JONB 2, 1904. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



59 



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Greenhouse Establishment and Peony Fields of Peter Weiland, New Castle, Ind. 



it in subjectionj ia harder and more ex- 

 acting than that demanded by any other 

 variety. 



The minimum temperature to which 

 this rose can be exposed without retard- 

 ing or injuring it during the growing 

 season is about 62 degrees and if there 

 is any danger of the temperature falling 

 below this firing should be resorted to 

 at once. The maximum during sunshine 

 can approach the 100 degree mark, if 

 there is suflBcient moisture in the house. 



In order to secure plenty of flower 

 bearing buds disbudding will have to 

 be strictly attended to. This, as prac- 

 ticed by the best growers of this variety, 

 consists in cutting off the bud with 

 about the half of the flower stem at- 

 tached, leaving not more than three or 

 four well developed leaves on the stem, 

 every bud from which will under ordi- 

 nary cultural rules develop into a flower 

 bearing stem. Ribes. 



CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 



Cuttings. 



Plants intended to produce late flow- 

 ers may still be propagated, though it 

 is not so easy to strike them now that 

 the weather is warm. One must be care- 

 ful to see that the cuttings are well 

 shaded and the ventilators rather close, 

 for a drying wind is as bad as, or worse 

 than sunlight. The cuttings must be 

 kept from wilting by being frequently 

 sprayed and copiously watered. If they 

 are allowed to get dry and hard they 

 may as well be thrown out for they will 

 never root well enough to make satis- 

 factory plants. Just as soon as the 

 roots are pushing out pot them up and 

 shade heavily for a day or two and they 

 will soon establish themselves. 



Plants that are set out on the benches 

 should be looked over carefully and the 

 fly killed that as a rule infests the tips 

 of the growing shoots at this season. 

 A heavy dusting of tobaceo dust or 

 spraying with tobacco water will clean 

 them out. I have found that if the 

 plants are entirely freed from fly shortly 

 after planting they will often run clean 

 all summer. The lady bug, well known 

 to practically everybody, is the best aid 

 a man can have in keeping down the fly. 



Many of the plants propagated in 

 February are now showing a bud. Rub 

 this oflT and when the side shoots have 

 become sufficiently long to enable you to 



see which will be the best, pinch off ev- 

 erything except the shoot you wish to 

 retain to grow along. It is not wise 

 to be in too much of a hurry in taking 

 off the superfluous shoots, as it some- 

 times happens that some of the growths 

 get one inch or so long and then throw 

 another bud. Occasionally all the 

 growths do this, and in that case 

 there is nothing to be done except cut 

 the plant down to within five or six 

 leaves of the ground and let it break 

 out again. Ordinarily, however, the 

 plants are not troublesome in this way, 

 but come away clean and right with a 

 new shoot. 



If the soil in the bench does not feel 

 firm and solid run over it again with a 

 brick. There is more in this firming of 

 the soil for chrysanthemums than the 

 average grower thinks. It makes a 

 much slower, firmer and better growth 

 of the plants. 



Look out for your pot plants, if you 

 grow any. The ones intended for- 6-inch 

 pots should be moved up from the 2- 

 inch just as soon as they are rooted 

 enough. It is not wise to let plants 

 stay in small pots any longer than is 

 necessary, as they dry out so quickly 

 and are very liable to get hard and 

 stunted. Plants for specimens should 

 be kept pinched closely, so that they 

 will produce all the shoots possible. Pot 

 them on as they need it, so that they 

 may have all the show possible. Do 

 things on time, and keep doing them on 

 time, is the watchword of the successful 

 grower. Briax Boru. 



JUDGING A MUM SHOW. 



In a recent issue we asked about the 

 standard method of grading chrysanthe- 

 mums, but as Mr. Boru did n'ot catch 

 our meaning we will try to be more ex- 

 plicit. The idea is that we are selected 

 to judge a mum show this fall and want 

 the standard rules of grading the flow- 

 er, plant, form, etc., the same that are 

 used in the shows in the large cities. 

 Anything pertaining to classing and 

 handling the plants in the show would be 

 very interesting. G. N. Co. 



The scale of points as adopted by the 

 Clirysanthemum Society of America, 

 which is printed below.' forms the best 

 guide for a judge to follow. As a judge 

 the correspondent should have nothing 



whatever to do with classing or handling 

 the plants. The schedule is gotten up 

 by the society or parties having the ex- 

 hibition in charge and they are supposed 

 to classify and arrange every exhibit in 

 its proper place. Then when every de- 

 tail is complete, every exhibit staged, 

 the hall is cleared of every one, interest- 

 ed or otherwise, and the judges are 

 turned in, with minds unbiased and in 

 total ignorance of the ownership of any- 

 thing on which they have to pass judg- 

 ment. 



That is the proper way to do things, 

 but I only know of about two societies 

 that do things that way. Generally the 

 judges will be found judging one class 

 while the exhibitors are frantically set- 

 ting up another, and before things are 

 finished the general public is coming in, 

 making confusion worse confounded. It 

 has been the writer's fortune or misfor- 

 tune to help judge on some occasions, 

 and it is at best a thankless task. The 

 kicker is always in evidence 'at a flower 

 show and all sorts of charges and insin- 

 uations are hurled at the heads of the 

 poor judges. I doubt if any fairminded 

 man ever rendered anything but an hon- 

 orable decision and tried t^) be strictly 

 honest in his verdict, but the promoters 

 oi a show owe it to the judges to have 

 the hall cleared, have all cards enclosed 

 in numbered envelopes and place the 

 judges in a position where they would 

 be like Caisar 's wife, ' ' above suspicion. ' ' 

 The scale follows. Sh) far as its in- 

 terpretation is concerned, the correspond- 

 ent will have to travel alone and pray 

 for himself. 



Scale A.— Scale of points for bush planta 

 und standards, single speclmpns or any niim- 

 her up to six, In an exhibition where the 

 class under consideration does not form the 

 chief feature In the exhibition hall. 



Bkjuallty of size and form of plant.. 40 



Excellence of bloom 35 



Foliage 25 



100 

 Scale B.— Scale of points for bush plants; 

 exhibits of more than six or for any num- 

 ber of specimen plants In an exhibition where 

 the class under consideration forms the chief 

 feature in the exhibition hall. 



Excellence of bloom 40 



Equality of size and foun of plants.. .35 

 Foliage 25 



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Scale C. — Scale of points for plants grown 

 to single stem and one bloom. 



Excellence of bloom 40 



Compact and sturdy growth 35 



Foliage 25 



100 



