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The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



SEPTEMBER 29, 1S9S. 



that we are not yet familiar witli. 

 We know the different species of aphis 

 that are always with us, and unfortu- 

 nately the rust, and some years a 

 black spot, similar in appearance to 

 that which troubles American Beauty 

 and other roses, but that is doubtless 

 a fungus. 



For some years we have had to 

 fight against the ravages of a small 

 green worm that eats not only the 

 leaves of chrysanthemums, but cin- 

 erarias, geraniums and many other 

 plants; so omnivorous is he that when 

 his favorite salad is not at hand the 

 common dock leaf suffers. In size it 

 varies from an invisible egg to half 

 an inch long, never larger. It devours 

 at least sixteen times its own weight 

 every twenty-four hours, and grows 

 with the rapidity of a campaign lie. 

 It is the larva of a small dun colored 

 moth which when resting on a leaf or 

 rafter is perfectly triangular, the 

 sides of which are a little less than 

 half an inch. Why I describe this little 

 pest at length is because I am glad 



to say he is by no means yet widely 

 known and in several cities where I 

 have inquired has not yet made his 

 appearance. 



J. P. G. says the maggot which is 

 troubling his chrysanthemums "breeds 

 and lives between the two surfaces of 

 the leaves." The green worm we are 

 fighting starts from the egg depos- 

 ited on the under side of the leaf and 

 eats the tissue clean away except the 

 thin upper surface, "leaving large 

 brown blotches," and of course much 

 disfiguring the plant. We catch the 

 mollis by several devices and hand 

 pick the plants to rid them of the 

 worms, but on chrysanthemums, or 

 for that matter on any plant, one tea- 

 spoonful of paris green in a pail of 

 water syringed under the leaves will 

 kill the worms. This should be done 

 once a week, and if a little soap suds 

 is added to each pail it will add great- 

 ly to the effectiveness of the paris 

 ereen, because it will make it stick. 

 WM. SCOTT. 



Early Autumn Decorations. 



Golden rod abounds on the hills and 

 in the vales and meadows green, and 

 beautiful it is, too. Women weave 

 'round it strong webs of romantic sen- 

 timent, and why should they not, for 

 is it not the last flower of summer, 

 left to meet frost alone? It is safe to 

 suggest its use in all autumn decora- 

 tions, for no one will deny its beauty 

 and appropriateness, and, apart from 

 its associations, it furnishes splendid 

 material for artistic work. Out in the 

 swamps and along the lakes and rivers 

 maples and dogwood and ampelopsis 

 have already changed the colors of 

 their foliage to the dazzling hues of 

 autumnal glory. 



Now, suppose we were a small coun- 

 try florist and the daughter of one of 

 our rich customers was going to be 

 married, and we got the job of deco- 

 rating the house and the church for 

 the event. We would first size up 

 what material was available. Dahlias 

 are in full glow; so are rudbeckias, 

 cannas, salvias, hydrangeas, and many 

 other pretty flowers, and, above all, 

 golden rod and those beautiful pom- 



pon chrysanthemums. Then there are 

 richly colored autumn leaves, bull- 

 rushes, eulalia grasses, and clematis 

 and honeysuckle vines; in fact, there 

 is an abundance of tine material ev- 

 erywhere. Suppose we take up the 

 house first, because they always havo 

 so much cleaning to do, and besides, 

 there's lots of impatience and nerv- 

 ousness to allay. We gather our stock 

 together early in the morning, having 

 each particular item neatly arranged 

 by itself, and when we go to the house 

 we proceed to put away our stuff neat- 

 ly and in a manner to inspire confi- 

 dence, always allowing our best ma- 

 terial to show prominently. 



Getting some old sheets, we spread 

 them over the floor of what is to be 

 the reception room and proceed to 

 work. We will make an arbor over 

 the large mirror where the newly-wed 

 couple are to receive their friends. 

 This we do by fixing good, large 

 branches of well colored maples to the 

 top of the mirror, the branches hang- 

 ing straight over and the leaves being 

 faced down. Attach to these long vines 

 of brilliantly colored ampelopsis, anj 



tie them back in curtain-like folds to 

 the side of the mirror. It is very easy 

 to make a lovely ■ anopy of this. If 

 you have no palms to finish off the 

 bottom, get two umbrella stands and 

 fill them with tall grasses or golden 

 rod. We should confine our color.^s in 

 this room to red leaves and yellow 

 fiowers, therefore we arrange a pretty 

 frieze work or light, irregular garland 

 of maple branches on the picture rod 

 or close to the ceiling, all 'round the 

 room. Here and there we hang a 

 spray of vines to break the stiffness. 



The mantel - mirror and doorway 

 must be prettily trimmed, and don't be 

 afraid to allow a few richly-colored 

 vines to stray across the mirror or 

 hang gracefully over a doorway. Put 

 a vase of golden rod each side the 

 mantel and in the center, with a long, 

 drooping garland, a good cluster of 

 Rudbeckia Golden Glow. Vases of yel- 

 low flowers can be arranged here 

 and there to show to advantage, and 

 at the last moment a few flowering 

 vines of nasturtiums can be placed in 

 prominent places. 



The next room, or dining room, 

 should be all in green and red, so as 

 to be a contrast to the reception room. 

 For greens wo could use pretty oak 

 branches and honeysuckle vines for 

 the wall garland and doorways, and 

 let the vines hang well down on white 

 window curtains and over the arch- 

 ways, but they should not be in the 

 way. Tie a good cluster of salvia here 

 and there on the green garland, and 

 put vases of red cactus dahlias and 

 salvia where they will show up the 

 best. If there are many rooms, we 

 can treat one with pink, using varie- 

 gated cornus and Eulalia japonica 

 variegata for greenwork, and pink 

 cactus dahlias and pink cannas or 

 phlox for flowers. 



We should endeavor to fix up a room 

 with either red or yellow cannas and 

 autumn leaves, for they make a glo- 

 rious picture. We should not forgot 

 to make the hallway pretty. If it be 

 dark, use yellow, and if light, use 

 green and red. If you have not suffi- 

 cient chrysanthemums with which to 

 decorate the dinner tables, then use 

 cannas, and keep the colors separate, 

 that is, one kind in a vase, or one 

 color on a table, and arrange them to 

 contrast with each other. Put the 

 flowers in vases, and if possible use a 

 few sprays of Japanese maples on the 

 cloth. A room can be decorated with 

 Prunus pissardii and yellow flowera, 

 and don't forget tamarix is fine for 

 framework. 



The entrance and hallway of the 

 house should always be handsomely 

 decorated, for first impressions are 

 very important. Use plenty of autumn 

 leaves and flowers; they cost but lit- ' 

 tie; it is the arranging, principally, 

 that enhances their value. Finish 

 your work well, and, above all, be 

 neat. You will not need a tool chest, 

 witlh its sledgehammers and nails, to 

 do these decorations — ^just a few tacks 

 and some wire Is all that is necessary. 



