THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



scale and, unless well syringed, also 

 red spider, but with proper attention 

 these pests may be kept down, and so 

 beautiful a palm is worthy of a little 

 extra attention in the line of cleanli 

 ness. 



Seeds are the only means of propa 

 gation for A. crinita, and as the seeds 

 of this species sometimes take over two 

 years to germinate, it is scarcely prob 

 able that this palm will become popular 

 for trade purposes. W. H. T. 



ACER JAPONICUM. 



The Japan maples are now grown in 

 pots for conservatory decoration, and 

 many are sold and forced for Easter. 

 They are largely imported, but can also 

 be obtained from American nurseries. 

 Being perfectly hardy they can be pro 

 cured in the fall and stored away in a 

 cold-pit till they are wanted to pot 

 and force. Give them two months in the 

 house from time of potting till they 

 are wanted in full leaf. If forced 

 rapidly they are more likely to wilt 

 when exposed to cold wind or dryness. 



While I have alluded to these in the 

 article on Trees and Shrubs I will 

 add here that they are most beautiful 

 little ornamentals for the lawn, either 

 in groups or singly. They proved dur 

 ing an unusualy long, cold winter to 

 be entirely hard} , coming through the 

 winter unhurt and without the slightest 

 protection. 



There are several varieties of A. Ja- 

 ponicum, the foliage shaded from yel 

 low to blood red, and all are worth 

 growing. 



ACHILLEA. 



This is a large genus of hardy peren 

 nials, many of them suitable for the 

 border and many are very valuable for 

 the rockwork, but of little use to the 

 florist. The one most useful to the 

 florist and deserving special notice is 

 &quot;The Pearl.&quot; This little plant will 

 thrive in any soil, is absolutely hardy, 

 and should be in every florist s garden. 

 It flowers in July and August. 



It is most useful as a cut flower, and 

 we have found it of great service in 

 design work when short of carnations. 



The plants spread rapidly and every 

 third or fourth year they should be 

 lifted, divided, and replanted in more 

 compact rows in the garden. This can 

 be done in early spring and you will 

 not lose the following summer s crop 

 of flowers. 



The plant is remarkably free flower 

 ing, it being just a mass of the small 

 heads of white blooms, but what makes 

 it of more than ordinary value is the 

 good stem you can cut with the flowers. 



ACHIMINES. 



Hothouse herbaceous summer flower 

 ing plants growing from loose rhizomes 

 held in high esteem in the gardens of 

 Europe but seldom seen here. They are 

 usually grown in pans from six to twelve 

 inches across and six inches deep. 

 They should have drainage and&quot; the com 

 post should be a good light loam to 

 which has been added a fourth of leaf- 



Acanthophoenix Crinita. 



mold and rotted manure. They like 

 neither a stagnant moisture nor a heavy 

 soil. 



Although not at all likely to become 

 popular as a commercial plant they are 

 by no means difficult to grow. The 

 small soft roots should be planted in 

 the pans about two inches apart in 

 February or March, pressing the roots 

 into the soil half an inch below the 

 surface, and started growing in a 

 temperature of 60 degrees. Later on, 

 as spring advances, any house will do 

 for them. Shade from the hottest 

 suns. As they grow they like an 

 abundance of water, and being subject 

 to greenfly and red spider they must 

 be lightly but regularly fumigated, and 

 up to flowering time give them a daily 

 syringing. 



They are, however well grown, en 

 tirely useless unless each stem is tied 

 to a small stake. They last a long 

 time in flower. When flowering is 

 done gradually, withhold water till the 

 foliage is entirely gone, then store 

 away under a warm, dry bench till the 

 following spring. In starting them in 

 the spring shake out of the old soil 

 entirely. They are propagated by cut 

 tings, pieces of the stem growing free 

 ly in the spring with bottom heat; 

 also by seed, sown in early spring. The 

 beginner had, however, better buy the 

 roots from a seedsman. 



Although not of commercial value the 

 achimines is a splendid plant for a 

 private greenhouse during the summer 

 months. There are a score of species, 

 nearly all from tropical America, and 

 from these hundreds of hybrid varieties. 

 And it is the hybrids that are cultivated. 



ACHYRANTHES. 



See Bedding Plants. 



ACROPHYLLUM. 



A small evergreen shrub &quot;that is 

 valuable for the private conservatory, 

 flowering freely during the spring 

 months. It is at home in a cool green 

 house but must not be exposed to frost. 

 In summer it can be plunged outside. 

 They require shifting as they grow, 

 which should be done before they 

 flower in spring. They can be propa 

 gated from the half-ripened wood in 

 May and June. Like most of the Aus 

 tralian plants, they thrive in a good, 

 coarse loam. A. venosum is the only 

 species which bears dense spikes of 

 pinkish white flowers. 



ADIANTUM. 



For the most useful commercial adi- 

 antums see the article on Ferns, in which 

 all the most important commercial 

 ferns are treated collectively. The fol 

 lowing adiantum notes are by Mr. W. H. 

 Taplin: 



A. LEGRANDI. The maidenhair fam 

 ily includes a wonderful variety in 

 both size and form, and a collection 

 embracing all the distinct forms grown 

 into specimens would occupy a very 

 large house. 



A. Legrandi belongs to the dwarf 

 section, the stipes or stems being us 

 ually but a few inches in length and 

 the fronds very compact and closely 

 clothed with small pinnae. In fact the 

 growth in small plants is so close and 

 overlapping that the foliage is quite sub- 



