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256 



The Weekly Florists' Rcvicti^J 



Dbckhbbr 22, 1904. 



The MuBcats require a higher tempera- 

 ture and neither bloom nor mature so 

 early as Hamburg. 



The Muscat varieties are all more or 

 less what might be termed high class 

 grapes and are handled to best advantage 

 when grown in a house by themselves. 

 One of their worst features is that they 

 are all somewhat shy in setting. While 

 it does not take long to run over the 

 bunches with a soft brush and insure 

 proper pollination, it is not so much in 

 the lack of pollen that the trouble lies; 

 it seems to be more due to the failure 

 of the pollen to fertilize the flower. 

 During the prevalence of bright weather 

 a reasonably good set can usually be 

 counted on, but if dull weather prevails 

 the set is often disappointing. Light 

 seems to play a very important part in 

 this matter and I find that by tying back 

 some of the leaves and exposing the 

 bunches as much as possible to the light, 

 a good set can usually be secured un- 

 less the weather is exceptionally dull 

 during the flowering period. Muscat of 

 Alexandria is one of the best white 

 grapes we have. It produces a good, 

 large bunch, with very large, firm berries 

 of a distinct Muscat flavor. Bowood 

 Muscat is so much like Alexandria that 

 it is needless to grow both. Canon Hall 

 Muscat, also white, is larger both in 



bunch and berry but more shy in setting 

 and less desirable on that accotint. 

 Mioflcat Hamburg is one of the best 

 black grapes in this class. It may be 

 a matter of taste, but for eating quali- 

 ties I think it is the finest grape grown. 

 Madersfield Court is larger in berry than 

 Muscat Hamburg and is also a beautiful 

 grape, but the berries are sometimes apt 

 to crack when nearing the ripening stage. 



For late grapery there is not a really 

 good white with the necessary keeping 

 qualities, but there are several good 

 black varieties. Black Alicante is the 

 best looking and easiest finished. Bar- 

 barossa makes the largest bunches, but 

 Gros Colmar is the best keeper of the 

 lot; in place of losing it improves in 

 flavor by keeping, not being really good 

 until after it has been kept for some 

 time. This variety cut in December, when 

 the falling of the leaves robs them of 

 their natural shade, can be kept in good 

 condition in a cool cellar until the fol- 

 lowing April. 



Though there are some fifty varieties 

 of Vitis vinifera more or less in culti- 

 vation the few enumerated are among 

 the best for commercial purposes. Some 

 of the others are good under certain 

 conditions only, while some I do not con- 

 sider worth growing under any condi- 

 tions. W. S. Croydon. 



SEASONABLE TREATMENT. 



The ordinary care of stock during the 

 short and sunless days of the next month 

 requires a deal of forethought and 

 skill to get the best results and he who 

 would be successful must keep his think- 

 ing cap on most of the time. To induce 

 crops to come at the time when there is 

 the greatest demand and best prices re- 

 quires some study and calculation, which 

 should be based upon tharough knowledge 

 of the quality of soil used and the con- 

 stituents of your water supply, and your 

 past observance of attending conditions. 



Soils being so unlike in character in 

 the different localities, it is not possible 

 to give blanket advice as to the treatment 

 of stock during the winter months so that 

 each grower will have to be guided in p. 

 Creat measure by the quality of soil and 

 water at his command. Where the soil is 

 of a heavy, clayey nature there is less 

 need of liquid feeding and more need of 

 light and frequent mulching to keep the 

 soil in the bench from cracking. If there 

 is a deficiency of lime in the soil or water 

 this should be added at frequent inter- 

 vals. Where the soil is of a light, fri- 

 able nature the mulching should consist 

 of material containing large quantities 



of nitrogen, such as cow manure, and the 

 liquid food should be made from the same 

 material. 



Wood ashes contain many of the ele- 

 ments necessary to the formation of ro- 

 bust growth and, if used with caution, 

 aid materially in giving vigor to the 

 plant. Bone meal, which contains about 

 the proper amount of phosphorus and 

 ammonia, can also be used with benefit 

 but there is danger in using. this in com- 

 bination with other ingredients, such as 

 hrae, which will release these elements 

 too rapidly. 



