96 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



June 20, 1901. 



matter with the soil. I have seen single 

 Grants get into this floweiless slate. A 

 few other varieties are liable to get 

 some trouble with the foliage. One of 

 the worst is Emile d'Girarilin, which 

 we have discarded because so large a 

 proportion came this way. Briefly, I 

 will say that geraniums should at all 

 times have a rather heavy loam, be 

 firmly potted, and at all times have the 

 very lightest of houses. It is useless to 



propagate from stock that is affected in 

 this way. Throw it away and begin 

 with something new and healthy, and 

 propagate from flowering shoots always 

 and no other. There are so many good 

 geraniums that will flower in spite of 

 any bad treatment that it is not worth 

 while growing varieties that are inclined 

 to be aflfected with this trouble, which 

 is, I have no doubt, bacteria. 



Wm. Scott. 



MISCELLANEOUS 

 SEASONABLE HINTS. 



Smilax. 



If you grow smilax you should plant 

 every season. You may have a bed look- 

 ing very well just now and you may 

 think it is a shame to throw it away, 

 but if you don't you will regret it be- 

 fore the season is over. I have always 

 recommended planting smilax as early 

 in July as possible and then, with good 

 management and sufficient heat, not less 

 than 60 degrees at night, you ought to 

 be able to cut four crops; one in Octo- 

 ber, another at Christmas, another at 

 Easter and the final one in summer be- 

 fore you throw the old bed away. Smilax 

 does well if grown in six or eight inches 

 of soil, and the soil should be a heavy 

 loam, well enriched. I have tried it in 

 a sandy soil and it was by no means 

 as good as the heavy loam. Smilax 

 needs no fine built houses because light 

 is not essential, but heat you should 

 have or it is unprofitable. 



Asparagus. 



You may be planting Asparagus plu- 

 mosus this year. Some years ago I 

 learned to my sorrow that it is a great 

 mistake to plant asparagus in anything 

 but mother earth. Don't have a plank 

 or anything between the soil and the 

 ground. I would not say that asparagus 

 has to be planted every year, yet I be- 

 lieve there is more profit in the new bed 

 the first year than th^re is any succeed- 

 ing year. Sixty degrees at night suits 

 asparagus very well and it deserves a 

 better house than smilax. The principal 

 thing is plenty ef head room or you do 

 not get the long strings. We now sow 

 a few thousand seed every spring which 

 we use for ferneries. There is nothing 

 better than a small plant in a 2i or 3- 

 inch pot for a fernery. It will outlast 

 many of the ferns and is always grace- 

 ful and pretty. 



Begonias. 



You will soon have time, I trust, to 

 pot up and take care of the flowering 

 begonias that were propagated in March 

 or April. We find many of the species of 

 begonias amongst the most useful plants 

 for sale in the fall when people want 

 something for their conservatories and 

 there is no better plant for the house or 

 small conservatory than several of the 

 showy begonias. Some of them want 

 pinching till about August and then 

 should be allowed to grow naturally and 

 are then in fine condition in October and 

 November. 



Cannas. 

 Cannas seem to have sold this year 

 better than ever and I see no reason 

 why they should ever lose their popular- 

 ity' for they are about the finest decora- 

 tive plants we have for the grounds. 

 Many of you will have sold out of good 

 varieties." It is much cheaper to buy 

 now if possible and grow them yourself 

 than it is to wait and buy the stock next 

 winter. Give them a good, deep, rich 

 soil where you can get at them with the 

 hose, as they delight in plenty of water 

 and you want to raise as large a root as 

 possible. We usually pot up a number 

 of cannas after the busy season is over, 

 say three plants in a 10-inch pot, and 

 grow them in the houses. For a cheap 

 decoration during September and Octo- 

 ber there is nothing finer than a well 

 grown canna and they are a change from 

 the everlasting palm. You can use them 



in this way and they also come in for 

 propagating as you can give them a rest 

 during the winter months. 



Ampelopsis. 



In some parts of the country there is 

 yet a great demand for Ampelopsis 

 Veitchii, but it is surprising how many 

 visitors to this city, particularly from 

 the west, ask us what that vine is that 

 is seen on so many houses. It may not 

 be hardy in e.xtreme northern states, but 

 with us it is perfectly hardy and after 

 once getting hold of the wall no more at- 

 tention is ever needed, except to keep it 

 from covering the windows. 



I have often recommended your sowing 

 tlie seed in the spring. I hope you did 

 ^(1, as we find seedlings just as good as 

 I he plants raised from cuttings. We 

 have a number now in 2-in. pots which 

 we ^llall soon put into 4-inch and support 

 them with a stick and grow them inside. 

 Tliej' make good, strong plants by Sep- 

 tember, when they should be put into a 

 frame and hardened off. You are sure to 

 have some spare bench room and they 

 will make far better growth inside than 

 out. Don't make the mistake of keeping 

 them indoors until November and then 

 putting them out suddenly to get a hard 

 frost, for although a hardy plant they 

 won't stand that and a cold-frame is the 

 right place to winter them. Wherever 

 new houses are being built there will be a 

 demand for this hardy climber. 



Cyclamen. 

 When next winter comes you may or 

 may not regret that you have neglected 

 your cyclamen, which is almost un- 

 equalled as a winter blooming plant. If 

 you have passed through the last month 

 without neglecting them there is no ex- 

 cuse after this. The firms that grow the 



Cypnpcdii 



