Decembek 17, 1903. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



179 



newest varieties, lias been the all-round 

 superiority, the surpassing excellence of 

 the Australians, supplemented by quite a 

 t'e«' sterling acquisitions from Englisli 

 and French raisers. 



American contriblitions to the chrysan- 

 themum in 1903 appear to have been out- 

 classed, but mention should be made of 

 Yellow Eaton, which, although but a 

 sport, has proved even better than its 

 parent. 



Some noteworthy varieties of 1902 

 the merit of which have been proven, are 

 Mrs. Thirkell, Lord Salisbury, C. J. Sal- 

 ter, Mrs. T. W. Pockett, Durbin'g Pride, 

 F. S. Vallis, Lady Eoberts and W. B. 

 Church. 



The year 1903 marks an epoch in chrv- 

 sauthemum improvement and especially 

 In the strengthening of color classes here- 

 tofore very weak, in the pinks and crim- 

 sons. Among the new sorts the follow- 

 ing valuable ones may be briefly enumer- 

 ated: 



Pink varieties: W. Duckham, F. A. 

 Cobbold, Leila Filkins, Lady Hopetoun. 

 Daisy Moore, lucy Evans, Parkside Gem 

 and Jlarie Liger. 



Crimson varieties: Maynell, S. T. 

 Wright, Henry Barnes, Mrs. F. "W. Vallis, 

 Lord Hopetoun and Otaheite. 



White and yellow varieties: Ben 

 Wells, Cheltoni, Percy Plumridge, Hern 

 of Mafeking, Mrs. Harry Emmerton, Col. 

 Powell, La Fusion, Mme. M. Cahuzac, 

 Mme. E. Niccoulaud, Mme. Diedereichs 

 and Mile. M. Douillet. 



' ' Any other color ' ' : Harrison Dick, 

 JIary Inglis, Gen. Hutton, Miss Mildred 

 Ware and Donald McLeod. 



Cultural Experiences. 



The chrysanthemum has shown facility 

 •of adaptability to the cultural condi- 

 tions necessitated by the climate of our 

 eastern and middle states and we have 

 made it a greenhouse plant entirely. Eu- 

 ropean growers are able to have their 

 plants in the open air for several months, 

 but the man who attempts to follow this 

 practice beneath North American skies 

 is foredoomed to failure. 



But even with the plants beneath the 

 glass all the time eternal vigilance must 

 prevail, and varying conditions must b;> 

 observed and counteracted if unfavor- 

 able in tendency. No two seasons are 

 exactly alike and the lines of treatment 

 that have brought marked success in one 

 may have to b9 materially modified in or- 

 der to. achieve the same success the fol- 

 lowing year. The past season has been 

 of a peculiarly trying nature. The sum- 

 jner months were excessively wet, but 

 ifavora-ble to the growth of the plants. A 

 continuance of this weather far into the 

 autumn led to an adverse couilitiou of 

 things, as when the buds were taken the 

 plants lacked that essential stability 

 brought about by a proper ripening of 

 the wood, as we know it, and hence were 

 badly handicapped from the start for 

 the future development and perfection 

 of the flower. 



October, unusually warm, further ag- 

 gravated the evil by hastening the ad- 

 vancement of the blooms and a continu- 

 ance of warm, humid nights caused con- 

 siderable damping of the blooms, in tho 

 collections of some growers to a most 

 disastrous extent. 



The thought naturally arises, how can 

 .this be prevented. Again, why does .'i 

 certain variety suffer and another grow- 

 ing beside it prove immune. Oiie exam 

 pie may be cited. A batch of Jeannio 

 Falconer is ruined iu a day and next ii 



a batch of Miss Alice Byron remains 

 perfect. Of course it is easy to say 

 that certain varieties are soft, but after 

 all wo have seJn this year of effect, can- 

 not some research be made to throw more 

 light on the cause. 



Observation has taught us to note 

 generalities that are predisposing causes, 

 but it would seem possible to pursue in- 

 vestigations deeper, to the extent of even 

 making a microscopical examination and 

 analysis of the tissues of plant and flow- 

 er. If some of our experiment stations 

 would take up this matter, ably equippetl 

 as they are, more light might be thrown 

 upon the cause of this perplexing trou- 

 ble. 



Meanwhile the grower does the best he 

 can to maintain a dry, buoyant atmos- 

 phere in the house and a slight shade has 

 also proved very beneficial in arresting 

 tho evil. Those who do not grow ex- 

 hibition flowers tell us they have none 

 of these troubles, but this is poor con- 

 solation. Granteil that damping of the 

 hldcmis is an attendant evil to intent 

 cultivation, the problem is how to rectifv 

 the evil. We have seen too much of the 

 effect ; we need now to know more of 



NOTE 



The Editor is pleased 

 when a Beader 

 presents his ideas 

 on any subject treated 

 In the SEVIEW. As 

 experience is the best 

 teacher, so do we 

 learn fastest by an 

 eschang'e of experiences, 

 many valuable points 

 are brought out 

 by discussion. 



