i204 



The Weekly Florists' Review- 



Apkil 28^ 1904. 



NARQSSUS TRUMPET MAJOR. 



Please inform me why Trumpet Major 

 narcissus has failed to bloom after the 

 first year 's planting out of doors. Should 

 the clumps be lifted, dried ofT .•iiul re- 

 planted? L- M. Q. 



In Holland, where these bulbs are 

 grown to supply all Europe, they are 

 lifted every summer, after the tops are 

 ripe and withered, the large bulbs se- 

 lected for sale and the off-sets planted 

 again in the fall. But that is no reason 

 why you should lift them if you want 

 a bed of them. I don't see why they 

 should not thrive and come up and 

 flower annually, as the Von Sions will, 

 or the tulip beds which we have seen 



remain untouched for many years. You 

 must look to some other cause for their 

 not flowering. If they were planted in 

 the open ground in the fall and flowered 

 the following spring they should flower 

 again the second spring, whether they 

 were lifted during the summer or not. 

 But if they were bulbs that you force^l 

 in the winter and then planted out last 

 fall, that is another thing, and yen 

 should not expect much results for 

 what with the forcing and cutting flow- 

 ers and foliage close off to the ground, 

 and a sudden cessation of growth just 

 when it should bt storing up strength 

 and substance for another year's growth 

 and flower, you are doing the very re- 

 verse of what nature demands. W. S. 



SEASONABLE WORK. 



In order to have large thrifty bushes 

 from which to begin cutting in Sep- 

 tember, planting should be proceeded 

 with as early as possible, especially in 

 extensive places, where so much has to be 

 accomplished in such a short time. All 

 planting of young stock should be com- 

 pleted before July. 



Young stock must now, as the sea- 

 son advances, make its early summer 

 growth, and if the growth takes place 

 while Utt plants are in the pots we 

 must not expect it to be so large or 

 of such fine quality as that produced 

 in the freer possibilities of the bench. 

 Consequently, there is a decided loss in 

 vigor, besides a curtailment of the grow- 

 ing season, which counts for a good deal 

 in houses meant for the early work. 



Growers who have studied the wants 

 of their customers and the general trend 

 of the market during the past season 

 will now have their planting plans so 

 far completed that they will be in no 

 doubt as to the varieties and their dif- 

 ferent proportions of color wanted, and 

 should let no considerations deter them 

 from proceeding at once. 



When the market remains good and the 

 plants are producing hea^y crops, it 

 does seem like a sacrifice to throw them 

 out, and this is frequently the cause of 

 a glut in the market, reducing prices 

 to the lowest ebb, where they are likely 

 to remain during the rest of the sea- 

 son. With the early summer crops com- 

 ing we ought to be "able to keep our 

 customers going from half the space 

 required during the winter, thus protect- 

 ing ourselves from an over-supply an 1 

 its consequence'. 



To derive a little more profit from 



the old stock the judicious grower will 

 make an endeavor to find a market for 

 them. Beauties, Meteors, Golden Gate 

 and Ivory make excellent stock for bed- 

 ding out, and if these can be disposed 

 of at prices to repay careful lifting, and 

 delivering, it is like money found ; tlioy 

 have to go anyhow. 



After the bushes are disposed of Uic 

 old soil should be removed and all accu- 

 mulations of soil and rubbish from under 

 the bench cleaned out. The benches 

 should be thoroughly overhauled, and all 

 necessary repairs made, making certain 

 that they are strong enough to outlast 

 the season. The woodwork of roofs, walls 

 and benches should then get a thorough 

 washing with the nozzle, using sufficient 

 force to remove all acniniulation-s of 

 scum and dirt. 



The benches should then get a coat of 

 hot lime wash. This acts as a preserva- 

 tive of the wood, and is sure death to 



insects and their eggs. Some good grow- 

 ers claim that the addition of sulphur 

 in the proportion of about one-fourth of 

 the bulk of the lime is a sure preventive 

 of mildew. Whether this is so I cannot 

 say, but it is an inexpensive experiment 

 and free from danger to either roots or 

 foliage. 



To prevent the soil from running 

 through the cracks, some straw or sod 

 fiber should be placed on the bench. The 

 soil should then be carefully spread, tak- 

 ing care not to let any inequalities, such 

 as the hard bottom of the hills, remain. 

 The benches should be filled flush, assum- ' 

 ing that the sideboards are five inches 

 high, and if bone is to be used as a 

 fertilizer it should be added now. As 

 this material can be added at any future 

 time, it is better not to be too liberal 

 in its use while the plants are small, 

 twenty pounds to each 500 square feet of 

 bench being within the lines of safety. 

 This can either be left on the surface, or 

 ruffled in previous to planting. Ribes. 



SHORT STEMMED WOOTTON. 



Our Wootton roses come full of short- 

 stemmed buds and we seldom get a nice 

 long stem, although the buds are perfect. 

 The plants were set last spring and they 

 commenced to throw an enormous lot of 

 buds, and the more we disbud the more 

 wc produce. The plants are apparently 

 healthy. What is the correct treatment 

 to get better stems? S. S. B. 



This condition is very common to 

 Wootton roses and often arises from the 

 quality of wood used in propagating. 

 Other conditions, such as poverty of soii, 

 or lack of ventilation will produce the 

 same results. As a remedy, when tak- 

 ing the cut, cut back to one or two eyes, 

 give liquid manure once a week, keep 

 the night temperature at 60 to 62 de- 

 grees, day temperature 75 to 80 degrees, 

 according to intensity of sunshine, and 

 give plenty of ventilation on all favora- 

 ble occasions, both night and day. E1EE.S. 



Steilacoom, Wash. — We are having 

 fine, weather, after three months when 

 the temperature was at the freezing point 

 almost constantly, with no sun. Lettuce 

 and cucumbers took a lay-off and stock 

 had to be shipped in from California. 



Columbia Avenue Store of John C. Gracey, Philadelphia. 



