March 19, 1903. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



653 



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THE RETAIL 



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BASKET OF FLOWERS. 



The accompanying picture sliows a 

 huge basket of dowers, ten feet high, 

 sent to President Roosevelt by Captain 

 Fiannagan. Tlie flowers used can be 

 easily identified in the picture. They are 

 largely set in vases ingeniously com- 

 bined to produce the effect of a basket 

 and by this means were kept fresli f<5r 

 a considerable length of time. There 

 were 100 each of Beauties, Brides, Maids 

 and Liberties, 500 Roosevelt carnations, 

 200 Kaiserin and 000 valley. Twenty 

 yards of wide ribbon were used in the 

 sash. 



ROSE NOTES. 



Meteor. 



From the time a Jleteor cutting is put 

 in the sand, during its life in pots, and 

 after it is benched up until the very time 

 of throwing it out at replanting time, 

 the method of treatment to be a success 

 is very different from that of any other 

 rose under conunercial greenhouse culture 

 in this country. And being so, it wilt 

 pay the student to investigate this differ- 

 ence and find out the I'easons for it. 



There are many good growers of Maid. 

 Bride and other roses who, yeqr aftci- 

 year, make a faihire of Meteor, simply 

 because they cannot convince themselves 

 that what is good for one class of roses 

 may be detrimental to another. This is 

 particularly the case with their treat- 

 ment of Jleteor in regard to temperature 

 and the quantity of water required by 

 it, which is much in excess of that re- 

 quired by any other rose. 



Meteor cuttings sliould be made from 

 the most robust of half-ripened blind 

 wood, and should have at least three 

 eyes; two with fully developed leaves at- 

 tached and one from which the leaf is re- 

 moved at the heel of the cutting, to be 

 inserted in the sand. They require a few 

 degrees more of bottom heat than most 

 other roses. Keeping the sand steadily ;.t 

 65 degrees the roots will form in and 

 be in condition for potting in about twen- 

 ty-four or twenty-si.K daj-s. 



As the roots make an exceedingly rap- 

 id growth, potting must not be delayed, 

 el.se it will be difficult to get them into 

 a 2-inch pot uninjured. . During the time 

 they are in the sand they require to be 

 syringed liberally and frequently, because 

 of the higher temperature. After potting 

 the same conditions still exist, because 

 of the very vigorous root action for which 

 they are noted while in a young state. 

 The young stock should be placed in a 

 house of fiO or 02 degrees, as this keeps 

 them growing vigorously, a condition 

 wliich should be kept up during their 

 entire lifetime. 



By reason of the higher temperature 

 maintained this variety is particularly 

 subject to insect pests, the most persist- 

 ent of which is red spider. To keep the.se 

 in subjection syringing must be practiced 

 daily. To allow me young stock to be- 

 come pot-boiuid is courting failure, as 

 it takes a long time to recover from this 



check, and if the check is serious I ques- 

 tion very much if they ever fully recover 

 and attain that free and vigorous growth 

 so characteristic of a well-handled plant. 

 To have good-sized, thrifty plants for 

 fall blooming, planting should be done 

 early, as this gives them the benefit of 

 the best growing months — May and June. 



use a, richer compost than Brides or 

 Bridesmaids and luxuriate in a soil with 

 a generous supply of bone flour added. 



At irlanting time a little depression 

 sliould be left around the ball of each 

 plant to facilitate watering. Tliese de- 

 pressions should be filled individually 

 with water at least once a day, and dur- 

 ing very liright weather twice. Syring- 

 ing should be done every morning, and on 

 bright da3S again in the afternoon about 

 2 o'clock" This will give them ample 

 time to have the foliage dry by sundown. 

 In two weeks the soil should be 

 ruflled and the surface made even and 

 level. Overhead watering should now be 

 commenced; that is, the whole of the soil 

 in the l>ench can be made evenly moist, 

 and as the days get longer and hotter, 

 that can be done almost to the point of 

 saturation. 



A Huge Basket of Flowers. Arranged by Alexander McConnell, New York. 



As they require copious supplies of wa- 

 ter during the growing season, and in- 

 deed all the season through, the benches 

 should lie provided with ample drainage. 

 If the l>ottom of the bench is of wood, 

 the slat.s should never be more tlian 6 

 inches wide — in fact. 4 inches is better, 

 with spaces three-quarters of an inch 

 between. Being a gross feeder, thev can 



Once each week the soil should be al- 

 lowed to become moderately dry, so that 

 it can be cultivated without clogging, and 

 this is one of the most essential points to 

 success — persistent cultivation. No other 

 duty should be allowed to cause any ne- 

 glect in this. 



Tlie temperature during the growing 

 season should be 68 or 70 degrees, but 



