THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



135 



We grow them not only as a bedding 

 plant, but. for our vases and veranda 

 boxes they are most useful, and do not 

 monopolize the whole space to the sac- 

 rifice of other plants, as do the strong- 

 er growing coleus. 



Green fly attacks them if smoking is 

 neglected, and mealy bugs like them, 

 but that can be thoroughly cleaned off 

 when you start a new batch of cut- 

 tings. 



Nothing can possibly root better 

 than iresine at all times of the year. 

 We select a few cuttings from outside 

 that are clean and healthy in Septem- 

 ber, and from a few dozen of each 

 kind a large lot can be produced by 

 bedding time. A hotbed grows th,9m 

 thrifty and quickly and gives you a 

 chance to harden them off. To grow 

 fast for cuttings they should have a 

 temperature of 60 degrees, but will 

 tiirive finely in 10 degrees less. 



1. Herbstii is the useful sort we 

 know as Verschaffeltii; finely colored, 

 habit spreading and free. 



I. Herbstii aurea reticulata is the 

 variegated form. 



I. Lindenii is more erect; narrow 

 leaves, deep, rich color; a fine bedding 

 plant. 



There is also another variety, or I 

 believe a species (the correct name I 

 cannot find) with smaller, rounded 

 leaf, of a fine "bottle green" color; 

 in contrast with a lighter fo'.iage 

 plant, this i.s the best of all. 



JASMINUM. 



Ol' the several species of these sweet 

 scented shrubs there is only one that 

 florists cultivate, and that now is most 

 often conspicuous by its absence. But 

 we all know J. grandiflorum. A plant 

 that I can remember as long ago as I 

 can think of any plant was a large 

 bush of J. revolutum, which for the 

 larger part of tlfe summer was covered 

 with its sweet yellow blossoms. But 

 that was in the temperate climate of 

 the south coast of England. Here it 

 is not hardy. 



J. grandiflorum needs a temperature 

 of 50 degrees during winter. The 

 young growths root readily in the 

 spring, and if planted out after frost 

 is gone and kept pinched they make 

 fine bushy little plants and can be 

 lifted and potted, and will flower in 

 October and November. They can not 

 be called a showy plant and would re- 

 ceive no attention if it were not for 

 their delicious fragrance. 



The jasmine is no more a climber 

 than a heliotrope, but if you want the 

 flowers the best way is to plant one 

 out at the end of a carnation house 

 and in the spring prune it back, and 

 during summer keep it pinched so that 

 the flowering is retarded to late fall, 

 when for weddings there is often a 

 call for it. 



Unfortunately when asked for jas- 

 mine for a bride's bouquet the sweet 

 flower is gone, and again when the 

 flower is ready the bride is not. 



Any good loam will grow the jas- 

 minum. 



KALMIA. 



This is known among us as the 

 "Mountain Laurel," and is the plant 

 that furnishes the fine glossy sprays 

 that make such admirable wreathing 

 for our winter festivities. This is a 

 truly broad leaved evergreen, but as I 

 had occasion to remark under the head 

 of "Hardy Shrubs," it is in most soils 

 and localities very disappointing when 

 transported away from its native 

 mountains. Those who have never 

 seen a mountain side covered with the 

 pinkish white flowers of the kalmia 

 have little idea what a lovely shrub it 

 is on its native Alleghanies. It is 

 widely distributed. 



For an early June wedding (about 

 the time it is usually in full flower) 

 we have tried it in wreathing. Its ap- 

 pearance is fine, but the waxy florets 

 never cease dropping, which precludes 

 its use when in flower. 



Neat little plants, well set with buds, 

 are now imported from Europe suit- 

 able for forcing. They can be potted 

 and kept in cold-frame till time to 

 start them in the houses. If wanted for 

 Easter, give them six weeks in a tem- 

 perature of 50 degrees, and near 

 flowering time a little more. Though 

 very beautiful when in full flower we 

 do not attach much value to them, 

 and nine customers out of ten would 

 in preference buy an Indian azalea. 



KOENIGA (SWEET ALYSSUM.) 



