18 



THE FLORISTS' MANUAL. 



of its growth, and is particularly at- 

 tractive when in flower and fruit, the 

 latter lasting on the plant several 

 weeks. 



To those growing them largely for 

 the trade I might mention an item in 

 their culture which may or may not 

 be in practice. As it was an excellent 

 plan to produce a plant of the "green 

 foliaged fruiting varieties it cannot 

 but be good with the variegated vari- 

 ety. It was to plant out the young 

 rooted suckers from the 3 or 4-inch 

 pots into 6 inches of good compost un- 

 der glass during summer and lift them 

 in the fall or following spring. Where 

 some bottom heat can be given to the 



raking the surface a few times, stamp- 

 ing down with the rake. 



The commercial man who wants 

 rows of these annuals should always 

 sow in drills. For small seeds the 

 corner of the rake will make a drill 

 % to % of an inch deep. After sow- 

 ing, hold the rake in a perpendicular 

 position and as you walk along beat 

 the surface of the drill; that will 

 sufficiently cover the drill. If your 

 ground does not bake after a water- 

 ing you can water the drills. If it 

 does bake, as is usually the case, it is 

 better to trust to the spring rains. 



When any of these summer annuals 



Anthurium Flowers. 



Anthuriums. 



A. Crystallinum. 



bed they will make as much growth 

 in six months planted out as they will 

 in twelve months grown in pots. 



ANGRAECUM. 

 See Orchids. 



ANNUALS. 



The title "Hardy annual" as applied 

 to many of our summer flowering 

 plants is a misnomer, for those that 

 can be sown out of doors and come to 

 perfection before frost touches them 

 are very few. Many plants that are 

 perennials we treat as annuals, grow- 

 ing them but one year and finding it 

 most profitable to raise a new crop 

 from seed each year; primula, cinera- 

 ria, etc. 



The few annuals that can be sown 

 out of doors, such as candytuft, mig- 

 nonette, poppy, eschscholtzia, etc., 

 should be sown as soon as possible 

 after the ground is dry enough to 

 work. For the ornamental garden 

 these are best sown in small patches, 

 say eighteen inches across. Level and 

 make fine the surface of the soil, sow 

 thinly and cover the seed by finely 



are grown for cutting flowers from, 

 always sow in drills 15 or 18 inches 

 apart so the hand cultivator can be 

 used, as it saves much labor. 



For the cultivation of all annuals 

 needing the help of the greenhouse or 

 frame, see Aster. 



ANTHERICUM. 



The variegated species, A. varie- 

 gatum, is a very useful plant, used 

 largely for the margins of beds, also 

 for veranda boxes and vases. It stands 

 our hottest suns, and is as well a very 

 desirable plant for the window. 



Plants lifted from the ground and 

 potted can during the winter be di- 

 vided. Or a few plants lifted and al- 

 lowed to send up their long flower 

 spikes will supply any number of 

 young plants which spring from the 

 flower stalk and these can be taken off 

 and put in the sand, soon rooting 

 and making plants. It is a very easy 

 plant to grow in any soil, but to have 

 good, useful plants in spring it should 

 have a light house, pot room and 

 plenty of water. 



ANTHURIUM. 



Remarkable plants that are grown 

 for their curious flowers as well as 

 their fine leaves. The flowers are 

 often used in combination with or- 

 chids. Their cultivation is very simi- 

 lar to that of many of the orchids. 

 Whoever grows a few of the lat- 

 ter should grow A. Scherzerianum. 

 The flowers of this well known species 

 last in perfection two or three months. 



They are from the West Indies, 

 Central and South America. A moist, 

 hot atmosphere suits them and they 

 require an abundance of water in 

 spring and summer. In the dark, cold 

 weather less water is needed but the 

 temperature should not go below 65 

 degrees at any time. The compost 

 for potting them should be about like 

 that suited to our terrestrial orchids: 

 equal parts of peat, turfy loam, fresh 

 sphagnum, broken charcoal (not 

 powdered) or broken crocks. Fill the 

 pot one-third full of clean broken 

 crocks and then distribute the roots 

 carefully among the compost, keeping 

 the crown of the plant two or three 

 inches above the rim of the pot, and 

 cover the surface with fresh sphag- 

 num. 



There are a great number of species, 

 all beautiful and curious and worthy 

 of a place in every collection of hot- 

 house plants. A. Andreanum and A. 

 Scherzerianum are grand sorts for 

 cutting. 



ANTIRRHINUM. 



Some very useful strains of the com- 

 mon A. majus (the Snapdragon) are 

 now used for forcing. To get them 

 true to color they must be propagated 

 by cuttings. Plants struck early in 

 the spring and kept from flowering- 

 can be planted out in September on 

 the bench in 5 or 6 inches of good 

 soil. A temperature of 50 degrees at 

 night will suit them very well. They 

 continue to bloom throughout the 

 winter, and as a novelty the flowers 

 are valuable. The white and yellow 

 colors are most in demand. 



As a border plant, see Hardy Peren- 

 nials. 



APONOGETON DISTACHYON. 



A few flowers of this beautiful plant 

 occasionally appear as a novelty in the 

 windows of some of the best flower 

 stores. It is certainly a novelty, too, 

 in the cut flower market, though far 

 otherwise as a cultivated plant, having 

 been in cultivation for more than 100 

 years. It was introduced to Europe 

 from the Cape of Good Hope in the lat- 

 ter part of the last century and has 

 become so completely naturalized 

 upon some lakes and streams as to ap- 

 pear like a native so great is its lux- 

 uriance. 



Doubtless much might be done with 

 it in American waters in southern lat- 

 itudes, but the present object of this 

 note is to advise those who have the 

 facilities to give it a little attention 

 under glass for winter flowering, and 

 small indeed are its cultural needs. 

 Grown under glass it would be an 



