16 



The Florists^ Review 



Januabv 28, 1913. 



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* SEASONABLE s^ \ 

 '\ 9^ SUGGESTIONS \ 



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grees at night and 70 to 72 degrees in 

 the daytime. The achyranthes plants 

 were the first to show the effects and 

 looked as if they haa been frosted. 

 Then other plants suffered and now 

 the ferns have commenced to curl and 

 turn brown. I have changed the 30il, 

 but with no better results. I have been 

 quite particular about the watering. 



O. E. H. 



CaJIas. 



The calla plants are now thoroughly 

 rooted in the pots and, as they are 

 gross feeders, need liquid manure at 

 least once a wieek and in addition a 

 top-dressing of fine bone or similar fer- 

 tilizer. It is surprising how these top- 

 dressings bring the roots up to the sur 

 f aca. and how greedily the;^ aeem to 

 devour the plant food applied. It need 

 hardly be said that, given good drain- 

 age, there is little likelihood of callas 

 being overwatered. The Godfrey calla, 

 once grown, is sure to displace in a 

 large measure the old ^thiopica. It is 

 pure white in color and much more 

 floriferous. It is necessary, however, 

 to get strong plants before its real 

 free-blooming qualities are apparent. 



Ulacs. 



Of course the pot-grown lilacs are 

 the only ones really adapted for forc- 

 ing. Those from Holland are arriving 

 later than usual this season. Occa- 

 sional plants are seen in bloom as early 

 as Christmas, but the average florist 

 will find them of more value later in 

 the season. It is yet much too early 

 to start plants for Easter, but it is 

 wejl to h«ve a few plants Tit flower be- 

 fore that time. For early forcing it 

 id an advantage to start lilacs in a 

 hot, moist and dark shed or pit, but 

 after this time it is just as well to 

 place them in the warmest greenhouse 

 at once. Spray freely and the plants 

 will soon start to grow. Move them 

 into a temperature of 50 to 52 degrees 

 at night as the flowers develop, to 

 give them substance. Marie Legraye 

 and Mme. Lemoine are the best white 

 varieties. Michael Buchner, Ludwig 

 Spath and Charles X are fine colored 

 varieties for forcing. 



It often happens that florists have 

 a few unsold plants which are set out 

 in the field. After a couple of years 

 these become well budded again, and, 

 if put in large pots, boxes or tubs be- 

 fore the ground freezes, or lifted even 

 now during an open spell of weather, 

 they will give a fine lot of flowers for 

 cutting. Stand them in a doorway not 

 generally in use in winter or in some 

 other place where they will not inter- 

 fere with other plants. 



Bhododendrons. 



That beautiful rhododendron. Pink 

 Pearl, and its nearly white companion, 

 White Pearl, are unquestionably away 

 ahead of all other rhododendrons for 

 forcing purposes. The trouble is that 

 they are as yet somewhat high-priced 

 for. the average florist, who can se- 

 cure good .plants of the older rhodo- 

 dendron hybrids for at least half their 

 price. The rhododendrons do not sell 

 freely, like azaleas, but there is, never- 

 theless, a fair call for them, particu- 

 larly those having pure white, pink or 

 lavender shaded flowers. It is too 

 early to start them for Easter, but 

 plants can be stood in a cold house 

 in readiness. Place a few in heat with 



the lilacs. If you have a trade in 

 flowering plants, which all should try 

 to have, they will prove a useful addi- 

 tion. 



GLOXINIAS AND BEGK)NIAS. 



When is the proper time to plant 

 bulbs of gloxinias and begonias in or- 

 der to have them in bloom. Joy. iha-latr 

 ter part of Mayf D. R. 



In order to have gloxinias and tu- 

 berous begonias in flower as early as 

 the end of May, you must start them 

 at once. It will take them all the 

 time to bloom, even if started now. 

 I^it the bulbs in flats of leaf-mold and 

 sand and give them a temperature of 

 GO degrees at night. Pot off singly as 

 soon as the plants are making good 

 roots and growtb.. C. W. 



It is unlikely that benzine or tur- 

 pentine used in asphaltum paint would 

 injure greenhouse plants, since they 

 would evaporate in a short time after 

 being applied. This does not imply 

 that asphaltum paint containing ben- 

 zine or turpentine might not injure the 

 plants, but the harm would be due to 

 other ingredients, such as coal tar, 

 which mi^ht-be. used in. che^ grades. o£ 

 asphaltum. Just how long the effects 

 will be noticeable will depend upon 

 how much coal tar and similar ingre- 

 dients are contained in the paint. The 

 safest way would be to take out the 

 piping and burn off the paint. T. 



INJUBT FBOIC PAINT FUMES. 



Are hot water pipes, painted with 

 asphalt paint which contains benzine 

 and turpentine in unknown pr opor t i ons, 

 harmful to soft plants, such as plum- 

 bagos, achyranthes and Boston ferns? 

 I have three benches in a house 25x80. 

 There are -eight 2anch pipea uades -the 

 center bench and five under each side 

 bench, and there are two 5-inch re- 

 turns. The pi^s were painted last fall. 

 I keep the temperature at 60 to 62 de- 



PLANTS ABOUND FOUNTAIN. 



What varieties of plants, grown in 

 pots, would be likely to succeed during 

 the growing season under a fountain 

 which has a fairly heavy spray falling 

 all the time? A. B. 



A few varieties -which would succeed 

 under the conditions named are: Cy- 

 perus altemifolius, Acoms Japonicus 

 variegatus, Bichardia, or Calla .£thi- 

 opica. Asparagus Sprengeri, aspidistras, 

 Caladium esculentum, Isolepis gracilis, 

 T?i«haydia- FJl>ftttiftiia> Biehardia alhe^ 

 maculata, and, if the location is not 

 too sunny, some of the hardier ferns, 

 such as nephrolepis and pteris. 



C. W. 



▼lUUm Legg. 



(Secretary Bnffalo FlorlBts' Club.) 



