8 



The Florists^ Review 



Jandabx 7, 1015. 



American growers, as a class, could 

 undoubtedly increase the popularity 

 of the lilac by giving greater at- 

 tention to the forcing of it, they 

 might not find it remunerative to 

 do 80. They have reasons ror believing, 

 at least, that they are pushing the 

 flowers which bring them the best re- 

 turns. 



But the fact remains that if a grower 

 undertakes to force lilac at all, he 

 should do the work well, at least fairly 

 well, for careful, systematic methods 

 are economical and profitable, while 

 slipshod methods are wasteful. 



As Some Experts Do It. 



The following suggestions on lilac 

 forcing embody, in the main, the ideas 

 advocated by B. B. C. Felix, of Felix 

 & Dykhuis, Boskoop, Holland. But, as 

 the opinions of otlier experts are also 

 introduced to some extent, and blended 

 with the views of the Holland grower, 

 he might not wish to be held responsi- 

 ble for the entire method of forcing 

 as here outlined. 



Most of the lilacs used in America 

 for forcing are imported and they 

 should be pot-grown plants, so pruned 

 as to be well branched and of compact 

 habit. Grafted plants are nearly al- 

 ways preferred, as they are much more 

 easily and quickly prepared for forc- 

 ing than is the own-root stock. 



Before a lilac can be forced into 

 bloom, it must have a period of rest. 

 The plants, when grown in pots, go 

 into a dormant state about the latter 

 part of October. It is essential at this 

 time to keep the plants somewhat dry, 

 so that the wood may ripen early and 

 thoroughly. When the foliage has 

 dropped off, the plants are stored 

 where they are sheltered from severe 

 frost. A slight frost will be beneficial, 

 as will be explained farther on. 



When the lilac plant goes into a dor- 

 mant state in October, nature has not 

 yet fulfilled its task. Although the su- 

 perficial observer sees nothing uncom- 

 mon on the buds, inside of them there 

 go on a number of chemical processes 

 that make them ready for the coming 

 spring. Not before the buds are fully 

 prepared can a full-sized flower be pro- 

 duced. Before the plants are forced 

 into flower, therefore, it is necessary 

 that the period of rest be suflSciently 

 advanced. That is why a plant forced 

 m January or February forces more 

 easily and gives better results than 

 when forced in December. 



Shortening the Best Period. 



To shorten this period of rest, freez- 

 ing, hot water treatment or etherizing 

 is applied with good results. Plants 

 that have been exposed to frost have 

 their period of rest shortened. For this 

 reason it is advisable to heel the plants 

 in outside so they are exposed to frost. 

 Hot water treatment is best applied in 

 a basin of water at a temperature of 

 8k> to 9a degrees. Only the buds and 

 bhoots need to be treated; the root 

 balls are left out. This treatment takes 

 about six to ten hours. If the tem- 

 perature of the water is lower, say at 

 70 to 80 degrees, ten to twelve hours 

 will be necessary. Plants that have 

 been exposed to frost need shorter treat- 

 ment. Etherizing is done in an air- 

 tight box in which ether is placed and 

 vaporized. This treatment takes about 

 twenty-four hours. ' 



Lilacs can be had in bloom at Christ- 

 mas, but the success with them is not 



sure when they are not previously ex- 

 posed in one of the three ways to 

 shorten the rest period. It is therefore 

 advisable not to bring more plants in- 

 side than is necessary, for the results 

 are uncertain. The later the plants, are 

 brought inside, the better. They force 

 more easily and make better flowers 

 and trusses. 



Temperature and Moisture. 



It is well to allow about five weeks 

 for the earliest forcing. A high tem- 

 perature is necessary, beginning at 60 

 degrees for the first few days and in- 

 creasing to 75 or 80 degrees. 



Care must be taken to spray abun- 

 dantly three or four times a day, 

 through the branches and buds, and also 

 to have the root balls in the pots suf- 

 ficiently wet. On account of this spray- 

 ing, the surface of the soil will look 

 rather wet, but this is deceitful, for the 

 lower parts of the roots are sometimes 

 too dry. On the other hand, the roots 

 should not be too wet. The plants do 

 not consume much water in the first 

 eight days and if too wet, the roots will 

 rot. Here it is where the forcer 

 should use his own judgment. The buds 

 have to be constantly kept moist. With- 

 in ten to twelve days the buds break 

 open and are about of a finger length. 

