38 



The Florists^ Review 



Decbmbeb 9, 1920 



More Popular Year by Year, the Cyclamen Is Now^ Indispensable. 



you do not sell all your plants during 

 the holidays, remember that they can 

 be kept, if necessary, for three months 

 and that they can even be kept in 

 presentable condition for an Easter as 

 early as we shall have in 1921. 



Begonias. 



Begonias come next to cyclamens in 

 favor. More of them may be sold tlian 

 of cyclamens, but, while they may carry 

 .a greater profusion of flowers, they 

 have less variety of colorings and art- 

 poorer keepers in the store or home 

 than cyclamens. Of the several kinds 

 in commerce, Melior now seems to be 

 in the lead, with Cincinnati next and 

 Mrs. Peterson and Lorraine in smaller 

 numbers, and with a fair quantity of 

 Chatelaine, Mrs. Patten and others of 

 the fibrous-rooted, ever-blooming sec 

 tion. A more limited number of the 

 magnificent English winter-blooming 

 section are offered. These need more 

 heat than our American varieties. 

 Their flowers are as large as those of 

 the summer-blooming tuberous bego- 

 nias and have a fine range of colors. 

 They are propagated readily from 

 leaves and have better keeping quali 

 lies than Cincinnati or Melior. Once 

 their culture is better understood and 

 they become more abundant, they will 

 outclass even cyclamens as Christmil^ 

 plants. 



Tlie Yuletide Flower. 



Poiuscttias cannot well be dispenseil 

 with at Christmas. Their brilliant 

 scarlet bracts are alwaj-s associated 

 with the yuletide. Their culture, while 

 not especially difficult, is more so than 

 that of many other plants. Vagaries 

 of temperature, careless watering and 

 injudicious feeding will ruin a fine 

 batch in short order. There is no 

 beauty in poinsettias minus most nt' 

 their foliage, and bungling attempts tu 

 hide naked stems with various green 

 j)lants mend matters but little. Careful 

 watering is especially needed for :\ 

 few weeks before Christmas. Avoid 

 cold flrafts, but gradually lower the 

 teniiK'rnture for plants with well devel- 

 u|ic(l br.iil>. Sometimes, when plants 



have been chilled somewhat, a soaking 

 of warm water will help to revive them. 

 While the plants are in the store, never 

 allow water to stand in the saucers, or 

 the foliage will speedily turn golden. 

 When there is a cold wave around the 

 holidays, poinsettias are among the 

 most difficult plants, not only to sell, 

 but to deliver in presentable condition. 

 Retailers, under such conditions, often 

 lose heavily on them. Be sure to wrap 

 them warmly when the weather is cold. 

 Branched specimens are now po|)ular 

 with the critical buyers. Old stock 



plants are the best for this purpose. 

 There is only a limited call for the 

 white variety. The rose-colored form 

 sells a little as a novelty, and plenis- 

 sima, the double scarlet form of pul- 

 cherrima, is pleasing, but the over- 

 whelming majority are of the single 

 scarlet variety. When cutting poin- 

 settias, be sure to sear the ends of the 

 stems, either by dipping the ends in 

 boiling water or applying them to hot 

 coals. Then wrap the foliage of each 

 in soft paper and plunge in deep vases 

 of water. Heliotropes, allamandas and 

 euphorbias all keep much better if the 

 bottoms of their stems are seared as 

 soon as cut. 



Primulas. 



The primrose family is really useful 

 at Christmas, as it can be rather 

 cheaply produced and profitably sold 

 at prices suitable for buyers of moder- 

 ate means. P. obconica, especially in 

 the red and deep pink shades, is use- 

 ful and makes a first-rate house plant. 

 Some retailers taboo it on account of 

 the poisoning caused by handling the 

 foliage. P. malacoides also is poison- 

 ous, but in a less degree. It is graceful 

 and, while not at its best so early as 

 Christmas, sells well at that time. The 

 pink Townsendii is particularly good. 

 At one time the baby primrose, P. For- 

 besii, was popular. Now it is seldom 

 seen, as malacoides has outclassed it. 

 Neither are many of the sweet and 

 pretty P. kewensis seen, but P. chinen- 

 sis and the taller-growing and smaller- 

 flowered form, stellata, are still in 

 favor. It is to be regretted, however, 

 that their foliage is so brittle. All the 

 primulas succeed under cool culture in 

 the greenhouse, store or home and all 

 are ideal for window boxes. 



Hard-Wooded Plants. 



Azaleas as Christmas plants are now 

 scarce articles and are likely to be even 



Nothing Will Down this Primulat Perennially Popular at Cbristmas. 



