Dbcbmbkr 14, 1905. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



22 J 



Basket of Poinsettias, Hyacinths^ Pandanus and Farleyense with Green Ribbon 



with auytliing like it. It is doubtless a 

 fungus and caused by too close and 

 damp an atmosphere. We do not believe 

 the geranium is subject to any disease 

 if proper conditions are observed, which 

 during winter are as follows: A night 

 temperature of 45 degrees, room for cir- 

 culation of air among the plants, venti- 

 lation on all possible occasions and, as 

 the plants are almost resting, keep them 

 on the dry side. In other words, let the 



soil in the pots be decidedly dry before 

 you give them water. 



For immediate relief I would recom- 

 mend mixing common sulphur with lin- 

 seed oil until it is the consistency of thick 

 paste and with an old paint brush smear 

 on for a few inches about every ten feet 

 on your heating pipes. If steam pipes, 

 use less of the sulphur; if hot water 

 you can use more without harm. 



W. S. 



Forcing Dahlias, 



If yon are thinking of forcing any 

 dahlias it will be time to make prepara- 

 tions. In a night temperature of 56 to 

 60 degrees, and starting them the mid- 

 dle of January, I found they were not 

 flowering freeiy until the end of April, 

 so to have them at Easter they should 

 be in the groun<i by January 1. I think 

 the other conditions we provided were 

 about right: Six inches of soil on the 

 floor of a light house. They may do 

 very well on a raised bench, but the 

 height they grow and coolness of the 



bed for their roots makes the low beds 

 preferable. The single and pompons are 

 the best for forcing. As with almost all 

 our crops, don't look for a variety. 

 Find out from a reliable source half a 

 dozen of the best forcing varieties and 

 grow lots of them. They like plenty of 

 water at the roots and a daily syringing 

 with good force for their foliage, to 

 keep away red spider. 



Now, don't think these dahlias are 

 greatly profitable, although we found our 

 customers bought them freely. There are 

 frequently beds or benches that from 



one cause or other you will find unsuc- 

 cessful, and here is where the dahlia will 

 be found useful. 



Propagating. 



This is a time of the year thiiMiot one 

 foot of your propagating benem should 

 be vacant. If you are negligent about 

 this now you will be over-crowded later, 

 Mr, Baur's very practical remarks on 

 the propagating house in last week's Re- 

 view should be read by all. Simple as 

 is propagating most things to old hands, 

 it is often mystifying to beginners. 

 From the middle of November, or even 

 the first of November, till the end of 

 ]\Iay, there should be constant demand 

 on your propagating benches, whether 

 they be ideally formed or simply three 

 or four inches of sand or sifted ashes 

 spread on a side bench beneath which are 

 a few heating pipes. Although wood is 

 the poorest conductor of heat, and the 

 «nall amount that will pass through a 

 liinch bqai^l is scarcely perceptible, yet 

 we,Jmv€ found in practice a decided ad- 

 vantage over the bench that has no pipes 

 beneath. 



Carnations and Roses. 



First there are the carnation cuttings 

 which can be started as early as the 

 middle of October and all rooted before 

 New Year's. This is an advantage, for 

 it is generally believed that cuttings 

 taken from the plants before they have 

 been subjected to fire heat or any forc- 

 ing, then giving them a cool house for 



CJIJWA.. - %. .^ M 



