268 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



J AN r A It V G, 1898. 



ThDrley', 



Fuchsias, 



Fuchsias should be shifted on as fast as 

 ever their roots begin to fill the pots they 

 are in and propagated this month as fast 

 as possible. Those struck after J-"ebruary 

 I, do not auiount to nuich. Fuchsias 

 like a rich soil; real rotten leaf mould 

 or well decomposed spent hops helps 

 them greatly. With most varieties the 

 only pinching they need is the leading 

 shoot stopped once, and that should be 

 done when they are three or four inches 

 high. Don't keep fuchsias down to 40° 

 or 45° at night, which would be excellent 

 to winter geraniums, but give them 55° 

 with plenty of light and room and water. 



Poinsettias. 

 This season has proved again the great 

 popularity of the poinsettia as a decora- 

 tive plant. There is no abatement in 

 the demand. You can't call it a good 

 house plant for the parlor or anv other 

 room as it soon drops its leaves, but on 

 making that remark to a lady, a few days 

 since, she replied: " Ves, 'l know, but 

 it'stheideal color for Christmas, don'tyou 

 know.'' I would ask you simplv at this 

 time what have you done with the plant 

 after the flowers have been cut? Lay 

 them down under a bench, the drier the 

 letter, or in a warm shed if you have 

 room. Let them hibernate and remain 

 dust dry until April. 



Spiraeas. 

 If you have no bench room to spare 

 where you can keep up a temperature of 

 60° you had better bring in the spiraeas 

 at once. Sometimes they come slow and 

 it is well to be on the safe .side. They are 

 far better when not over forced. 



Propagating. 



Every inch of your cutting bed should 

 now be occupied. Coleus, heliotrope, 

 feverfew and all that sort of stuff should 

 go in fast now. All these root li';e weeds, 



but still it's now when the atmosphere 

 of the house is cool Mud the sand warm 

 that propagation ran b.' most rapidly and 

 certainly done. Carnations we no longer 

 put into sand warmer tlian the air of the 

 house. They woidd root several days 

 sooner if we did, but for the future 

 welfare of the carnation it is not con- 

 sidered best. Nearly all other "green- 

 house soft wooded stock is most decidedly 

 benefited by the sand being 10° to 15° 

 warmer than the house. 



Cutting Bed Fungus. 



I am asked occasionally how to pre- 

 vent the fungus on the surface of sand. 

 One trouble with that is all over, for 

 before every fresh tiatch of cuttings is put 

 in, the sand is watered with the ammoni- 

 acal mixture. I have watered the 

 cuttings with it and noticed not the 

 slightest harm done. The more close, 

 damp and warm your house, the more 

 likely will you be troubled with this 

 minute fungus. It is so minute that if 

 you are not looking for it you will first 

 see a square foot of plant gone off .in one 

 night. The growth of this primitive 

 plant must b? almost as prodigious as 

 that of the yeast. 



A Troublesome Insect. 

 A troublesome insect pest, which I have 

 been many times going to ask my brother 



Fleischman's Window. 

 NEW YORK STORES AT CHRISTMAS. 



