382 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



.Iii.v 21. 1904. 



when forced. Supposing you planted all 

 the forcing narcissi as soon as received, 

 say tiio end of September. Then you 

 could liave in flower the Dutch Von Sion 

 by early January, Golden Spur a week 

 or so later, Princeps about the middle of 

 February, and some fine narcissi cannoli 

 be flowered satisfactorily until the mid- 

 dle of March. The French grown bulbs 



of some narcissi are received in August 

 and can be had in flower much earlier, 

 the well known Paper White in early 

 ^■iovember, the French Trumpet Major in 

 December and the pretty yellow Camper- 

 nelle flowers easily by Christmas, so 

 mere is a wide difference in the adapta- 

 bility for forcing among narcissi. 



VV. S. 



PRECAUTIONS. 



During the bright summer weather 

 green fly, while not so troublesome as 

 during tiiL> winter montlis, sliouid be care- 

 fully looked after and kept in check. A 

 systenmtic fumigation once a week tlur- 

 ing these months will reduce their num- 

 bers to such an ext<Mit that they will be 

 easier to manage during the winter. 



Our ever present enemy, red s[)ider. 

 should also share our attention, and all 

 nooks and corners where the syringe 

 cannot have full plaj' sliould be thor- 

 oughly inspectecl, as it is there tliey con- 

 gregate, nmltiply and if not combatted, 

 will soon overrun a house. 



During the season when firing cannot 

 be resorted to mihlew is still our most 

 troublesome and insidious enemy and it 

 is only by do.se attention to ])rovidiug a 

 supply of pur?, fresh air, avoiding 

 draughts and a judicious use of the sul- 

 phur blower that we can escape having 

 trouble with this pest. 



So that the plants may derive the full 

 benefit from the fresh air supplied, and 

 to facilitate syringing, supporting and 

 training the bushes should never be neg- 

 lected. By keeping the growths in an 

 upright ])08ition the eyes will break 

 stronger, thus avoiding that strawy, we 

 formation of wood wliich can never ]>ro- 

 duce a high grade bloom, but is more 

 likely to be followed by a heavy crou 

 of blind wood, which, as one of my cor- 

 respon<U^nt8 naively remarks, ' * does not 

 command much of a price even durinij 

 the holiday season. ' ' Kibks. 



PROTECTING ROSES. 



Is the American Beauty hardy? Will 

 it stand zero weather? How should one 

 make a cold frame to keep rose plants 

 over winter? What attention do they re- 

 quire during winter? Sometimes it e^ts 

 as low as zero. G. W. R. 



Yes, the American Beauty is hardy, 

 and in New York there should be little 

 trouble in keeping it over winter. Of 

 course, this depends altogether on con- 

 ditions. If the soil is of a cold, moist 



nature and the fall happens to be wet, 

 if they survive at all, they will in all 

 probability be frost killed to the ground. 

 A light, dry mulch put on after the 

 ground is frozen will afl'ord a good pro- 

 tection. 



Any ordinary frame that is deep 

 enough to hold the plants laid on their 

 sides, with ample room for a good cover- 

 ing of dry litter or loaves, with a board 

 or sash covering to keep out the wet, 

 and a covering over all to protect thfem 

 during very severe weather, will suffice. 

 WTien danger from hard frost is past 

 the covering should lie removed and tiie 

 plants gradually exposed to the light. 

 After a few days of this treatment they 

 can be planted in their summer quarters. 



RiBES. 



ROSES AND GREENS. 



Can roses and Adiantum cuneatum be 

 grown successfully in the same house? 

 if so, under what conditions? How would 

 asparagus do in the same house with 

 roses? W. J. 



The temperature of a rose house would 

 suit adiantum but the amount of fumi- 

 gation required by roses would be fatal 

 to them. There are no conditions unde'" 

 which the two can be grown together 

 successfully, and the same objections are 

 applicable to asparagus. A partition 

 across the house, if carefully planned 

 and executed, would make conditions more 

 suitable for both of these crops. 



RiBES. 



OUTDOOR ROSES. 



