THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



number of complaints that reach us 

 from time to time would indicate that 

 some houses continue to supply their 

 customers with a quantity of live 

 stock over and above what has been 

 ordered, much to the detriment of the 

 stock as well as the senders. 



The florist who would have clean 

 stock must in the first place keep all 

 his own plants perfectly free from 

 these pests, and whenever a new con 

 signment of plants is received take 

 such measures with them as will insure 

 their being thoroughly clean before in 

 troducing them among those already in 

 his possession. As a preventive against 

 introducing foreign-bred scale or mealy 

 bug into houses, we would suggest the 

 following method: If the plants are 

 not more than two or three feet in 

 height, have a suitnble size vessel filled 

 with lukewarm water, to which has been 

 added fir tree oil in the proportion of 

 one-half pint to ten gallons of water. 

 As the plants are unpacked and before 

 they are potted dip them thoroughly 

 overhead in the mixture (excepting the 

 ball, of course), being sure to immerse 

 the plant right down to the neck. 

 Plants too large for this treatment may 

 be sponged or syringed thoroughly with 

 the same concoction. After this treat 

 ment pot them up, syringe with clear 

 water, giving them an isolated posi 

 tion- quarantining them, so to speak- 

 until one is satisfied that they are per 

 fectly clean. If after a few days live 

 scales are still observed and the plants 



Areca Baueri. 



Verschaffeltia Splendida. 



are in too large numbers to go over 

 them by hand, take five gallons of luke 

 warm water, add one-half pint of fir 

 tree oil and syringe again; or make up 

 a less quantity and sponge them with 

 it. By treating infested plants when 

 they first arrive, it will be found that 

 the pests can be combated much easier 

 than if the work is deferred, while at 

 the same time the danger of the insects 

 spreading to other stock is greatly mini 

 mized. 



Propagation. 



Palms are always raised from seed. 

 Of our commercial species the cham- 

 a?rops and rhapis can be propagated 

 by suckers, but all our leading palms 

 grow easily from seed, which is now 

 imported in large quantities, and it 

 must be quite an industry, the gather 

 ing of the seed where the several spe 

 cies flourish. The seeds, which are 

 large (the kentia as big as the com 

 mon acorn, and the cocoanut will fill 

 out a vest pocket) are sown in any 

 light soil in flats or pans. A mixture of 

 leaf-mold, sand and loam in equal parts, 

 will clo finely. Just cover the seeds, 

 and place the pans over some heat. 

 the compost is at a temperature of 75 

 to 80 degrees, the seeds will germinate 

 much quicker than at 60 degrees. Keep 

 them moist but not saturated. 



When they have made one or two 

 leaves at most, pot off singly in 2-inch 

 or li^.-inch pots. Don t pot them too 

 deep; jusit to the base of the young 

 j.hint. Keep close and warm till they 



