Makcii 17, 1904. 



The Weekly Florists* Review. 



8J5 



A Partial View of the Establishment of W. H. GuUett & Sons, Lincoln, lU. 



rieties are chance hybrids, for there are 

 many which have been secured by careful 

 work and are a credit to the hybridizer. 

 Nor do I say that there aTe not some 

 fine creations secured, the result of pol- 

 len-carrying insects. The percentage of 

 worthy varieties thus produced, however, 

 is very small, and the parentage of even 

 these too questionable to rely upon. 



The fundamental points of excellence 

 to which the hybridizer directs Ms at- 

 tention are beauty, qualit.y, purity of 

 color and a constitution able to produce 

 healthy and vigorous growth under cli- 

 matic changes, consequently in working 

 up to his ideal, many fine specimens have 

 to be discarded, which, under most favor- 

 able conditions, might be retained. These 

 points of excellence, of course, are not 

 considered by the honey searchers, and 

 there are few hybridizers whose standard 

 of quality is so high but that they retain 

 many varieties lacking some of these 

 attributes. 



My principal object in making these 

 statements is to impress upon you that 

 it is not always the highest priced bulb 

 which gives the best results, for from a 

 system which is quite contrary to the 

 general rule which has been followed by 

 gladiolus hybridizers, there have been ob- 

 tained strains the quality of which far 

 supersedes many of the high-priced named 

 novelties, which strains, by reason of 

 their prolific multiplication the grower 

 has been able to place upon the market 

 at exceedingly low prices. These strains 

 can be multiplied by the purchaser with 

 little fear of deterioration. 



But a few years ago, and even today 

 among many flower enthusiasts, the blue 

 gladiolus is unknown, while there are to 

 be had many shades of this color, em- 

 bracing also delicate hues of lilac, helio- 

 trope and clematis, enhanced and re- 

 lieved by wonderful stains and blotches. 

 The foundation of this strain is the spe- 

 cies Papilio, and although the flowers are 



small, compared with most commercial 

 strains, yet, through crossing, larger 

 and more magnificent flowers are being 

 secured yearly, which is sure to make 

 this strain most popular. 



ANTHURIUMS. 



This genus of warm greenhouse or 

 stove aroids are mostly natives of the 

 West Indies and tropical America and 

 form one of the most handsome and at- 

 tractive groups, both as regards flower 

 aud beauty of foliage. The intensity of 

 color and brilliancy of some of the flow- 

 ers, such as A. Scherzerianum Veitchii, is 

 unique and startling, and has been named 

 the flamingo plant, from the fancied re- 

 semblance which the flower and stem 

 bears to the head and neck of that bird. 

 This variety must not be confounded 

 with A. Veitchii, a white variety intro- 

 duced in 1S77 and grown more for the 

 beauty of its foliage than for its flow- 

 er, which is inconspicuous. 



A. Scherzerianum is also a very hand- 

 some and striking variety, with intense 

 scarlet spaths three inches long and two 

 inches broad, and has an orange colored 

 spadix, compact habit ; height, one foot. 

 A. Scherzerianum maxipium is a very 

 fine variety with brilliant scarlet spathes. 

 which measure nine inches in length by 

 four inches in breadth. A. splendidum, 

 which is grown for the beauty of its 

 foliage, is quite distinct from any otbers 

 of the genus. It is a noble looking 

 plant and would grace any collection. 



There are many hybrid or garden va- 

 rieties which are beautiful in foliage 

 and flower and are quite as easily grown 

 as the species. They all require a warm, 

 moist temperature, and until the plants 

 are well established a good deal of in- 

 telligent care, which is amply repaid by 

 the beauty and lasting qualities of the 

 blooms and by the gorgeous tropical ap- 

 pearance the wealth of foliage gives to 



a house. As a parlor or window plant 

 during the summer they are unsurpassed. 

 The method of culture which seems to 

 suit nearly all the species and varieties, 

 whether grown for Ijeauty of bloom or 

 foliage, is nearly as follows: 



The true condition of atmospheric 

 nioisture seems to be essential for this 

 class of plants, and any one who wishes 

 to be successful in the culture of these 

 aroids will have to study the climatic 

 conditions which they enjoy in their na- 

 tive habitat. The soil or compost in 

 which they thrive best is composed of 

 two parts fibrous peat broken into pieces 

 of about half an inch square, one part 

 fibrous loam of the same dimensions, and 

 one part sphagnum. To this should be 

 added some broken potsherds, some char- 

 coal aud some silver sand. The pots 

 must be perfectly drained, so that all 

 surplus water may escape freely. The 

 roots must be carefully spread out and 

 the compost worked in between, keep- 

 ing the crown of the plant a couple of 

 inches above the rim of the pot, the com- 

 post to form a sort of a mound leading 

 up to the crown. 



They must be syringed frequently and 

 the atmosphere of the house kept moist. 

 They succeed well in a temperature of 

 6.5 or 70 degrees and after the season of 

 growth is past a partial rest at 60 de- 

 grees for two months will do them 

 good. Some of the less tender varieties 

 even succeed in maturing their growth 

 and flowering at this temperature. Af- 

 ter being potted they should have a light 

 shade until growth is commenced. 



Propagation can be effected by seeds, 

 but the process is so slow that it is not 

 very interesting, requiring about a year 

 from the time of fertilizing until the 

 seed is ripe and another year before the 

 plants are fit for anything. The usual 

 method employed is to divide the crowns 

 during January and treating them much 

 in the same manner as the old plants. 



