H4 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



December 16, isy; 



some enemy, assembling in large num- 

 bers about the axils of the leaves and 

 young growths, distorting tlie flowers 

 and embryo leaves, rendering them use- 

 less for any purpose. Measures must be 

 applied to prevent this pest getting a foot- 

 hold; if the following remedy is adopted 

 the bug will be entirely eradicated after 

 a few applications: 



Mix half an ordinary tumbler of kero- 

 sene in four gallons of water; this must 

 be thoroughly mixed by the one apply- 

 ing it; otherwise the young foliage might 

 be injured and the plants consequently 

 retarded. A good idea is to mix the 

 kerosene in about a pint or quart of milk ; 

 this will facilitate mixing it with the 

 water. It will be wise to syringe with a 

 strong force of water a few hours after- 

 wards, to remove all dead bugs and sedi- 

 ments from the foliage. Dnll weather 

 will be the most desirable in which to 

 perform the woik as the insecticide will 

 have a better opportunity to accomplish 

 the desired end. 



In the autumn the plants should be 

 lifted anil planted in benches in a light 

 house in about the same depth of soil as 

 ordinarilv used for roses, and a similar tem- 

 perature maintained to ensure continual 

 growth and the development of flower 

 buds throughout the entire winter. Use 

 a rich, sandy loam with a fourth of well 

 decayed cow manure. Care must be 

 taken to well drain the benches with 

 broken bricks or rough cinders, adding 

 a quantity of charcoal if it can be easily 

 procured. A bad case of yellows will be 

 inevitable if this detail fails to get atten- 

 tion. 



It will be necessary, when the plants 

 are well established and the loots found 

 to be circulating freely through the soil, 

 to occasionally water with a weak solu- 

 tion of liquid sheep manure, or a light 

 dressing put on the beds will answer the 

 same purpose and at the same time prove 

 beneficial. 



Don't use kerosene as an insecticide in 

 the house when the plants are in bud, as 

 the unpleasant odor will i)e absorbed and 

 given off by the flowers at probably an 

 unfavorable moment. Nicotine will an- 

 swer the same purpose and act as a fer- 

 tilizer if made weak and the plants fre- 

 quently sprayed. In fine weather liberal 

 syringing and airing will give the foliage 

 a glossy dark green color. 



If the plants are wanted for summer 

 blooming, they must be propagated in the 

 autumn and grown on during the win- 

 ter. Early in the spring benches should 

 be made ready and the plants put in them 

 as soon as they are established in their pots 

 or whenever the necessity to plant them 

 may require, the same care being given 

 them as that outlined for winter culture. 

 I would not advocate carrying-these plants 

 longer than the second year, as nmch 

 superior flowers and larger quantities can 

 be obtained from young, vigorous plants. 

 One important point to be observed be- 

 fore cutting the flowers is to allow them 

 to fully develop on the plants, or the 

 flowers will become yellow in a few hours 

 afterwards; also keep the flowers dry, not 

 allowing any water to touch them; this 

 has also a tendency to make them yellow. 

 Insert the stems in water and put them 

 in an intermediate temperature; the flow- 



ers should not be placed where there are 

 icy surroundings. 



When shipping the flowers in warm 

 weather, pack them in a small box lined 

 with oil paper, then inclose this in an- 

 other and pack with excelsior and a little 

 ice; this will prevent the ice coming in 

 contact with the flowersand wetting them 

 and freezing their tender tissues; in this 



w?-y they will be dry and cool and will 

 keep several days. 



If gardenias are well grown, producing 

 perfect well-formed flowers, little diffi- 

 culty will be experienced in realizing 

 fifty cents each for them at wholesale, 

 this being the predominating price in 

 New York Citv this winter. 



Short Hins,'N.J. F. L. Atkins. 



THE CALANTHE AND ITS COM- 

 MERCIAL VALUE. 



