The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-10
SPRING POSIES.
4 Florist Tells Something About the Trade
in Flowers.

4 Florist Tells Something About the Trade
in Flowers.
Chicago Tribune.
THE trade in hot-house plants. said Horis:,
lis more brisk this spring than it has been for a
long time"
What are the favortesr he was asked
Il might say geraniums but people are gO7
erned as rule by the season and the hardihOod
of the plants for outdoor use. Pansies are very
much liked on account of their prolific Towering
qualities and their capacity TO endure the cGld
spells The boxes called winter gardens and the
vases are filled with them. They bloom so freely
that the box in which they grow looks like
immense bouquet Later in the season, when
they cease to bloom, they are replaced with trail
ing vines and tall blooming plants. White Blies
are grown IN massesin gardens. lIyacinths and
tulips which are grown early in the spring, age
sold in large quantities. They are very popular
with fashionable women, who are now wearing
large punches of them pinned at the bosom CT
waist Ordinary Towering plants sell at s. per
hundred, or five cents apiece. Foliage plants,
however, are much more costly
How are they sold!'
''All the way from FIVE cents TO 500 apiece
The costliest.are the palm varieties, which are
worth from SO to 800 piece"
(Which are the most sought after!" was asked
"The coleus, which are of many colors. the
brilliant red being the most popular They
used for the purpose of making the figures seen
in the public parks and private lawns. They are
very healthy, can be easily cultivated, and grow
until the frost kills them in the fall We usually
sell at least three colers to each purchaser,
the brightest colors being used generally
to fill the center, and the lighter ones far
borders. White lilies are grown in masses and
make very pretty beds a combination of the
Gamma and palladium make very pretty be6s
and are i'll good demand Both have large,
broad leaves, the Gamma having a Handsome
red flower and the other very beautiful ard
ornamental leaf"
Are the most of the growing plants you sell
cd do
them in jarsF
THAT depends on the nature of the plants
and on wheA buys them. Plants, yon mast
understand have to be 'dieted.' Some ware
ties only bloom when thew are 'hungr-F
foliage, or as we sometimes say, they grow
too fat This is more particularly the case
with certain geraniums. Here you see is a very
large plant of the fish geranium species which
looks sickly on account of the lack of nourish-
ment 1t has, at the same time a very
pretty bunch of flowers. Putin larger Jar and
the foliage will improve, but the flowers viii dig
appear. That plant you see over there is three
years old. 1t belongs to Perry H. Smith and is
priced because it was grown from a small twlg
planted by one of the women of his household
In the summer it is kept on the marble steps n
front Of the house, and has spent its winter
here Although it has been cut down some, Z
is now nearly three feet tall--too large 70 u
salable and is valued only on account OF IL
history"
do you take many large ordersp
20 yes; frequently for many hundreds and
even Thousands at a time. The largest orders
are for plants to be used in laying out the beds
of lawn, and naturally the principal part Of
such orders comes from suburban places. We
sell great many specimens at Geneva Lake
Certain Chicago people vie with one another to
see who can keep up the handsomest lawns