THE FLORISTS' MANUAL. 



43 



Carludovica Atrovirens. (See page 44.) 



very upright habit. For the center of 

 a large bed we don't know its equal. 



Our own American florists have 

 raised many grand varieties, equal to 

 any of the imported ones. The canna 

 seems well adapted to our climate 

 and environment. In the north in 

 winter, outside the greenhouse, our 

 vegetation is largely hibernating. The 

 sombre pines keep green 'tis true, but 

 we are without the broad-leaved ever- 

 greens of the south. Our giants of the 

 forest are bleak and bare and the 

 snow-bird fiies noisessly across the 

 waste. Our woods are solemnly still. 

 Our wild animals have scattered their 

 seeds and herbaceous plants are cov- 

 ered with their welcome overcoat of 

 snow. Except for man and his neces- 

 sities it would be a quiet scene. The 

 bear slumbers in the hollow tree and 

 dreams of honey; the squirrel stops at 

 home and enjoys the fruits of his 

 frugal care, and the marmot curls up 

 in his deep burrow but peeps out in 

 early March to see how prospects are, 

 and about the time he takes his first 

 peep is the time to sow canna seed. 

 When spring once comes our vegeta- 

 tion awakens and grows apace. Trees 

 leave out it seems in a night, our 



woods and fields are clothed with leaf 

 and blossom, and music is everywhere 

 and free to all from the tireless throat 

 of the frog and the sweet call of the 

 meadow lark (which is not a lark at 

 all, but a starling), and it seems to 

 me that the quick and stately growth 

 of the canna is in keeping with all this, 

 and is our ideal decorative plant. 



Cannas come largely true from seed, 

 and good plants can be raised by sow- 

 ing in February for the following sum- 

 mer's use. The seed is so hard that 

 it is well to not only soak it in a bag 

 suspended in hot water, which you 

 can renew occasionally, but are all the 

 better if you take each seed, held firm- 

 ly by a pair of pincers and slice off a 

 small piece of the hard covering of the 

 seed. Sow in pans in three inches of 

 soil, covering the seed half an inch 

 or more. We place the pans on the 

 hot-water pipes, which quickens the 

 growth of the seed. When the plant 

 is three inches high we remove it and 

 start it growing in a pot; but don't 

 throw away the contents of the pan, 

 for there are always more to come, 

 and they will likely keep straggling 

 along for months. Grow the seedlings 

 along in a light, warm house and by 



June 1st, which is planting time, they 

 should be in 4-inch pots. 



The readiest way, and that by which 

 all fine varieties are propagated, is by 

 cutting up or division of the root. The 

 old stools that have been stored all 

 winter are divided in March. If the 

 piece of root is three or four inches 

 long, with one good eye or bud, it is 

 large enough to make a fine plant. We 

 place the pieces of root in three or 

 four inches of sand and old hot-bed 

 manure in flats about the middle or 

 end of March and place the flats on 

 the pipes where the heat is not too 

 violent. They start to root and grow 

 immediately. 



By middle of April you have pre- 

 sumably got rid of your lilies, etc., and 

 can find room to pot off the cannas 

 into 4 and 5-inch pots. They should 

 have a light bench in a light house and 

 no shade, but abundance of water, and 

 by the first of June they will be fine 

 plants, many of them sending up their 

 first spike of flowers. 



Any soil that is one-third half rot- 

 ten manure will do for the cannas. 

 You cannot give them too deep or too 

 rich a soil and they require a great 

 abundance of water. They are usually 

 planted 15 to 18 inches apart. 



When the foliage is destroyed by 

 frost the tops are cut down to within 

 six inches of the ground and the 

 clump of roots lifted and removed to 

 beneath a dry bench. On the ground 

 beneath a carnation bench is an ex- 

 cellent place, or anywhere the tempe- 

 rature is between 40 and 50 degrees, 

 but it must not be wet or they will 

 start to grow. Neither must there be 

 a drip; the latter is, I know from ex- 

 perience, very bad for them, as the 

 roots will rot.- It is better when plac- 

 ing them under the bench to put 

 boards under them for the moisture of 

 the soil;- however dry it may appear, 

 will start them growing. A root-house 

 for the purpose, where dahlias would 

 keep, would be the best place, but few 

 of us have that, and beneath the 

 benches is amply good providing you 

 guard against drip on them. 



We always treat the canna as an her- 

 baceous plant, and it is called so by 

 high authorities, but, in their tropical 



One or the Largest Stocks or.... 



Cannas 



COTTAGE GARDENS, 



QUEENS, N. Y. 



ALSO MANY 



HOVELTIES. 



In Greenhouse and 

 Bedding Plants. 



We have an 



unlimited quantity 



of the very best soil 



for greenhouse work, as well as one of the most 



complete and best appointed greenhouse plants 



in existence. 



