54 



THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



ted in a cockscomb. It was a "pin 

 cushion" bed, and very striking and 

 pleasing it was. 



When to 'be used as a bedding plant, 

 sow seed of this celosia in March, and 

 as soon as the little plants can be 

 handled transplant into flats one inch 

 apart. When still larger they should 

 be shifted into 3-inch pots, from which 

 they can be bedded out. 



If grown as a pot plant, shift from 

 the 3-inch to a 5-inch pot, which is as 

 large as they should have, or a 6-inch 

 at most. In growing a specimen in a 

 pot, the prime object is to get a fine, 

 broad head on a very dwarf plant, and 

 it is almost impossible to attain per- 

 fection unless they are grown in hot- 



pots, but here our summers suit them 

 finely out of doors. They can be plant- 

 ed out in the border after all danger 

 of frost has passed. 



Celosia pyramidalis makes a fine 

 plant. It grows 18 inches to 2 feet 

 high and should not be planted closer 

 than 15 inches apart. 



C. Huttonii has very beautiful red 

 spikes of flowers and crimson foliage. 

 It is worth lifting and growing in 

 pots. 



CENTAUREA. 



The plants the florist grows under 

 this name are both white and silvery 

 leaved plants. 



C. candidissima (this I think should 



Cockscomb (Celosia Cristata.) 



beds, with their heads near the glass. 

 When the heat of the bed is entirely 

 gone, shift and remove to a fresh one. 

 They like heat at the roots as well as 

 at the top. When, growing freely, and 

 particularly when forming their im- 

 mense "combs," they must never be 

 stunted from lack of water; and from 

 the time they are in 3-inch pots, to 

 insure a more even moisture at the 

 roots the pots should be plunged. They 

 want little shade, and that not till the 

 end of May; then it should be only 

 during the hottest hours of the day. 

 Their successful culture can be sum- 

 med up thus: A very rich soil, abun- 

 dance of water, perfect light, and a 

 warm, humid atmosphere. 



Few insects trouble them. If aphis 

 appears, manage to give them a mild 

 smoking, even if they are in a frame. 

 A cockscomb poorly grown is a very 

 commonplace plant, but when; done to 

 perfection it is a wonder. 



Besides C. cristata there are other 

 celosias that are very handsome for 

 the mixed border. In Europe they 

 are grown for indoor decoration in 



be ragusina) is a very fine, silvery 

 leaved plant and was once more large- 

 ly grown than at present. Its fine 

 entire leaf was grand for the edge 

 of beds or long ribbon borders. 



It is an almost hardy plant and ex- 

 cept when being propagated requires 

 but little heat in the winter time. One 

 reason why this good bedding plant is 

 not more often grown is that it has 

 the bad habit of rotting off in summer 

 and leaving an unsightly gap in the 

 bed or border. 



If raised from seed sow not later 

 than September and grow along on a 

 light, cool shelf all winter. By bed- 

 ding out time you will have a plant 

 in a 3-inch pot, which is none too 

 large. If propagated by cuttings lift 

 a number of old plants in October. A 

 good many of the old leaves can be 

 shortened or cut away. During winter 

 cut up the old plant, from which you 

 will get a number of cuttings. They 

 are really more nearly divisions or 

 offshoots. They root with ordinary 

 care in the sand, and must be grown 

 on cool and light. 



C. gymnocarpa, the kind with divide 

 ed, feathery leaves, is not as clear 

 and distinct a bedding plant, (but is 

 more generally useful. It is used large- 

 ly in our vases and veranda boxes as 

 well as for the edging of large beds. 



It is always raised from seed, which 

 sow in flats in January. They should 

 be grown on light and cool, but not 

 starved for want of pot room. A hot- 

 bed makes them jump, but produces 

 too rank a growth. By middle of April 

 they should go into a 3 or 3 V^ -inch 

 pot and be plunged in a cold frame 

 where they will make sturdy, useful 

 plants. 



CHEIRANTHUS (Wall Flower.) 



If it were not for seeing a plant of 

 this old favorite perennial occasional- 

 ly in our public markets we would 

 forget them entirely. The Germans 

 have raised some fine strains of these 

 most fragrant flowers and their peo- 

 ple are always fond of them. 



If you buy seed of the best double- 

 flowered strain you will be sure to 

 get some singles among them. The 

 prevailing colors are red, brown and 

 yellow. Were it not for its odor the 

 flower would not be highly prized, but 

 few flowers have a fragrance that 

 pleases everybody as doesi the wall 

 flower. 



For the border the seed can be sown 

 in August and the seedlings planted 

 out in a cold-frame, protected during 

 winter 1 and transplanted to their per- 

 manent quarters when the ground is 

 dry. 



For raising in pots sow in April and 

 May and plant out in the open ground 

 in June. Lift in October and winter 

 them in a well protected cold-frame, 

 or better yet, in a very cool house, 

 where they will throw up their spikes 

 of flowers in May or earlier. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM. 



For a hundred years the chrysan- 

 themums have had periods of great 

 popularity and then of neglect. Per- 

 haps it would be safe to say that with 

 the American public the tide of pres- 

 ent popularity is now just at the flood 

 and the craze of 10 years ago has 

 slightly subsided, yet not to any great 

 extent. There is no longer a dozen 

 firms each sending out a new set an- 

 nually at Klondike prices, for which 

 we must be devoutly thankful. An 

 aspirant for public favor now must be 

 about perfect and a slight advance on 

 preceding kinds. A few new ones 

 each year is an abundance and even 

 those are offered at a price that allows 

 us to give them a trial. We do not be- 

 lieve that chrysanthemums will ever 

 drop from public favor, as say for in- 

 stance the camellia, for it has many 

 noble attributes to make it annually 

 welcome. The perfection to which they 

 are now grown is something former 

 generations knew nothing of and the 

 flower-buying public of 30 years ago 

 was so insignificant compared with to- 

 day that it could be truthfully said to 

 be non-existent. 



The commercial florist is interested 



