518 FRITZ BAHR'S COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE 



est way is to grow them from cuttings taken in February from old 

 plants carried in pots over Winter in a cool house. A good-sized 

 plant will give you hundreds of cuttings. 



SCABIOSA (PINCUSHION FLOWER) 



The Scabiosas are among the very best of Summer-flowering 

 annuals. Their long-stemmed flowers last in water for four or five 

 days and you can get seed in separate colors, so as to obtain flowers 

 almost any shade you want from snow white to velvety black- 

 purple, or from soft flesh and rose-pink to a rich crimson, as well 

 as a delicate, light lavender blue. Thus you can use them for the 

 bride's bouquet, the corsage, the funeral spray, the table decoration, 

 the flower basket or the set floral design. They make up into beau- 

 tiful wreaths and sprays either alone or used with other flowers. 

 They differ from Asters and Gladioli by flowering from June up to 

 time of frost; and they do well in almost any soil. 



For extra early blooms, sow seed in early March and pot the 

 seedlings up, planting out about one foot apart in early May. 

 Grow on a good number of plants for your Spring trade and for the 

 main crop sow outdoors in rows about the end of April. Still another 

 batch can be sown by the end of June. This planting will give you 

 somewhat better flowers and longer stems than the plants which 

 have bloomed all Summer. 



HARDY SCABIOSA 



Scabiosa caucasica is the hardy lavender Scabiosa and S. c. alba, 

 the white form. Both furnish desirable but not showy cut flowers. 

 They are easily grown from seed which if sown during June or July, 

 will bloom early the following Summer. These Scabiosas are among 

 the plants a customer will have on her perennial list and if you have 

 them on hand you can sell plants. But you wouldn't want to grow 

 them for the money you can make out of the cut flowers. 



SCHIZANTHUS (POOR MAN'S ORCHID) 



You can have Schizanthus in bloom under glass from December 

 on up to Memorial Day and, outdoors, all Summer long. The slen- 

 der branches are covered with miniature orchid-like blossoms of 

 many shades which when cut will last for days. To flower under 

 glass they require a cool house. As single specimens they can be 

 grown in pots to enormous size for early Spring. Plants in 4- and 

 5-in. pots can be had in bloom for late December and January. 

 For outdoor crops the best way is to make two or three sowings. 