I read the article 'Outdoor Roses" 

 that appeared in the last number of the 

 Kevikw and, iis W. W. D. asks for in- 

 formation concerning the behavior of his 

 plants ;ind methods of tulturo, 1 venture 

 to give our experience ;;long that line. 



First, in answer to the inquiry as to 

 the cause of the condition of the i)lants: 

 The cause of the we ik growtli and un- 

 developed buds is lack of proper nour- 

 ishment, causetl by slow i.r dormant root 

 action, which is affect«>.l by cool, wet 

 weathef and souring of the soil. This 

 inactivity of the roots also causes the 

 leaves to turn yellow and drop off,, also 

 promotes blackspot, a fungus growth 

 which causes the spots noticed on the 

 leaves. 



Pure bone meal, fr-'v from acid, will 



do no harm, and will promote free flow- 

 ering. Hellebore will :iot kill aphides, 

 as they suck the sap from the tissues of 

 the plant. Spraying the plant with wa- 

 ter in hot, dry weather would be benefi- 

 cial, but not neces3ax'y to vigorous 

 growth. 



We make our rose bed where the soil is 

 well drained. If the soil is a good clay 

 loam it is all right. We dig the soil 

 twelve inches deep, and to every three 

 cubic feet of soil add one cubic foot of 

 thoroughly rotted manure. Set the plants 

 in the spring as soon us hard freezing 

 weather is over. Water when necessary, 

 but never overwater. Keep a mulch of 

 fine soil over the bed by cultivating, 

 after every rain as soon as dry enougu. 

 Stir the soil close up to the plants and 

 about two inches deep. This airs and 

 sweetens the soil and promotes vigorous 

 growth. Disbud by j)inching out all 

 buds as soon as large enough to get hold 

 of. Take off just the bud and continue 

 to do this until the plants are thoroughly 

 established, which is shown by vigorous 

 young shoots and large foliage. When the 

 I)ud8 on these first strong shoots begin to 

 show color cut them off, taking about one- 

 half the stem with them. This will give 

 strong growth, which may bo allowed to 

 produce flowers. Spread three or four 

 inches of rotted manure on the beds, 

 the becinning of spring and work in 

 well. 



As to insects and fungi : The rose 

 slug can be poisoned, with a weak solu- 

 tion of Paris green or powdered helle- 

 bore. For aphides we use one tablspoon- 

 fnl of nitrate of soda to twelve quarts 

 of water, watering the plants with this 

 solution every ten days until the aphides 

 disappear. For mildew use sulphur but, 

 better still, select those varieties of roses 

 which are less liable to mildew. For 

 blackspot keep foliage sprayed with am- 

 nionia.;al coj)per carbonut? solution, from 

 start to finish. )?. H. P. 



ASPARAGUS. 



I have about 1,500 fine young As- 

 paragus plumosus plants which I think 

 of planting on a bench for cutting dur- 

 ing the winter. I have a solid bed 5x75 

 three feet from the glass. With good 

 rich soil, will this do? I have another 

 bench 6x75 in a house ten feet high. 

 Would this be better? Does asparagus 

 pay best cut in sprays or strings? How 

 far apart should they be planted? 



F. I. 



A solid bed is much the best for grow- 

 ing Asparagus plumosus, especially if it 

 is to l)e grown to strings, and if this be 

 the purpose a house with ten feet of 

 headroom above the bed is none too high. 

 The low bench could be used for as- 

 paragus that is to be cut as sprays, many 

 growers planting the asparagus" on side 

 benches containing about six inches of 

 soil when it is intended to be cut in 

 that way. This method apj)lies to both 

 A. plumosus and Sprengeri, 



Some time is required to establish a 

 bed of asparagus so that long strings 

 will be produced, and a deep bed of rich 

 soil is needed for the purpose, good loam, 

 with about one-fifth of well rotted stable 

 manure, forming a suitable compost, and 

 the bed having a depth of about two 

 feet, including a layer of broken bricks 

 or cinders that should be placed in the 

 bottom for drainage. 



The plants should be spaced fifteen 

 to eighteen inches apart in the bed, and 

 during the summer the glass should have 



