18 



The Florists^ Review 



September 6, 1917. 



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SEASONABLE SUGGESTIONS 

 FOR SOUTHERN FLORISTS 



MUMS IN THE SOUTH. 



Control of Pests. 



From now until the flowers are cut, 

 chrysanthemum plants in the south re- 

 <^uire particular care and attention. In- 

 sect pests of all kinds are apt to be in 

 evidence, such as green fly, spider, 

 thrips, ipealy bug, etc. Mealy bug is 

 not so common as any of the others, but 

 when it does appear it is a menace and 

 liard to get rid of. Spraying with coal- 

 oil emulsion, diluted twenty to one, is 

 the best remedy. The spray must reach 

 the crown whorl of leaves, as it is these 

 the pest clings to, and it cannot be 

 reached by syringing with the hose. 

 Any of the' tobacco extracts, regularly 

 applied, will keep the other pests away. 

 Eegular daily syringing from every side 

 of the beds is also a good safeguard. 



Taking the Bud. 



In trying for early flowers, many 

 growers take buds about the time rec- 

 ommended for the northern states, but 

 such buds never develop into satisfac- 

 tory flowers. The last week in August 

 is the earliest that buds may be taken 

 to get good flowers, even on the early 

 varieties. After September 1 nearly 

 any bud will make a good flower. As a 

 rule, the plants in the south do not 

 make buds so soon as in the north, often 

 being from ten to fifteen days later. 

 The crown bud makes the best flower, 

 so that any crown bud developing after 

 September 1 may safely be taken. 



Feeding. 



A heavy mulch of fairly fresh cow 

 manure, if given early in the month 

 of August, has helped wonderfully. 

 Before applying the mulch, a good 

 sprinkling of bone flour, followed by 

 air-slaked lime, should have been given. 

 Feeding liquids should be given as soon 

 as tlie bud is taken, and applied once or 

 twice a week until the flower first shows 

 color, when all feeding should stop; 

 otherwise the petals of the flower will 

 be burned. 



Strong manure water, alternated 

 with sulphate ammonia and nitrate of 

 soda, one pound to forty gallons of 

 water, .are the most commonly used 

 liquid fertilizers. Guano, half a peck 

 dissolved in fifty gallons of weak ma- 

 nure water, is also good for a change. 

 A light top-dressing of cotton seed 

 meal, immediately watered in, may be 

 used, but this is such a powerful stimu- 

 lant that great care must be taken not 

 to overdo it. L. 



SWEET PEAS IN THE SOUTH. 



It is none too soon to sow seeds of 

 sweet peas in the house if blooms are 

 wanted for the holidays. Solid beds 

 give the best results. The winter Spen- 

 cers, which are really the only ones 

 worth growing, grow extremely tall and 

 often require ten feet of head space. 

 Use a good compost and plant in rows 

 four feet apart. After the seeds are 

 well germinated thin out to almost six 

 inches in the rows. To prevent loss from 



wilt, draw the rows up into ridges, drill 

 a small furrow on top and water the 

 furrows and both sides of the ridges 

 thoroughly. Place a thin layer of clean 

 sand in the furrows, sow the peas and 

 (55ver lightly with more sand. 



Until the young plants are ready to 

 train up the supports, do the big bulk 

 of watering on both sides of each ridge 

 only. In four years I have not lost a 

 plant by this method. The plants may 

 be mulched when two feet in height and 

 after beginning to bloom should have 

 strong manure water every week. The 

 night temperature should not go over 

 50 degrees. Ventilate the house freely, 

 avoiding extremes, to prevent mildew on 

 the vines. L. 



FREESIAS IN THE SOUTH. 



As soon as the freesia bulbs arrive 

 the first batch are started off. If want- 

 ed for cut flowers only, they may be 

 planted along the edges of the carna- 

 tion benches. They will flower from 

 the beginning to the end of January. 

