OCTOBER IS, 191X1. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



583 



View in the show house of the Geo. Wittbold Co., Chicago. 



for the oftener it is done the better, 

 easier and quicker to accomplish. Our 

 roses hardly ever go more than two 

 or three weeks without being 

 cleaned. All short and weak sterna 

 are cut back, and after the turn of the 

 year in tying a little of the useless 

 wood is trimmed out. If this is done 

 judiciously I think it quite a help. 



When the plants are good and 

 strong the surface of the soil is sim- 

 ply rubbed over with the hands in 

 cleaning to avoid injuring the young 

 roots so near to it. 



I forgot to mention that when ap- 

 plying liquid manure it is done with 

 the Kinney pump which I think is one 

 of the greatest boons to the small flor- 

 ist, or even on a good sized place. All 

 you have to do is to find out how 

 to use it, which took me a little time. 

 We have a barrel, or as many as are 

 needed for the house, placed near a 

 hydrant under the bench, and always 

 use good sound hose for this purpose, 

 as if it is not pretty air tight the 

 pump will not work. Use double the 

 quantity of manure that you would if 

 applying with a watering can. Put 

 into a sound but thin sack and place 

 iL the barrel. Pill up with water and 

 let it soak for several days. Be sure 

 to keep out of the water anything 

 that will be liable to stop up the 

 pump as the opening is very small. I 

 would not be without this appliance 

 for ten times its cost. 



Conclusion. 



I generally cut the flowers about 

 three times a day in warm weather 

 though there may be a few stray 

 blooms in between times that will need 



cutting. I cut them when the buds 

 are pretty well developed as most of 

 our blooms are not siiipped very far 

 and a good many are sold at retail. 

 After being cut they are placed in cool 

 water in the cellar and in an ice box 

 ill very warm weather. 



The varieties I grow are what are 

 known as "The Big 4," flrst. The 

 Bride; second. Bridesmaid: third, 

 Perle: fourth, Wootton. 



Brides and Maids we all know are 

 indispensable in our business in more 

 ways than one. For instance, when 

 >ou need a Bride you have to hunt up 

 a Maid before you can get one, unless 

 vou prefer a widow. These two rosts 

 are the most lasting. As we all know. 

 Perle is not so lasting, but is a beau- 

 tiful rose. Wootton of course fades 

 quicker than any of them, but we find 

 It very popular with the young peo- 

 ple on account of its color, and you 

 all know what it denotes. If this rose 

 IS cut pretty close, like we used to cut 

 old Papa Gontier, it will keep pretty 

 well. It is like the writer, fond of 

 good living, judiciously applied. 



I am trying about 90 plants of Gol- 

 den Gate this year, 50 of Liberty, and 

 this is my second year of growing just 

 2-1 plants of American Beauty. Wo 

 have not room enough to grow this in 

 quantity and very little demand for 

 it among our customers. 



POT FERNS. 



Next to the Boston fern we find 

 Pteris Smithiana and P. tremula rapid 

 sellers, some good plants in G-incb 

 pots bringing $1.00 each. Choicer va- 



rieties, but of slower growth, are 

 Asplenium nidus avis (the birdsnest; 

 fern), Polystichum angulare prolifera 

 (a grand house fern), Cyrtomium fal- 

 catum (the holly fern), dwarf trea 

 ferns, lomarias and Blechnum brazili- 

 ense, Platycerium alcicorne (Elkshorn 

 fern) : also pteris in smaller sized 

 specimens, as magniflca, volluta. argy- 

 raea. serrulata and longifolia Marie.?ii 

 for baskets. 



Platyceriums are expensive and 

 should be grown in fern root and leaf 

 mould in well dr.iined pots with lib- 

 eral watering. They thrive much bet- 

 ter this way than when hanging. When 

 pot culture is not followed a much 

 quicker growth is obtained by plant- 

 ing out, first spreading a good layer 

 of moss on the benches and upon this 

 placing three inches of good, porous 

 ioam, well enriched with rotted ma- 

 nure. Lath shading is best where 

 practicable, and overcrowding should 

 be avoided. 



One-third well rotted manure can be 

 added when the plants are lifted and 

 lepotted. Pans or azalea pots are most 

 preferable, always using plenty of 

 drainage and giving liberal watering. 

 JOSEPH REEVE, 



CARNATIONS REGISTERED. 



•Prosperity," by Dailledouze Bros., 

 Flatbush. N. Y. Color, white grounti 

 overlaid with pink in mottles, deep- 

 ening toward the center. Habit and 

 health the nearest to the ideal yet 

 produced. Flowers four inches in di- 

 ameter, freely produced on long stiff 

 wiry stems and with a calyx tliat does 