Good penmanship, spelling and gram- 

 mar, though desir.ible. are not neces- 

 sary. Write as you would talk when 

 doing your best. 



WE SHALL BE QLAD 

 TO HEAR FROM VOU. 



the cause and the man who will help us 

 along these lines will confer a boon upon 

 1 hrysanthemum growers. 



THE READERS' CORNER. 



Ed. Eeview : I note an inquiry from 

 W. T. E. in regard to a broken gasket, 

 page 136. 1 was recently iu the store of 

 Joseph Kift & Son and Mr. Kift showed 

 me a leak iu his sectional boiler and 

 asked me the best thing to do with it. 

 A stream nearly as thick as a small lead 

 pencil was running into the fire box. 

 I at once said that he would have to get 

 a new section put in the boiler. Mr. 

 Kift said it had leaked once before and 

 ho had put brau in the boiler and it 

 had stopped it and he would try it 

 again. I saw him a few days afterwards 

 and inquired how the boiler was doing 

 and he told me it was all right. 1 

 Ihought it was the cheapest way of get- 

 ting a "bran" new boiler that I had 

 heard of. It is worth trying. 



Joseph Heacock. 



The Eeview does the selling but it 

 ■<eems strange that this time most of the 

 orders have come from the east and south. 

 — TosEPH Heinl. Jacksonville, 111. 



ERICAS. 



Although ericas are of inestimable 

 value to the commercial florist, both as 

 pot specimens and as cut sprays, their 

 culture in this country has been some- 

 what neglected, probably because many 

 of the hard-wooded kinds are of slow 

 growth, requiring a great amount of 

 patient care, study and skill to develop 

 good specimens, and because they are 

 very impatient of the least neglect. 

 There is, however, one class of ericas 

 which can be grown by any ordinary 

 florist who cares to exercise a little pa- 

 tience and study and which for made up 

 work fill a want which these only can. 



The softer wooded kinds, such as E. 

 hyemalis, Wilmoreana, colorans, gracilis 

 and the ventricosas, are of comparatively 

 easy culture. These can be had in great 

 diversity of color and form of flower, 

 and by a careful selection of the different 

 kinds and varieties a successsion of bloom 

 can be had from early fall till late spring. 

 In the European markets this class of 

 plants forms one of the most numerous, 

 attractive and profitable during these 

 months and no doubt they will, in time, 

 make their mark in the markets here. 



I will endeavor to describe the methods 

 employed in the successful culture of 

 these softer wooded and quicker growing 

 heaths in this country, which is some- 

 what different from the European meth- 

 ods by reason of climatic and soil differ- 

 ences. Most of them are (or are the off- 

 spring of) natives of the Cajje of Good 

 Hope and consequently require cool green- 

 house treatment, being at all times very 

 impatient of fire heat. A night temper- 

 ature of from 40 to 45 degrees, with full 

 and free ventilation and an atmosphere 

 as free from moisture as possible, is what 

 is wanted. 



These plants require the greatest care 

 in watering. They must never be al- 

 lowed to become drj-, nor yet run the 

 least danger b.y over watering, as both 

 are equally fatal. Great care must al- 

 ways be taken to keep tl>e foliage dry, 

 as they are very susceptible to a disease 

 very much resembling mildew, which is 

 also very contagious and is induced b.y 

 too much moisture in the air or by having 

 the foliage in a state of dampness. The 

 leraedy for this trouble is to dust the 

 foliage with flowers of sulphur, taking 

 care not to allow any of it to reach the 

 soil, as it has a very debilitating effect 

 on this class of plants. 



The most suitable soil is a fibrous peat, 

 with about one-fourth of clean sharp 

 sand. A few broken pot-sherds mixed 

 with the compost serves to keep it porous 

 .'iiid sweet. This must be rammed very 

 firmly around the ball, so that the water 

 may percolate slowly and evenly. Care 

 must be taken when potting not to get 

 the plant either too deep or too shallow. 

 If too deep in the least degree the plant 

 will rot off nt the neck and if too shal- 

 low the sun will destroy the roots. Am- 

 ple and perfect drainage must be pro- 

 vided. 



During the summer they should bo 

 placed out of doors in a dry and airy sit- 

 uation, where they can have the benefit 

 of full sunshine. The plants should be 

 placed on inverted flower pots or bricks 

 and sufficient moss put into the frame to 

 entirely cover the pots, so that the very 

 fine roots may be protected from the hot 

 sunshine. It is safer to have the frames 

 so arranged that the sash can be used 

 during a very wet spell. 



These plants should be pruned annu- 

 ally. As soon as the flowering season is 



