October 11, 1917. 



The Florists^ Review 



21 



keep the plants well on the dry side, 

 especially at the finishing stages; sec- 

 ond, see that the plants do not lack 

 nourishment. If these two points are 

 properly observed, plants well fur- 

 nished with foliage in pot or pan will 

 be the result. A night temperature of 

 56 degrees at about the time the plants 

 begin to develop their bracts is enough. 



Sometimes before regular firing begins 

 the temperature may drop as low as 45 

 degrees for a few nights, but no harm 

 will result if the plants are kept rather 

 i dry. For fertilizing I prefer to mulch 

 the plants with old stable manure, re- 

 newing it at the end of two weeks, 

 rather than give them manure water. 



L. 



SEASONABLE i^ 

 i^ SUGGESTIONS 



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Cinerarias and Calceolarias. 



A coldframe is the ideal place for 

 cinerarias and calceoMfjJis for some 

 time yet; in fact, if well protected they 

 do just as well there until the mum sea- 

 son has passed, if greenhouse space is 

 limited. At this season the larvae of 

 the cabbage moth are liable to do con- 

 siderable damage to the foliage. The 

 plants should be examined daily for 

 any traces of this pest, for which hand- 

 picking is the best remedy. The plants 

 grow rapidly now that the nights are 

 colder and must be spaced apart quite 

 frequently, while potting will need close 

 attention. The plants should never be 

 allowed to become potbound. If, per- 

 chance, they get into that condition, 

 scratch the roots somewhat with a 

 pointed stick, so as to loosen them a 

 little before potting. 



If you have some early cinerarias in 

 6-inch or 7-inch pots, and want them 

 for Christmas, place these in a green- 

 house now, but be sure to shade them 

 from bright sunshine, air abundantly 

 and let the night temperature run down 

 to 50 degrees. Later in the season 

 5 degrees lower will sufiice. Spray or 

 fumigate regularly for green aphis, 

 which is specially fond of both ciner- 

 arias and calceolarias. 



Cyclamens. 



Anyone who has a large batch of 

 cyclamens this season has good prop- 

 erty. They are splendid house plants, 

 not being affected by an occasional dry- 

 ing up at the root as are many other 

 plants. Tlic bulk of the stock is usually 

 cleared out for Thanksgiving or Clirist- 

 mas, although plants may be kept over 

 for spring exhibitions or Easter in a 

 cold house. The man who grows a few 

 dozens or hundreds of plants, and per- 

 haps has no special house well ada^tted 

 to their culture, will find they do well 

 around the sides of a carnation liouse. 

 Where walks come between tlie walls 

 and the benches it is often possible to 

 erect a narrow bench just wide enougli 

 to hold a single row of cyclamens. A 

 carnation temperature also suits tlieni 

 well. 



If wanted for late blooming, the 

 cyclamens can stay out in the cold- 

 frames for some time yet. Give the 

 plants their final potting now if this 

 has not yet been done, not forgetting 

 to use a light compost containing plenty 

 of half rotted leaves; in sucli a soil 

 cyclamen roots love to travel. Every 

 year growers liavc trouble with cycla- 

 men mite. There is no real cure for 

 this. It shows itself in deformed leaves 

 and flowers, and plants thus affected 



might just as well be thrown away at 

 once. 



Antirrhinums. 



Antirrhinums that were benched early 

 in August, allowed to run up to flower 

 and then pinched back tolerably hard, 

 now carry several shoots each and 

 some of these are coming into flower. 

 While the stems are rather short now, 

 nice bunches make an acceptable addi- 

 tion to our flower supply, coming in, 

 as they do, while carnations are small 

 and before many mums are in evidence. 

 Leaf and stem disease again is trouble- 

 some this season on snapdragons. 

