22 



The Florists^ Review 



September 16, 1015. 



both shoots be tied to one string f These 

 plants are strong and healthy and about 

 six to nine inches high. Are they too 

 far advanced? Some of the taller 

 plants have formed a bud like the one 

 enclosed. Around the bud are several 

 shoots. I have pinched all the shoots 

 off but one, and also the bud. Is this 

 correct? H. A. C. — Ala. 



FEBTLLIZEB FOB MUMS. 



"We are anxious to grow some espe- 

 cially large chrysanthemums this year. 

 Heretofore we have relied on good cow 

 manure alone, used both as a mulch 

 and in liquid form, and have always 

 obtained good results, but we should 

 like to produce something still better. 

 Is there a better fertilizer for chrysan- 

 themums? How about nitrate of soda? 

 If this is better, how should it be ap- 

 plied, in what quantities and how 

 often? T. T.— Ky. 



Cow manure, either as a liquid or a 

 mulch, is an excellent fertilizer for 

 chrysanthemums or any other plant in 

 the greenhouse. I do not know of any- 

 thing better, but it can be assisted by 

 the use of chemical fertilizers. We 

 used nitrate of soda considerably, but 

 found we were doing more harm than 

 good, as this excellent fertilizer does 

 not seem to work out so well on mums 

 as on other stock. Nitrate of potash 

 will give much better results, but the 

 safest chemical, in my experience, to 

 use in con.junction with other fertilizers 

 for mums is sulphate of ammonia. Any 

 of the foregoing fertilizers can be used 

 in the proportion of one pound to fifty 

 gallons of water, and when the plants 

 are large and healthy it can be applied 

 once a week as a change from the other 

 fertilizer. Chas. H. Totty. 



FEEDING CHBYSANTHEMUMS. 



I have a fine standing of Mrs. Henry 

 Bobinson chrysanthemums, but the 

 leaves are not large and thick. How 

 should I treat them to secure large, 

 thick, green leaves? G. K. — La. 



In your section, Louisiana, where 

 blooms are grown outdoors, I should 

 judge that the reason the leaves of 

 Mrs. Henry Robinson are not larger is 

 that the cuttings from which the 

 plants were made were small and thin. 

 A good, healthy cutting, even though 

 it be small, should make a good plant. 

 If your plants are set too closely, the 

 leaves will be small. Now is the proper 

 time to feed if the plants are in shape 

 to take the food. By this I mean, it 

 the plants have made a reasonable 

 growth and are well rooted in their 

 quarters. It is useless to feed plants 

 that are small and weak and sickly in 

 their growth, and are growing in un- 

 congenial surroundings. If the plants 

 are healthy, even though small, they 

 can assimilate their food, and should 

 be given a liquid made from either 

 cow or sheep manure, applied at every 

 other watering. This liquid can be 

 changed to an application of chemical 

 fertilizer, such as sulphate of am- 

 monia, in the proportion of a 4-inch 

 pot to a kerosene barrel of water. It 

 sometimes happens that the plants are 

 green and healthy, but their upward 

 growth is retarded. This is what is 

 known as "stuck." In such a ease, 

 nitrate of soda, used in the same pro- 

 portion as the sulphate of ammonia, is 

 valuable, and as a rule will start the 



plants upward, though I have found it 

 advisable not to use too much nitrate 

 of soda. The difference between the 

 large flowers of an expert and the 

 medium or small flowers of the aver- 

 age grower is caused by the different 

 methods of feeding. I am aware that 

 some growers make their soil rich at 

 planting time and expect this to carry 

 the plants through the blooming 

 season. I am also aware that 

 growers who feed their plants after 

 the bud is taken in September, ail 

 other things being equal, produce the 

 best flowers. Chas. H. Totty. 



STBING SUPPOBTS FOB MUMS. 



