NOVXMBSE 30, 1905. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



75 



Covering the Bulbs. 



For the past two seasons at this date 

 we were frozen up tight, November 25, 

 1905, is a lovely, bright mild day and 

 the little European sparrow, which may 

 take centuries to learn the wisdom and 

 comfort of migration south, is fluttering 

 about as lively as in April. We can do 

 with such beautiful weather for weeks 

 to come, but should be prepared for a 

 severe drop in temperature and wintry 

 blasts. Now is the time your beds of 

 tulips and narcissi that are in flats, cov- 

 ered with three or four inches of earth 

 or tanbark, should receive a 6-inch cover- 

 ing of stable litter. "We always thought 

 it best to let the earth covering of these 

 bulbs be frozen an inch or t\^o, because 

 it prevents the tulips running up long 

 and spindling. Don't overdo it. About 

 five or six inches are enough. No 

 harm if frost does go through the litter 

 and an inch into the soil covering. Some- 

 times we get a foot of snow, the best of 

 all winter protections, but we cannot de- 

 pend on that. 



Last spring when Mr. Beerhorst, the 

 bulb grower of Sassenheim, Holland, 

 was here, we had a long talk on the best 

 way of keeping tulips and narcissi be- 

 fore forcing and he expressed himself 

 as horrified to read that occasionally the 

 pickax is brought into requisition in get- 

 ting out the frozen flats. Perhaps it was 

 the writer who had occasion to mention 

 such brutal treatment. This does not 

 often occur. Mr. Beerhorst also had with 

 him written instructions how to build or 

 prepare what I would call a bulb cellar, 

 which I promised to slightly elaborate 

 and have published. After careful pe- 

 rusal I was convinced that his plan was 

 not suited to our climate. 



But he told me one thing which was 

 new. He pronounced a tulip as abso- 

 lutely hardy, as hardy as an oak, but 

 said the Von Sion narcissus is not. He 

 had known them to perish in Holland 

 with 15 degrees of frost. This may be 

 new to some, as it was to me. We al- 

 ways treated the "Von Sion as being as 

 hardy as a tulip. Roman hyacinths should 

 have very little frost and never be han- 

 dled when frozen. Paper Whites and 

 none of the Polyanthus narcissi should 

 ever be touched by frost. 



Cyclamen. 



I notice that cyclamen sown in Octo- 

 ber are well up in the seed pans and 

 need potting off. Far better than small 

 pots for these tiny corms is to put them 

 in flats. Transplanted into flats they can 

 grow in tiiem without being disturbed 

 for another two months. We have tried 

 both small pots and flats and much pre- 

 fer the latter, to produce a vigorous 

 I'lant and good bulb. Leaf-mold is al- 

 ways advocated for cyclamen, especially 

 in the younger stages. You don't al- 

 ways have leaf-mold. Now here is where 

 the compost from last year's hotbed 

 • omes in. There can be no ammonia left 

 in it and its mechanical condition and 

 composition are about the same as leaf- 

 mold. It can be used in any compost. 

 In transplanting these little cyclamens 



don't leave the little bulb on the sur- 

 face. Put it just below the surface. 

 They will soon work their way to the 

 top. 



While speaking of cyclamen, the season 

 of their beauty is just commencing and 

 what plant have we more beautiful in 

 flower and foliage, and so durable in the 

 living room? The cyclamen will endure 

 quite a low temperature but if you want 

 to do them just right we have found 55 

 degrees at night to be the thing. 



Small Ferns. 

 The demand for small fern dishes 

 seems as great as ever and the quantity 

 of small ferns used for this purpose 

 must be enormous. Don't make the mis- 

 take, so often seen, of keeping the lit- 

 tle ferns on a bench with a lot of steam 

 or hot water pipes underneath, and per- 

 haps only the merest covering of sand or 

 ashes on the boards. Little heat as you 

 may think will penetrate an inch board, 

 it is enough to shrivel up the little ferns. 

 Put on two or three inches of ashes, or 

 something that will keep their roots cool. 



The Lilies. 



Japan lilies intended for Easter, which 

 have been doing as well in a cold frame 

 as anywhere, should now be brought 

 into a warmer temperature. It is not 



toward spring than in early winter, but 

 what protection you use should be ap- 

 plied now. Some use a light covering 

 of straw. If this is heavy enough to 

 protect the plants it is also heavy 

 enough to weigh on the plants and rot 

 them. There is nothing equal to ever- 

 green boughs, and where the hemlock 

 spruce grows its branches are the best of 

 all. It is a great pity to have fine 

 pansies now and let them freeze out be- 

 fore spring for the sake of a little 

 labor and thought. William Scott. 



NEW SHASTA DAISIES. 



The photograph of a plant of Alaska, 

 herewith produced, was taken last July 

 in our nursery. The plant was a tiny 

 specimen received from Luther Burbank 

 sixteen months previously. It has re- 

 ceived no special treatment. At the 

 time the photograph was taken it carried 

 over 250 blossoms, none undar four and 

 one-half inches across and many an inch 

 larger. The plant was six feet across 

 each way and about four feet high. 



Of these new daisies Alaska is the first 

 to bloom and also produces a second 

 crop. It is also the most rapid grower. 

 California produces cream-colored flow- 

 ers and lias very long stems. Westralia is 

 the last to bloom and has the smallest 

 flower, but is my choice as a florists ' 

 flower. The blossoms have two rows of 

 petals and last cut much longer than 

 either of the others. I have succeeded 

 in getting flowers six inches across, and 

 a friend of mine, who has very rich 

 borders, grows them six and a half 

 inches and over. 



They are easily propagated from cut- 

 tings in the spring. I cannot advise 

 raising from seed. They revert too 



Shasta Daisy Alaska. 



(The plant is sixteen monts oltl und lias 250 HowtTs.) 



necessary to begin forcing yet. New 

 Year's will do for that. If they have 

 45 degrees at night for the month of 

 December it will be warm enough. Get 

 them well rooted before you give them a 

 high temperature. 



Protecting Pansies. 



Thousands of pansies are lost or crip- 

 pled every winter through pure neglect in 

 protection. It is true this occurs more 



much to the old types. A good one is 

 the exception and they occupy a great 

 deal of space. We have, however, a seed- 

 ling that bloomed all last November. We 

 are trying it again this season and if it 

 proves as satisfactory as it did last year 

 we may send it out. 



Any florist who can use long-stemmed 

 white flowers in July and August will 

 find these daisies a paying investment. 

 Edw. Alex. Wallace. 