 Where the leaves only are affected, pick 

 them off and spray with Bordeaux 

 mixture. If, however, blotches of dis- 

 ease show on the stems, cut off the 

 affected parts and burn them. If the 

 plants are badly attacked, it will be 

 better to destroy them. As usual, 

 plants raised from cuttings, being less 

 vigorous than seedlings, are suffering 

 worse from disease. Do not spray snap- 

 dragons overhead. Allow them to dry 

 out well between M^aterings. For a 

 successful winter crop give them a re- 

 stricted root-run. Sow seeds now for 

 plants to produce an early spring crop. 



Rambler Roses in Pots. 



Pot-grown ramblers are the best for 

 early forcing. • Their canes are now 

 well developed.. To assist in maturing 

 the wood, take the pots out of the 

 ground where they have been plunged 

 and lay them on their sides. If we get 

 hot weather they may need a little 

 water. Usually, however, good spray- 

 ings from the hose will keep them suffi- 

 ciently plump. These pot-grown ram- 

 blers ripen their wood much earlier than 

 field-grown stock and are much more 

 dependable for early forcing. 



Nerines. 



Spikes are now commencing to ap- 

 pear on the nerines, or Guernsey lilies. 

 Our plants have been baking under 

 glass all summer. This thorough dry- 

 ing is needed to harden the bulbs and 

 make them flower freely. Eemove all 

 dead foliage. Where any bulbs are 

 much crowded, divide them and give 

 them a small shift. Be sure tlie shift 

 is a small one, as nerines will grow well 

 but flower si)arsely until tlie pots are 

 matted witli roots. Tliey flower best in 

 comparatively small pots, anywhere 

 from .'{-incli to 6-ineh. They succeed 

 well in a cold greenhouse. After 

 flowering they can be successfully win- 

 tered in any unheated but frost-proof 

 pit. 



Planting Irises and Peonies. 



For the best results, irises and peo- 

 nies should be transplanted during 

 September or early October. The Ger- 

 man and Japanese irises do much better 

 if planted tolerably early. In the case 

 of peonies, while they may be success- 

 fully planted until freezing-up weather 

 arrives, the early planted stock will 

 show a decided advance over the late, 

 Avhen growth starts in spring. Be care- 

 ful not to plant the German irises too 

 deeply; also avoid ground where water 

 will lie in winter. The pallida types 

 are the finest for florists and possess 

 greater vigor than any other sorts. 



Norfolk, Va. — The store of George, 

 Inc., has been remodeled from end to 

 end. Tlic pro])rietors are George E. 

 Ellis and W. W. Leo. 



Oklahoma City, Okla. — Hutchinson & 

 Murphcy, landscajie architects, of St. 

 Louis, Mo., have opened an office at 314 

 Terminal building, Oklahoma City. 



Little Rock, Ark.— The Hayes-Thomas 

 Grain Co., wliich operates ji seed de- 

 partment under tlie direction of David 

 ^IcTjCcs. is adding such plants as can 

 be handled without the use of a green- 

 house. 



Waxahachie, Tex. — Mrs. 'J. O. Eay, 

 who sold lier greenhouse establishment 

 five years ago, intends to embark again 

 in the florists' business. She is plan- 

 ning to build a modern greenhouse with- 

 in the next month or two. 



Tampa, Fla. — The year has been the 

 most prosfierous thus far experienced 

 bv the Knull Floral Co., savs F. A. 

 Knull. A new slat house, 50x1.10 feet, 

 has been added this summer and a glass 

 {iropagating house is being built. 



Houston, Tex. — Witli the woods 

 around Houston abounding with the 

 right kind of stock, Walter Westgate 

 thinks his venture in the decorative 

 evergreen l)usiness bids fair to be a suc- 

 cess, with the aid of advertising to move 

 his products. 



Birmingham, Ala. — H. H. Brown, 

 manager of the Sunnyliill Flower Farm, 

 1717 South Twelfth avenue, reports that 

 autumn business is opening well. Mr. 

 Brown is a strong friend of The Iteview, 

 which he says contains "reading matter 

 that is alwavs interesting and instruc- 

 tive." 



