iai2. 
THIS RURAL NBW-VOKKER 
3© 
Ruralisms 
NOTES FROM THE FLORISTS. 
Carnations at Christmas— There 
were some aristocratic carnations that 
sold at wholesale for $10 and $12 per 
100 in the Christmas market at New 
York, but naturally the bulk of the crop 
went considerably below this. The moist, 
mild and sunless weather that prevailed 
in December had a bad effect on many 
flower crops, but especially on carna¬ 
tions. There are always some misguided 
growers, too, who hold their flowers too 
long on the plants, and these “go to 
sleep,” as the florists put it, soon after 
reaching the commission man, and are 
unsalable. Scarlet carnations are in es¬ 
pecial demand at Christmas, and Bea¬ 
con is a favorite; a good many scarlets 
are fickle croppers, or persist in giving 
the bulk of bloom in Spring, instead of 
mid-Winter. There are several new 
whites now attracting notice, but White 
Enchantress continues to be a leader. 
Deep crimson carnations, rich, velvety 
and spicy in fragrance, are the least of 
all in demand in this country, and are 
very little grown commercially. 
American Beauty Rose. —The Thurs¬ 
day before Christmas just past one 
large wholesale florist firm in New 
York had booked orders for 10,000 
American Beauty roses, and this only 
represents one firm out of many. This 
rose is expected to reach the top notch 
in price at Christmas, as it retains popu¬ 
lar favor as a presentation flower, rep¬ 
resenting to a great many people the 
acme of floral luxury. We have seen 
American Beauties of superlative qual¬ 
ity wholesaled for $36 a dozen at this 
season some years ago, but we believe 
that of late years $12 a dozen has been 
about the limit at wholesale, save in 
exceptional cases, and many fine flowers 
fall far below this. Buyers are critical, 
and demand perfection of finish as well 
as size and length of stem. The rise 
of the American Beauty displaced many 
of the forced Hybrid Remontant roses 
formerly grown, which gave one crop 
only, and though its color is not always 
of the best, its fragrance attracts even 
in lower grades. 
Okeaiioma Mistletoe.— Just before 
Christmas three carloads of mistletoe 
were shipped from Oklahoma to various 
points north and east. This plant para¬ 
site grows freely on the elm, apple, ash 
and other trees in Oklahoma; it is 
gathered and taken to market, where it 
is crated and shipped out. It is eight 
years since the first shipments were 
made, and the demand has continued to 
increase until now it is shipped as far 
as Montreal. The Oklahoma mistletoe 
was in very good condition this year, 
the leaves full and heavy and the berries 
very white and abundant. While we are 
only familiar with white-berried mistle¬ 
toe, there are, we believe, Australian va¬ 
rieties of mistletoe with red berries, just 
as there are golden hollies with bright 
yellow berries, instead of the customary 
red. 
Christmas Poinsettia.— For the past 
two or three years Christmas cards and 
decorations have shown, in many cases, 
the bright red bracts of the Poinsettia, 
instead of the customary holly. This 
plant is forced in pots for Christmas 
sale in great quantity. It belongs to 
the Euphorbiaceae or Spurge family, its 
proper name being Euphorbia pui- 
cherrima, and was introduced to florists 
from Mexico nearly 80 years ago by Dr. 
Poinsett, of South Carolina, from whom 
its former botanical name is derived. It 
is quite easily grown, and forms a 
striking garden or hedge plant in many 
parts of the world where the climate is 
tropical or semi-tropical. Like many 
other spurges, it has a milky juice that 
is irritating or poisonous. The flowers 
are quite small and insignificant, the 
brilliant display of red being bracts, or 
leaves from whose axils the flower 
arises. While too tender for our north¬ 
ern gardens, it is a very valuable green¬ 
house plant, and is sometimes seen in 
window gardens. 
Araucaria or Norfolk Island Pine. 
—Most people are familiar with the 
symmetrical pot evergreen which bears 
the above name; it looks like a minia¬ 
ture Christmas tree, light green, the 
pointed leaves crowded together, and the 
branches forming regular tiers. In its 
native Chilian home this Araucaria be¬ 
comes a noble forest tree, but we only 
see it in this latitude as a greenhouse 
plant. It is extremely popular at Christ¬ 
mas, and it is estimated that at least 
250,(XI0 Araucarias in five and six-inch 
pots are sold in the United States every 
year. Most of these plants are imported 
when very small from Belgium, where 
they are a leading specialty in many 
nurseries. While the Norfolk Island 
pine is the most popular Araucaria in 
commerce, there are several other varie¬ 
ties of elegant habit native to Austral¬ 
asia and South America, some of them 
being grown as ornamental trees in the 
Southern States and California. A very 
odd member of the family is the 
“monkey puzzle tree,” Araucaria im- 
bricata, whose pointed scale-like leaves 
and oddity of growth would make it 
much of a puzzle to any climbing ani¬ 
mal. 
Christmas Flower Trade. 
A brisk trade is reported from all parts 
of the country, both in plants and dowers. 
Among plants. New York reports an over- 
supply of Begonias of the Gloirc de Lor¬ 
raine type, though they sold well all the 
way from 35 cents to $5 each, according 
to size: Azaleas were not in best condi¬ 
tion. Bougainvilleas, which make a mass 
of vivid magenta-pink bracts, were in short 
supply, the plants being sold very quickly 
from $2 to .$12 each. Cyclamens sold very 
quickly; so did Ericas (heaths). A small 
supply of Camellias sold well at $1.50 to 
$G each. Lilacs, which were in small sup¬ 
ply. were quickly sold at .$2 to .$3 each. 
