14 



The Florists^ Review 



DncBHBiB 28, 1916. 



TESTING CANNAS IN TENNESSEE. 



[This Is the third of four articles containing 

 an account of canna tests on trial grounds near 

 Nashville, Tenn. The first and second articles 

 were published in The Keview of November 

 and December 7. The foiirth Installment will 

 appear in an early issue of the paper.] 



Previous articles in this series have 

 treated of white, variegated and pink 

 eannas. The red varieties are here, dis- 

 cussed. 



Among the red eannas there are so 

 many really good ones that it seems al- 

 most impossible to decide how to omit 

 enough varieties to make this report rea- 

 sonably short, and how to avoid includ- 

 ing some that are no better than others 

 that are not mentioned. We are getting 

 better red eannas every year, and it is 

 not difficult to see the progress of a dec- 

 ade. Even in the bronze-leaved reds 

 some of the newer ones are easily supe- 

 rior to the old favorite. King Humbert, 

 at least for the south, where a canna 

 must produce a large number of flowers 

 for a long season. 



As a means of shortening the list and 

 at the same time giving information 

 that may be of value to our readers, we 

 shall confine ourselves to those varieties 

 that are not yet known by all. 



Is This the Best Bed? 



Lafayette is a novelty of 1916, origi- 

 nated by Antoine Wintzer. We have 

 given it a pretty thorough test, not in 

 both our trial blocks, but only in the 

 less favorable location, without rich 

 soil and with a limited supply of water. 

 Where we cannot test a variety both 

 ways we prefer this method, since it cor- 

 responds better with the treatment that 

 eannas commonly receive. Practically 

 all who have seen our bed of this variety 

 this summer — and it was located where 

 dozens saw it every day — agree that it 

 is the best red canna to date. The foli- 

 age is green, luxuriant and healthy. 

 The flower is large, but not an orchid, 

 and in color and freedom of bloom it 

 is similar to Meteor. Under exactly 

 the same conditions it had a more daz- 

 zling color than Meteor and produced 

 fully a fourth more flowers. If it does 

 as well elsewhere as it does with us, 

 better stock up with it even if it is 

 high. 



Of Meteor, we said last season that 

 it was much overrated and we still 

 think so, though it has done much bet- 

 ter this year than in the past. We 

 think it will soon be superseded by 

 Lafayette. 



We grew enough of Wintzer 's 

 Colossal this season to be able really to 

 take its number. We had individual 



blossoms that actually reached the enor- 

 mous size of twelve inches in diameter. 

 Perhaps it may not ever become gen- 

 erally popular, for with us the flowers 

 are somewhat deficient in substance and 

 the petals droop. It is healthy, how- 

 ever, and is a great show canna. 



Firebird and Its Progeny. 



Again we have been disappointed 

 with Firebird, though it is a great 

 canna in some respects. It does not 

 seem to have enough vitality of leaf to 

 sustain it through the hot season. 

 In the cool springtime it leads us to 

 believe it is a wonder; then it lan- 

 guishes all summer. In the fall it re- 

 vives just enough to get us to dig it 

 and try again. We have not decided 

 this time whether to try again or not. 

 But here and there is a plant that seems 



to be adjusting itself to its environ- 

 ment, and another year or two may de- 

 velop an acclimated strain that wUl be 

 good. If it does, there is no other canna 

 its equal. 



Even if Firebird should prove to be 

 a failure, it will not be wholly a loss. 

 It seeds fairly easily, and is the one 

 foreign canna we know of that is a 

 good breeder. Growing by my window, 

 as I write this, are two clumps of Mr. 

 Wintzer 's Firebird Seedling No. 10. 

 Here is something that we predict has 

 a great future. The flower is as large 

 as the parent, and has practically as 

 fine a color, though hot the exact shade 

 of Firebird. These plants have with- 

 stood the terrific reflected heat of the 

 south side of my house, with no water, 

 and the foliage has been perfect all of 

 the time. Only once did the flowers 

 [OontlDnad on page 46.] 



GEEANIUM CUTTINGS DiiMPINO. 



Every year about th'* first of Sep- 

 tember I have to take large quantities 

 of geranium cuttings. Last year quite 

 a number of them rotted off and the 

 same thing is beginning to happen this 

 year. I generally prepare them, let them 

 lie on the bench a few hours, then insert 

 them in boxes containing about 200 cut- 

 tings each. The compost is one-third 

 sand and two-thirds turfy loam. Of 

 course, I am aware that cuttings should 

 not be taken too early, as there is more 

 danger of their rotting off, but in this 

 latitude we sometimes have a killing 

 frost in early September, so that if I 

 waited I would lose the season's cut- 

 tings. Any information on this matter 

 will be greatly appreciated. 



J. M.— Can. 



There always is more probability of 

 outdoor geranium cuttings damping than 

 those taken from under glass, as they 

 are so much more succulent. In making 

 cuttings take the leaves off closely and 

 rub off all the side scales. Allow the cut- 

 tings to lie on a bench over night before 

 inserting them. You will have much 



better success if, instead of using a com- 

 post of loam and sand, you use sand 

 only, and it should be fairly coarse, so 

 that water will pass quickly through it. 

 Give your flats good drainage. There is 

 nothing better than a layer of screened 

 coal cinders for this purpose. Cover the 

 cinders with some sphagnum moss, then 

 pack in your sand firmly and water. A 

 mason's trowel or any piece of sharp 

 steel will cut out the lines for the cut- 

 tings. Give the cuttings a watering 

 after they are in; after that run them 

 somewhat on the dry side until they are 

 rooted. 



If you keep the flats in the open air, 

 standing them on boards, the cuttings 

 will root better than in a greenhouse, 

 providing you can give them some pro- 

 tection from frost or heavy raia^T^ive 

 the cuttings full sun at all times; ihey 

 must never be shaded. When you take 

 them indoors place them on a shelf well 

 up to the glass. In hot weather there 

 always is more likelihood of the cuttings 

 damping than when it is cool. For this 

 reason it is better to keep your cuttings 

 in the open air as long as you can. 



C. W. 



