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The Florists' Review 



Skftbubbb 2, 1910. 



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SEASONABLE m 

 jir SUGGESTIONS 



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Bouvardlas. 



Before the arrival of eold nights, 

 bouvardias in the field should be lifted 

 and either potted or benched. Be care- 

 ful to lift a nice ball with each plant 

 and all roots possible. Keep the plants 

 shaded from bright sunshine for some 

 days and spray freely until they cease 

 wilting. Of course, bouvardias can be 

 left outdoors for some time yet in 

 southern sections, but in the north it 

 is better to lift them by the first week 

 in September. I have known of in- 

 stances where a temperature several de- 

 grees above freezing destroyed the 

 buds on B. Humboldtii, the large sweet- 

 scented variety, which is easily the fin- 

 est of all the bouvardias and which can 

 be grown to produce stems eighteen to 

 forty-eight inches long if given some 

 disbudding. 



Hydrangeas. 



Hydrangeas are moderately hardy, 

 but the French varieties are much more 

 tender than H. Otaksa, and it is good 

 policy to lift and pot any field-grown 

 stock during the first half of Septem- 

 ber, keeping the plants outdoors, of 

 course, for some time yet. There is no 

 immediate hurry about potting up H. 

 Otaksa, but if the plants are wanted 

 for early flowering, they will establish 

 themselves in the pots if taken up now. 

 You can probably secure an abundance 

 of cuttings now from old plants. Take 

 oflF a lot of tops now, pot singly in 2^- 

 inch pots, plunge in a coldframe, keep 

 close and shaded until rooted and keep 

 these potted along so as to flower in 5- 

 inch pots in the spring. Each of them 

 will produce one immense head. Carry 

 them over winter in a cool house and 

 do not let them rest at all, as in the 

 case of older plants. 



Romans and Paper Whites. 



As soon as the bulbs of Romans and 

 Paper Whites arrive, place a batch in 

 flats. The Paper Whites ckn be 

 bloomed much earlier than the Romans, 

 but there is nd great demand for either 

 until chrysanthemums are on the wane. 

 The bulbs, when placed in flats, can 

 be stood on a cellar floor, or, if pre- 

 ferred, in the open air, and given a 

 coating of flne coal ashes to prevent 

 drying out. Bulbs that are to be kept 

 for some time should be spread out on 

 shelves in a dry shed, and not left in 

 the cases in which they arrive. 



Lilium Candldum. 



Bulbs of L. candidum usually arrive 

 from Europe 'about the last part of Au- 

 fi^st. The existing condition of ocean 

 freightage is likely to cause consider- 

 able delays this year. All the really 

 good candidums are grown in the north 

 of France. They are of the true broad- 

 petaled type, the only sort that is 

 worthy of culture. Many larger bulbs 

 that are received from elsewhere have 

 thin scales. The bulbs are hollowed 

 toward the center. They produce nar- 

 row leaves, puny spikes and small, mis- 

 erable flowers. More of these are sold 



than of the north-of -France type. The 

 latter has a rounder, firmer, and, for 

 its size, heavier bulb; the foliage, is 

 broader; the spikes are strong; the 

 flowers are . large and broad-petaled, 

 and there are six to ten flowers per 

 stalk, sometimes twelve to flfteen. 



It is necessary to unpack candidums 

 at once when received, as they make 

 leaf growth early; therefore their pot- 

 ting cannot be delayed. They do bet- 

 ter if grown several bulbs together in 

 8-inch or 10-inch pots, rather than 

 grown singly in smaller pots. After 

 potting, stand the pots in a coldframe. 

 If the soil was moderately moist, give 

 no water until they dry out well. Pro- 

 tect from rains. A soaking right after 

 potting may ruin half your bulbs. Let 

 the leaf growth start, then water them 

 moderately. When they have plenty of 

 roots, stand them outdoors and leave 

 them there until they have had several 

 good freezings, before storing them in- 

 side or attempting to force them at all. 



Achimenes. 



Achimenes are not much seen nowa- 

 days. Though it is true that they are 



not adaptable for shipping purposes 

 while in bloom, they are useful at this 

 season where flowering plants are 

 needed. I find the following a good trio 

 to grow: Longifiora major, alba 

 maxima and Margaretta. When they 

 are in pans the shoots should be staked 

 up if needed for room decoration, but 

 if they are intended for piazza or con- 

 servatory use, perforated pans or wire 

 baskets are the best receptacles for 

 them, allowing the plants to hang natu- 

 rally. Achimenes flower for several 

 months and, for locations somewhat 

 shaded, no finer flowering plants can be 

 had at this season. 



PBOPAGATINa SALVIAS. 



Please tell me whether salvias make 

 the best cuttings if old plants are taken 

 up and carried over, or whether it is 

 better to take cuttings this fall. 



J. A. G.— Kan. 



It is much easier to propagate some 

 cuttings and carry these over than to 

 bother with old plants. Plants propa- 

 gated from cutting^ can be depended 

 upon to bloom earlier than seedlings 

 and they make a more moderate growth 

 when bedded out, but I have for many 

 years considered seedlings far prefer- 

 able to cuttings. Seed is cheap and 

 germinates easily. Seedlings also make 

 rapid growth and make better plants 

 than stock raised from cuttings. Why 

 not sow seed, therefore, and give the 

 space salvias would take up in winter 

 to something of more value? C. W. 



AT.KAT.T IN ROSE SOIL. 



We are having ^ome trouble with al- 

 kali in the water supply for our rose 

 houses. As it is impossible to get our 

 supply from any other source, we 

 should like .to know whether there is 

 something we could get to neutralize the 

 effects of the alkali. It seems first to 

 discolor the foliage; then the plants 

 start to die. Thejr are planted in good, 

 heavy soil, containing plenty of nour- 

 ishment. They seem to do nicely at 

 the start, but from sixty to ninety days 

 after -planting they show the effects. 

 Any information on this subject will be 

 appreciated. C. D. F. G. — Tex. 



While it is doubtful if there is any 

 feasible method of neutralizing the 

 alkali in the soil, it would depend upon 

 the nature of the alkali. As I have no 

 knowledge of the nature of the water 

 in Texas, I would suggest that the ques- 



tion be referred to the department of 

 chemistry. State Agricultural College, 

 College Station, Tex. I would suggest 

 also, that when you are watering, only 

 as much water be used as is needed to 

 enable the plants to keep up their 

 growth. But, since at best some alkali 

 will accumulate in the soil, it will be 

 advisable once a month, or oftener, to 

 give the benches a thorough wetting 

 down, with the idea of dissolving and 

 washing out the alkali. T. 



RAMBLER ROSES FOR EASTER. 



I have about 1,200 Baby Ramblers 

 ill 6-inch pots, all full of bloom. They 

 are plunged outside in frames. I want 

 to force them for Easter. About what 

 time should they be cut back and taken 

 into the greenhouse f How much prun- 

 ing should I give themt They are now 

 about two feet high and are bushy 

 plants. W. J. H.— Pa. 



Easter comes late next year, April 23, 

 and your Baby Ramblers will be in 

 ample time if you start them by the 

 middle of February, giving them a 



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