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HORTICULTURE, 



December 8, 1906 



more be assessed for each and every forfeit, and this 

 rule to be strictly enforced. The other would be to pub- 

 lish the names of exhibitors withdrawing and put their 

 names among the "also rans," for instance : A won 1st, 

 B won 2nd, C won 3rd, E unplaced, F unplaced, G 

 withdrew, H withdrew. Thus the acknowledgement of 

 fear of defeat would be there, and perhaps it would 

 have a tendency to bolster up some of the weak-kneed 

 people that show at our exhibitions for their own gains 

 only. The desire to secure premiums (notably firsts) 

 for advertising purposes as the great reason is to be 

 deprecated, for it is not good business policy to show 

 our goods where defeat is certain, if the successful com- 

 petitor proposes to use same for display ads., as is the 

 custom in recent years, therefore some stimulant is 

 needed to infuse a little of the sporting spirit in the 

 exhibitor. 



Lapagerias 



In il rawing attention to these greenhouse climbing 

 plants, one has the feeling of making' play upon the 

 obvious, so well known are they to horticulturists; 

 nevertheless one notes a decline in favor, due not to 

 any lack of merit, or rivalry in the way of novelties, 

 for nothing superior as cool climbing plants have ap- 

 peared, but rather to a general carelessness in treat- 

 ment and the inevitably slow method of propagation, 

 which makes them hardly profitable to the trade ex- 

 cept in large quantities. How useful and beautiful 

 they are! One of the writer's earliest memories is of 

 two large houses covered from end to end with alter- 

 nate plants of white and rod varieties, bearing innu- 

 merable pendulous blooiris. These were cut freely, but 

 the plants were grown in huge pots and afterwards cut 

 down for layering purposes to supply a large demand 

 for young stock. It is rarely that one sees now any 

 quantity of fresh young plants. 



Their native habitat being on the slopes of the Chil- 

 ian mountains, they delight in cool and shady situations 

 with abundance of fresh air day and night whenever 

 t)ossible; train them on trellis wires, at least 18 inches 

 from the glass; a close, fiery atmosphere is against 

 success and breeds scale and thrips freely; syringe well 

 during growth, but in winter this must cease or the 

 leaves will turn bad at the tips or spot on the surface. 

 They do better planted out in a prepared bed rather 

 than in pots; the beds should be well drained, as when 

 growing they need much water and a stagnant soil must 

 be avoided; rough sods of peat may be put on the top 

 of drainage and the rest a mixture of peat three parts 

 and one part of leaf -mould, with a liberal addition of 



silver sand. The foliage and stems must be let down 

 at least once in two years and thoroughly cleansed and 

 subjected to a little pruning of old growth. 



In growing pot plants, in preference to wrapping 

 around sticks, the growths should each have a string of 

 cotton to run up, as is often done with smilax; after- 

 ward, when growth is completed they may be put 

 around the sticks; growths from the base should be 

 circled with cotton wadding, as slugs are very partial 

 to these. The Alba variety is generally favored, but 

 when mixed a better effect is secured. They are useful 

 for floral work and though solid looking this element 

 in due projsortion with proper foil is very desirable. 



Eubra, the red variety, has been much improved upon. 

 We have now "Nash Court" variety, a deep crimson 

 and larger flower; Profusa, like Rubra in color, but a 

 longer flower borne in larger clusters; Maculata is 

 lighter in color, with creamy suffused spots in the 

 throat and a very distinct variety. With regard to prop- 

 agation, they seed freely but take five or six years to 

 make nice plants from seed. They may be divided with 

 care, but layering is the best method and the one more 

 generally adopted; where possible a special house for 

 layering should be set apart, adapted in ventilation and 

 lieating to their needs. Beds may be prepared on the 

 following lines: Start on the ground floor with a foot 

 of drainage, also a foot of rough peat and bracken roots 

 on the top of this; then packing in the compost every 

 yard a i-inch drain pipe so that water may be supplied 

 to the roots without soddening the surface. One half 

 of growth may be trained on the roof with profit in cut 

 blooms and reserved for the following year's layering. 

 Peg the growths down with broken pegs to the depth 

 of about half the leaf. The young layers will be ready 

 in about twelve months' time, when these may be lifted 

 and potted, placing them in a cool case and syringing 

 freely till well established, when they may be staked 

 and moved to more airy quarters. 



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Rose House Wisdom 



I hope all my brother florists have had a good 

 Thanksgiving — good crops, good trade, good prices, 

 good health and digestion waiting on appetite when 

 there were so many good things going on that day. The 

 next holiday rush will be Christmas. Every grower 

 would like to be in crop at every holiday, more especial- 

 ly at Christmas, when there is so much good feeling 

 and joy that florists then have little trouble getting sales 

 for their goods. There will be many worries until then, 

 some crops being run to a high temperature, others the 

 opposite to bring them in just right that week. There 

 is a great deal of luck in getting a house of roses to 



