326 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



MARCH 2. 1S99. 



should be about the same mature 

 growth as we find on a well devel- 

 oped bud. Care should be taken to 

 select the wood so as to make it cor- 

 respond in thickness to the stock, thus 

 insuring a good fit. 



Tlie most approved method is what 

 is called "splice grafting." and may 

 be described as follows: With .your 

 pruning shears cut down the stocks to 

 about three inches above the pot, then 

 with a sharp knife make a long diag- 

 onal cut upward, beginning about an 

 inch above the pot and continuing the 

 full length of tlie stock, cut the scion 

 to correspond with it so as to make a 

 good fit. For tying we use raffia; if 

 not on hand, any common string will 

 do. The operation should be done 

 carefully, but with practice may be 

 done rapidly. A good man will cut 

 and tie two hundred in an hour for 

 ten hours and do it well. I should 

 have said, making the diagonal cut of 

 the scion, it should be made so as to 

 let the lower eye strike about the cen- 

 ter of the opposite side of the cut. 

 The scion may have two or three eyes, 

 with a full leaf left on each eye. If 

 the leaves are large they may be 

 trimmed the same as you would trim 

 a rose cutting, otherwise we only cut 

 out the end leaflet. A gum sprinkler 

 should be constantly on hand and 

 frequently used to dampen the foliage. 

 Keep the "operated ones" covered 

 with an old newspaper, and when you 

 have a tray full, remove them to 

 grafting case which has previously 

 been prepared for them. On the bot- 

 tom of the case wi- use an inch of wet 

 sphagnum, over this we spread about 

 I'/a inches of clean sand, water thor- 

 oughly and plunge the pots in it. 



The pots may be placed close to- 

 gether in rows, the rows being one 

 inch apart and a space of one inch 

 Ici. between the outside row and the 

 side of the case, thus reducing the 

 danger of fungus to a minimum. From 

 this time on a bottom heat of SO to 

 85 degrees should be steadily main- 

 tained, and the glass shaded from the 

 strong light for the first three days, 

 after this gi-adually give more light 

 until after the first week, when they 

 will need little protection except on 

 bright sunny days, or perhaps a few 

 hours during the middle of a cloudy 

 day. This matter of shading should 

 receive the most careful attenUon 

 as success or failure may depend on 

 an hour's neglect during the first days 

 of incubation. 



In regard to the time to begin ad- 

 mitting and changing the air in the 

 case opinions differ. We find it best 

 to change the air ever> morning and 

 evening from the start. This is done 

 by raising the sash about one inch for 

 five minutes each time. Pure air is 

 essential to L'uccess, and the only point 

 to observe is that the temperature 

 does not vary more than two or three 

 degrees while air is admitted. I em- 

 phasize this point in particular, q,s 



many failures can be traced to this 

 practice of shutting up the case for 

 the first three or four days without a 

 change of air. 



Moisture should be supplied by 

 sprinkling the foliage only, with the 

 gum sprinkler, which as a rule may 

 be necessary two or three times a day 

 for the first week. The soil should be 

 kept only moderately moist; here and 

 there a pot may become a little dry. 



which should be looked after, other- 

 wise there will be little need of a 

 general watering until after the first 

 week. 



With such a high temperature it is 

 a matter of only a few days until cal- 

 lous begins to form and the union 

 takes place. With careful attention to 

 all details we are sure of getting 95 to 

 98 per cent to unite successfully. 



S. A. B. 



Peperomia and Strobilanthes. 



A subscriber asks, "Will the Review 

 please tell me how to manage the 

 peperomia and strobilanthes?" The 

 first named is a very ornamental com- 

 pact-growing little plant. It is very 

 easy of culture, withstanding rough 

 usage, but to thrive well it should 

 have a night temperature of 60 de- 

 grees. It is readily propagated by put- 

 ting a leaf with an inch of the stem 

 in the sand, and if there is a bottom 

 heat of 70 degrees, you will soon see 

 the young growths starting. Any time 

 during the months that you are firing 

 will do to propagate. It likes a syring- 

 ing and plenty of water, but will en- 

 dure the absence of both much better 

 than most plants. The strobilanthes 

 is not worth many words. As a bed- 

 ding plant in our northern states it Is 

 a failure. Coleus of a score of varie- 

 ties is much more effective, and easier 

 to grow. As a decorative plant for the 

 hothouse it is only attractive when 

 kept growing in a very high tempera- 

 ture. The young, fresh leaves are 

 rather striking, but the more matured 

 leaves have a dingy, faded look. If 

 you wish to grow it, treat it as you 

 would a coleus, only give still more 

 heat. The young growths root easily 

 in sand. Like the coleus, It seems to 

 have all the qualities which make it a 

 fine host plant for mealy bug. 



Geraniums. 



The same subscriber says: "I have 

 been troubled this winter with my 

 young geraniums rotting off below the 

 surface of the soil. They have good 

 roots when potted. They grow for a 

 time and then rot off, the top remain- 

 ing fresh, until the stalk and root are 

 entirely decayed. Have given them 

 the same treatment as heretofore and 

 previous to this winter never had any 

 trouble." I must confess I ani at a loss 

 •what to say. Never have I seen gera- 



niums die off If they were once rooted. 

 The loss of an occasional one here and 

 there we expect, and it is generally ac- 

 counted for by a drip keeping the 

 roots saturated. The trouble in this 

 case must be in the soil; perhaps too 

 great a use of boue meal. Would like 

 to hear very miich if others have had 

 the experience of our correspondent 

 and how they acocunt for it. 



The geranium is now the most im- 

 portant bedding plant we grow. It out- 

 numbers almost all ot.bjrs combined. 

 Towards the end of May our gera- 

 niums (I am alludiug, of course, to 

 the zonales) are in good condiiion to 

 sell either for bedding or for vases, or 

 for the humble patron who wants only 

 a dozen mixed plants for his small 

 garden, and "let h'df of them be gera- 

 niums, please." They are now in 3- 

 inch pots and there will be no chance 

 to give thera their final shift into a 

 4-inch till after Easter. They will 

 then have a good six weeks to grow in 

 their last shift and will not be ex- 

 hausted or yellow leaved when want- 

 ed. We are just standing them over, 

 and wherever we can take a cutting 

 off without spoiling the plant we do 

 so, but never spoil the plant for the 

 sake of the cutting. Those not long 

 enough to give a cutting we just pinch 

 the lead out. This is much better for 

 the retailer or the man who sells his 

 plants in bloom than going over the 

 benches every week or two and cut- 

 ting those only that afford a cutting; 

 because it will bring all your plants 

 into bloom at the same time, and 

 that's just what you want. 



People are not satisfied with your 

 kind advice about this being a bushy, 

 nice plant, "and will soon be in flower, 

 madam." They want them in flower, 

 and it's easy to have them. We never 

 put these spring cuttings in the sand; 

 we pot them in 2-inch pots and pot 

 firmly. They will stand the broad 



