trained up a rafter where it will give 

 many flowers in any greenhouse where 

 the temperature is not under 50 de- 

 grees. 



Both the tall and dwarf forms are too 

 easily raised from seed for us to think 

 of them as bedding plants, but as a 

 plant for oar veranda boxes they are 

 of consequence, their fine, bright green 

 leaves and showy flowers being always 

 liked by our patrons and soon filling 

 up and making a fine show. We never 

 remember having any left when trade 

 was over by middle of June. 



Obtain the best strain you can of 



THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



strain for bedding you can buy any 

 variety true to color and some of the 

 foliage of these is very distinct. 



Varieties of T. Lobbianum grow as 

 finely as the common nasturtium. The 

 foliage is somewhat smaller, but they 

 flower in great profusion. 



TUBEROSE (POLIANTHES TUBE- 

 ROSA). 



We can remember in another coun- 

 try when, if asked to deliver a dozen 

 tuberose bulbs to a customer, they 

 were as much trouble to procure as it 



A Florist's Uniformed Driver and Messengers. 



the tall growing kinds, and sow middle 

 of March. As soon as they have formed 

 their seed leaves pot into 2 1 /-inch and 

 keep them in a temperature of 50 da- 

 grees. They will grow very fast and in 

 any soil. If grown on the bench they 

 will quickly become unmanageable, 30 

 we put them on a hanging shelf where 

 they will get air and light and occa- 

 sionally short of water, which does not 

 hurt them at all, but induces them to 

 flower. Their roots when put into the 

 basket or vase have not much room to 

 spread and they flower freely. 



There are many named varieties of 

 the tall growing nasturtiums, but we 

 find a good mixture answers every 

 purpose. In the dwarf or Tom Thumb 



would be now to get a young kangaroo 

 from Tasmania. And we can also ra- 

 member when they were used here 

 with us to such an extent that the peo- 

 ple utterly tired of them, or fashion 

 said so. Twenty-five years ago they 

 were a flower of the first importance. 

 But how have the mighty fallen! To 

 put in cheap cut flowers is about all 

 you can do with them. Nevertheless 

 it is a beautiful sweet flower. 



The bulbs are now offered so cheap- 

 ly that the cost is of no consideration 

 if you have the room to grow them. 

 The raising of bulbs is done by plant- 

 ing the young offshoots in the spring 

 in good, rich land and in favorable 

 seasons they will make a flowering 

 bulb by the following fall. But that 



better be left to those who have a suit- 

 able soil, a genial climate and cheap 

 help, although as far north as Ohio 

 good bulbs are raised. 



Tuberose bulbs should never be sent 

 by rail during a cold spell. A slight 

 frost will destroy them and a low tem- 

 perature for a few days will much in- 

 jure them. When unpacked keep them 

 in flats in a shed which is never below 

 50 degress. We pull off all offshoot,-; 

 and scrape off all signs of any side 

 growth and cut square off the hard root 

 growth below the bulb. Fill some 

 flats, such flats as we use for tulips, 

 with a mixture of sand and loam, about 

 half and half, and plant the bulbs about 

 two inches apart, putting bottom of 

 bulb an inch into the soil. If kept 

 moist with the flats placed on or just 

 over some hot water pipes growth will 

 soon begin and in two or three weeks 

 we pot them into 4-inch and place them 

 in a mild hot-bed. This gives us good, 

 strong plants by starting them in 

 March to sell at bedding time. 



For your own use you can start them 

 still later in the same way. Where you 

 have good light, warm soil you can 

 plant them out, but they come cleaner 

 and finer when grown in pots under 

 glass, and you have usually plenty of 

 bench room in the summer months. 

 They make many roots and when 

 growing want lots of water. 



The spikes are now sold very cheap- 

 ly, but you should always raise a thou- 

 sand or more, for you can raise them 

 very cheaply and although there is or 

 was a foolish prejudice against them 

 they are a sweet and most beautiful 

 flower and will come very useful on 

 many occasions. 



VALLOTA PURPUREA. 



This is generally called amaryllis. 

 but is botanically a genus of its own, 

 and one of the most beatuiful of its 

 class. Having seen some plants of 

 these very recently grown in 8-in. pots 

 with nine to twelve spikes and thirty 

 flowers, under the care of a matron 

 who had nothing but a cottage win- 

 dow, it seems worthy of some notice. 

 It flowers during summer. 



Three bulbs in an 8-inch pot will 

 make a fine display when they are well 

 established. Dry bulbs can be bought 

 in the spring, but it should be treated 

 as an evergreen bulb, and during win- 

 ter they should be kept cool with less 

 water, but not dust dry or be disturbed. 

 Plant the bulbs four inches below the 

 surface. They may not flower the first 

 year, but will in a year or two get well 

 established, and in June or July send 

 up a number of spikes with their 

 handsome red and pink flowers. 



V. purpurea is the species, and V. p. 

 fiximia is a grand variety. To grow 

 them well they should be given a cool 

 but light bench in winter and be kept 

 moderately dry. In May when they 

 begin to grow give them plenty of 

 water. Drain the pot when starting 

 new bulbs, and use good fibrous loam 

 with a fourth of decayed manure, 



