SEPTEMBER 15, 1S9S. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



413 



Helianthus Multiflora Grandiflora. 



small beginnings only ten years ago 

 and compare them "with the extensive 

 trade carried on all over the Domin- 

 ion at the present lime it is very en- 

 couraging and a good proof that there 

 is a good bottom in the rose growing 

 business. But I will say this: Al- 

 though the trade has extended vastly 

 and from every indication will con- 

 tinue to do so, prices have gradually 

 decreased. They have decreased in 

 this way: Ten years ago it was not 

 necessary to grade the stock, a rose 

 was a rose, be it large or small, long- 

 stemmed or short, all brought the 

 same price, and that the top one. 

 But now the stock has to be graded 

 and the select stock will command no 

 higher price today than the mixture 

 did ten years ago. The No. 2 and culls 

 have to be sold at half price, which 

 makes sail inroads on the net income. 

 To counterbalance this we must be 

 on the alert to cut down expense in 

 every way possible, ibuild cheaply yet 

 permanently, use cheap fuel, and study 

 to employ the best and most economi- 

 cal methods of growing and handling 

 our own stock, to the end that we may 

 prosper in our chosen calling. 



HELIANTHUS MULTIFLORA 

 GRANDIFLORA. 



This well known double sunflower is 

 a hardy perennial of garden origin, 

 evidently springing from Helianthus 

 decapetalus, the ten-petaled sun- 

 flower. It grows about tour feet high, 

 producing numerous very double deep 

 yellow flowers. There is a variety 

 called Soleil d'Or, in which the petals 

 are quilled throughout. 



Both varieties are easily grown in 

 almost any soil, if in a sunny position. 



They increase very fast, forming a 

 dense mat of roots. These should be 

 divided and reset every other year; in 

 fact, it is better if done each spring. 

 BELLEROPHON. 



BLISTERED GLASS. 



I have a house, three-quarter span, 

 facing south, planted in roses. This 

 house has been previously used for 

 forcing grapes. The glass used in con- 

 struction is third grade American, 12x 

 1-t, and although satisfactory enough 

 for a grapery, does not seem to be the 

 proper thing for a rosehouse. The 

 young roses after being planted burned 

 badly and I applied a coat of thin 

 limewash over the glass, which re- 

 sulted in the roses making a rapid, 

 but rather soft growth. Nearly all of 

 the glass is full of countless very 

 small blisters. I had the larger blist- 

 ers painted from the inside with white 

 lead and coal oil. Would it be safe to 

 apply a thin coat of the same material 

 over the glass from the inside and still 

 expect fair results with roses? At pre- 

 sent prices of glass I cannot afford to 

 reglaze with better glass. N. C. 



It is very unfortunate to have to use 

 such a poor quality of glass. You have 

 done well to paint under the large 

 blisters, providing they are not too nu- 

 merous. It is conceded by all good 

 rose-growers that at no lime of the 

 year should any shading be used over 

 roses. An inexpensive portable or 

 movable shading that could be used in 

 the midday hours of summer would, I 

 believe, be of great benefit, but such 

 a shading is not yet in sight, at any 

 rate, for the commercial man. 



A permanent shade, such as white- 

 wash, is out of the question for roses. 



so geft every bit of it cleaned off as 

 soon as possible. You have passed 



through the worst time; from now on 

 to next April you will be little troubled 

 with burning and you had far better 

 lose some shoots and buds by burning 

 than ruin all the house by a weak, soft 

 growth. Don't close your house up 

 tight for the next six weeks to keep 

 out the cold. A little Are and a little 

 heat is the thing, but if no fire and the 

 temperature outside goes down to 40 

 degrees, still keep on a crack of ven- 

 tilation. WM. SCOTT. 



BONE MEAL. 



A subscriber sends the following: 

 "Please answer the following question 

 and oblige: How much bone meal to 

 one bushel of soil (mixed soil), all for 

 plants grown in pots for market or 

 home sale?" 



"Bone meal," "flour" or "dust" may 

 be of different qualities, but supposing 

 it is of the best pure grade, then you 

 can surely use one pint to a bushel of 

 soil, and in the spring, for quick grow- 

 ing plants such as fuchsias, coleus, 

 heliotrope and other soft-wooded 

 plants, one quart to one bushel of soil 

 can be used safely. The greatest and 

 only danger to the large use of bone 

 dust is burning the roots, but if the 

 soil is kept to a proper degree of 

 moisture this will not occur. 



There are several grades in size of 

 this bone meal. Where immediate re- 

 sults are wanted, and in two or three 

 months the plant is grown and sold, 

 the finest, or what is called "flour" 

 should be used. For roses or carna- 

 tions a slightly coarser grade will do, 

 but if too coarse the particles of bone 

 will not dissolve in time to be of full 

 benefit. The use of bone to produce 

 fine flowers is proper and right, but to 

 produce a quick grown bedding plant, 

 it is scarcely honest to your patrons. 

 WM. SCOTT. 



PROPAGATING BEGONIAS. 



Please give me some hints on the 

 propagation of Begonia scmperflorens 

 atropurpurea, which is said to be of 

 real value for bedding. B. G. 



This class of begonias propagate 

 best from the young growths in the 

 spring. March, April or May will do. 

 Bottom heat in the sand is not really 

 an essential, but, of course, in March 

 and April you have those conditions. 

 I have found that many of the erect 

 growing begonias rooted finely in June 

 when there was no artificial heat, but 

 the natural heat, with the added mois- 

 ture, was just what suited the bego- 

 nias. The earlier rooted cuttings, 

 will, of course, make more acceptable 

 plants. WM. SCOTT. 



A PAEONY DISEASE. 



The fungus that produces what is 

 known as the "Paeony Disease" is il- 

 lustrated in a recent issue of the Gar- 

 deners' Chronicle. Preventive meas- 

 ures recommended are as follows: 



