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v660 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



August 25, 1904. 



way acquainted with the habit of the 

 plant must know that it requires no ar- 

 tificial stimulus to extend the distaiu'-e 

 between the bracts and the pot, but 

 rather a decided effort in the other di- 

 rection is needed to restrict its aspira- 

 tions. In view of this I advise that not 

 more than six inches of space be left be- 

 tween the top of the plants and the 

 glass, temporary methods of raising them 

 to that height being employed, and as 

 they approach the glass let the stage be 

 lowered. 



Syringing overhead may be continued 

 twice a day, omitting this on wet and 

 sunless days. A stimulant will be needed 

 when the final pots are well filled witli 

 roots. This may take the form of liquid 

 cow or sheep manure or soot water, be- 

 stowing also on each plant once a fort- 

 night or three weeks a pinch of some ap- 

 proved fertilizer. Do not use the artificial 

 too liberally, for although it may be 

 an excellent preparation it is possible 

 to overstep the bounds of prudence by 

 marked generosity, which in its effect on 

 the future of the plant is more destruct- 

 ive than studied parsimony. 



"When the plants betray unmistakable 

 signs of forming their bracts, the heat 

 of the house should be raised to a min- 

 imum of 60 degrees by night, with less 

 air afforded. The syringe also should 

 henceforth be laid aside. Feeding should 

 be discontinued when the color of the 

 bract is plainly visible, its employment 

 after that time being wasteful. 



Plenty of sunshine is now more than 

 at any other time necessary, and without 

 fear of contradiction I can vouch for the 

 fact that if two sets of plants are grown, 

 the one in a light structure and the other 

 in a house whose roof presents a largo 

 surface of wood, given an equality in 

 stock, food and attention, the batch in 

 the house receiving the most light will 

 be much superior to the other. 



Reference has already been made as 



to the height of the plant, and it is no 

 exaggeration to say that even under 

 good culture it may be anything up to 

 ijix feet, but as this is a height which 

 necessarily detracts from its utility, ways 

 and means have been found by garden- 

 ers (who possess a remarkable aptitude 

 for I using the f oreeS' ©"if nature for the 

 realization of their wishes) whereby this 

 great height may be lessened. Briefly, it 

 is thus — ^wheu the bract has about half- 

 expanded a cut is made half-way through 

 the stem at a distance of one foot from 

 the bract and immediately below a leaf 

 joint. Some cold water is dashed against 

 the opening to check the outpour of sap, 

 and the plant is left thus for a week or 

 ten ' days, by which time it will have 

 callused over, and the piece may be com- 

 pletely severed, inserted in a 3-inch pot, 

 and rooted in the ordinary way by keep- 

 ing a close atmosphere, etc. Thus is 

 the height reduced without materially af- 

 fecting the size and splendor of tlie 

 head. 



When the heads have been cut off. 



gradually withhold water from the old 

 plants until all the leaves have dropped 

 off, when the stock may be put under a 

 stage in a temperature of not more than 

 50 degrees, and kept dry until propagat- 

 ing times arrives. 



Now for a word on artificial selection, 

 Avhich 'is an important phase of up-to- 

 date horticulture, and perhaps of greater 

 benefit to the practical gardener than 

 hybridization. The desiderata in poin- 

 settias are short, sturdy growth, large 

 expansive heads, and numerous wide and 

 highly-colored bracts, by which latter 

 term I mean here the colored leaves. 

 Little scrutiny will be needed to discovei- 

 plants abounding in these good quali- 

 ties, and having been marked, it will be- 

 come the grower to select his cuttings 

 as far as possible from these ear-marked 

 plants, so that a distinct improvement 

 will be observed in a few generations. 



Mealy bug, red spider, and scale are 

 the plant's most dangerous enemies, but 

 they are not difficult to combat. 



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BEGINNINGS 



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IN DESIGN... 



VASE ARRANGEMENTS. 



Floral Designing. 



It may be well to remind ourselves 

 again as to what is included in the term 

 floral designing. Commonly, a floral de- 

 sign inertns an arrangement on a wire 

 frame, but properly it means the plan 



An Arrangement of Dahlias. 



with which one or more flowers are 

 used. Unless otherwise designated, the 

 latter should always be the construction 

 put upon the term. It includes the 

 study of both form and color in their 

 broadest sense and application. 



In planning a decoration for a room 

 or an elaborate piece, one should always 

 see the finished work in his mind's eye 

 before he begins, but in a simple vase 

 arrangement it is better to give the flow- 

 ers a chance to arrange themselves. How 

 to give them this chance takes a little 

 cave and forethought. 



The Receptacle. 



In the first place, the choice of a re- 

 ceptacle should be considered. Allow 

 the character of the flower to be used 

 to decide this question. If it comes to 

 a choice between a rose bowl, a slender 

 glass vase, or an odd piece of pottery, a 

 few glances at the flowers themselves 

 ought to deteimine the best receptacle. 

 In the case of the dahlia bouquet here- 

 with illustrated, one can see that the 

 habits of growth are about like this: 

 Very tall, slender stems, comparatively 

 straight, topped by a short curve, where 

 the flower appears; flowers not very 

 sprangly nor abundant. 



Assemble the Flowers. 



Let us aim to make the finished bou- 

 quet, including the vase and flowers, 

 resemble in a general way the plan of 

 ihe flower stalk. Therefore, we will se- 

 lect the tall, slender, straight vase, not 

 a great quantity of flowers, plenty of 

 foliage and buds. Gather them loosely 

 in your hand at first and set them all to- 

 gether in the vase. They should be set 

 in loosely enough to have some play and 

 they will arrange themselves. Some will 

 nod, some will face forward, some back- 

 ward, a few will droop, two or three 

 will group themselves together, while an- 

 other one will appear a little offish with 



