THE FLORISTS' MANUAL. 



83 



Easter Basket of Lilies, Azaleas, Hyacinths and Ferns. 



Mealy bug often bothers the leaves. 

 As the plants want and thrive with 

 any amount of syringing, there is little 

 excuse for that. Here is a plant that, 

 when growing, should never be wa- 

 tered with our hydrant water, which is 

 too often near ice water. The water in 

 winter should be 60 degrees always. 

 This, I believe, is a valuable point in 

 their culture. 



EUPATORIUM. 



A large genus of herbaceous or 

 shrubby plants. A few of them are 

 native, hardy plants, but not of any 

 value to the florist, although some 

 years ago, in the absence of better 

 flowers some of the species were large- 

 ly grown to supply white material for 

 designs, etc. 



The species riparium is the most 

 valuable for the florist, but the quality 

 and value of its flowers are not suffi- 

 cient to pay for the trouble and the 

 space under glass. 



After flowering in March, cut back 

 the stems and from the young growths 

 make cuttings, which root most eas- 

 ily. After frost is gone plant out 18 

 inches apart. Pinch the shoots^,s they 

 grow during summer. They grow free- 

 ly in any soil. In early October, or be- 



fore frost appears, lift with a ball of 

 earth and plant on the bench in six 

 inches of soil. 



As before stated, the panicles of pure 

 white flowers would be useful if we 

 did not have ether flowers of more 

 beauty. It has not the beauty or fin- 

 ish of the bouvardia, and occupies the 

 benches a long time. 



EUPHORBIA. 



In almost every private collection of 

 greenhouse plants of years ago you 

 would be sure to see a plant of E. 

 splendens and E. fulgens, generally 

 known as E. Jaquiniaeflora. The poin- 

 settia also belongs to the euphorbias, 

 but it is so generally known as poin- 

 settia that under that name I have de- 

 scribed it. 



The peculiarity of the euphorbias, at 

 least those we grow, is that the flower 

 proper is very inconspicuous, but the 

 bracts, scarcely noticeable in many 

 flowers, are in the euphorbias highly 

 developed both in size and color, and 

 by a casual observer the bracts are 

 mistaken for petals. 



E. splendens can be dismissed by 

 saying that it is of no value to the 

 commercial man. It is easily grown, 

 rather slow of growth, should be 

 stood out of doors in the hottest 

 months, and needs a warm tempera- 

 ture in winter. The stems are covered 

 with sharp thorns. The plant needs 

 training on stakes or a trellis. When 

 in flower its bright red clustered bracts 

 make the plant very showy. But leave 

 it to the private establishment. 



E. fulgens is a beautiful plant and 

 twenty years ago was one of our 

 standard winter flowering plants, 

 thought then to be indispensable. 

 When baskets were made of a variety 

 of flowers, it was a favorite with us 

 for an edging, and it is a rich looking, 

 graceful flower wherever you use it. 

 They make annually long growths, and 

 the flowers, which are orange scarlet, 

 are placed close to the stem, forming 

 long, handsome wreath-like flowers. 

 Plants that have flowered during win- 

 ter can be cut up into cuttings. Any- 

 thing but the old, hard wood will root. 

 If cut back in April, young shoots will 

 start, which, of course, root the quick- 

 est. April and May are good months 

 to put in the cuttings, and keep them 

 wet and shaded. Be careful when pot- 

 ting off to not let them wilt from sun 

 or dryness. 



Grow on in a warm, light house, and 



Bench of Eucharis Grandiflora. 