It is evident that a good many of the 

 growers are trying to arrive at some hy- 

 pothesis whereby they may revolutionize 

 the cut flower market. A big majority 

 claim that roses, carnations, mignonette, 

 violets cr chrysanthemums don't bring in 

 sufficient to keep them warm. Now I am 

 half inclined to think the trouble lies to 

 a certain extent in their own hands. For 

 instance, take a walk through some of 

 the private establishments in your neigh- 

 borhood and you will perceive in a great 

 many cases that every available corner in 

 the houses is utilized to produce some- 

 thing, and suspended from the roof you 

 will see plants innumerable growing in 

 baskets, pans, or in pots on shelves. In 

 how many commercial establishments 

 will you find this practiced ? I presume 

 to say very few. Therefore I consider a 

 laxity of enterprise is apparent. How to 

 remedy that ? 



I have one or two subjects in mind but 

 at present I would suggest the calanthe. 

 Pay ? Certainly ! Place them on the 

 market in sufficient quantity and they 

 will sell on sight. For a drawing room or 

 table decoration it is difficult to conceive 

 a more suitable subject, and they have 

 everything in their favor to commend 

 them. The}- are very easily grown, they 

 produce long stems (about three feet) with 

 abundance of flower, the stock is not over 

 expensive to buy and they increase them- 

 selves every year. The varieties here 

 named will flower at a very suitable sea- 

 son, i. e., Christmas. They are much 

 alike in character of growth, etc., but 

 sufficiently dissimilar in color for all deco- 

 rative purposes. 



To strike the Christmas trade you 

 should grow Calanthe Veitchii, the 

 color of which is tiright rose; C. rubro- 

 oculata, white with crimson eye; C. 

 lutea, white with lemon eye. Pot up and 

 start growing the first week in March. 

 To prolong the Howering season grow the 

 variety Regnieri; it will flower a month 

 or six weeks laier with same tieatment 

 and is a good grower. 



You nmst not think, because these are 

 orchids, that vou will require the assist- 

 ance of an orchid specialist to attend 

 them. All they require is thorough drain- 

 age and a good compost of fibrous loam, 

 with a little leaf-soil and about a gallon 

 of bone meal to the bushel, with a little 

 sand to keep the whole porous. I fill the 

 pots or pans almost half full of broken 

 pots, then fill up firmly w-ith the com- 

 post, and fix the pseudo-bulbs thereon by 

 means of three wooden pegs, which keep 

 the bulbs in position until they strike 

 root. Give plenty of water while grow- 

 ing, and frequent applications of liquid 

 manure. Continue this until the flowers 

 expand, when they should be removed to 

 cool and drier quarters, as the flowers 

 when opening are very susceptible to 

 dampness. If kept thus, say from 45° to 

 50°, they will color, harden, and last 

 longer when cut, and ship nnich better 

 than if kept warm. 



After the flowers are gathered keep the 

 bulbs perfectly dr\-, in same temperature, 

 until you wish to pot up and start off 

 growing again. To propagate or increa.se 

 the varieties Veitchii and Regnieri, sim- 

 p\y break off the upper half of the pseudo- 

 bulb and insert in sandy soil, place in a 

 brisk heat and water carefully until they 

 have sufticient root to consume it in 

 greater quantity. The}- will make bulbs 

 sufiicientl}- strong to flower the following 

 .season. The other varieties mentioned, 

 as a rule throw two flowering bulbs even- 

 season, thus j'our stock goes on increas- 

 ing, and on account of their great florif- 

 erous and gross growing propensities, 

 they will, I have no doubt, become gen- 

 eral favorites. J. Robertson. 



Madison, N. J. 



THE HORTICULTURAL BUILDING 



AT THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI 



EXPOSITION. 



The decision of the Society of Ameri- 

 can Florists to hold its next annual con- 

 vention in Omaha, undoubtedly had con 

 ^iderable weight with the exposition offi- 

 cials in deciding to have a special build- 

 ing devoted to horticulture. 



