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868 



The Weekly Florists* Review. 



September 7, 1005. 



seem unneceBaary- to the average grower, 

 who may figure out that he can syringe 

 his plants aby time and clean them up 

 in good sefttob. He may and, on the 

 other hand, he may get busy with some- 

 thing else and forget it, and next month, 

 when a dry atmosphere is essential in 

 the mum house, he may find himself in 

 a position where, if he sprays his plants, 

 he runs the chances of spoiling lots of 

 flowers by dampening the petals, and if 

 he does not spray he will lose his flow- 

 ers by insects. A stitch in time saves 

 nine. 



Feeding. 



September is. the month when feeding 

 is necessary and when it does the most 

 good, because now the bud is swelling 

 and will appreciate all the feeding, in 

 reason, that is given to it. The chrys- 

 anthemum is a gross feeder, but at the 

 same time care should be taken not to 

 give a strong dose at any one time, or it 

 will rot the feeding fibers of the roots 

 and do far more harm than good. 



There are a large variety of fertilizers 

 in use by the experts and the results at- 

 tained by their intelligent use are re- 

 markable. Growers of European train- 

 ing rely a good deal on Thompson's 

 chrysanthemum manure, ichthemic guano 

 and Clay's fertilizer, all of which are 

 standards of British manufacture, safe 

 to use, easily applied and always satis- 

 factory. A light dusting once a week 

 over the soil is the usual way of apply- 

 ing these fertilizers. 



Some growers are getting remarkable 

 results from the use of Bonora, a liquid 

 chemical preparation made in this coun- 

 try and of which we may hear more 

 later. Other chemicals, as previously 

 mentioned in these notes, are nitrate of 

 soda, sulphate of ammonia and sulphate 

 and nitrate of potash. A safe propor- 

 tion of any of these is one ounce of 

 chemical to four gallons of water, and 

 they are best applied alternately with 

 liquid made from the natural manures 

 of the cow, sheep or horse. 



It would seem to some, perhaps, that 

 one good fertilizer, if it contained all 

 that a plant needed, is sufficient to use, 

 but when one sees at an exhibition the 

 splendid flowers set up by growers who 

 use a wide range of fertilizers, as com- 

 pared with the stock of the grower who 



does not, one is forced to conclude that 

 it pays to "change the feed" for the 

 mum. 



The question of how much to feed or 

 how often I cannot answer, as it must 

 be governed by the growth of the plant. 

 When the leaves get very brittle and al- 

 most black in color it may be assumed 

 that the danger signal is being set, and 

 when, as often happens, the neck of the 

 flower splits and half severs itself, it 

 may be taken as an indication that feed- 

 ing should cease entirely on the variety 

 affected, the semi-decapitation of the 

 bud being nature's way of checking the 

 excess of sap Avhich is rushing up to the 

 bud too quickly. 



A variety, like William Duckham, that 

 makes strong growth and thick, fleshy 

 leaves does not need and, in fact, will 

 not stand so much feeding as will weak- 

 er growing kinds. 



There are so very many points to be 

 considered that, as I said before, I can- 

 not say definitely just what proportion 

 of feeding a plant will stand, but there 

 is no plant grown that will so well repay 

 intelligent study in this direction as the 

 chrysanthemum. Charles H. Totty. 



WHITE FLY. 



Among the chrysanthemum 's enemies 

 we do not see mention of a small white 

 fly about the size of the well-known 

 green fly. Tobacco smoke does not af- 

 fect it. Is it the little white fly referred 

 to as getting into vegetable forcing 

 houses in winter? Is there a remedy other 

 than hydrocyanic acid gas? E. B. 



The little white fly referred to is the 

 same insect that attacks tomatoes and 

 other vegetables under glass. It is a 

 species of aleyrodes, probably vaporari- 

 orum, commonly termed the snowy fly. 

 I have not hitherto heard of its being 

 found in any quantity on chrysanthe- 

 mums, though in some sections it is a 

 perfect pest in greenhouses. As this 

 grower states, tobacco smoke does not 

 touch it and the only remedy in desperate 

 cases is the hydrocyanic gas. This fly, in 

 common with many, other insects, may be 

 prevented from getting much of a foot- 

 hold by a vigorous and persistent use 

 of the hose several times a day in bright 

 weather. C. H. T. 



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HAND BASKET OF DAISIES. 



