Febbuaht 8, 1906. 



The Wcddy Florists^ Review* 



769 



The Geranium. 



We often get inquiries about the com- 

 mon, ever-popular zonal geranium and 

 will repeat our treatment at this time 

 of the year. They were shifted from 

 2-inch to 3-inch pots early in January, 

 or as soon as the rush and clean-up after 

 the holidays were over. By this time 

 they have drawn up and are sufficiently 

 grown that most of them will give a 

 cutting. Pass them over the bench care- 

 fully and those with four or five joints 

 will afford a cutting, but never cripple 

 or injure the plant for the sake of pro- 

 ducing another. If the little plant will 

 be left with only one pair of leaves, and 

 perhaps not more than an inch of stem, 

 do not attempt to take a cutting. Only 

 pinch out the slightest part of the leader 

 to induce a lateral growth. 



We always propagate several thou- 

 sands from these fall struck plants and 

 have many times found at the bedding 

 time they were small and stunted, but 

 always in flower and in that condition 

 would make good bedding plants, but not 

 large enough to satisfy our customers, 

 who have little knowledge of a plant's 

 future and only judge by present ap- 

 pearances. 



The cause of this failure was that 

 when these small plants were well rooted 

 in the 2-inch pots, we had, with the 

 pressure of work, neglected to shift them 

 into their flowering pots, with us a 3%- 

 inch. This was a great mistake. The 

 roots had become crowded; nothing more 

 to feed on, and were no longer working. 

 Six weeks after putting these cuttings 

 into 2-inch pots they will have sent out 

 active working roots, and then is the 

 time to shift them into their flowering 

 pots, and they will make almost as good 

 plants as those propagated in Septem- 

 ber or October. 



The cultural directions are brief. Use 

 a heavy loam with a fourth of sifted 

 manure. Make the soil solid arouna the 

 base of the cuttings and place them on 

 the lightest bench. After the first thor- 

 ough watering only water when they 

 are decidedly on the dry side. 



Narcissus Golden Spur. 



We have discovered, more by accident 

 than design, that the grand narcissus. 

 Golden Spur, can be forced easily to be 

 in flower by January 15 and perhaps, 

 with a little greater effort, several days 

 earlier. We force Trumpet Major and 

 it is not easy to get flowers before 

 February 1. Golden Spur is much easier, 

 more attractive in color and far more 

 beautiful in every way. This may be no 

 news to the old heads, but it was to us. 

 See that yoi; get a liberal quantity of it. 



Azalea Hexe. 



In ordering your azaleas from the Bel- 

 gian or domestic gentlemen see that they 

 give you some Hexe for Christmas forc- 

 ing. This is altogether the most desir- 

 able Christmas variety. Its color is bril- 

 liant, it does not drop its flowers, is of 

 compact habit and forces without great 



heat. Demand that your order shall be 

 ten per cent Hexe. 



Forcing Valley, 



The same old scribe that is now scrib- 

 bling has often written his opinion on 

 how to make a bed for forcing lily of the 

 valley, and we are absolutely certain we 

 know how. A younger generation did 

 not want to go to so much trouble and 

 pursued a different plan with such great 

 success that I feel it my duty to com- 

 ment upou it. Bemember ^hat I fully 

 realize that wkere a' large number of 

 this sweet flower is forced the method 

 I am about to describe would be fussy 

 and laborious, but there are thousands 

 of florists who force only a few thou- 

 sands, and to have a few all the time 

 is more profitable than to have a thou- 

 sand today and none next Saturday. 



Put twenty-five roots into an 8-inch 

 azalea pot, or half pot, as it is some- 

 times called. Use ordinary potting soil 

 or loam in preference to sand, because 

 it does not dry out as quickly. Do not 

 cut anytliing off the roots. Manage to 

 get them all into the soil Place the pots 

 on the top of the hot-water pipes, but 

 raised above the pipes by two thin strips 

 of wood. Keep moist and if too much 

 light penetrates below the benches hang 

 curtains on the edge of the bench. By 

 this method we have raised for the past 

 four weeks the finest of spikes of valley 

 and it is suited to a small grower who 

 has not the facilities for making a spe- 

 cial bed. When fully developed you can 

 bring the pots up to full light, which will 

 give color to the foliage and harden the 

 flowers. 



Gas and Red Spider. 



I notice some one has been grumbling 

 that hydrocyanic acid gas does not kill 

 red spider. Of course! No one should 

 expect it to. The red spider has a pro- 

 boscis, or nose, which it has the faculty 



of burying deep in the tissues of the 

 plant it infects and is oblivious to the 

 fumes of the acid. 



Years ago this gas killed C. W. 

 Ward's cat, that was snoozing under a 

 greenhouse bench, and the odor lingered 

 long. Mr. C. W. thought it was the 

 odor of the gas, when it was really only 

 the Thomas. 



Anything that breathes the gas dies 

 quicker than a jiffy, but it is useless 

 against the things that don't breathe it. 



William Scott. 



SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS. 



Executive Conunittee Meeting. 



There was a meeting of many of the 

 officers and directors of the Society of 

 American Florists at Boston, January 25. 

 An informal discussion was had as to 

 the plans for the advancement of the 

 society's interests during the present 

 year. It was determined that March 5 

 would be the most convenient date for 

 the annual meeting of the board of direc- 

 tors, to be held this year at Dayton. A 

 call to that effect will doubtless be is- 

 sued in due season. 



PANSIES AND PORGET-ME-NOTS. 



When would be the be^t time to take 

 up pansies and forget-me-nots to have 

 them in flower for Easter? Would 50 

 degrees temperature at night be all 

 right? P. E. V. 



You can lift pansies from the bed any 

 time now when the ground is thawed. 

 Pansies are often very disappointing in 

 the winter months. Plant them on a bed 

 near the glass; or, in other words, where 

 they can get the most perfect light and 

 every ray of sunshine. If too cool they 

 will not flower enough to pay for the 

 trouble. Fifty degrees at night is about 

 right. If you have not a bed or bench 

 suitable, then put them in 5-inch pots 

 and place the pots on a hanging shelf 

 near the glass, where we have seldom 

 seen them fail to flower. 



We have no experience in lifting for- 

 get-me-nots and would scarcely think it 

 worth while to lift the little common 

 species that flowers so profusely outdoors 

 in May, as you would only get one burst 

 of bloom and that not very desirable. 

 There is a species of myosotis which we 



"Weber & Sons' Carnation No. 9-'03. 



(Seedling of and hoped-to-be sucoessor to Prosperity.) 



