42 



The Florists' Review 



DXCKMBBB 10, 1914. 



and pyrus, as these are the varieties 

 most likely to be attacked. 



Protection for Hardy Roses. 



Where the climate is severe the best 

 policy is to loosen down the ramblers, 

 lay them on the ground and cover the 

 wood with straw or leaves. Where 

 hybrid teas are not naturally hardy the 

 best plan is to dig them up carefully, 

 and either heel them in a coldframe or 

 open out a trench outdoors on well 

 drained land and bury the plants, giving 

 a mulch as the ground freezes hard. 

 T'he stems can be closely tied together 

 and a band of straw bound around them. 

 Later pull the earth well up about the 

 stems and give the ground a liberal 

 mulch. With the hardier hybrid per- 

 petuals, if the earth is well drawn up 

 about the stems and a mulch of strawy 

 manure is applied the plants should 



winter well. Of course, these precau- 

 tions are not necessary in the warmer 

 states, but without them in the colder 

 states few plants would be left alive 

 after a severe winter. 



WHITE FLY ON PELABOONIUMS. 



I am having tro,uble with a tiny 

 white bug on the li^ves of my pelar- 

 goniums and Pfimuli. oDconlca. The 

 under sides of ^l^e^le^ves are just cov- 

 ered with tliera. -'. W^l you please tell 

 me what to do \o' g«t tid of them? 1 

 shall appreciate ^jiy help ypu can give 



TJie w6rd''*J^g.^' i^overs a 'widfe field 

 iu America. There are^wo small white 

 insects that att^ci^ ^pTants; namely, 

 mealy bftg^ and wEil^ j^i^-" The first 



named does not usually attack such 

 plants as pelargoniums and Primula ob- 

 conica, which require a comparatively 

 low temperature. I think it probable 

 that white fly is the one you are 

 troubled with, as it frequently attacks 

 pelargoniums, primulas, calceolarias, cin- 

 erarias, fuchsias, heliotropes, ageratums 

 and other plants. The only practical 

 remedy for white fly is fumigation with 

 hydrocyanic acid gas. Full directions 

 as to amount, time of exposure, etc., 

 have frequently been given in The Re- 

 view. 



Great care is necessary with this 

 fumigant, as it is the most deadly gas 

 known, but it is now in quite general 

 use and you will probably' persist in 

 using it when once you have tried it. 

 Spraying with soap solutions will kill 

 matiy of the white flies, but gas will 

 exterminate them. 0. W. 



CHRISTMAS PLANTS 



SOME OF THE MOST SALABLE VARIETIES, WITH TIMELY 

 SUGGESTIONS QN TURNlkjaTHBM TO CASH- 



I HE REVIEW has consis- 

 tently adopted an optimis- 

 tic tone regarding the flo- 

 rists' business since the 

 great European war com- 

 menced and the volume of 

 Thanksgiving business trans- 

 acted the country over was satisfactory 

 and went to support the theory that, 

 while many trades are suffering, that 

 in plants and cut flowers has been less 

 unfavorably affected than almost any 

 other. It is surely most encouraging 

 to read that many transacted more 

 Thanksgiving business in 1914 than a 

 year previous, and it gives us a feel- 

 ing of hope if not complete confidence 

 that Christmas trade in flowers will 

 average up well with preceding years 

 of greater prosperity. 



riowers have been too commonly 

 classed as luxuries pure and simple. 

 While they can be better dispensed 

 with than the mere necessaries of life, 

 they now fill so important a part in 

 the home that they are coming to be 

 classed more as necessities than as 

 pure luxuries. The experience of the 

 last few weeks justifies me, I think, 

 in stating that the outlook for Christ- 

 mas trade in florists 's staples, in spite 

 of all pessimistic talk to the contrary, 

 is good. One can scarcely expect any 

 record-breaking volume of trade or any 

 fancy prices, but both plants and cut 

 flowers, especially the former, will be 

 in strong demand and those who have 

 large stocks of well grown plants need 

 not have any fears that they can not 

 dispose of them profitably. 



ifhe Christmas Colors. 



Christmas and Easter are the two 

 great plant holidays and there is a 

 steadily growing demand on each of 

 these occasions. Of course a greater 

 variety of plants are available at 

 Easter, the call at Christmas being 

 more particularly for plants with 

 bright colored flowers, foliage or ber- 

 ries. This is a point that beginners 



'should bear in mind. While some whiter 

 and pale colored plants will sell, the 

 call is always far better for those more 

 nearly approaching the Christmas col- 

 ors, scarlet and pink being the great 

 sellers. 



It is always a decided help to the 

 grower and retailer handling large 

 quantities of plants if he can be fa- 

 vored with mild weather preceding 

 Christmas. This makes delivery com- 

 paratively easy, as little wrapping is 

 necessary. Nothing is more uncertain, 

 however, than climatic conditions and 

 it is unwise to trust to chance, particu- 

 larly when plants are to be sent by ex- 

 press and are liable to be held over- 



night in some office. We have all seen 

 zero conditions at the holidays and 

 then, again, the temperature may be as 

 balmy as May. I think the cooler 

 weather, however, is better for business 

 than the warm and unseasonable 

 yireather. Be prepared with an ample 

 supply of newspapers, tissue" and wrap- 

 ping paper, and twine, and cover the 

 pots just as heavily as the plants, for 

 uo matter how well the tops are cov- 

 ered, if the pots are exposed the plants 

 are liable to suffer chills. Dirty pots, 

 of course, are intolerable. A plant of 

 moderate quality looks quite passable 

 in a clean pot, but flne specimens in 

 dirty receptacles are almost repellent. 



Moderate Priced Plant Arrangements Bring Good Profitt. 