 For pot plants we first put five bulbs in 

 a 4-inch pot and use these later to make 

 up large pans. This may seem the 

 longest way around, but we always 

 procure the most shapely plants in this 

 way. To get them in bloom for Christ- 

 mas, they require a much higher tem- 

 perature than carnations. The flowers 

 do not seem to -"take" specially well at 

 the holidays, and the extra heat draws 

 the plants to a rather uugainly height. 

 Allowed to mature in a cool tempera- 

 ture, the plants are of a strong, healthy 

 imture and sell remarkably well. The 

 variety Purity is considered one of the 

 best to grow. L. 



CALENDULAS IN THE SOUTH. 



The calendula pays well in the south. 

 It is easily grown on solid beds, in a 

 tarnation temperature. Seeds sown now 

 will be in time for the holidays and the 



plants will continue to bloom for the 

 rest of the season. Sow the seeds in flats, 

 and after one transplanting they can be 

 set out in the flowering beds. These 

 plants make rank growths and require 

 plenty of space, say 12x18. A single 

 wire support, carnation style, will keep 

 the plants in place. Any good, ordinary 

 compost will grow them successfully, 

 and they seem to be immune from dis- 

 ease. Neither are they "touchy" on 

 the water question, seemingly adapting 

 themselves to all conditions, wet or dry. 

 L. 



MIGNONETTE IN THE SOUTH. 



Mignonette grows easily in the south, 

 and where the flowers are in demand it 

 is a good paying crop. The first seeds 

 may be soon in the northern section 

 from September 1 to 15, and in the 

 southern section at least two weeks 

 later. The beds should be worked fine 

 and laid off in squares 8x8 inches, and 

 a few seeds dropped at each corner. 

 When the seedlings are well up, thin 

 them out to the strongest plants, and 

 when large enough pinch them once. 

 Two flowers can be taken- from each 

 plant. 



The plants require some support as 

 they grow, and they need a great deal 

 of attention to keep the side shoots re- 

 moved. The cabbage worm is fond of 

 them in a small state and will require 

 picking each day until the plants are 

 fairly well grown. The soil used should 

 be well enriched and manure water 

 should be given twice a week when the 

 plants are making buds. A night tem- 

 perature' of 45 to 50 degrees suits them. 



L. 



CALLAS IN THE SOUTH. 



Callas should be started into growth 

 now. Where the old plants have been 

 kept half dormant for the last two 

 months, trim off the bad and decayed 

 foliage, rake the surface soil and give 

 a good coating of manure prior to 

 watering thoroughly. The majority of 

 growers in the south, I believe, grow 

 callas in solid beds or benches, rather 

 than in pots, and such practice I have 

 personally found the better. It is a mis- 

 take to suppose that callas require to 

 be water-soaked all the time. They 

 like much water, but it can be over- 

 done. L. 



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HARDY PERENNIALS 



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SEASONABLE NOTES. 



Lysimachla Clethroides. 



This lysimachia, with veronica-like 

 spikes of pure white flowers, is one of 

 the finest of perennials for cutting and 

 is splendid in design work. It belongs 

 to the same family as the well known 

 moneywort, which is botanically Lysi- 

 machia Nummularia. L. clethroides 

 grows to a height of two feet and 

 blooms from July until September. It 

 spreads with great rapidity and should 

 be divided and replanted every other 

 year in order to keep it in its best con- 

 dition. Eetail florists who need white 

 flowers in the hot months will find 

 this a most useful hardy perennial. 



Planting can be done in either fall or 

 spring. Fall planting, however, gives 

 best results. 



Statice Latifolia. 



Tlic sea-lavender statice, with its 

 much branched and airy panicles of 

 violet-blue flowers, at this season makes 

 an attractive and useful plant in either 

 the herbaceous border or rock garden. 

 The flowers have excellent keeping 

 qualities and are often cut and kept in 

 a dry state as everlastings. I have 

 found them to work in nicely in floral 

 designs where the particular shade of 

 blue is wanted. Plants succeed well 

 under quite adverse conditions, but in 

 good soil and in an open, sunny loca- 

 tion they produce immense heads of 



