252 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



JAXU-VKV S. 11»-I3. 



bad policy to mix with them any of the 

 older styles of pots, as this causes in- 

 equality in drying out, by which many 

 of the plants must suffer. The nearer 

 we approach to uniformity in nioistness, 

 so much greater is the chance of success. 



To give the young plants the best of 

 chances, potting should be imiform, 

 placing the plant in the pot, so that the 

 roots will be about one-third the depth 

 of the pot down from the rim, making 

 the soil equally firm, and leaving about 

 one-fourth of an inch above the soil to 

 facilitate watering. 



Water as soon after potting as possi- 

 ble, and do not let the plants stand too 

 long in the potting shed where there is 

 always more or less draught. Select a 

 light, airy bench in a temperature of .50 

 degrees on which to place the young 

 stock, even at the expense of throwing 

 out something good, as it is unlikely 

 that young stock will do well where es- 

 tablished stock has refused to thrive. 



A good material (which is always 

 handy and inexpensive) to make a lied 

 to set the young stock on is aslies 

 passed through a half-inch screen. This 

 makes a bottom which is more porous 

 than sand, does not shift with watering. 



various causes. The roots while show- 

 ing no signs of any disease are very 

 weak and inactive, which can be partly 

 attributed to too much maiuire in the 

 compost and which would also partly 

 account for the soft texture of both fol- 

 iage and wood. 



A suitable compost for roses is four 

 of fibrj- loam to one of well decomposed 

 cow manure. Tlie loam should contain 

 less than fifty per cent of clay and less 

 than five per cent of lime. 



Even when in the best of health 00 de- 

 grees is too high a temperature for 

 Brides and JMaids, and they should not 

 be subjected to it for many hours at a 

 stretch ; 50 degrees is a safe, sure and 

 in every way a more suitable teiupeia- 

 ture. With this and careful wateiing 

 and ventilating is about all that can be 

 done for them at this season. Xo at- 

 tempt should be made to feed them un 

 til they are over the trouble. 



"Gumbo" soil I am unacquainted 

 with, and therefore can say nothing of 

 it,s merits. It is, however, safest to use 

 only those soils which have been proved 

 to be productive in preference to those 

 of which we are ignorant of the quali- 

 ties. KlUES. 



Petunia Giant of California. 



is not apt to become muddy, and has 

 the merit (if kept fresh) of keeping 

 worms away. 



The soil in the pots should be moist- 

 ened clear through, and as this cannot 

 be accomplished by one watering, they 

 should be watered at intervals until this 

 condition is obtained. Shade during 

 bright sunshine for the first four days, 

 and in fact at any time if the plants 

 show any inclination to wilt, until they 

 are well established. Kibes. 



ROSE TROUBLES. 



I send a plant of Bridesmaid rose. I 

 have a whole house in same condition. 

 What is the trouble? The soil is three 

 parts soil and one of cow manure and a 

 little lime and cliy — no bone meal. Have 

 been careful regarding temperature, 

 night anil day. about 01) degrees. 



Is gumbo soil good for mixing in com- 

 post for roses — say 1 to 4? J. K. E. 



It is a hard matter to say just what is 

 the tri>ul)le with these roses. The speci- 

 men sent shows a very weak constitu- 

 tion, wliich can l>e briiucht about by 



PETUNI A"GI AN T OF CALIFORNIA." 



Tlie ilhi>ti;ili(iii >liows a specimen plant 

 of petunia "Giant of California," with 

 pure white flowers. This strain origi- 

 nated in California and it is a true 

 daughter of the '"Golden West," exceed- 

 ingly luxuriant in growth. 



The flowers are marvels of beauty in 

 size, color and form, and are dis- 

 tinguished from other types by their 

 great size, wide open throats and their 

 wavy and ruffled margins. Their shades 

 of color and markings are wonderful in 

 beauty and diversity. Shades of pink, 

 mauve, blush, crimson and pure white, 

 lined and nuirkcd in beautiful contrast. 

 Some of them have throats of bright yel- 

 low with black lines, some of pale pink 

 with crimscn blotches, and others with 

 black throats like satin, then white 

 throats netted with black, and deep 

 crimson margins, and pure white with 

 yellow throats and many other combina- 

 • lions of color and markings impossible to 

 describe in detail in this limited space. 

 T. B. S. 



CACTI IN THE GARDEN. 



We pri'-i'iit bcrcwilli an engraving 

 frcm a i)liotogra]di of a row of Kchinop- 



sis Mvdlerii blooming in the garden of 

 Mrs. Theodcsia B. Shepherd, the llorist 

 and seed grower, Ventura. Cal. liefer- 

 1 ing to this cactus Mrs. Shepherd writes: 

 "Echinopsis MuUerii is one cf the most 

 easily gi-own and satisfactory of the 

 globose cactus. It is never troubled by 

 insect pests and increases rapidly. Small 

 plants bloom the third year, and medium 

 sized and large ones bloom at intervals 

 during the year, but their best blooming 

 season is in the spring. One large plant 

 will give twenty-five to fifty blooms a 

 year, while a cluster of plants will often 

 have as many as twenty-five flowers at 

 one time. The flowers are most beauti- 

 ful, a clear, satiny pink, the throat lined 

 with silken stamens. Its frequent and 

 exquisite blossoms make it a most satis- 

 factory window plant." 



CARNATION NOTES— WEST. 



Cuttings. 



If you have not already put in your 

 main batch of carnation cuttings you 

 .should lose no fime in getting them in. 

 WIe have had all ours in sand a week or 

 two except a few varieties of which we 

 were not able to get enough cuttings, 

 the first batch, especially seedlings. Tliere 

 are many good growers, however, who 

 prefer a cutting taken in January or 

 early Pebruai-j', and with a few varie- 

 ties tho.se are preferable, but only a 

 few. Vaiieties that make a very large, 

 soft i)lant are better propagated late 

 because then yon will have medium sized 

 ]dants to lift in the fall ana they will 

 not wilt so badly. There are not many 

 of these varieties, however, that will get 

 too large by early July when you can be- 

 gin to house them. If you take the cut- 

 lings now and they should for some rea- 

 son not root, well, you will still have 

 time to put in another batch before it is 

 too late in the season. 



Take only good cuttings from kealthy 

 plants and if possible take them from 

 the llowering stems. I have told you be- 

 fore in these notes how to trim and 

 stick the cuttings and how to care for 

 I hem. and during this month and next 

 you should not lose a cutting. Eemem- 

 l)er that the only secret there is in root- 

 ing carnation cuttings is to keep them 

 from wilting without keeping them too 

 dark and wet. and especially .should you 

 avoid having them wet over night. We 

 clip Ihc ends off the foliage because it 

 hel])S them to keep fresh and we can 

 stick more cuttings in a given space 

 than wdien the grass is left long. The 

 stub end is cut clean, but try whenever 

 jwssible to have a heel at the end which 

 will rodt more readily than a soft, pithy 

 end will. Be sure the sand is clean and 

 pack it down well before sticking the 

 cuttings. 



Young Plants. 



Those cuttings you put in early last 

 month should be rooted and ready to 

 come out now. Dift'erent methods are 

 adopted by different growers in caring 

 for the young plants from the lime they 

 come out of the sand until planting out 

 time, and with equal success, so I would 

 not say that you must do so or so. The 

 main thing is to keep them growing 

 along slowly and topping them when it 

 is necessary in order to produce a sym- 

 metrical plant. Some pot them right 

 away and shift them when needed ; oth- 

 ers plant tliem in flats aboiit two inches 

 apart and leave them there until jilant- 

 ing out time, and bolli rai-e good plants 