Please give me some advice on sup- 

 porting my chrysanthemums. I have 

 some Polly Rose plants which will bear 

 two flowers and I intend to support 

 them by the twine system. Should I 

 tie two strings to each plant, or can 



The usual method of stringing for 

 supporting plants is to run up a string 

 for each shoot, though it is by no means 

 unusual to see two or more shoots tied 

 on one string. I would not advise this 

 in the case of Polly Rose, which is 

 liable to become crooked in the stem 

 after throwing the bud. Plants are by 

 no means too far advanced when six 

 or nine inches high. In fact, they 

 should be that height to get the best 

 results. The bud forming is a per- 

 fectly natural proceeding, and it was 

 all right to remove it, though I would 

 have left more than one shoot until 

 they began growing nicely. By leav- 

 ing two shoots, if one happens to run 

 blind, there is still another shoot to 

 rely on. Chas. H. Totty. 



Terre Haute, Ind. — Heinl & Weber 

 are adding 5,000 feet of glass at their 

 range. They are also opening an office 

 to handle local retail trade. 



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Bamblers for Early Forcing. 



Pot-grown rambler roses are the best 

 for early forcing. If these are not 

 available, the next best are field- 

 grown plants which are home-grown 

 and can be lifted and potted now. If 

 these roses have had the shoots tied 

 up and were not allowed to ramble 

 over the ground, they will be firmer 

 and much better ripened. The ends 

 of the shoots will still be soft and 

 growing. Cut off the soft ends when 

 potting. Pack the soil well about 

 the roots and do not allow the roots 

 to dry out any more than is absolutely 

 necessary. These roses, potted now, will 

 make a lot of roots in the pots before 

 really cold weather sets in and will be far 

 better for early forcing purposes than 

 stock potted in late October or Novem- 

 ber. Such kinds as Tausendschon, 

 Lady Gay and Hiawatha are good for 

 early work; so, also, are the polyan- 

 thas or baby ramblers, such as 

 Catherine Zeimet, Mrs. Cutbush and 

 Orleans. 



Planting Hardy Evergreens. 



There have been few seasons as fine 

 as the present for the moving of such 

 evergreens as retinosporas, abies, 

 thuyas, pinus, rhododendrons, kalmias 

 and andromedas. Too much of the 

 planting is left until spring, when nurs- 

 eries are practically overwhelmed with 

 orders. Much of this planting can be 

 more successfully done in late summer, 

 when duties are less manifold and ur- 

 gent. Any of the shrubs or trees 

 named and some others can be moved 

 now, provided they do not remain out 

 of the ground too long. Prepare liberal 



Holes, firm the roots well and water 

 abundantly. Spray occasionally if we 

 get a spell of hot, dry weather, and 

 there will be few, if any, losses. 



Pachysandra Terminalis. 



An evergreen that is of low growth 

 and well adapted for borders, ground 

 covers, etc., is Pachysandra terminalis. 

 It does not grow quite so rapidly as 

 euonymus, but, once established, soon 

 covers the ground. It is easily propa- 

 gated from cuttings, which, if taken 

 now, can be rooted in coldframes in 

 the same way as euonymus, or during 

 the late fall and winter it can be eas- 

 iljY rooted in flats in any ordinary 

 greenhouse. In the spring the plants 

 can be put out in nursery rows. Both 

 euonymus and pachysandra are ex- 

 cellent plants for covering graves. 

 They make a pleasant change from the 

 omnipresent vinca or myrtle and 

 smother out weeds much better than 

 the last named plant. 



Genistas. 

 Genistas which have been plunged 

 overhead will have made considerable 

 roots, both above and below the pots, 

 and when lifted will usually need a 

 shift into pots a size larger. The 

 plants will wilt for a few days, but, 

 if sprayed freely and protected from 

 the direct sunlight, will soon stiffen 

 up. Where formal specimens are 

 wanted, the plants should be given an- 

 other shearing. Many customers do 

 not like these topiary-like plants, but 

 prefer them grown more naturally. Bet- 

 ter grow a few the latter way and see 

 which your buyers prefer. 



