756 



The Weekly Florists' Review, 



November 14, 1901. 



4 "^"m^^ir^ Wholesale 



Washington St., CHICAGO Florlst. 



THANKSGIVING is now approaching, and all orders should be sent 

 as far in advance as possible to secure the best selection. Shall be 

 well supplied with Mums of all qualities, varieties and shades. Violets 

 are all Marie Louise and simply superb. Roses and Carnations never 

 were of better quality. Among Carnations we have Morning Glory, 

 Bradt, Crane, America, Mary Wood, Marquis, etc. Write for price 

 list and special quotations on large quantities. 



A. L. RANDALL, 4 Washington St., Chicago. 



So- 



Our subject for discussion tonight is 

 one upon whicli I am sure all can have 

 something to say, therefore I can afford 

 to be brief in my remarks. 



Their cultivation and care require 

 neither hot house or shelter from garden 

 walls, but often afford shelter to the pet- 

 ted inmates of these. It is not my inten- 

 tion to go over a list of the different 

 species and their varieties, trying to show 

 the merits of some and the demerits of 

 others; all are useful and beautiful in 

 some way. What does not do well on the 

 hill tops may do well in the valley, what 

 is not adapted to the sunshine will do 

 well in the shade, or in different soils and 

 situations. 



To give a list of varieties suitable for 

 all purposes would be too much for me to 

 undertake ; a careful perusal of some re- 

 liable nurserymans' catalogue will give 

 you more information than I can. 



As to the laising and propagating of 

 the different species, whether from seeds, 

 budding, cutting or grafting, I have little 

 to say. This is an age of specialists, and 

 these belong to the nursery department. 

 My advice to gardeners and amateurs is, 

 unless you have time to kill as an amuse- 

 ment, let it alone. 



But in buying from the nurseries. 

 Knowing what your requirements are, if 

 seedlings will fill the bill they are first 

 choice, next in order are cuttings, if the 

 perpetuating of some specialty is wanted, 

 then budded or grafted stock is often a 

 necessary choice. The great objection to 

 the latter method is the throwing up of 



suckers from the stock and the general 

 neglect of shrubs soon leaves them in a 

 condition that allows no remedy but to 

 throw them out. And very often stock 

 and scion are badly matched; for exam- 

 ple the imported lilacs are very often 

 grafted on a common privet; they never 

 make a perfect union and are short lived. 



Most shrubs are not particular as to 

 soil and will often thrive under very un- 

 favorable conditions, yet it always pays 

 to work light, and a little time and care 

 will be well repaid in the future results. 

 Certainly such plants as rhododendrons, 

 azaleas, and plants of that order, as a 

 rule require a prepared soil and nothing 

 is better than good loam and leaf mould 

 for them. Some lay great stress on a 

 shady situation for them; the shade part 

 can be well dispensed with, but get a 

 damp situation if possible; where such 

 conditions do not exist naturally have 

 the beds or borders rather lower than the 

 surrounding ground; mulching and wa- 

 tering are often necessary, as more plants 

 of this kind are lost by drought than are 

 killed by severe winters. 



In selecting sites for groups or borders 

 always bear in mind that you are plant- 

 ing for some purpose and not merely to 

 fill space. There are some rules laid 

 down for guidance in this matter, but 

 they are like rules laid down for training 

 a mule, they cannot be applied when 

 wanted. Different surroundings of nat- 

 ural scenery or otherwise have all to be 

 taken into consideration when planting 

 to obtain desired effects. Have a bed pre- 

 pared to plant and don't try to have a 

 bed of shrubs and a lawn on the same 

 spot. 



Don't plant a conglomeration of differ- 



ent kinds in the same bed; try to keep 

 one species, otherwise in a few years it 

 is a case of the survival of the strongest. 



It seems to be the general practice of 

 the day to plant for immediate effect. 

 This effect consists of planting four 

 bushes where one should be, and if the 

 effect is immediate the defects soon fol- 

 low and are surely lasting. It may be 

 permissible to plant double the quantity 

 required with a view to thinning out as 

 they grow, but even this is not to be ad- 

 vocated too much ; it is better to plant 

 right at first and allow each plant room 

 for natural development. 



It is desirable at this time to buy a 

 quantity of small shrubs and have a sort 

 of home nursery. These are convenient 

 when a blank occurs, and by getting a 

 few of the novelties each year one can 

 keep up to the times and the outlay is 

 trifling. 



The operation of priming is one for 

 which no hard and fast rules can be laid 

 down; certainly the annual grooming 

 \vith the hedge shears is a practice that 

 none can recommend, yet a good many 

 practice it because we can send any one 

 to shear them'back to the old growth, but 

 for correct pruning some knowledge of 

 the different shrubs is required, and win- 

 ter pruning is not all that is necessary; a 

 great many are better pruned just after 

 their period of flowering is past. Weige- 

 lias and most of the spireas are greatly 

 benefited by this pruning. 



The so-called Italian garden has ob- 

 tained a footing in some parts. From 

 what I have seen of them in Scotland I 

 never did admire them, but what one sees 

 here are the most horrible caricatures 

 imaginable. Let us be thankful they are 

 not called American gardens. 



