March 26. 1903. 



The Weekly Florists' Review^ 



719 



Table Center Piece. No. 3. 



bination for a daylight occasion. The 

 same plan will serve for a valentine, 

 prenuptial, or wedding tahle, with the 

 addition of several outline hearts traced 

 upon the cloth with the violets. 



Following the use of flowers out of 

 water and overturned baskets amusing 

 suggestions are often made to the deco- 

 rator. People will tell you in a tone of 

 distress that some flowers have fallen 

 out! It is gratifying when one can so 

 nearly approach the natural. 



GnaiTBUDE Blair. 



[We believe the set of pictures will be 

 found interesting and suggestive,' but 

 fear Miss Blair has gone to the extreme 

 in the fourth arrangement. The com- 

 ment of one well known decorator to 

 wliom we showed the photograph was 

 that while he sjTnpathized with the at- 

 tempt to get away from the conven- 

 tional, should he put up such an ar- 

 rangement for one of his customers he 

 would receive orders to remove it from 

 the table instantly. The use of fruit 

 with flowers is frequently a great help 

 in producing a pleasing effect, but with 

 everything on a table upturned the im- 

 pression is apt to be given that there 

 has been an accident, rather than that 

 the hand of an artist has been employ- 

 ed. But we give the engraving a place, 

 thinking it may contain a useful hint to 

 some. — Ed.] 



SOME FLORIDA QUESTIONS. 



Would like to know through your 

 paper what is the best thing to do with 

 old azaleas, imported plants, that have 

 flowered in New York and afterwards 

 been sent to Florida. If they were mine 

 I would consider it the cheapest plan 

 to throw them away. For one or two 

 years they come out and do very well 

 and after that begin to get worse every 

 year instead of better. 



What sized tubs do you use for 

 I^atania borbonica and phoenix palms 

 with a spread of 10 feet? 



I have a tree fern — Alsophilia aus- 

 tralis — with a spread of 15 feet and 

 fronds 12 to 15 feet tall, planted out of 

 a 12-incli pot two years ago last No- 

 vember. Would this be considered ex- 

 traordinary growth? Same age in pots 

 are alx>ut three feet tall. 



Florida. A. B. 



I am delighted, Mr. Editor, to see by 

 frequent evidence of late that the 

 Florist.s' Review is read by many in 

 way down south Florida. I know it is 



much appreciated in many parts of Eu- 

 roiie. even to the steppes of Siberia. I 

 liave liad letters from your subscribers 

 in New Zealand and Australia, in fact, 

 from all parts of the world except West- 

 ern Springs, 111., and the Congo Free 

 State, and you will soon have to amend 

 its title and call it the "Universal 

 Florists' Review." 



But to the questions. A. B. has doubt- 

 less read frequently of the treatment we 

 give the Azalea indica in the north. 

 Time was when the writer thought it 

 was cheaper to throw them away if they 

 had not sold the first spring after im- 

 porting, but we think verj- diff'erently 

 now, and every spring some of the finest 

 plants we have are those we have carried 

 over the previous summer. After flow- 

 ering they are well trimmed back and 

 put into a night temperature of 55 de- 

 grees and kept well syringed. They 

 soon break out into liew growth, and 

 after all fear of frost are plunged out 

 of doors in the full sun, and all they 

 want then is room to grow, plenty of 

 water, and a daily spraying. Some 

 growers who have a suitable soil plant 

 lliem out and they lift well in the fall. 

 Our soil has too much lime in it to ad- 

 mit of that. 



Now. most likely all of the above is 

 nf little use to A. B., for perhaps he 

 >imply wants to know how to treat them 

 as a hardy shrub, for doubtless they are 

 perfectly hardy in any part of Florida. 

 When received from the north, if in fair 

 order, trim them well back : don't be 

 afraid. Plant in a suitable loam, or a 



muck that is not too mucky and wet, 

 and perhaps a slight shade would be 

 helpful. Under these conditions I 

 should think these azaleas would thrive 

 fairly well in Florida. 



Latania borbonica and phoenix palms 

 need a larger tub when you are sure 

 that their present tub is crowded with 

 roots, and if they show roots on the 

 surface you can be sure that the tub is 

 crowded with roots. Either of these 

 palms with a spread of ten feet would 

 need a tub 2* feet in diameter. 



Yes, your Alsophila australis has 

 made a wonderful growth, and that's 

 what your almost perpetual summer 

 can do. Planted out in our modern con- 

 servatories, or out of doors in your cli- 

 mate it is a handsome tree fern, but as 

 a ])lant for decorating for the florist it 

 is tlie most useless of all. 



William Scott. 



ASTERS. 



Can asters planted out the latter part 

 of April in a carnation house be gotten 

 out in time for benching carnations in 

 the fall? If so, what are the varieties 

 best suited for cut flowers and when 

 should seed be sown? Can you suggest 

 anything else in the cut flower line that 

 can be used for this purpose? 



A Subscriber. 



In the days when we thought that 

 middle to end of September was early 

 enough for planting carnations we grew 

 a crop of asters for several seasons on the 

 benches that had grown carnations and 



Table Center Piece. No. 4. 