This particular basket was a pale ma- 

 genta pink of the style used for some 

 time past by wedding attendants. One 

 side is flattened against the handle, 

 which is a loop to slip over the wrist. 

 The design as worked out here is the 

 simplest possible. A dozen Asparagus 

 Sprengeri sprays with several times as 

 many Shasta daisies is its sum and sub- 

 stance. 



Sharpen the lower ends of the long 

 Sprengeri and insert in the shallow fill- 

 ing of sphagnum, outwards and upwards, 

 airily. The mosa should be packed in 

 almost hard, and tied in very closely, for 



there cannot be much depth on account 

 of the open sides of the basket. Stem 

 aaisies full length and insert in a close, 

 irregular group about the handle, and 

 scattered toward the front. 



This design could be considerably elab- 

 orated by tnrowing out a daisy chain 

 along the asparagus sprays and by add- 

 ing more long-stemmed flowers in the 

 front, shower effect. ^ A ribbon wrap- 

 ping around the handle might be added, 

 but without conspicuous bows. Stiff- 

 stemmed roses or carnations could be 

 employed to fill the basket, but not as 

 gracefully as daisies, asters, cosmos, 

 swainsona, or all green, as adiantum or 

 asparagus. Gertrude Blair. 



FOLIAGE^OR WORK. 



We are already getting the oak with 

 the red-bronze tint, and it is one of the 

 most useful things we have in hardy 

 foliage; up to last week the bronze galax 

 leaves were being used by florists, says 

 a writer in the Horticultural Advertiser, 

 but I was told that there would be no 

 more for some months. While speaking 

 of this I may refer to the fact that the 

 plant Galax aphylla is grown in this 

 country, and the slender spikes of white 

 flowers are pretty, it is chiefly used as 

 a rock plant, yet the bog-garden is its 

 proper place, and planted in a moist 

 boggy position fully exposed to the sun 

 we ought to be able to grow it and get 

 the bronzy tint on the leaves. It seems 

 strange that we should have to send to 

 America for foliage which ought to be 

 grown here. At one time we depended 

 upon importations for smilax (Medeola 

 asparagoides), but now we have growers 

 who do it well, and find it a profitable 

 crop. The Prunus Pissardi must be prof- 

 itable for market work where it colors 

 well. The best colored foliage comes 

 from dry, sandy soil, and it should be 

 worth planting by those who have suit- 

 able conditions. At a recent meeting, 

 Geo. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, showed an 

 improved variety of the purple-leaved 

 peach; the foliage was of a very bright 

 hue, and it should make a useful thing to 

 grow for market. Last season some 

 people must have made a good revenue 

 from Ampelopsis Veitchii; beautifully 

 colored leaves were in the market, and 

 made from 50 to 75 cents per dozen 

 bunches of about twelve leaves in each. 

 Bhus cotinus is another plant which, 

 where it will color well, is worth growing 

 for cut foliage. Some of the ribes color 

 well in suitable positions, and there are 

 many other deciduous trees which should 

 be worth growing but it would be of no 

 use to plant them in cold, wet ground or 

 where they do not get the full benefit of 

 all the sunshine available. 



DOROTHY PERKINS. 



In the Beview of August 31 we see 

 a note of * ' Plants for Easter, ' ' in which 

 it is said that "Dorothy Perkins is 

 rather more difficult to get into bloom 

 at Easter than any other rambler." We 

 have a large list of florists who are us- 

 ing Dorothy Perkins and say that it is 

 the greatest bloomer of any rose that 

 they put in their greenhouses. It may 

 be all right that the plants mentioned in 

 the article referred to are not strong 

 enough for forcing and that outdoor- 

 grown two-year-old Dorothy Perkins 

 would be better, but the writer is en- 

 tirely wrong as far as its being difficult 

 to get into bloom. It is one of the 

 greatest bloomers used. 



Jackson & Perkins Co. 



GERANIUMS. 



In taking up geraniums in October to 

 put in the greenhouse do you put the 

 geraniums in pots and place them on top 

 of the beds, or do you set the plants 

 right in the soil and then place them in 

 pots in May, when they are ready to sell ? 

 Any information you may give me will 

 be greatly appreciated, as I am new at 

 the business. F. W. S. 



Florists very seldom <lo cither of the 

 above. We take a crop of cuttings off 

 the plants outdoors the first week of 

 September and then just before frost, 

 with us early October, we take another 



