24 



The Florists^ Review 



Decbubbb 12. 1818. 



FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 



LETTUCES. 



Now that we are approaching the 

 shortest days, with a minimum of sun- 

 light, lettuces need careful attention. 

 It is true that they can be grown in a 

 low temperature, but such lettuces are 

 tough and not to be compared with 

 those produced in a night temperature 

 of 45 to 50 degrees. The writer prefers 

 46 to 48 degrees for a midwinter mini- 

 mum. Avoid a too close atmosphere, 

 even on cold days. Give the plants 

 some ventilation, unless the temperature 

 is abnormally low. It is especially neces- 

 sary not to keep ventilators closed for 

 too long ,_periods when we have long 

 spells of sunless weather, often accom- 

 panied by snow. Any moisture in the 

 hearts of the plants is liable to cause 

 rot during such periods, but if heating 

 pipes raise the temperature to 55 de- 

 grees, be sure to ventilate. 



Another point to guard against is 

 sun-scald on the edges of the leaves. 

 This is most likely to occur where let- 

 tuces are grown cold and a clear, sunny 

 day follows several dark ones. If the 

 house is left closed too long, trouble is 

 bound to develop. It does occur in even 

 the largest and most modern houses, 

 more particularly on that finest of all 

 forcing head lettuces, May King, but 

 the avoiding of extremes of temperature 

 and careful ventilation will prevent it 

 for the most part. "Watering is a neces- 

 sary evil, especially at this season. Be 

 sure to do it early in the day and when 

 the skies are clear. Usually a soaking 

 at planting time suffices for a lettuce 

 crop, provided the soil is deep and con- 

 tains plenty of humus. In raised 

 benches more water is a necessity. 



Continue to make sowings of seed. 

 It will be found best not to cover the 

 seed with any loam whatever. A light 

 dusting of fine coal ashes, I find, makes 

 an ideal covering and prevents damp- 

 ing off. It is just as good for tomatoes 

 as lettuces. There has been an im- 

 proved demand for Cos or Bomaine let- 

 tuce in the big markets and prices on 

 these have been better than for the cab- 

 bage or tennis ball type of lettuces. 

 Paris "White Cos and Trianon have each 

 done well under glass. 



BHUBABB. 



"Where rhubarb roots were dug up be- 

 fore freezing weather occurred and 

 stored in a shed or cellar, it is a good 

 plan to start a batch of roots now. They 

 are best if grown where it is tolerably 

 dark. The stalks then take on the pleas- 

 ing pink color we see in winter. Small 

 lots may be forced below a greenhouse 

 bench or a space c^n be partitioned off 

 in a cellar, the warmer the better. Boots 

 should be covered with loam and soaked 

 with water. Then keep them as dark 

 as possible. 



AfiPABAOUS. 



I Like rfaxibarb, asparagus can be suc- 

 ttest^nlly ^oxced below the bench of a 

 watfli^eenhouse. Spread the roots out 

 ^a7~M4, cover them with loam. The 

 ■p\ttH^ifiMxt into growth quickly and it 



is possible to cut the stalks in ten to 

 sixteen days, according to the season. 

 Where a special mushroom house or cel- 

 lar exists it will prove ideal for forcing 

 rhubarb, asparagus, seakale and "Witloof 

 chicory, all of which are better if grown 

 in the dark during the winter. None 

 of these roots are of any value to save 

 after forcing, but as all are easily pro- 

 duced from seed this need. not act as 

 any deterrent to their being forced. 



TOMATOES. 



Tomatoes proved to be a well paying 

 crop this fall in spite of the fact that 

 more florists grew houses of them than 

 ever before. These plants are now just 

 finishing. I have never found midwinter 

 tomatoes a profitable crop. To succeed 

 well they need a temperature of 60 de- 

 grees at night, a somewhat restricted 

 root run, a dry atmosphere and artificial 

 pollination. I remember that nearly 

 thirty years ago midwinter tomatoes 

 wholesaled from $1 to $2 per pound and 

 they sold as high as $2.50 in the late 

 80 's, but we do not get any such prices 

 nowadays. The small or medium-fruited 



sorts are the only ones adaptable for 

 winter forcing. Of these there are a 

 number of sorts, including Comet, Car- 

 ter's Sunrise, Lister's Prolific, Stirling 

 Castle and others. Any of these are 

 also suitable for sowing now for a spring 

 crop, a period when tomatoes realize 

 better prices than in midwinter and 

 when they are much more cheaply pro- 

 duced. 