There was a strong demand for I’oinsettias 
either singly or in baskets with ferns or 
asparagus; single plants went all the way 
from 25 cents to $G. The red-fruited 
plants, which are always in strong demand, 
included Aucubas, Ardisias, peppers and 
Jerusalem cherries. Palms, ferns, and a 
variety of foliage plants were also in brisk 
demand. Combination baskets or hampers 
of pot plants were in especial demand, 
and it is said that more plants were sold 
in this way than any previous Christmas. 
In cut flowers there was no actual short¬ 
age in any line, the sharpest advance in 
prices being in red carnations and red roses. 
There was a surplus of white flowers, and 
both violets and orchids were in over-sup¬ 
ply. with a resultant drop in prices; violets 
sold on the holiday' for 30 to 75 cents per 
100. which does not suggest the enormous 
profits in violets some writers depict, while 
among orchids the beautiful mauve Cat- 
tleyas sold for 30 to GO cents each. Fancy 
American beauties were 40 to 75 cents 
each, only a few extras reaching $1 ; Kil- 
larney roses all the way from .$2 per 100 
for No. 2 to $15 for special; White Kil- 
larney $2 to $8. A few extra special Kil- 
larney and My Maryland brought 20 cents; 
fancy Richmond, a fine red rose, sold for 
15 to 25 cents each. Carnations went from 
$3 to $12 per 100, white being the lowest, 
red highest. Paper White Narcissus del¬ 
uged thr market at 10 cents a hunch: spe¬ 
cial grade lily of the valley sold fairly at 
$3 to $4 per 100, but lower grades dragged. 
Gardenias (Cape jasmine) were $1.50 to $5 
per dozen, good quality; lilac $1 a bunch; 
sweet peas $1.50 per dozen bunches. While 
a great volume of flowers were sold, sensa¬ 
tional advances in price were absent. The 
constantly increasing growth of the plant 
trade, as shown at every holiday season, 
is a wholesome index of public taste. 
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if 
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Spraying Simplified 
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Don’t Overlook the Importance of the Insecticide You Use 
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When spraying for scale you 
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A T'otato Competition. —The Gardeners’ 
Chronicle (London) reports the results of 
the seventh annual potato-growing contest 
of tlic Ilallam Fields Garden Association, 
a small hut successful society with about 
54 members, most of them being coal miners. 
The competition consists of three tests, tile 
first of which includes planting from “seed” 
tubers. Each competitor was given one 
pound of seed potatoes of the variety “Su¬ 
perlative” ; these had to lie planted and 
grown out of doors, the time limit being 
fixed between April 1 and September 30. 
Each competitor was allowed to cut his 
potatoes into as many sets as he 
the object being to produce the 
weight of tubers from the pound 
The results throw some light upon 
ject of the relative value of large and small 
sets. The first prize winner cut his pound 
of seed into 110 sets, which produced 181 
pounds : while the second prize winner had 
only G7 sets, yet his produce from little 
more than half the number of actual roots 
was only eight pounds behind. The opin¬ 
ion prevails among these garden holders 
that when the tubers are cut into very 
small sets they are more liable to become 
affected by disease. The greatest yield 
from a single root was 11 pounds of pota¬ 
toes, whilst the heaviest tuber weighed one 
pound nine ounces. 
Standard Spray Pump 
Used With huc%et, barret 
or knapsack. Sprays 
the tallest fruit tree 
from the ground. Docs 
the work in half the 
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941 Muiu St., Marysville, O. 
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Box 102-B, GRENLOCH, N. J. 
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FACTS 
ABOUT 
APPLE 
GROWING 
The healthier the tree, the better the fruit. The longer trees are sprayed witli “Scalecide,” the more beautiful, healthful 
and fruitful they become. Mr. Geo. T. Powell, President of the Agricultural Experts Association, lias used “Scalecide” ex¬ 
clusively for the past six years on his 1G0 aero orchard at Ghent, N. Y. He gets twice the price for his apples laid down at 
his Railroad Station that .the growers do in Hood River. Mr. J. H. Barclay, of Cranbury, the acknowledged champion 
apple grower of New Jersey, lias taken all the first prizes for the past four years at the New Jersey Horticultural Society 
meetings. He has used ‘•Scalecide” exclusively for tne past six years. Men who KNOW use “Scalecide.” A postal request 
' ‘ ' . ' " ‘ ‘ ‘ n Methods of Harvesting, Grading and Packing Apples,” 
: cannot supply you with “SCALEOIDE” we will deliver it 
pi and north of the Ohio Rivers on receipt of the price; 60-gal. 
$3.75. Address, B. G. Pratt Co., 60 Church St., New York City. 
to Dept N will bring you by 
.'•CALECIL 
pa: 
on by return mail, free", our book, 
and new booklet, “SCALECIDE, the Tree-Saver.” If your 
to any R. R. Station in the United States east of the Mississip 
bbls., $25.00 ; 30-gal. bbls., $16.00; 10-gal. cans, $6.75; 5-gal. cans. 
- * T 
