16 



The Florists^ Review 



Sbftkmbcb 23, 1915. 



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Ericas. 



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Where ericas have been planted out — 

 and planted-out stock always makes 

 better growth than such as is pot-grown 

 — it is now time to lift and pot the 

 plants. It will be found that a large 

 number of fine, fibrous- roots w«r« made, 

 especially as we have had a moist sum- 

 mer since the end of June and the con- 

 ditions have been favorable to the 

 growth of hard-wooded plants. In or- 

 der to get plants into pots of moderate 

 size, it will be found necesSTy to pick 

 away carefully the soil attached to the 

 fine fibers, using a pointed stick for 

 this purpose. Drain the pots well and 

 firm the soil well; this, of (iourse, ap- 

 plies to all hard-wooded plants. 



Ericas can be kept outdoors, for some 

 weeks yet, but place them where they 

 are somewhat sheltered and where they 

 can be easily moved indoors if a cool 

 wave comes along. E. melanthera is 

 the variety most favored commercially, 

 and it can be had in bloom from 

 Thanksgiving until Easter, or even 

 later. Place a batch in a house now, 

 with a temperature of 50 degrees at 

 night. Select the plants which have 

 buds showing most prominently. These 

 should prove useful for the Thanksgiv- 

 ing and Christmas trade. 



Azaleas. 



It looks as if at least some portion 

 of the Belgian azalea shipments may 

 arrive after all, but those who carried 

 over stock and cared for it well through 

 the summer, need not worry. The prob- 

 abilities are that much of the stock 

 which Will arrive will be in the same 

 condition as some which came last fall 

 — minus both leaves and flower buds 

 and ot no value at all. Those who had 

 the courage to carry over plants will 

 have stock which is much more heavily 

 budded than the imported plants and 

 which should sell well. The azaleas 

 should all be lifted and potted as soon 

 as possible. Azaleas appear to be some- 

 what hardy subjects, but it does not 

 take a severe freezing to destroy the 

 flower buds at this season. We have 

 had a cool summer and early frosts are 

 not at all unlikely; it is better, there- 

 fore, to be on the safe side. 



Stevias. 



Both planted-out and pot-grown 

 stevias should now be placed where 

 protection can be readily given them 

 < cool nights. Stevias are easily in- 

 jured by frost and it does not pay to 

 run any risk with them. Some spray- 

 ing and shading will be necessary for 

 field-grown stock until it becomes part- 

 ly established. Keep the plants out- 

 doors as long as safety will allow and 

 be sure they are given a cold house 

 when placed under glass. 



Berried Solanums. 



Some growers prefer pot-grown sola- 

 nums. ^ It is true they set fruit and 

 ripen it earlier than outdoor-grown 

 }.lants, but the plants never approxi- 



itiate the size^ pf those groyrn in the 

 field. It is time now to dig and pot 

 the solanums. They should be heavily 

 berried, and if carefully lifted and 

 potted they will only wilt for a few 

 days. Plants in 5-inch and 6-inch pots 

 are the most salable. Never mind if 

 the berries do not show color for some 

 time yet, for in a cool greenhouse they 

 will easily ripen for the holiday season 

 and that is when they are wanted. 



Callas. 



Where callas have been repotted for 

 some time and kept outdoors, it is now 

 time to house them if an early crop 

 of flowers is wanted. Callas can be 

 grown in a temperature of 45 to 60 de- 

 grees at night. They prove the most 

 profitable, however, if given a mini- 

 mum of 55 degrees. Callas are gross 

 feeders. When the pots are filled with 

 live, active roots, give them weekly 

 applications of cow manure water, in 

 addition to top-dressings of fine bone 

 once a fortnight. The Godfrey calla 

 is away ahead of the old C. jEthiopica, 

 being nearer a pure white and three 

 times as floriferous. It commences to 

 bloom when small, and when it is 



strong it produces just as large spathes 

 as the old variety. 



