Dboiubm 3, 1014. 



The Florists^ Review 



19 



3±; 



come taller or dwarfer^ earlier or later, 

 as desired; its ,blooms have acquired 

 purer color tones and are decidedly 

 larger, with an increased number to the 

 spike and with greater resistance to dis- 

 ease and to the extremes of natural con- 

 ditions. In the work on corn thpie 

 have been still greater surprises 

 experimental results. 



Why not the same advancement in 

 the field of rosariansf In Nature 

 workshop we can see Nature beckoning 

 and saying: "Come; here is the mate- 

 rial. Observe my methods and plan 

 accordingly. Then you will behold the 

 results — a rose without thorns, supe- 

 rior to Russell, freer than Killarney, in 

 foliage superior to Wichuraiana, . with 

 the richest perfume and with all the 

 hardiness . of Persian Yellow. ' ' Such 

 will be the rose of a not remote fhture. 

 At least, such is the view of 



C. Betscher 



STOCKS FOB MEMOBIA^ DAT^ 



When should the seed of stocks be 

 sown to have them in crop for Memorial 

 dayf What night temperature do they 

 require after they are benched! 



J. H. 



Sow the seed of such varieties as 

 Giant Ten Weeks in February. A night 

 temperature of 50 degrees suits them, 

 but they will stand 10 degrees higher 

 late in spring, provided air is freely 

 given. C. W. 



FOBCING SPHLffiA VAN HOUTTEI. 



Can bridal wreath be forced for 

 Easter t If so, what temperature is re- 

 quired? T. E, G. 



I suppose you refer to Spiraea Van 

 Houttei, which is often called the bridal 

 wreath spiraea. This shrub is occasion- 

 ally .forced, although it is not consid- 

 ered as desirable as some others for this 

 purpose. For blooming as early as 

 Easter you should have plants which 

 have either been pot-grown or were 

 potted up early in the fall and have 

 somewhat established themselves. Start 

 the plants eight weeks before Easter. 



A Tango Bouquet, Shoulder Style, Made of Sweet Peas. 



A temperature of 50 degrees at night at 

 first will suffice; later, 60 to 65 degrees 

 can be given. Spray the plants freely. 

 Move them to a cooler house as the 

 flowers open. You will find lilacs, deut- 

 zias and several other deciduous shrubs 

 better adapted for forcing than this 

 spiraea. . C^ W. 



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\ SEASONABLE ^ 

 i ^ SUGGESTIONS 



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Propagation of Begonias. 



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If leaf cuttings of Lorraine and Cin- 

 cinnati begonias have not yet been 

 put in, lose no time in plaring a good 

 8i?ed batch in the dutting bench. Well 

 matured leaves are necessary and these 

 should be cut oflf with the leaf stalk 

 and placed so that the leaf just touches 

 the sand. Use sharp sand, with good 

 drainage below it. If the sand happens 

 to be somewhat too fine and water 

 does not pass quickly through it, add 

 some finely broken charcoal, brick or 

 even' coal ashes to make it more porous. 

 A brisk bottom heat is absolutely 

 necessary. Without it propagation will 

 be slow and uncertain, but if you can 

 keep your sand at 80 to 85 degrees 

 you are all right. Those unable to give 

 a good bottom heat would do better 



to buy young plants from growers who 

 specialize in these plants and handle 

 them in large quantities. 



The new variety Melior promises to 

 be a decided acquisition and I expect 

 to see it taking quite a prominent place 

 next year. The new variety Nancy, 

 which M. Lemoine, of Nancy, France, 

 would have offered this season but for 

 the war, is also destined to be a grand 

 novelty. B. Baumannii, a tuberous sort 

 with large, pink, sweet-scented flowers, 

 is the pollen parent of Nancy, while 

 B. Dregei was the male parent of Lor- 

 raine, also raised by M. Lemoine over 

 twenty years ago. The flowers of 

 Nancy are from two to three and one- 

 half inches in diameter, of a rich, rosy 

 carmine color, and are carried on erect 

 stems. When Cincinnati became well 



known, the total eclipse of Lorraine 

 was predicted, but this has not come 

 about. The older variety sells at a 

 lower price than Cincinnati, which 

 proves a somewhat better keeper in the 

 house, but Lorraine is still heavily 

 grown. Small plants propagated in 

 August, now blooming in 3-inch pots, 

 are proving useful and are in excellent 

 demand for small receptacles. Such 

 plants are $12 to $15 per hundred, pay 

 better than the large ones and are 

 worthy attention from more growers. 



Cinerarias. 



This is the season of rapid growth 

 of cinerarias. They are impatient of 

 heat and are soon ruined by it. Give 

 them 42 to 45 degrees. at night and 

 not too sunny a location and they will 

 revel in it. Be sure to fumigate regu- 

 larly. Green aphis has a marked fond- 

 ness for cinerarias and will soon ruin 

 them if not fought persistently. Plants 

 may be flowered m from 5-inch to 

 10-inch pots, but commercially 6-inch 

 and 7-inch sizes are the most profitable. 

 They like a fairly rich compost 4)f 

 two-thirds fibrous loam and one-third 

 old cow manure, with some sand, broken 

 charcoal and a little fine bone added. 

 Cinerarias' are not an early winter- 

 flowering plant. Their natural bloom- 

 ing period is from the eiid of January 

 to the end of March. Occasionally 

 small plants are seen at Christmas, but 

 it certainly does not pay to attempt 

 to flower them so early. They will not 

 sell in competition with poinsettias, be- 

 gonias, azaleas, cyclamens and primulas, 

 but toward spring, when a greater 