The double form of this little plant 

 is quite important to the florist whose 

 business includes flower gardening, 

 and particularly for the edges of ve- 

 randa boxes and vases. Sprays of its 

 small white flowers were formerly 

 much in demand for funeral designs, 

 and plants were often grown on the 

 edges of carnation beds where the 

 flowers could hang over the walks, and 

 I have seen whole benches devoted to 

 its cultivation. As a cut flower it is 

 not now so much in favor, but as a 

 flower garden plant it is most useful. 



We lift a few old plants in Septem- 

 ber, cutting them back, and from the 

 young tender growths get lots of cut- 

 tings, or young, suitable growths from 

 outside will give you stock. During 

 winter yon can multiply it by cuttings 

 ad libitum. 



Here is another plant that we find 

 the mild hotbed suits finely. You 

 should have a large lot in 2-inch pots 

 early in April, when if shifted into 3- 

 inch and put in the hotbed they make 

 fine plants for use in boxes and vases 

 end of May. 



The large double flowering is the 

 most useful. The single or true spe- 

 cies is always raised from seed which 

 is sown out of doors in spring with 

 the summer annuals. 



Tom Thumb is a very dwarf, com- 

 pact form and is used for carpet bed- 

 ding. Raised from seed sown in Feb- 

 ruary. 



LANTANA. 



A genus of tropical evergreen shrubs 

 having very pretty flowers, mostly 

 white, pink and orange. They are 



sometimes used as greenhouse plants 

 for summer decoration, but it is as 

 flower garden plants that we use them. 

 Our summer climate suits them finely 

 and they grow very freely. They 

 cannot be used for any set design, but 

 for the mixed border, or even in a . 

 mass, they are very effective. The odor 

 of the leaf is not at all agreeable and 

 the flower for cutting useless, but for 

 all that it is a very desirable, free 

 growing and flowering summer plant. 

 It is troubled with no insects or dis- 

 eases and thrives in any ordinary 

 compost. Grow a plant or two of each 

 of the most desirable varieties in 4 or 

 5-inch pots over summer plunged out- 

 side, and at the approach of frost bring 

 them in and store in any house where 

 the temperature does not go below 50 

 degrees. After New Year's cut thesie 

 plants back a little and start in a 

 warmer house, and keep syringed. You 

 will soon have a number of young 

 shoots, which root readily in our ordi- 

 nary propagating bed. From the time 

 you bring in the plants in the fall till 

 you start them growing, keep them 

 rather dry. We sell them in 3-inch 

 pots, which is large enough, as they 

 grow very fast when planted out. 



LAPAGERIA. 



This is one of the very handsomest 

 greenhouse climbers. The pendent 

 flowers are so rich looking that when 

 a long spray of the plant is cut with 

 its flowers attached nothing can sur- 

 pass it in beauty. Such sprays were 

 seen at the Boston convention in 1890, 

 being part of the decoration of the 

 exhibit that received the first pre- 

 mium for wedding arrangement. The 

 flowers are three or four inches long, 

 resembling a miniature inverted wine 

 glass, and of great substance. They 

 appears at the axils of the leaves. The 

 leaf is rather small, dark green, and 

 the stems long and wiry. 



They want a cool, shaded house in 

 summer and will thrive in a very cool 

 house in winter. A magnificent plant 

 of the variety alba covers the roof (or 

 did) in the glazed corridor at the en- 

 trance to Veitch's nursery, Chelsea, 

 England, and I was informed it had 

 many times had to endure several de- 

 grees of frost. It was then (August) 

 covered with its magnificent flowers. 

 Unfortunately, cut close to the stem 

 the single flower would be of little use 

 to us, and you would have to possess 

 a fine plant to afford the cutting of 

 flowering sprays. 



It is often grown in large pots and 

 trained on a wi-re trellis. It is, how- 

 ever, much better planted out in the 

 border of a house with a limit to the 

 amount of room the roots can spread. 

 I have tried it here and find it does 

 not like our hot summers, eo it should 

 be in a position where you can shade 

 during summer and give plenty of air. 

 A thorough good drainage to the bor- 

 der or tub in which it is planted is of 

 first importance. A good compost 

 would be coarse fibrous loam with a 

 tenth of decayed cow manure, and to 