ArdisiasL 



Ardisias are among the most popular 

 berried plants for Cnriatmas. As they 

 are of slow growth, th^ cannot be sold 

 at a popular price, mui solanums, but 

 there is always a good'emand for well 

 berried plants. It is 'necessary, how- 

 ever, that the fruit be fully ripened. 

 Each year growers send in batches of 

 nicely fruited ardisias with the berries 

 merely showing color. The berries on 

 ardisia plants do not show color a9 

 speedily as those on Jerusalem cherries. 

 Any growers, therefore, who possess 

 plants with fruit which is still green, 

 should place their stock in a warmj , 

 sunny house, spray the plants freely, 

 elevate them if necessary and help the 

 fruit to ripen in every possible way. 



Propagating Bedding Plants. 



Do not wait too long before getting 

 in an ample supply of cuttings from 

 such indispensable bedding plants as 

 heliotropes, ageratums, coleus, alter- 

 nantheras, acalyphas, fuchsias, gerani- 

 ums, etc. Where a really compact type 

 of lobelia is wanted for carpet beds 

 or edging, it is best to lift and pot a 

 number of plants, which, when cut 

 back, will give a big crop of cuttings. 

 It hardly pays to put cuttings of 

 salvias in, or to lift old plants, as these 

 plants are so easily grown from seeds. 

 The only advantage in growing them 

 from cuttings is that the plants will 

 bloom when quite small and many cus- 

 tomers will not buy plants without 

 flowers. 



SOIL FOB QLADIOLI. 



We have some 50,000 gladioli in sev- 

 eral varieties. Among some of the 

 kinds there seems to be a decrease the 

 last two years in the size of the blooms 

 and in the quantity and size of the 

 bulbs. Every spring, since we took 

 up the gladiolus three years ago, we 

 have changed their growing location 

 and kept the soil, which is sixty per 

 cent clay, well cultivated and weeded. 

 During the winter season the bulbs are 

 stored in a dry cellar on shelves, two 

 inches deep, at a temperature of 35 

 to 45 degrees. The size of the bulbs 

 runs from one to one and three-fourths 

 inches. Early Pink Beauty is the kind 

 that has decreased from 6,000 to 4,700 

 in quantity since put in the ground 

 this spring. The stems are as long 

 as ever, but the blooms are smaller. 

 All the varieties have fine, long spikes. 

 What is the reason for the decrease in 

 size of blooms and in quantity of 

 bulbs! E. H. J.— N. Y. 



A stiff clay loam such as you have 

 is not the best for gladiolus culture. 

 To improve conditions I would suggest 

 using sand, road grit or fine coal ashes 

 on your land before plowing; also to 

 give the land a good dressing of 



leached wood ashes. If you will plow 

 the land in the fall, previously apply- 

 ing a good dressing of decayed stable 

 manure, and leave it rough over win- 

 ter, the action of frost will put the soil 

 in a better condition for gladioli. 

 Light, sandy soils, or even those con- 

 taining considerable gravel, are better 

 for gladiolus culture than heavier soils, 

 but you can gradually make your land 

 more suitable by following suggestions 

 made. 



A change of soil is not really neces- 

 sary with gladioli. It is a good plan, 

 however, to seed some of your land 

 down in the fall with winter rye as a 

 cover crop, plowing this in early in the 

 spring. The resultant humus will much 

 improve your soil. In planting set the 

 bulbs six inches deep. The heavy soil 

 seems to be the real cause for the gla- 

 dioli deteriorating somewhat. 



C. W. 



TO LIFT GLADIOLUS BULBLETS. 



Please tell me the best way to take 

 out gladiolus bulblets. They are sown 

 broadcast, about two inches deep. 



J. W. W.— Pa. 



An ordinary digging fork or a hooked 

 potato fork is a suitable tool for lift- 

 ing the bulblets. C. W. 



