614 



The Weekly Florists^ Reviev.^ 



MAY IS, 1S99. 



his main sliow liovise he has one big 

 sheet of burlap containing 420 yards. 

 The strips are sewed together on the 

 place, the work being very rapidly 

 done, and the big sheet of burlap tack- 

 ed to strips that have been attached 

 to the roof for the purpose. This al- 

 lows a circulation of air between the 

 shading and the roof. In the neigh- 

 borhood of the ventilators the burlap 

 is not tacked and they are readily 

 opened, merely lifting the burlap a 

 little at that point. 



He finds this much more satisfactory 

 and fully as economical as any other 

 shading. The cost of applying a paint 

 shading and removing it in the fall is 

 quite as much, and white-wash needs 

 too many renewals during the summer 

 to be considered, to say nothing of the 

 frequency with which plants are burn- 

 ed when the white-wash has been 

 weakened in spots by rains. 



He believes the burlap will last two 

 seasons, but as he uses a great deal of 

 it in packing, his present plan is to 

 use it one season on the roof and then 

 use it up in packing, starting with new 

 burlap for shading next season. It 

 will be fully as good for packing pur- 

 poses, and in this way his shading 

 really costs him nothing but the labor, 

 for he would have to have the burlap 

 any way. 



CLEMATIS DISEASE. 



The disease which has destroyed so 

 many thousands of plants of the vari- 

 ous forms of clematis in this country 

 is equally destructive in its effects on 

 the Continent, and the losses annually 

 sustained have stimulated a spirit of 

 inquiry in Germany, and as the result 

 there has been a brisk discussion in 

 the Deutsche Gartner Zeitung. In the 

 eour.se of this discussion Professor Dr. 

 P. Sorauer, of Berlin, stated that, after 

 studying the disease, insects or fungi 

 are not the direct cause. Plants 

 brought to him have sometimes shown 

 injury from frost, but he states that 

 too much nourishment, water, and at 

 certain times heat, are the causes of 

 the clematis disease, and recommends 

 well-drained land, not too rich soil 

 and partial shade as the proper rem- 

 edy. He has come to this conclusion 

 after having planted diseased plants 

 under a birch tree, the soil being of a 

 rich loam and having previously been 

 prepared with a liberal amount of 

 sand. The plants thus treated were 

 never again troubled with the dis- 

 ease. 



Messrs. Goes and Koeneman, in giv- 

 ing their experience, observe: The 

 large, fleshy roots of the clematis have 

 the power of absorbing large quanti- 

 ties of moisture. After heavy rains 

 greater amounts of water are sent in- 

 to the woody parts than they are able 

 to take, thereby bursting the cells in 

 such parts where the pressure become.? 

 too great. Food distribution to the 

 upper parts is sometimes continued 

 for a short period, until the next out- 

 burst, when whole runners suddenly 

 die off. They point out that if we look 



to the natural home of C. vitalba and 

 C. viticella it will be found on sloping 

 land or among roots of large trees 

 where ample drainage is provided, and 

 if we give our clematis good drainage 

 and rich soil to produce strong run- 

 ners that will be able to take care of 

 any over-production of sap, then there 

 will be no cause for further trouble 

 from this dreaded disease. 



An Austrian cultivator states that 

 among a number of clematis troubled 

 with the disease one had been planted 

 close to a grape vine, where it often 

 received a wash and also an occasional 

 watering with thick lime water, which 

 seemingly gave the clematis new life 

 and vigor. To the varieties especially 

 subject to die-back. Lord Mayo. Bili- 

 saire, Fair Rosamond, Henryi and Otto 

 Froebel, the new remedy was applied. 

 The plants soon revived, and as a 

 stimulant to the quite weak plants 

 liquid manure was administered and 

 the disease has not shown itself again. 

 Gardeners' Magazine. 



THE GLADIOLUS. 



In preparing ground for planting the 

 gladiolus the soil should be made fine 

 and mellow to a considerable depth, 

 plowing in the fall and again in the 

 spring, if possible, sod being of course 

 inadmissible. The ground should be 

 well enriched and well drained. Never 

 use fresh unfermented manure and 

 never allow bulbs to come directly in 

 contact with manure of any kind. 



