18 



The Florists^ Review 



Dbcbmbbb 5, 1918. 



mean type of competition exists, one flo- 

 rist trying to gain business by under- 

 selling his fellow-tradesmen, the result 

 being the lowering of prices to a level 

 where distinct loss, instead of profit, be- 

 comes the rule. Early failure, however, 

 soon puts an end to this class of business 



man. Much might be accomplished by 

 a generous cooperation on the part of 

 competitors in the wholesome direction 

 of keeping prices right, but the best 

 plan is for each to sell his goods at a 

 figure covering production and allowing 

 a living margin of profit. Mac. 



SEASONABLE ^ 

 i^^ SUGGESTIONS 



How are the young plants progressing 

 which are to flower a year hence? They 

 must i;pt be neglected. You probably 

 still have them in flats on shelves close 

 to the glass. This is the best possible 

 place for them. Stir the soil occasion- 

 ally. Before they become too crowded 

 transfer them to 3-inch pots. Be sure 

 to use plenty of flaky leaf -mold at this 

 potting. Both cyclamens and begonias 

 root apace in this kind of leaf-mold, 

 which must not be too much decayed 

 and should feel spongy to the touch. 



ADIANTUMS. 



The bulk of adiantums commonly 

 grown for the florists' trade are grown 

 in pots, but no matter whether in pots 

 or planted out, the plants are benefited 

 by a short rest at this season. Part of 

 the ferns can be rested at a time, so 

 that a new crop of fronds will be ob- 

 tainable before all the old fronds have 

 been picked. The plants should be kept 

 dry at the roots for two or three weeks. 

 Laying them on their sides will prevent 

 their getting water they do not need. 

 After a rest any necessary repotting 

 can be done and the plants placed in a 

 warm, moist heat. For compost there 

 is nothing better than fibrous loam, 

 with some sand and a little old and dry 

 cow manure. If the loam is heavy, 

 some leaf-mold may be added to good 

 advantage. These remarks apply to 

 such adiantums as Croweanum and 

 cuneatum, which are more largely grown 

 than any others for cutting. 



PROTECTION IN COLD HOUSES. 



The coal situation is much brighter 

 than a month ago and there will be 

 more glass operated than seemed prob- 

 able a short time ago. The better mar- 

 ket prices arc proving a distinct help 

 to the grower and those who have had 

 the courage to plant their full areas are 

 being envied by some of their neighbors 

 who closed down all, or nearly all, their 

 glass. It is possible to carry over some 

 plants in unheated houses and these in- 

 clude pansies, daisies, forget-me-nots, 

 violets, polyanthus and stock plants of 

 chrysanthemums, but all should now 

 have a liberal mulching of dry leaves 

 to prevent freezing and thawing of the 

 soil. Beds or benches planted with 

 hardy perennials for spring flowering 

 can be similarly protected. There is 

 sure to be more or less damage in the 

 form of broken glass, heaving of piers, 

 etc., in unheated houses, as compared 

 with such as are operated. Such at 

 least has been the experience of those 

 who closed down houses during the 

 severe winter of 1917-18 and this will be 

 repeated, I am afraid, in an increased 

 number of cases the coming winter. 



CYCLAMENS. 



Owing to the scarcity of azaleas, 

 cyclamens will be in greater demand 

 than ever for the coming holidays and 

 already specialists in their culture re- 

 port that they are almost sold out. 



No matter how handsome foliage you 

 have on your plants, they will not sell 

 unless one or two flowers are open and, 

 although sales may be made until spring, 

 you doubtless are anxious to sell out all 

 you can to make room for other crops 



for Easter trade. It will not pay to 

 force the plants hard. That will draw 

 up the foliage and the flowers will flop 

 over. Customers will fight shy of such 

 plants. Keep the plants fairly warm; 

 55 degrees at night is ample. Eemove 

 all shade and give them some ventila- 

 tion when the temperature goes over 65 

 degrees. Elevate some of the larger 

 plants on inverted pots. This will give 

 more space for the other plants. You 

 cannot afford to have cyclamens 

 crowded, as you will never get shapely 

 plants under such conditions. 



