THE FLORISTS' MANUAL 



Window Display Symbolizing the Pan-American Exposition. 



tying or setting over plants, but what 

 should be done quickly and with a 

 rush. When men get accustomed to 

 work quickly at these light jobs it is 

 no effort to keep it up and it must be 

 done quickly or it won't pay. When 

 you set a man to turn over fifty loads 

 of earth don't expect big shovels and 

 quick work all the time. Have mercy; 

 you shoveled once yourself and may 

 again. 



THUNBERGIA ALATA. 



There are few prettier basket plants 

 than the above, and its variety T. 

 aurantiaca. Their flower resembles a 

 miniature convolvulus. They are an- 

 nuals and easily raised from seed sown 

 in March. Being true climbers they 

 are most suitable for our hanging 

 baskets. 



Sow the seed, which is quite large, in 

 light soil and keep in good heat. When 

 well up pot into 2^-inch pots; why I 

 say 2%-inch is to give them room to 

 grow, for if stunted early they soon 

 get infested with red spider, in fact 

 they are very badly addicted to it, and 

 that is their chief defect. 



When put into a basket they grow 

 quickly and soon wind up the wires or 

 hang over the sides. They should not 

 be at a lower temperature than 60 de- 

 grees at any time, and are not suited 

 for a basket in a windy situation. 



TORENIA. 



These pretty plants are grown for 

 conservatory decoration, T. Fournierii 

 being one of the prettiest species, but 

 would not be a florist's flower. T. asi- 

 atica is often used with us as a bed- 

 ding plant, being a fine plant for an 

 edging. Its blue and violet flowers are 

 very pretty and a change from the 

 prevalent reds of our flower gardens. 



It can be raised from seed sown, in 

 February and afterwards grown on in 

 flats or put into small pots and plant- 

 ed out when settled warm weather ar- 

 rives. 



It can also be carried over winter by 

 putting in cuttings in August and fur- 

 ther propagated during winter and 

 spring. Any good ordinary soil will 

 grow it. Fumigate, for it is troubled 

 with greenfly and it requires a high 

 temperature at all times. In the 



flower garden it should have a rich 

 soil, and it thrives well in partial 

 shade. 



TROPAEOLUM (NASTURTIUM). 



This useful genus is very familiar 

 to all. The tall nasturtium is one of 

 the best plants for covering fences or 

 walls when given some strings or 

 brush to climb on. The dwarf nastur- 

 tium is used as a bedding plant and in 

 mixed borders its round, compact 

 clumps have a fine appearance. They 

 are always treated as annuals and al- 

 though growing most freely in our 

 summers they will not endure the 

 slightest frost. 



The dwarf varieties of the nastur- 

 tium are not always a success as a 

 bedding plant because they are planted 

 in too rich a soil and the leaves hide 

 the flowers. Plant in rather poor soil 

 in the full sun, and you will have bet- 

 ter results. The double forms of the 

 nasturtium were formerly used as a 

 bedding plant, but we have many bet- 

 ter plants for the purpose. A dark scar- 

 let variety of the tall form is often 

 grown in an 8 or 10-inch pot and 



