536 



The Weekly Florists' Review ♦ 



OCTOBER 2G, 1S99. 



mospheric conditions will permit, and 

 some heat from the pipes, even though 

 the temperature inside does rise high- 

 er than under normal conditions. 



I have seen several places lately 

 where bad results have occurred in 

 the form of mildew and blackspot 

 from the weather we are having. 



All roses should be in full growth 

 at this season and if they are not kept 

 a little dry until regular firing can b i 

 had they will make a soft growth. If 

 kept so the breaks are likely to get 

 stronger. 



Don't neglect the regular fumigating 

 of the houses; do it often and lightly, 

 as there is less danger of discolora- 

 tion of buds. Be as regular in apply- 

 ing sulphur to the pipes. If you de- 

 sire more stock than ordinarily at the 

 holidays, some of the buds must he ta- 

 ken off now; it will be advantageous, 

 too, as the mums will have their in- 

 ning. There will be plenty of routine 

 work in cleaning benches and tying 

 up plants. Keep the walks and under 

 benches clean and throw air slacked 

 lime under the benches. A. O. T. 



Bulbs. 



You should not neglect to get in all 

 your forcing bulbs, tulips and narcis- 

 sus specially. Of course you have an 

 early batch that were boxed weeks ago. 

 Remember that tulips do just as well 

 when the bulbs almost touch. We get 

 72 bulbs in a box that is 24x12 inches. 



We have had such copious rains that 

 watering the beds of flats has not been 

 necessary, but wherever rain has been 

 short it is of the greatest consequence 

 that you give the whole bed a thor- 

 ough soaking; a good one while you 

 are at it, as it must go through the 2- 

 inch covering of soil and wet the three 

 inches in the flats. 



Roman hyacinths will stand a strong 

 forcing if you need them, but the paper 

 white narcissus are best brought along 

 coolly and those wanted for the holi- 

 days should be at once put into a light 

 house where it is 50 or 55 degrees at 

 night. 



There will be very few hyacinths 

 grown this year. The orders are not 

 half filled, so you had better take care 

 of those you have. Put them in a 

 cold-frame where the pots will have a 

 dry bottom and after the two inches of 

 covering of earth or ashes you should 

 cover with five or six inches of litter, 

 and glass. The extra covering and the 

 sash need not be put on at once, but 

 you need it in very hard weather to 

 kcci) the pots from cracking and the 

 roots from being too much soaked. 



Azaleas. 



The azaleas will he arriving and I 

 hope all in good order. Don't forget 

 after trimming the roots if necessary 

 lo soak the ball for a few seconds. 

 Whether apparently dry or not, you 

 should do this, as you never can thor- 

 oughly wet the roots so well after 

 firmly potting. This practice applies 



not only to azaleas but to rhododen- 

 drons, metrosideros or any of the 

 hard wooded plants that are now ar- 

 riving. Be sure not to put any of them 

 into a house that is liable to go up to 

 a high temperature, either with fire or 

 sun. A cool, shaded house, with a 

 daily moistening of the foliage, is what 

 they want. 



It's a foolish man that does not 

 change his mind, and we regret very 

 much that we ever advised anyone to 

 throw away their unsold azaleas. We 

 ha^e carried through summer a few 

 hundreds of azaleas, acacias and met- 

 rosideros that are equal if not superior 

 in bud and leaf and health to the best 

 that were ever imported. The latter 

 two are, of course, far superior to new- 

 ly imported plants, and the azaleas 

 will force finely. Varieties that won't 

 force for Christmas when freshly ar- 

 rived come in quite easily when grown 

 here during summer. Any showing 

 the buds prominently should be put 

 into 60 degrees at night and kept syr- 

 inged. Deutsche Perle. Simon Mardner. 

 Vervaeneana and several others will 

 come in all right for the holidays. 



Lily of the Valley. 



When the lily of the valley arrives 

 don't let it lie around unpacked un- 

 necessarily long. It may be very dry, 

 which can't possibly do the roots good. 

 Unpack them and if there is any 

 choice, sort them, the strongest pips to 

 be used first and the smallest pips for 

 the latest forcing. If the roots are dry, 

 soak them a moment and put away in 

 boxes with a little soil between the 

 bunches and an inch over them. If you 

 force many thousands you can put 

 them in trenches, but if only 500 to a 

 thousand a week they are as well in 

 boxes, then you bring in just what 

 you want. Cover the roots with shut- 



ters or glass, for you don't want them 

 to be soaked too much. This is an im- 

 portant point, and if the bundles have 

 been dipped and the soil is moist they 

 will not want any more water. 



There used to be an idea years ago 

 that valley roots, or rather the pips, 

 must be frozen. You hear nothing of 

 it now and it is not essential, but if 

 frozen in the ground it does no harm, 

 as they are of course the hardiest of 

 hardy plants. Don't attempt to force 

 any of this fall's importation before 

 New Year's. It is cheaper to buy your 

 flowers if you don't have cold storage 

 roots. 



Lilies. 



Bermuda lilies that are wanted for 

 early forcing will bear a good, strong 

 heat, providing it is light. Few plants 

 are troubled more with the aphis, and 

 if you will dilute the Rose Leaf extract 

 50 to 1 and squirt a little into the ro- 

 sette of leaves when the buds are 

 forming you will save much smoking. 



The Easter lot of Harrisii and longi- 

 floruni that are still in the cold-frames 

 should not be allowed to get too wet 

 from the rains, and be sure and have 

 the means of protecting them in case 

 of a sudden sharp frost. I have had 

 Harrisii much damaged by a severe 

 frost, which spoils their young leaves, 

 which would afterwards be their bot- 

 tom leaves. 



There is lots of time yet to pot Japan 

 longiflorum for Decoration Day. We 

 had a fine lot for that purpose last 

 year, and potted them in November, 

 leaving them in a frame till New- 

 Year's, and then kept them in a house 

 that went down to 40 degrees every 

 cold night, and they came in exactly 

 right. 



Hollyhocks. 



We believe that there is again going 

 to be a big demand for hollyhocks next 

 spring, and for that purpose we sowed 

 seed in August, and the seedlings are 

 r.ow fine plants in 3-inch pots. Nearly 

 every one would tell you to keep them 

 in a cold-frame during winter. That 

 is not the way to produce fine plants 

 that will flower early and finely. Keep 

 them on some cool, light bench where 

 you can look after them. You will get 

 25 cents each for them next April, and 

 that will pay just as well and better 

 than many other things. I have done 

 this before and proved it a great suc- 

 cess. If you don't have these plants 

 they are most difficult to procure. You 

 can read flaming advertisements about 

 "My extra fine field grown double hol- 

 lyhocks." but when you write for them 

 it is the same old story: frozen out or 

 sold out; and the extra fine was simply 

 the picture and type. 



WM. SCOTT. 



POND OF HARDY AQUATICS 



The accompanying engraving gives a 

 view of one of the ponds of hardy 

 aquatics at Lincoln park, Chicago, as 

 it appeared in September. As will be 

 noted there was a good show of nelum- 

 biums and various nymphaeas. On the 

 left margin in front of the bridge is 