CHRISTMAS FBEESIAS. 



It has been a favorable fall for early 

 freesias, with higher temperatures and 

 clearer skies than usual, and some of 

 the earliest plants already have flowers 

 nearly open. There will be little in the 

 way of bulbous flowers the coming 

 Christmas outside of a few Paper 

 Whites and Eoman hyacinths. There 

 will be few Dutch bulbs in flower, ow- 

 ing to late arrivals of bulbs, and, with 

 a marked scarcity of valley, there 

 should be a fine call for freesias and 

 satisfactory prices for them. Keep the 

 early freesias well up to the glass in a 

 sunny house with a night temperature 

 of 55 degrees and be sure they have an 

 adequate supply of water. 



^IvSAit^l^WS^MWUSiJWyiii^tiSyWSi^ 



SEASONABLE SUGGESTIONS 

 FOR SOUTHERN FLORISTS 



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SPRING PLANTS IN THE SOUTH. 



The first part of December is the 

 best time to sow the main batch of seeds 

 of spring plants, with the possible ex- 

 ception of sweet alyssum, which need 

 not be started till the end of January. 

 The seeds are better sown in flats, so 

 they can be moved when desired. There 

 are three pests that must be guarded 

 against — mice, birds and the small 

 Mexican ant. The former two are 

 death to the larger seeds, such as ver- 

 benas, etc., while the ants are equally 

 destructive on the fine seeds, such as 

 primulas, petunias, etc. Glass placed 

 closely over the flats will protect against 

 the mice and birds. Set the flats on 

 inverted pots placed in saucers of water 

 to keep the ants out. Keep the saucers 

 full of water all the time, not even al- 

 lowing a film of dust to gather on top, 

 else the little pests will get in and ruin 

 everything in a short time. As soon as 

 germination has well started there is 

 no more danger. The soil used should 

 be light, finely screened and moderately 

 enriched. Press down smoothly, water 

 well before sowing, and cover the larger 

 seeds lightly. The fine seeds must not 

 be covered with soil, but may be pressed 

 down with a piece of board. To prevent 

 these fine seeds from washing, cover 

 with a piece of cheesecloth just big 

 enough to fit the flat and water through 

 that until the seeds are germinated, 

 when it can be removed. For Primula 

 obconica use about a quarter of an inch 

 of pure leaf -mold, screened fine, as a sur- 

 face bed for the seeds. To get the best 

 possible percentage of germination, 

 place all seed flats in a rather warm 

 temperature, say 50 to 60 degrees at 

 night. Vinca rosea and alba may be 



5 degrees higher. Let them remain 

 there until they haye been pricked or 

 potted off and established, when they 

 can be removed to rather cooler quar- 

 ters. L. 



CARNATIONS IN THE SOUTH. 



In growing carnations in this section 

 it is the early propagator who gets not 

 only the early but all of the worms. 

 To have good-sized plants for planting 

 in the houses by the end of June or be- 

 ginning of July, the cuttings should be 

 in the sand as early as possible. The 

 process of rooting the cuttings is pretty 

 generally well known, but too often 

 many of what you may call the sanitary 

 conditions are neglected. The propagat- 

 ing table should be washed and 

 thoroughly whitewashed, and have a 

 layer of from one to two inches of 

 rough ashes as drainage before being 

 filled with sand. The sand should be 

 as sharp and clean as possible and free 

 from all foreign matter, so that the 

 water will pass through it freely. Care- 

 fully remove all trash from underneath 

 the tables and sprinkle air-slaked lime 

 occasionally. The temperature of the 

 house should be the same as that in 

 which the plants are grown, say 50 de- 

 grees at night, with a slight rise during 

 the day. Do not crowd the cuttings too 

 much and give plenty of ventilation. 

 Shade during the hot part of the day 

 and until the sun gets off the bench. 

 The cuttings will need water at least 

 every bright day if the sand is as porous 

 as it should be. Bottom heat is not 

 specially required. In twenty-five to 

 thirty days from the time of insertion 

 the cuttings should be rooted enough to 

 pot off. L. 



