JUNE 23, 1S98. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



1S 



Bed of Ten-week Stocks at Lincoln Park, Chicago. 



Yes, we get the black muck from the 

 low lands, and use a little sharp sand, 

 but no manure. 



Do you ever teed your plants'? 



Yes, we mulch them about the end 

 of August with well rotted cow man- 

 ure. 



What soil do you use when potting? 



The same as when planted out, 

 though where it is possible to secure 

 it, good peat with the fibre taken away 

 is an excellent thing if a fair amount 

 of sharp sand is added. 



When do you house your plants? 



As soon as there is any likelihood ot 

 frost. 



What is the best temperature to keep 

 them in? 



It depends it you are going to force 

 them or not; 50 to 55 degrees I consid- 

 er the best for all varieties. 



What varieties are you handling 

 chiefly? 



I divide them into sections, the fol- 

 lowing I usually get in for Christmas: 

 Erica fragrans, white, globe shaped; 

 Erica Wilmoreana, pink, trumpet 

 shaped; Erica praestans, white, like 

 Erica persoluta alba, and a limited 

 quantity of Erica hyemalis, like Wil- 

 moreana, but somewhat darker In 

 color. 



For November. I have usually a num- 

 ber of small plants of Erica gracilis 

 vernalis, a very pretty pink, globe 

 shaped flower. 



Among the standards for Easter 

 work are: Erica persoluta alba, white, 

 globe shape; Erica persoluta rosea 

 same as above only pink; Erica Spen- 

 cerii, yellow, trumpet shaped; Erica 

 mediterranean, large lilac pink, trum- 

 pet shape; Erica translacea, large 



bright rose pink; Erica persoluta ru- 

 bra, deep pink, globe shaped. 



Of other varieties with which I am 

 experimenting are: Erica globularis. 

 a bergamot pink, and shaped like a 

 huckleberry, and will be sold for the 

 first time next Easter; Erica porcelea- 

 na, short white trumpet flower; Erica 

 arbuscosa, short bright pink flower, 

 and Erica campanularis, like a small 

 lilac colored campanula. 



Other varieties I expect to import at 

 some future date as the demand is 

 growing and they are a profitable and 

 interesting class of plants, but require 

 an incalculable amount of patience to 

 master their proclivities, after which 

 the rest comes easy. The best way is 

 to get a few stock plants and experi- 

 ment with them, noting their pecu- 

 liarities, their wants and their dislikes. 

 It is only a matter of time when they 

 will be universally grown, as the pub- 

 lic is looking for novelties all the time, 

 and in heaths you have at once, a 

 novel, pretty and eye taking plant. 

 H. A. B. 



BED OF STOCKS. 



We have several times mentioned 

 the beds of ten week stocks to be seen 

 every spring at Lincoln Park, Chicago, 

 and we now present an engraving from 

 a photograph of one of the beds taken 

 last week. This bed has a border of 

 Pyrethrum aureum. 



On page 889 and 890 of our issue for 

 May 5, will be found a full description 

 of the methods of culture pursued by 

 Head-Gardener Stromback. The beds 

 make a good show till July when they 

 ai'e replaced by other plants. 



OLEA FRAGRANS AND MAGNOLIA 

 FUSCATA. 



If some reader of The Review would 

 advise me how to propagate Magnolia 

 fuscata and Olea fragrans (Sweet 

 Olive), it would be highly appreciated. 

 Both p:ants are hardy here, but so far 

 I have never succeeded in their propa- 

 gation, though I have tried various 

 methods. 



Mississippi Subscriber, 



These are best propagated from cut- 

 tings taken from well matured wood 

 during November. Insert the cuttings 

 in clean sand upon cutting bench. 

 Leave off bottom heat for three to 

 four weeks, then give heat gradually, 

 increasing the temperature as the 

 callus appears. Keep the cuttings 

 covered with glass; a hotbed sash will 

 answer. 



The great difliculty consists in keep- 

 ing the cuttings sufficiently moist, to 

 prevent damping, and not too dry to 

 cause loss from want of water. The 

 glass must be taken off occasionally 

 during damp weather and the bottom 

 heat regulated to a nicety, or failure 

 will ensue, and a great deal of exper- 

 ience and watchfulness is required. A 

 batch of thousands of cuttings will 

 sometimes be lost in one night from 

 over heating, or damp off during a 

 protracted rainy period. P. J. B. 



BIGNONIA GRANDIFLORA. 



Replying to the inquiry of P. J. U. 

 would say that Bignonia grandiflora 

 is a native of Japan and China, and 

 differs from our native Bignonia rad- 

 icans, in producing larger and hand- 



