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The Weekly Florists* Review, 



APRIL 20, 3899. 



a little more space between the plants 

 than we used to give roses when 

 grown on their own roots, as the 

 grafted plants make more top growth 

 and the root action is corresponding- 

 ly stronger, which, if confined too 



much, results in thin, wiry growth and 

 small flowers, whereas if given good 

 space, with liberal feeding, we have 

 reason to expect an increased quan- 

 tity of uniform high grade flowers. 



S. A. B. 



Seed Solving. 



At last the frost is about out of the 

 ground and gardening can be begun. 

 There should be no delay in sowing 

 sweet peas; If sown late they amount 

 to little. Quite a discussion occurred 

 some time ago about "how to sow." 

 It does not make much difference. My 

 plan is to draw with a hoe a broad 

 drill 3 inches deep, scatter the seed 

 thinly on the bottom, and if you want 

 the seed to germinate quickly (some- 

 times in a dry spell it does not), water 

 in the drill before you cover the seed 

 and cover about one inch. This will 

 leave the drill in a slight depression, 

 which can be filled in at a future 

 watering. 



Mignonette, candytuft and many 

 other seeds should be sown directly 

 the ground is dry enough. It you have 

 not the convenience of any glass struc- 

 ture, such seeds as Phlox Drummondii, 

 asters, marigolds and stocks can be 

 sown out of doors. There will be no 

 danger of any frosts by the time they 

 are through the ground, and if there 

 were these little seedlings receive no 

 harm, for they have never been cod- 

 dled up with artificial heat. Don't 

 sow balsams or nasturtiums till next 

 month, as, with our Indian corn, a wet 

 spell would rot the seeds. I cannot 

 refrain from mentioning what I saw 

 on our main street a few moments 

 ago. It was not Indian corn, but a 

 corned Indian. Someone had violated 

 a U. S. law. 



Gladiolus. 



Gladiolus should be planted at once; 

 that is, some of them, for it is well 

 and proper to have a succession, and 

 they can be planted in succession till 

 the 1st of July. Bulbs, or rather the 

 corms, that are not planted should be 

 kept as cool as possible, as they 

 shrivel up in hot weather. Plant the 

 bulbs three or four inches deep, as 

 close as you like in the rows, and the 

 rows 16 inches apart; then you can 

 cultivate between the rows with the 

 Planet, Jr., cultivator, which is such a 

 saving over the hand hoe. 



Hardy Plants. 



If you neglected to transplant or 

 divide your herbaceous plants in the 

 fail, do it at once if conditions so re- 

 quire. If moved before root action be- 

 gins they will go on and flower with- 

 out any check. The pyrethrum, one 

 of the best of our hardy herbaceous 

 plants for florists, does not move or 

 divide very well In the fall, and does 

 not submit to division at any time 

 with great success. It is best in- 

 creased by cuttings made from the 

 young growths in May or the young 

 growth which occurs again in July. 

 After being rooted, if potted and 

 grown in pots for a couple of months 

 in the open air, you can plant them 

 out in the field in October. 



Some weeks ago I wrote of moving 



trees, shrubs and our so-called ever- 

 greens, and I omitted to say something 

 about pruning shrubs, which, if you 

 have any more pruning to do for your- 

 self or neighbor, may be a point to 

 you. Too many who handle the shears 

 think that pruning consists only in 

 shortening all last year's shoots a foot 

 or two. There is a wide difference be- 

 tween the manner of growth and flow- 

 ering of our deciduous trees and 

 shrubs. One class, perhaps the larg- 

 est, are those that set or develop their 

 flower buds in the fall. The apple, 

 pear, plum, and among our best known 

 shrubs the lilac, Pyrus japonica, mag- 

 nolia and deutzia, are all of this class. 

 If you cut back these shrubs hard as 

 you would a rose, you get no flowers, 

 but only a strong, vigorous growth of 

 wood, so they should be shortened 

 back but little, merely cutting out 

 dead or weak wood and shortening 

 back the last year's growth only when 

 it is occupying more room than you 

 desire. The other class are those 

 which make some growth and develop 

 a flower bud or spray at the end of 

 this growth. Familiar types of this 

 class are the rose. Hydrangea panicu- 

 lata and viburnum. These latter are 

 greatly benefited by hard pruning. You 

 will of course get fewer flowers, but 

 you will also get a strong growth and 

 much finer flowers. 



Lancifolium Lilies. 

 The lancifolium lilies should not be 

 neglected. They have been kept in a 

 very cool house in 4-inch pots; they 

 should now be shifted and staked and 

 given a good bench, and be sure not 

 to let fly make a boarding house of 

 them. We always find the album and 



Sky effect and View of Lake Michigan at Egandale. 



