THE FLORISTS' MANUAL. 



J77 



They are raised in very large quan- 

 tities by some farmer-gardeners and 

 sent to our cities in small baskets 

 holding one dozen plants, and usually 

 sold at the popular price of 25 cents 

 per dozen. 



For this purpose the seed is sown in 

 beds out of doors the end of July. 

 Kept watered they come along all 

 right and make showy little plants. 

 End of August or early September 

 they are transplanted into beds four or 

 five feet across and as long as you like, 

 and the plants three or four inches 

 apart. Usually with plenty of snow 

 during our coldest months these strong 

 plants (for they are strong plants in 

 flower before winter comes) come 

 through all right, and a warm rain or 

 two and a few fine days in April and 

 they are gay again and quickly start 

 to grow, and are mostly sold in May. 



Last winter was a scorcher, and 

 when you get two weeks zero and be- 

 low on bare ground it goes hard with 

 these little plants; thousands perished. 

 Some straw, very thinly laid between 

 the plants will help a great deal. It 

 will catch the fast driving, drifting 

 snow that otherwise would fly along 

 to join the other particles at the fence 

 row. Hemlock boughs with their 

 arching stems upwards is an excellent 

 covering, it does not lie heavily on the 

 plants. Whatever you use don't put it 

 on early; there is never any harm 

 done till middle of November. 



Florists who have a demand for 

 some good pansies by end of April, 



Pandanus Reflexus. 



Pandanos Graminifolius. 



either for those who have the good 

 sense to plant early or for vases in our 

 cemeteries, should sow not later than 

 middle of August. You can sow in 

 cold-frame and shade the seed bed, but 

 uncover as soon as well up or the little 

 plants will be drawn. 



Middle of September transplant into 

 a cold-frame four or five inches apart, 

 and after one good watering seldom 

 anything more is needed till first of 

 December, or even later if winter keeps 

 off. Then cover with glazed sash, and 

 on mild days in winter, which we do 

 occasionally get, give ventilation. Be 

 sure in March to give air on sunny 

 days or your pansies will draw up and 

 be useless. In fact on mild sunny days 

 it is better to remove the sash, and as 

 soon as frost is out of the ground re- 

 move the sash entirely. 



The frosts of winter have usually 

 heaved the plants out some so the first 

 job in spring is to go over the beds 

 and press them back. These plants 

 will be large and give fine, perfect 

 flowers, and you will get at least 50 

 cents a dozen for them and should get 

 more. When Mr. Pumpkin brings in 

 his wagonloads and sells at 25 cents a 

 dozen, and every grocer handles them, 

 you are out of it. 



If you have forgotten to sow in the 

 fall you can make a sowing in the 

 greenhouse in flats in January or Feb- 

 ruary, and by pricking out in other 

 flats and giving them the coolest, light- 

 est bench you have, and putting the 

 flats into a cold-frame early in April, 



