FLORISTS' PUBLISH1NQ CO., 520-535 Caxton Building, CHICAGO. 



Vol. IV. 



CHICAGO AND NEW YORK, OCTOBER 5, 1899. 



No. 97. 



FICUS. 



I From the Florists' Manual, by William Scott-] 

 A large genus of trees or shrubs 

 cultivated for their ornamental leaves, 

 F. elastiea, familiarly known as the 

 rubber tree, is the species we are in- 



closely to the walls of greenhouses, 

 making a very pretty appearance, and 

 will withstand a few degrees of frost. 

 F. Parcelli has a- very prettily vari- 

 egated leaf. It is very unlike elastiea, 

 the plant being more branching and 



Ficus Elastiea. 



terested in above all others, although 

 for private collections and botanical 

 gardens several others are noble 

 plants. F. repens (properly F. stipu- 

 late) is a small-leaved, very useful 

 climbing plant, growing and adhering 



slow growing. The leaves are sharp 

 pointed, three or four inches long and 

 very irregularly blotched. It is hand- 

 some when well grown, but is most 

 horribly addicted to thrip and red 

 spider. 



F. elastiea is now a plant of the first 

 importance with all commercial plant 

 men. Tens of thousands are annually 

 sold. The "rubber" is known to all 

 as one of the very best house plants. 

 We have all seen it thriving in a dark 

 hall, and with fair treatment there are 

 few plants that will endure unfavor- 

 able conditions as well. We get, how- 

 ever, lots of complaints. "My rubber 

 is losing its leaves, etc." 



I tell my customers to sponge the < 

 leaves occasionally and if the water 

 passes through the soil freely to water 

 twice a day in summer and once every 

 day in winter. 



They stand out in pots and tubs dur- 

 ing summer in the broad sun and they 

 want plenty of water. I have never 

 seen their fine leaves burned or in- 

 jured by the sun when out of doors, 

 but they easily burn under glass in 

 the bright days of spring before we 

 are shaded. 



The following is not quoted for my 

 readers to follow, but the most shiny 

 leaves and greasiest soil I ever saw 

 was on a plant brought to me two 

 years ago. I think the little lady 

 brought it for my inspection because 

 she was proud of it. It looked bright 

 and well and its introduction to me 

 was as follows: "What do you think 

 of my rubber, Mr. S.? I oiled its 

 leaves yesterday with olive oil and 

 last week a friend told me she thought 

 it was troubled with worms, so I gave 

 it two tablespoonfuls of castor oil and 

 two worms came out." 



Perhaps to Mr. Wm. K. Harris, of 

 Philadelphia, belongs the credit of 

 growing the finest specimen rubbers 

 in one year of any man in the world, 

 producing branching plants 6 feet high 

 and 4 feet through, and furnished with 

 leaves to the pot. I do not pretend 

 to tell you how to emulate Mr. Harris. 

 but young plants that are wanted to 

 branch should not be allowed to grow 

 3 feet high and then cut down to the 

 hard wood. They will break, but slow- 

 ly. If wanted branched pinch the top 