 This is the time to lessen the heat until 

 the trusses have attained their full size, 

 which takes about two and one-half 

 weeks. Also the spraying should me- 

 thodically be lessened. When the flow- 



ern begin to expand, a thin spray once 

 or twice a day will be sufficient. If 

 the flowers are open the spraying 

 should be stopped. Spraying on the 

 open trusses is ruinous to the blooms. 



Later in the Season. 



Of course the aforementioned tem- 

 peratures can be reduced with advan- 

 tage to the flowers if there is no rea- 

 son for hurry. And late in the winter, 

 as the -natural flowering season of the 

 lilac draws nearer, the plants can be 

 easily forced into bloom in a compara- 

 tively low temperature. In March and 

 April thpy can be lorced in any ordi- 

 nary house where the night tempera- 

 ture is about 60 degrees. The bright- 

 hued varieties are often forced in dark- 

 ened rooms, or .in temporary forcing 

 boxes or frames, in order to blanch the 

 colors. Show plants in pots, however, 

 should be grown in full light, in order 

 to preserve good foliage. 



Marie Legraye, single white, is the 

 easiest to force, and consequently the 

 earliest. After this variety come 

 Charles X, single lavender; Souvenir de 

 Louis Spath, single purple; Mme. Le- 

 moine, double white, and President 

 Grevy, double lavender. These are the 

 varieties that give best satisfaction, 

 according to Mr. Felix. Some growers 

 recommend Mme. Casimir Perier, dou- 

 ble white, as one of the best of the dou- 

 bles for early forcing. It is generally 

 .agreed, however, that there is no va- 

 riety that excels Marie Legraye. 



FROM FOREIGN EA.NDS 



Botterdam, Holland. — Although it 

 might be expected that in time of war 

 the sale of flowers, usually considered 

 a luxury, would suffer, prices obtained 

 here are satisfactory. The increase in 

 the exportation of bulbs this year is 

 not so fine a showing as it seems, for 

 sales were made under disadvantageous 

 circumstances and collections are caus- 

 ing a little uneasiness. 



Hamburg, Germany. — The American 

 shipments of valley pips have nearly 

 all been dispatched, mostly via Danish 

 ports but a few via Rotterdam. There 

 are, however, great quantities for which 

 there is no immediate market and 

 which are being frozen in cold stores 

 to await developments. The United 

 States will not for the present be asked 

 to absorb more than the usual quan- 

 tities. 



London, England. — There is a per- 

 sistent but unverified rumor of the 

 loss of a ship carrying large quanti- 

 ties of seeds from the south of France 

 to England. Rumor has it that the 

 cargo contains 2,000 tons of seeds, for 

 a number of consignees. As one com- 

 mentator says: "It is no trifling mat- 

 ter, under present circumstances, to lose 

 about 2,000 tons of seeds on which re- 

 liance had been placed for the coming 

 season's trade. Granted the loss is 

 mitigated by the fact that the cargo 

 was insured, still you can't plant the 

 insurance money and harvest onions 

 or beans. " 



Oost-Duinkerke, Belgium. — Em. Draps- 

 Boudry, whose establishment is now in 

 the center of activities of the military 

 forces, has fled to England. 



Contich, Belgium. — In the bombard- 

 ment of Antwerp the concussion caused 

 by the bursting bombs broke practically 

 all the glass in the eighteen green- 

 houses of Frantz de Laet, widely known 

 for his collection of cacti. The wood- 

 work of the houses is for the most part 

 intact. The Germans looted the whole 

 of the contents of the houses, so that 

 nothing but the bare walls remain. 



Ghent, Belgium.— On the whole, it 

 may be considered that this important 

 horticultural district has suffered little 

 as compared with some other parts of 

 Belgium, but grave fears are held for 

 the future. It is apparent to even the 

 least skilled observer that should the 

 German line be dislodged, as all Bel- 

 gium feels it must eventually be, the 

 right wing will swing back through 

 Bruges and Ghent, making its stand 

 behind the Scheldt, which will bring 

 the fighting directly into the plant- 

 growing district, which now is only a 

 few miles behind the line from West- 

 ende to Roulers. The growera^.fear 

 that their troubles are not all in the 

 past by any means. They are booking 

 any orders offered, hoping from the 

 bottom of their hearts they will be able 

 to make shipment, favored by the for- 

 tunes of war, when the time comes. 