If the flowers are desired mainly for 

 cutting, the bulbs may be planted in 

 rows eighteen or twenty inches apart 

 (or wider, if desired), placing the 

 bulbs four to six inches apart in the 

 row. A convenient way to do this is 

 to make a furrow with a small hand- 

 plow and place the bulbs in the bot- 

 tom, not less than four inches deep, 

 covering with the mellow soil. This 

 method affords the most convenience 

 in after cultivation. If the soil is 

 heavy, fill the trenches with sand or 

 sandy loam. 



Planting should be done as early as 

 the ground can be brought into good 

 condition. With us this is usually the 

 middle of May. A safe rule is to plant 

 when ordinary farm crops are being 

 planted. Water well during the de- 

 velopment of the plants; harden off in 

 time to make tough, fibrous growth 

 by time buds appear; then water free- 

 ly for bloom. 



For succession and continuity of 

 bloom it is well to make two or three 

 successive plantings at intervals of a 

 week or ten days, though usually there 

 will be variation enough in season of 

 bloom in the different bulbs of a good 

 mixed collection if all are planted at 

 one time, for earl.v. medium and late 

 varieties are included in such a col- 

 lection. 



Treatment after planting is simple, 

 but neglect is no part of it. Weeds 

 are to be absolutely kept down and 

 the soil finely cultivated and stirred at 

 least once a week until bloom ap- 

 pears, after which it will usually be 



difficult to continue cultivation. At 

 the last cultivation it is well to throw 

 a little soil to the rows, hilling up a 

 trifle, as this assists the plants to 

 stand up during storms. 



When the flower is fading it is bene- 

 ficial to the plant and assures the 

 growth of a stronger bulb to cut away 

 the flower stalk just above the last 

 leaf. This prevents the strength of 

 the plant being expended in the pro- 

 duction of seed, and induces an earlier 

 and stronger growth of the secondary 

 flower spikes, which are often nearly 

 as fine as the first, and prolong the 

 season of bloom usually till frost. Mr. 

 Groft advises cutting the spikes when 

 the first flower appears and blooming 

 them in the house: this treatment is 

 also beneficial to the bulb. To suc- 

 ceed, buy only the best sorts. Many 

 of the common mixtures now on the 

 market are trash and very dear at any 

 price. 



At the appearance of frost the bulbs 

 should be dug and the tops cut away 

 at once. After drying some time the 

 roots may more easily be broken off, 

 and the trimmed bulbs can then be 

 stored for the winter. A very good 

 way to keep them is to pack them in 

 boxes with dry sand, but they can be 

 kept in crates or baskets or open 

 packages, so as to afford ventilation, 

 and kept from freezing in a cool, dry 

 cellar. Extremes of dampness and 

 dryness are alike to be avoided. If 

 the bulbs mould they are too damp; if 

 they sprout, they are too damp and 

 warm: if they shrivel, they are too 

 dry. Freezing destroys them at once. 



The Gladiolus from Seed. 



Gladioli may be very easily grown 

 from seed if one has the time and pa- 

 tience to await their development, 

 which will require from two to three 

 years. We sow our seed in cold-frames 

 or in the open ground in early spring. 

 The beds are four to six feet wide and 

 as long as desired. Soil should be 

 sand or sandy loam, well drained. Sow 

 the seed in drills three-fourths to one 

 inch deep. Keep soil well watered 

 until plants are well developed. With- 

 hold water late in the season to allow 

 bulbs to mature. Dig before frost. 

 Dry thoroughly and store over winter 

 in a cool, dry place. 



The bulbs will average in size from 

 that of a pea to one inch or more in 

 diameter the first season. The second 

 year many of them will bloom, and 

 the third year all should produce fine 

 flowers. FRANK BANNING. 



Kinsman, O. 



A FORMAL FLOWER GARDEN. 



The accompanying engraving is from 

 a photograph of a formal flower gar- 

 den laid out by John F. Marsden. land- 

 scape gardener and florist for Mrs. 

 John E. Cowdin. at "Wave Crest," her 

 usidence at Far Rockaway Long Is- 

 land. The photograph was taken from 

 the terrace in front of the residence, 

 four feet above the level of the lawn 

 and the garden. 



