The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



553 



MISCELLANEOUS 

 SEASONABLE HINTS. 



your crops are. There is nothing 

 hfiii;,' well organized to do the busi- 

 aiiil ilip it rightly and .-atisfactorily 

 .111 ( u>lijniers. The least excusable 

 II ..iiii.^-iiins is to li;ivc dirly pots. 



WiUi us,, spiinj; is iieie; tlit robin 

 awakes us in the morning, the croak of 

 the frog greets our ear and the crocus 

 will soon greet our eye. Theic was lit- 

 tle frost penetrated the ground this win- 

 ter as a continual covering of snow kept 

 it out, so after all it is likely to be an 

 early spring everywhere except ore the 

 banks of the Niagara, for we have to go 

 through a six weeks' refrigerating period 

 while the ice of the inland seas passes 

 down the lakes and finally tumbles over 

 the mighty cataract. But this is not 

 altogether a disadvantage as it somewhat 

 retards vegetation and gives more time 

 for our outside gardening and this leads 

 nil to what I have in mind. 



Prtining Hardy iihrubs. 



Perhaps you have not had time or op- 

 jiorturrity to prune your hardy roses and 

 shrubs either of your own or your custo- 

 mers. It was a wise man who said the 

 best time to prune a tree was when your 

 knife was sharp, but neglect to prune 

 roses and shrubs during winter or spring 

 would result in very unsatisfactory con- 

 dition of the plants. Remember the broad 

 distinction between those shrubs that 

 tlower at the end of a growth and those 

 that have already formed their flower 

 buds and only need the warm days of 

 spring to expand them. Nearly all our 

 common fruit trees belong to the latter. 

 Among flowering shrubs the lilac, 

 tydonia (Japan quince) and forsythia 

 are well known examples that have 

 already set their flower buds and if you 

 ]irune them hard you will simply get no 

 llinver, only growth. 



The hardy roses, Hydrangea panicu- 

 lata and althea are familiar shrubs that 

 should and must be pruned back to two 

 or three eyes of last year's growth; so 

 long as you leave three good plump eyes 

 the stronger will be the. growth and 

 larger the flowers. Many of our shrubs 

 are allowed to grow into gawky, naked 

 objects because they have not beerr kept 

 down. You may say : "What about those 

 shrubs that you don't prune, the early 

 bloomers?" Prune those as soon as the 

 flower is entirely gone, then they will 

 make a growth and set their flower buds 

 for another year. No better time to 

 prune where it is needed than now. 



Herbaceous Plants. 



If you did not do all your trarrsplant- 

 ing in October or November now is a 

 good time, just as soon as the ground is 

 dry; many of them will hardly know 

 they have been moved, but the principal 

 object of moving is to divide, which is 

 quite necessary with many. The center 

 dies out, the soil becomes exhausted and 

 they become straggling, and a move every 

 five or six years is of the greatest hene- 

 tit, but different genera differ very much 

 in this respect; while a paeony will make 

 a fine clump for years, the helianthus 

 will spread out over all creation. 



Bay Trees — Hydrangeas. 



Florists who have not had an European 

 experience do not realize how hardy a 



much valuable room. It they liave been 

 kept warm they may feel 10 degrees of 

 frost but if kept cool and they have not 

 started into growth they should go out- 

 side at once. If we do get some sharp 

 frosts they are easily laid on their sides 

 and some cloths or mats thrown over 

 them for the night. 



The same can be said about the large 

 tubs of dormant Hydrangea Otaksa which 

 are going to be very fashionable. Our 

 customers see thcni in all their glory 

 at the sea-side resorts and tliev won't 

 them for their home grounds. Hydrair- 

 geas that are tlie .liL^lit.'st bit advaiieed 



sooner they get the open air and full 

 light the better so that they can come 

 along slowly as our hardy shrubs do. 

 They don't want any frost but are easily 



1 eannnt, i rr..„i,„rn.l :,i,> hm, i -\-lein 

 than thai «e li;ne .nl-ptr,! lui several 

 years past, vi/.. U: -ei ni-l. m your most 

 "convenient hon-i ^i -|i,mi m which each 

 day's dclivcrir- -1,;,!1 he |,]aeed and la- 

 beled a- -■ion :i- -mI.1. 'liie inan who has 

 head eii-iujli to -lii|i out the stuff on the 



wagon ~ ,1- ~ .1- there is one waiting is 



a very \j|ii,iMe man but every help 

 ~li(inlil 111' i;iven him, and if he has a 

 llinn-:nrd plants to be sent out on Friday, 

 iwci :ind three or a dozen to one party 

 it, is a great help, in fact a necessity, that 

 they should be all together and not at 

 all mixed up with Saturday's (jr Sun- 

 day's delivery. 



We all have to call in help on these 

 busy days that are very inexperienced 

 in "delivering and it is a poor plan to 

 trust to their intelligence and thought, 

 -,. I;i\ iliinL;- 'ini -..'iIkii they can't go 

 ,11 MUM W r wiiie I he n:iine ;ind address 



I>hint iin.l ;il-M on that label the 



.11 tide- yiiin;^ to I hi- iiihlress. if more 

 than one, and then on the other plants 

 just the name and address. It is no use 

 saying to the driver, "Here is a lily, an 

 azalea and a rose for Mrs. ilark 



; of American Beauties at the exhibition of the American Rose Society in New York. 



protected if we do get a cold snap and 

 are much better out of doors than in any 

 winter quarters. 



Easter. 

 Every thought and energy will be 

 given for the next few days to getting 

 things in shape for Easter. Little can be 

 added to what has been already said 

 about either forcing or retarding. You 

 will know now without any doubt just 



Hanna." He will say "all right, sir," 

 but with a wagon load it's impossible for 

 him to remember, and the name only 

 makes sure. We know how horrible it 

 is about 7 p. m. Saturday to have Mrs. 

 Rockefeller call you up on the phone 

 and tell you she hns the azalea she or- 

 dered all right. Km the rlio,lo,lendron did 

 not come and ih.ii -lie lenl le.eived a pan 

 of hyacinths xilii.li she did not order. 

 You could send another rhododendron 