CAUUFLOWEBS. 



There is no better forcing cauliflower 

 than Kronk's Forcing Erfurt. It can 

 be planted twelve by fifteen inches 

 apart in the beds or benches. Cauli- 

 flowers like a rich soil and when in 

 active growth an abundant water sup- 

 ply. Seed should be started now for a 

 spring crop. They should be pricked 

 off into flats when they have made their 

 second leaves and should be dug out 

 with a nice ball before they become too 

 crowded in the flats. If, perchance, you 

 have no bed at your disposal when they 

 need removing from the flats, put them 

 in 31^-inch pots for a short time. B© 

 sure not to allow them to get matted 

 with roots before benching, or they are- 

 sure to make small, button-like heads. 



HeBderson, Ky. — W. O. Connell is 

 building a greenhouse and expects to 

 grow plants and flowers. Indications 

 point to a good Christmas trade here 

 in cut flowers. 



ijiioitumuiftVM umiMitsmaMOBa 



SEASONABLE SUGGESTIONS 

 FOR SOUTHERN FLORISTS 



Y4S1 yaSv ?4i"?i.Y y^si y(iSi r? 



BEGONIAS IN THE SOUTH. 



"Where large plants of begonias of the 

 Lorraine type are wanted for next year 

 the cuttings should be started now. 

 Select medium-sized, healthy leaves, 

 leaving about an inch of stem, and in- 

 sert in the sand, leaving lots of space 

 between the leaves. Large leaves may 

 be subdivided, the same as the leaves 

 of the Bex begonias, but the result is 

 not always satisfactory, as many of 

 them damp off. They can be split up 

 the stem, thus making two cuttings out 

 of one leaf, with better results. Where 

 only a limited quantity is grown for 

 home sales, the cuttings are better put 

 in flats or pans, so that they can be 

 moved as required. The night tempera- 

 ture should be kept not less than 60 de- 

 grees. Though the cuttings will root 

 in about three weeks, it is well to leave 

 them in the sand some time longer be- 

 fore potting them off in a light mixture 

 of soil, sand and leaf -mold. A little care 

 is needed in watering after they are 

 rooted to prevent the leaves damping 

 off, before the cuttings begin to stool 

 out from the bottom. These plants re- 

 quire a great deal of care here in the 

 south during the summer months to get 

 nice plants that will sell at the holi- 

 day season. With careful watering, 

 shading, frequent stirring of the sur- 

 face soil and keeping the foliage dry, 

 good plants may be grown, though not 

 always of a certainty. I believe there 

 are many other holiday plants that will 

 give better returns, but well grown be- 



gonias are attractive to the better class 

 of buyers. L. 



BOSES IN THE SOUTH. 



Propagating roses seems to be a 

 branch of business that is neglected by 

 many growers, who depend on buying 

 their young plants each year instead of 

 growing them on their own places. 

 There is no difficulty in rooting them 

 during the late fall and winter months. 

 Clean sand, firmly packed on a clean 

 table in a house that can be kept at a 

 regular rose temperature of 56 to 60 

 degrees at night, is the groundwork of 

 success. It is not at all necessary to 

 have bottom heat, although it may be a 

 big help. What is more important is 

 that the cuttings be absolutely healthy, 

 with no trace of black spot or other 

 fungoid disease. When these are pres- 

 ent the cuttings are almost sure to drop 

 their foliage and become nearly worth- 

 less. Two-eyed cuttings from flower- 

 ing wood or heel cuttings from selected 

 blind wood both make excellent plants, 

 with little to choose between them. 

 Give them lots of room in the bed, spray 

 each fine day and give enough water to 

 keep them fresh and plump. Shade dur- 

 ing the day and maintain a buoyant 

 atmosphere by correct ventilation and 

 in about thirty days they should be 

 rooted enough to pot. The hybrid teas 

 that show a tendency to sleep during 

 January should be put in the sand first. 

 They root much more readily now than 

 later. . ^' -Ji, - ' L. 



