38 



I'he Florists^ Review 



Fbbhuaut 3, 1921 



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PINCH BACK GERANIUMS. 



I have a fine lot of geraniums from 

 fall cuttings, which are doing well. The 

 majority of them have two or three 

 stems, but there are a number which 

 have single stems. Can the single stemy 

 be pinched back to advantage, and if 

 so when is the best time so they will 

 be in flower about the middle of Mav ? 



D. R.— Neb." 



Pinch them back now, but not after 

 the first of March, or they will be lato 

 in flowering. M. P. 



CHEBBIES FOB MAY. 



(Jan Cleveland cherries be started in 

 February to have successful transplant- 

 ings by the middle of May? 



H. J. P.— Ind. 



Cleveland cherries sown during Jan- 

 uary or by the middle of February can 

 be transplanted into flats and planted 

 outdoors in May, gradually hardening 

 the plants first. Do not give too rich 

 soil; the plants set fruit more freely in 

 soil only moderately rich. C. W. 



MIDGE ON GERANIUMS? 



I am sending affected geranium plants 

 and vincas, which I wish you to cxamiiio 

 and tell mo the trouble with them. Tlu'S(> 

 were planted in good black soil and the 

 houses are kept at a temperature from 

 48 to ."jO degrees at night. 



E. F. C— Kan. 



Tliese plants have every appearance 

 of being infested with gallfly or midge. 

 This is the first time that I lin\c hccmi 

 any sign of this pest on ficrauiuiiis or 

 vincas. I would suggest that you send 

 some specimens to your stntc expori 

 mental Station to see if the experts can 

 'letermine what the trouble is. M. P. 



CANNOT IDENTIFY BUG. 



Enclosed is a small, many-legged bug 

 which, we believe, was slii])po(l to us a 

 few months ago in some |irinii'oses wo 

 bought. Since that time it has been 

 destructive to jiottcd stock in our groon 

 lionses. TTow nre we to get ri<l of it? 

 K. W. T.~Tenn. 



The l)ugs forwarded arrived in the 

 form of fine powder. If plants nre 

 being eaten up, as you say, I would 

 fumigate with one of the nicotine pajiers 

 each week. If this does not check them, 

 use a nicotine spray, with some soap 

 added to mnke it more adhesive. The 

 nicotine is poison and the soap is a 

 contact spray whicli will suffocate any 

 sucking insects. C. W. 



CYCLAMENS AFFECTED. 



Will you tell me what is the trouble 

 with my cyclamens, and what can be 

 done to improve them? R. B. S. — Va. 



The cycKamcns, judging by specimen 

 flowers sent, appear to be attacked by 

 cither thrips or mite, most i)robably the 

 latter. There is little vou can do now 



to help your plants. Mite usually ac- 

 counts for the loss of thousands of 

 cyclamens, with even the most skillful 

 grower not immune. Spraying with 

 nicotine and blowing tobacco dust well 

 into the tops of the bulbs acts in some 

 measure as a deterrent. Deformed foli- 

 age and flowers are caused by both 

 thrips and mite. Fumigate and spray 

 regularly once a week another year, and 

 it would be best to get rid of your af- 

 fected stock. C. W. 



WHITE FLY ON PBIMULAS. 



I have 300 plants of primroses coming 

 into bloom that are infested with white 

 fly. Would you move them into a new 

 greenhouse which is not affected and 

 try to destroy the pest by fumigating, 

 or would you destroy thp lot? I do not 

 want to have anything started which 

 I cannot keep under control. 



W. N. L.— O. 



I should not on any account discard 

 primulas on account of white fly. This 

 pest infests pelargoniums of the show 

 type, calceolarias, cinerarias, helio- 

 tropes, ageratums, fuchsias and other 

 plants. It cannot be destroyed by or- 

 dinary fumigating methods, but a weak 

 dose of hydrocyanic acid gas will clean 

 it out, or a second application will do so 

 in extreme cases. This gas is harmful 

 to human beings as well as plant pests 

 and needs to be used with great care. 

 If you prefer not to use it, I should sug- 

 gest spraying your plants with a soapy 

 spray containing a little nicotine. AH 

 flies hit by this will be suffocated, and 

 a contact spray of this character, ap- 

 plied occasionally, will keep your plants 

 tolerably clean. C. W. 



