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^UTT^i^TT^T T^'?"', - 



June 29. 1906. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



299 



Cyclamens. 



For the next three months cyclamens 

 want careful management. They do not 

 enjoy the hot weather of July and Au- 

 jjiist. If you do not have a house where 

 you can apply a portable shade during 

 the bright, hot hours of the day and 

 I (move it entirely after 4 p. m. and on 

 itull days, then they are much better ofE 

 i,i a cold frame with the sash raised a 

 lew inches back and front. In a frame 

 (ills shade is easily adjusted and the 

 free circulation of air over them is very 

 Icneficial. 



Whether on a bench or in a frame, 

 jilunge the pots to the rim in tobacco 

 stems and renew them every three 

 weeks. There is not much known about 

 the minute creature called the "mite," 

 and it does not appear generally until 

 tlift month of September, but the con- 

 stant use of these stems is an excellent 

 jireventive against this mite, as well as 

 against the better known aphis, spider 

 and thrips. When we fumigated a frame 

 or a hotbed by burning stems in a tin 

 or galvanized iron vessel it was an awk- 

 ward job, but now with the pie dish 

 and tobacco dust it is easily and pleas- 

 antly done. Remember that the cubic 

 feet of atmosphere in a cold frame or 

 hotbed are very few, so do not overdo 

 it. The merit of the dust over burning 

 stems is that there is not a dense vol- 

 ume of smoke for a few minutes, but 

 the fumes from the smoldering dust will 

 last two or three hours. 



Now, if instead of a cold frame you 

 put your frame on a foot of well trod- 

 den down stable litter you would have 

 a genial heat for the roots and this 

 would be about the ideal treatment for 

 the cyclamens. Do not forget the 

 spraying of the foliage every bright 

 morning. 



Poinsettias. 



There is no doubt that this showy 

 plant, the poinsettia, now has a perma- 

 nent place as a Christmas decorative' 

 plant. If you started with old dormant 

 plants the first of May you can propa- 

 gate until the end of Augwet and those 

 now in the sand, or put in a week later, 

 will make the finest of plants. There is 

 no trouble in rooting them. Cut just 

 below a joint, shade from bright sun 

 and water the sand copiously daily and 

 oil warm days spray as well as water. 

 Shade and spray frequently the first 

 lew days after potting, but once they 

 be<,'in rooting in the soil they want the 

 piiLthtest and lightest bench and shift- 

 ing as soon as well rooted. 



'I'he object to attain in growing the 

 poinsettia is to produce a dwarf plant 

 ^'-'^l\ abundant foliage and the largest 

 Pcifsible spread of bracts. In future 

 shittings use a similar soil to what you 

 ^ould use in your rose beds and pot 

 nn ily. At no time, except with the 

 OH dormant plants, do they like to have 

 ""■'•r roots disturbed, so when shifting 

 irom a 2%-inch to a 4-inch or from a 

 4-iTh to a 6-inch pot do not disturb 



the young roots or you will lose some 

 foliage, and a poinsettia unless well 

 supplied with its leaves is by no means 

 a thing of beauty. Plenty of ventila- 

 tion, the fullest, brightest light and 

 firm potting will be conducive to a 

 short-jointed, firm growth and give 

 plenty of watering and spraying 

 throughout the summer. 



Nephrolepis. 



With us there has been a greater de- 

 mand than ever for the useful nephro- 

 lepis fern. Veranda boxes have been 

 entirely filled with them and, where the 

 aspect is shady, what could be more 

 handsome and graceful? And even in 

 sunny locations a liberal mixture of 

 these ferns is desirable, for if not neg- 

 lected for water they do finely in the 

 brightest sun. So do not waste any 

 small pieces. Put them on a bench in 

 four inches of rich soil and they will 

 make good plants by November. If tKat 

 is not convenient, put them in 2-inch 

 or 3-inch pots. 



Although Nephrolepis exaltata, from 

 which the Boston variety was obtained, 

 does very well at 50 degrees during 

 winter, it enjoys a much warmer tem- 

 perature. It is a native of Central 



ferns are found growing in almost a 

 clay. 



Mignonette. 



This reminds us we have completed 

 the cycle of another year. The time to 

 sow mignonette for a winter's cut is 

 near at hand. About the middle of 

 July is the right time. A week or two 

 later will do, but if you wish to cut 

 early, then the middle of the month is 

 best. In a solid bed the growth will 

 be very strong and the foliage keep a 

 dark green, but five inches of good soil 

 on a raised bench will give an abund- 

 ance of spikes from November to April. 



A light house, where you can keep 

 40 degrees at night, will grow good 

 mignonette. It is well known that 

 mignonette transplants badly and can- 

 not be handled as you would asters and 

 many of our annuals. We like to sow 

 pinches of seed on the bed one foot 

 apart each way. When up an inch thin 

 out to two plants and when safe from 

 the green worm and other enemies 

 leave only one plant; when this is three 

 inches high pinch the top out. With us 

 the larva of the common yellow butter- 

 fly is very troublesome and is so iden- 

 tically the color of the mignonette that 

 it is difficult to detect. Hellebore dust- 

 ed over the little plants will soon fix 

 the worm. 



Some may think a foot apart a good 

 deal of space. It is not too much if you 

 want good spikes and three good crops. 



Fire Heat. 



If you have been investing in young 

 palms, or raising them from seed, they 

 will make very slow growth through 



Cement Bench in Course of Construction at Wittbold's, Chicago. 



America, therefore tropical, and every 

 advantage of our warm summer months 

 should be taken to increase your stock 

 or increase the size of your plants. They 

 also like a good, strong loam. Young 

 ferns start best in a light soil, with 

 plenty of leaf-mold and well decayed 

 manure, but as they make strong roots 

 they prefer a strong loam and many 



much of the weather we have had and 

 are having this summer. You have the 

 house shaded to keep the sun from 

 burning the foliage and on dull, chilly 

 days and at night it is a little colder 

 than outside; not only cool, but there 

 is an unhealthy dampness and a little 

 fire heat would be of the greatest benefit. 

 Ever so little heat in the pipes will 



