The Weekly Florists' Review. 



917 



Smith's Chrysanthemums and part of the Carnations shown at Chicago, October 24. 



vanee can be seen. Your correspondent 

 of last week, S. A. Bill, speaks of two 

 of them, Lord Alverston and S. T. 

 Wright. These are both very fine, but i 

 think Maynell and Henry Barnes superior 

 to the first named. Lord Alverston is 

 the deeper colored, but smaller than the 

 others, and S. T. Wright is rather too in- 

 curving to show the beautiful velvets 

 crimson color. As it finishes it may 

 reflex more, as the description of the 

 raiser states that when placed in the sun 

 it reflexes like an enormous cactus 

 dahlia. 



Henry Barnes is a Japanese and shows 

 its wonderful color to the best advantage 

 It will become a favorite for exhibiting 

 in collections, as its color is so telling, 

 and I do not see why it should not be ex- 

 tensively grown as a commercial crimson. 



Maynell is the largest of the crimson 

 section, with broad, massive petals, su- 

 perb stem and foliage and an individu- 

 ality all its own. Neither of these vari- 

 eties are liable to burn in the sun; in 

 fact, they seem to like it. Compared 

 with the old Childs and similar sorts, 

 they show at a glance what wonderful 

 improvement has been effected in thi 

 crimson section. 



Ben Wells is a monster flower, of deli- 

 cate flesh color, very strong habit and of 

 the easiest possible culture. Anyone, ap- 

 parently, can make an exhibition flower 

 out of this variety. 



Another monster is Miss Mildred Ware. 

 This variety has petals hanging down ten 

 inches in length and under artificial light 

 is Lawson pink in color, brilliant and 

 glistening. It is a great exhibition va- 

 riety, as large as Carnot, of similar 

 formation, with fine stem and foliage. In 

 fact, not one of the novelties of this year 

 is weak in stem, but without exception 

 are strong and healthy. Brian Boru. 



SPIDERS ON CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 

 I have a house of chrysanthemums, 

 exhibition varieties, that show traces of 

 red spider on the opening blooms. Can 

 any of your experienced correspondents 

 tell me if light treatment with hydro- 

 cyanic acid gas would injure the blooms 

 and would be effective enough to kill the 

 spider .' The house is 24x25 feet ; height 

 at ridgepole 15% feet, at back gutter 

 nine feet and at front gutter six feet. 

 H. T. 



My experience with hydrocyanic acid 



gas is 



of a character to recommend L1 



to any one. We heard -mne little whi 

 ago that this was to be the only inseel 

 tide, but outside of the violel growers 

 does not appear to find favor. My exp 

 rience with ii on orchids and simili 

 stock was disastrous, and 1 have not us< 

 it since; neither would 1 recommend ai 

 one else to use it. It is too late now 

 do much iu the way of getting the n 

 spider out of the flowers. Pi rsi nallj 

 would put sulphur on the steam pip 



and also paint a little nic I 



pipe at night. The fume- from the si 

 phur will kill spider, but if used ti 

 strong will bleach the color out of tl 

 pink varieties. It will be a good lessi 

 to H. T. to be sure next year that he 

 free from spider and other insects befo 

 the buds show color. One often lear: 

 more by his failures thau by his success( 

 Brian Boru. 



Handling Summer Bloomers. 



During the next few weeks, when 

 'mums will be plentiful and consequent- 

 ly a slight drop in the demand for roses 

 may be expected, and as the winter 

 blooming stock should now be able to sup- 

 ply the lessened demand, this will be the 

 proper season to prepare the summer 

 blooming stock for the winter's rest. 



To get the best results from, such va- 

 rieties as Kaiserin, Ivory, Liberty and 

 Chatenay, when used for summer work 

 alone, they should have a long period of 

 absolute rest. By beginning now to 

 gradually withhold water and heat they 

 can be reduced to a dormant condition 

 in four or five weeks, that is if they 

 are on benches. If they are planted in 

 solid beds they will require a few weeks 

 more. 



While putting them through the ripen- 

 ing process a careful watch must be kept 

 on red spider, as the gradual lessening of 

 the moisture in the house will encourage 

 their increase. Very frequently houses 

 which are undergoing this process are en- 

 tirely neglected in this respect, many 

 growers being under the impression (at 

 least one would so judge from their ac- 

 tions) that because they are going to lose 

 the foliage anyhow, it does .not matter 

 how quickly or by what means it is re- 

 moved, and the sooner the leaves are off 



tin bushes si. much earlier are they rip- 

 raid. Xow these leaves are just as es- 

 sential to the perfect completion of the 

 ripening process as they are to the plant 

 in the height of its growth, and any 

 rapid denudation of the foliage must 

 have a sen. ms effect on its vitality. 



Spider can be held in check under these 



c litions l>.\ an intelligent use of the 



syringe, using a nozzle isith a fine spray, 

 which, if directed aright, needs no great 



Milan f water. The temperature should 



be gradually reduced till by the time the 

 plants are ripe it should be about 35 de- 

 grees at night and should be kept at 

 that figure, or not to exeeed 40 degrees, 

 till the} are started up again. During 

 the period of rest the ventilators should 

 remain opeu as much as possible, only 

 rinsing them during rain, snow, or when 

 there is danger of the ground freezing. 



After the foliage is all off there is 

 still need to keep a strict watch on the 

 house, as after a week's sunshine the 

 soil on the bench may get too dry, which 

 may cause the bark to shrivel. A light 

 mulch of leaves or dried grass is a good 

 safeguard against this. 



By the beginning of February it will 

 be time to begin preparations for start- 

 ing them, so that they may be ready to 

 take the place of the winter bloomers 

 which we will have to throw out in May 

 and June. Mulching should now be at- 

 tended to. It is a great mistake to think 

 we are saving labor by putting the mulch 

 on thick at this season, so that we will 

 not have! to renew so frequently. It is 

 very easy to bring a check on the most 

 vigorous stock by this method, a crop of 

 yellow leaves being one of the first signs 

 that the roots are suffering from the 

 exclusion of light and air. Till after the 

 days begin to lengthen one-half inch in 

 depth at one application keeps us on the 

 safe side. Where there is any sign of 

 weakness or trouble in the stock it is 

 safer to withhold the mulch till health 

 again returns. Kibes. 



VlNCENNES. IND.— W. A. 



doing a nice business and is planning to 

 add two more greenhouses, at the same 

 time opening a down town salesroom. 



Iola, Kan. — B. O. Henderson, suc- 

 cessor to A. L. Harmon, at the Iola 

 Greenhouses, has just completed two new 

 houses, 10x40 and 10x60, planted to car- 

 nations. 