FORMOSUMS FOR EASTER. 



My formosuni lilies are from four to 



six inches in height. I wish to have 



them in flower for Easter. Can you tell 



1110 what temperature will be required? 



A. R. 8.— Mont. 



Oive the plants an average minimum 

 toniperaturc of 58 to 60 degrees. You 

 should be able to soc and easily count 

 the buds when Lent nrrives, February 

 !t. If you can do this, and maintain a 

 temperature of 60 degrees at night, you 

 should get them in bloom all right. 

 Better push all you can now rather 

 than later in the season, as it is easy 

 to keep plants back a few days when 

 the first flowers have opened. C. W. 



EASTER BULBOUS STOCK. 



We have only one house, 21x32 feet, 

 completed and have a Moninger No. 185 

 hot water system. We want to get as 

 much variety as possible, for show. 

 What is your opinion about growing tu- 

 lips and gladioli for Easter and Moth- 

 ers' day? We have one bench, twenty- 

 nine feet in length, still empty. It is 

 four feet wide and we should like your 

 opinion as to a quick crop for cutting. 

 We have some Lilium giganteum bulbs 

 on hand. R. F. C. — Mont. 



into the greenhouse at least three weeks 

 before being wanted. All kinds of 

 bulbs, including tulips, narcissi, hya- 

 cinths and lilies, can be placed below 

 your benches for a time with advantage 

 at this season, as it helps to draw them 

 up. For Mothers' day tulips should 

 be held back in a cold cellar or pit until 

 ten or twelve days befofe they are 

 wanted. Gladioli you cannot get for 

 Easter, but for Mothers' day such sorts 

 as America, Halley, Mrs. Francis King 

 and Augusta can be started from Febru- 

 ary 15 to March 5. As a crop for your 

 empty bench you can plant any gladioli 

 named above, ten weeks' stocks, start- 

 ing the seed at once, or snapdragons. 

 Keep your giganteum lilies below the 

 benches for some time yet and you will 

 need all the heat you can give them to 

 get flowers for Easter this year, as it 

 comes quite early, February 27. 



C. W. 



PRIMULAS FOR EASTER. 



I have 1,200 Primula elatior, or poly- 

 anthus, in 4-inch pots from seed sown 

 last April. They were brought into the 

 greenhouse from coldframes December 

 20 and have had a night temperature of 

 from 48 to 50 degrees. I want to know 

 if they will flower for Easter and what 

 treatment they will require from now 

 on. ■ R. W. ¥.— N. J. 



Tulips for Easter should be brought 



The polyanthus will do better if kept 

 a little cooler than 48 to 50 degrees at 

 night. Keep them at 42 to 45 degrees 

 during the next few weeks and increase 

 this a little in March. If you want to 

 flower and sell them in as small pots as 

 4-inch, they will need doses of liquid 

 manure once a week, commencing im- 

 mediately. I think it would, however, 

 pay you to shift them at once into 5- 

 inch or 5%-inch pots. I am sure the 

 added value of the plants would more 

 than repay for the labor entailed in 

 potting and the extra bench space 

 needed. Polyanthus have not hitherto 

 been much offered at Easter. English 

 primroses are seen in considerable num- 

 bers and move well and polyanthus 

 when placed on sale has proved to be a 

 good seller. You will find they succeed 

 best under a cool treatment. In a high 

 temperature they lack the size, color 

 and texture so much admired in those 

 grown properly. 



I have a good batch of yellow and 

 white giant polyanthus and blue prim- 

 roses from seeds sown about March 1 

 under glass. The seedlings were pricked 

 off into flats and planted outdoors in 

 Maj' on rather low and moist ground, 

 which received some shade from nearby 

 large shade trees. These plants were 

 so large when lifted in late October that 

 they filled 7-inch and 8-inch half pots, 

 or deep pans, and some are already 

 blooming nicely in a cold house. In 

 watering the hardy primulas of any va 

 riety be careful to pour it in at the 

 sides and not the center of the plant. 

 A good deal of foliage will decay if 

 water is poured in the latter way. Poly- 

 anthus are delightful plants, suggestive 

 of spring, and I am sure you will have 

 little trouble in selling them. C. W. 



