelli- 

 gently this autumn will feel assured a year hence that this 

 work was quite as commendable as the intelligent planting 

 of a tree. 



The effect of frost upon the leaves of trees and shrubs 

 varies with different species. The leaves of some of our 

 native trees which turn most brilliantly, like those of the 

 Scarlet Maple and the Tupelo, mostly take on their autumn 

 colors and fall before hard frost ; and on many species of 

 plants the leaves are killed outright or greatly disfigured 

 by the first real freeze ; on others they retain their beauty 

 after many nights of real freezing. The leaves of the 

 Japanese Maples, which assume late in the season very 

 "brilliant shades of scarlet, are susceptible to frost, and in 

 some parts of the country were killed this year before they 

 had time to change. Parrotia Persica, a small shrubby 

 tree of western Asia, of the family of our Witch Hazel, 

 bears leaves which frost does not seem to affect, and 

 in the middle of November are now bright orange 

 color, and just beginning to turn scarlet. This late 

 appearance of such brilliant color reminds us how 

 long the period is over which this distinctive beauty of 

 the autumn season in America extends. It was two months 

 ago when we began to make notes of the bright scarlet 

 which even then had begun to kindle in the foliage of the 

 Tupelo, and every week since then we have tried to char- 

 acterize as well as we might the colors of different shrubs 

 and trees as their leaves were turning. In the Plant Notes 

 for this week two or three other shrubs and trees are men- 

 tioned for their special value at this season, and in future 

 numbers of the paper we shall invite attention to additional 

 examples of this character. 



The splendors of our woods in autumn are often cele- 

 brated, but almost invariably the glory is characterized as 

 transitory. While it is true that in large masses of woods 

 there is a climax when for a few days a great number 

 of trees come to their brightest all at once and then 

 seem to burn out suddenly ; nevertheless, if we note indi- 

 vidual trees and the effects of changing leaves not only on 

 ,woody plants, but on the very herbage of the fields, there 

 are fully two months during which this singular beauty of 

 ripening foliage appeals to us on every side. It is well, 

 therefore, to remember that the autumnal beauty of our 

 landscapes is not a fleeting transformation scene, but a 

 great panorama in which splendor follows splendor in 

 long procession. 



The New York Cut Flower Company. — II. 



C"^ ROWERS who aim to get the best flowers to market 

 J in the best condition place their stems in water as 

 soon as they are cut. They are kept in a cool dark under- 

 ground room, subcellars being used in many establish- 

 ments which make a specialty of growing for market. 

 Thus filled with water they will stand up longer and not 

 wilt so quickly from loss of moisture by evaporation. This 

 method of cooling is considered better than using ice, as 

 the flowers keep better when not subjected to violent 

 change of temperature from a refrigerator to an express car. 

 They are usually cut when the temperature of the houses 

 is not extremely high, morning being preferred to evening, 

 since such flowers as roses are softer after hours of ex- 

 posure to bright sunlight, and ripen during the night. In 

 summer as little time as possible is lost in getting the flow- 

 ers into market, while in cooler weather some are improved 

 if kept twelve to twenty-four hours before being packed for 

 shipment. Long shallow wooden boxes are smoothly 

 lined with newspaper, above which sheets of thin oil- 

 paper are laid. The heads are usually placed at each end of 

 the box, and in the case of very large chrysanthemums 

 there are but one or two rows of blossoms, the stems 

 being tied to the bottom of the box with raffia to hold them 

 in place. Roses are carefully laid in successive rows, an 



equal number at each end, and smaller stock, as mignonette 

 and lily-of-the-valley, in one direction, in even beds of 

 bloom. The boxes are carefully strapped and sent by 

 express. The companies allow special net rates and return 

 the empty boxes without charge. At such stations as 

 Madison, New Jersey, where floriculture is largely carried 

 on, an extra car is provided specially for cut flowers. 



Upon arrival at the railroad station in New York the 

 boxes are quickly transferred to wagons and driven to the 

 Twenty-fourth Street entrance of the Cut Flower Company, 

 where they are lifted to the receiving-room on an immense 

 elevator. Here they are at once opened, examined by an 

 expert and graded according to established rules. Roses, 

 for example, are classed as fancy, extra, first, second and 

 third. American Beauty and American Belle are the only 

 varieties which enter into the fancy class, a requisite 

 being stems twenty-four inches and over. In the class 

 known as extra, stems sixteen to twenty-four inches 

 are specified for the same varieties, and for other varieties 

 eighteen inches and over. Stems ten to sixteen inches 

 long are required for first-class flowers of these two 

 larger sorts, six to ten inches for second class, and less 

 than six inches for third. In the same classes for all 

 other roses the conditions for stems are twelve to eighteen 

 inches, seven to twelve inches and less than seven inches. 

 From these general classifications for roses other than 

 American Beauty and American Belle, there are special 

 rules for particular varieties. The smaller-growing sorts, 

 as Niphetos, Papa Gontier and Souvenir de Wootton, for 

 instance, have a standard for shorter stems than such roses 

 as Belle Siebrecht and Perle des Jardins, while yet longer 

 stems are required for Bride, etc. But length of stem is by 

 no means all that is required. Roses to be classed in the 

 higher grades, must have large, well-formed buds of good 

 substance, clear bright color, and be free from blemish ; 

 the stems be straight and stiff, and the foliage luxuriant and 

 clean. An off-color Meteor rose, good in all other respects, 

 would go into class three. If some specially fine flowers 

 are received, which plainly rank above the regular classes, 

 special prices are readily paid for them by dealers who are 

 always ready to take choice stock. The best flowers 

 always sell quickly, and there is never a surplus. Glut and 

 consequent loss always occur in the lower grades. 



Prices are revised at the beginning of each week, and 

 changed when necessary, but this has only occurred four 

 times since September ist. After the grading is done a slip 

 with the quantity and quality noted is placed to the credit 

 of the shipper, and the stock is placed in a refrigerator kept 

 at forty-five degrees, or at once exposed for sale in the large 

 adjoining room. There are always standing orders from 

 retail dealers, even in advance of their personal visits, for 

 stock from day to day. One large table is used solely for 

 the filling of advance orders. It is laid off in sections 

 assigned to the best regular l>uyers, the spaces designated 

 by a permanent card bearing the buyer's name, and stone 

 jars hold the stock until the buyer comes for it. Not until 

 after the regular store trade is supplied are sales made to the 

 street venders. Some of these are Americans, not a few 

 of them women of ability and character. The majority are, 

 however, Greeks, shrewd buyers, and sellers, too, and good 

 manipulators, as an observing grower declared. These 

 Greeks are born merchants, many of them men of 

 wealth. Although they have occasional sharp rivalries 

 which are sufficiently bitter to suggest the possible 

 use of the stiletto, they shrewdly combine to get the good 

 out of any exceptional market condition. They are scat- 

 tered all over the city and rent many spaces inside the side- 

 walk line on busy thoroughfares, besides stands in other 

 public places. 



Special demands are made for notable weddings and for 

 festal days, as Christmas and Easter. Last week one order 

 embraced 4,000 carnations, i4,c 00 chrysanthemums, 10,000 

 roses, 400 strings of smilax and as many more of aspara- 

 gus, 4,500 sprays of lily-of-the-valley, 2,000 Bermuda lilies 

 and 100 cattleyas, and half as many again were bought 