To help hasten a crop it is often advis- 

 able to use nitrate of soda but as this 

 is a very concentrated food and quick in 

 its iHtion it has to be used with great 

 care. Using it once a week one pound 

 is sufficient for fifty gallons of water at 

 this season. 



A? the days begin to lengthen the 

 quantities of feeding material can be in- 

 creased but it is good policy to- increase 

 very slowly, as root action for some time 

 to ccme is very sluggish and frequently 

 there is considerable damage done to 

 stock by being over kind to it at this 

 season. 



If crops are somewhat tardy during 

 .the dark weather it is safer to rather low- 

 er the temperature than raise it, as this 

 calls for less water and keeps the plants 

 from getting soft. While the cut may 

 not be quite so large, the plants will 

 gain in vitality and the quality of the 

 cut will be better, the wood for a future 



crop will be of a better quality and, all 

 things considered, the grower will be a 

 gainer by the end of the season. 



RiBES. 



BEAUTIES LOSING FOLIAGE. 



Please explain the theory of holding 

 the foliage on American Beauties dur- 

 . ing continued dark weather in winter. I 

 refer to young plants benched in four 

 and one-half inches of soil in June, light- 

 ly top-dressed with cow manure two 

 months later and given a little wood 

 ashes in October and then a little bone 

 meal in November. The plants have Deen 

 bearing high grade blooms and look well. 

 The temperature has been even and mod- 

 erate, both day and night. Ventilation 

 has been given whenever possible. The 

 loss of leaves is entirely on the old 

 wood. Also, does an increasing number 

 of deformed buds, chiefly on the heavy 

 shoots of these Beauties, indicate a de- 

 ficiency in the soil? If so, what is the 

 remedy? Reader, 



Had this correspondent enclosed some 

 leaves and buds for inspection! it would 

 have simplified matters, as I am in the 

 dark without them. It looks very much 

 like a case of black spot, from the fact 

 that the trouble seems to be with the old- 

 er leaves. Spray with a solution of car- 

 bonate of copper (cupram), using five 

 ounces of the carbonate to three quarts 

 of ammonia and sixty gallons of water. 

 The spraying should be done once a week, 

 using a very fine nozzle, taking particular 

 care to wet every part of the plant. Als' 

 pick off all affected leaves and burn 

 them. 



The cause of deformed buds at this sea- 

 son is usually thrips. This can be ascer- 

 tained bv carefully dissecting one of the 

 buds and keeping a careful watch for the 

 insect, which is small and very lively and 

 apt to escape observation. Light and 

 persistent fumigation with tobacco fumes 

 will soon reduce the number and if a 

 small amount of red pepper is added the 

 effect is sure extermination. 



These malformations can also be 

 brought on by overfeeding during dark 

 weather. Ribes. 



MOISTURE FOR DRACAENAS. 



The beauty and value of dracsenaa 

 consist, in a great measure, upon their 

 retaining leaves down to the rim of the 

 pot, and plants destitute of their bot- 

 tom leaves exhibit proof that something 

 is imperfect in their culture. This, it 

 may be concluded, refers to compara- 

 tively young plants, as it is natural for 

 old ones to lose their lower foliage. It 

 is during the short days that plants are 

 most likely to become disfigured in this 

 manner, and it may be easily brought 

 about by careless watering, either by 

 keeping the soil too wet or too dry, while 

 a free use of the syringe damages the 

 young leaves, more particularly those of 

 the light or highly-colored kinds. A light 

 position is likewise essential to their 

 well-being, and we find the best place 

 for young plants is upon shelves near the 

 glass, in a house commanding a night 

 temperature of 60 degrees. — Gardeners' 

 Magazine. 



Peoria, III. — Frederick Morie, a flor- 

 ist at Glen Oak park, died December 15, 

 of paralysis, aged 65 years. 



Fort. Wayne, Ind. — W. J. & M. S. 

 Vesey are preparing to add another very 

 large house to their plant. 



