'..-^:>*- 



JULT 26, 1906. 



«Thc Weekly Florists' Review. 



583 



that time the membership w^ be largely 

 increased. M. M. L. 



GLADIOLUS NANUS. 



Immense numbers of Gladiolus Colvil- 

 lei, more especially ^he white form gen- 

 erally known as The Bride, are forced 

 here and in Europe annually for cutting, 

 but somehow the merits of the different 

 varieties of G. nanus are not yet fully 

 recognized and it is only occasionally 

 that a small batch is met with. This is 

 rather surprising when the great beauty 

 of this section, their ease of culture and 

 low price are considered. We find that 

 given precisely the same conditions as 

 G. Colvillei The Bride, some of G. nanus 

 come into bloom three weeks earlier, 

 while the latest of them come in about 

 the same time as the older and better 

 known sort. The habit is a little less 

 rigid and the spikes can be arranged 

 much more gracefully than in the case 

 01 the G. Colvillei varieties. The foUage 

 is a little heavier, of a beautiful dark 

 green color and the plants seem less dis- 

 posed to die off, as G. Colvillei often 

 does when forced. 



We grow them in flats in four inches 

 of compost, treating similarly to Spanish 

 iris, planting fifty to seventy-five bulbs 

 to a bed 12x24. They are fed liberally 

 with liquid manure when the boxes are 

 well filled with roots and the latest lot 

 is stood outdoors about the middle of 

 May, thus giving a succession of flowers 

 until the early part of July. The flowers 

 keep splendidly in water and a large 

 vase of one distinct color will rivet any 

 one's attention at once; for a dinner- 

 table center-piece also they are excellent 

 to say nothing of banquet work. That 

 they are bound to become very popular 

 when better known goes without saying. 



The following sorts are especially good 

 and as all are inexpensive any florist 

 who has not yet grown them can make 

 no mistake in trying a few thousands: 

 A.pollon, fine deep pink; Mathilda, white, 

 faintly suffused with lavender, early va- 

 riety, and rather dwarfer in habit than 

 other sorts; Pink Perfection, a much 

 better sort than G. Colvillei roseus; 

 Blushing Bride, really a variety of G. 

 blandus, white ground, dark crimson spot 

 on lower petals, large blotch in the cen- 

 ter; Peach Blossom, in our estimation 

 the most beautiful of the whole family, 

 color a delicate peach blossom, received 

 an award of merit in London in 1898; 

 Crimson Queen, bright scarlet, light 

 blotches on lower petals; Ackermanni, 

 rich salmon qrange, flowers very large 

 and handsome, spikes extra strong; Sal- 

 mon Queen, beautiful rich orange. 



While the various forms of G. Colvillei 

 and G. nanus can be planted outdoors 

 as soon as the ground is open and will 

 flower in June, we find we can get bet- 

 ter spikes in flats, and furthermore these 

 latter can be hastened or retarded as 

 needed. W. N. C. 



GERANIUMS FROM SEED. 



Heretofore I have always multiplied 

 my stock of geraniums by cuttings, but 

 desire to experiment with seed. Will 

 you kindly tell me when to pick the 

 seeds, at what stage of development, 

 and how soon thereafter it is advisable 

 to sow them for commercial purpose? 



D. W. D. 



What we know as geraniums in this 

 country are called by their correct name 

 in Europe, zonal pelargoniums. In fact, 

 pelargonium is the correct botanical 



Two Chicago Boys Staft a Flower Store at Kalamazoo, Mich. 



name of the whole genus, . which con- 

 sists of hundreds of species, some of 

 which were introduced into the gardens 

 of Europe more than two centuries ago, 

 and these numerous species have been 

 eo crossed and blended that there is 

 scarcely left an original species in cul- 

 tivation. At present the pelargonium 

 can be grouped into four classes, and 



^f late ye^rs it is 'efsy to, observe that 

 ome varieties have the Wood of two 

 crosses. For instance, that fine semi- 

 double scarlet, Trego, must be a cross 

 between Pelargonium zonale and the ivy- 

 leaved section, or Pelargonium peltatum. 

 Broadly, the four distinct classes are 

 as follows: first, the zonal or horseshoe, 

 used so extensively for bedding the 

 world over, so admirably suited to the 

 temperate latitudes of this country, and 

 universally known as geraniums; sec- 

 ond, the ivy-leaved geraniums, the off- 

 spring of Pelargonium peltatum, so 

 largely used for trailing plants in bas- 

 kets and vases ; this class seems to* re- 

 main nearer to its ancestor than any 

 other class, yet it has been so improved 

 in stoutness of habit, form, substance 

 and color of bloom, that it is doubtful 

 whether the parent, P. peltatum, would 

 recognize its offspring as being any 

 relation; third, the scented geraniums, 

 as a sample, the rose and nutmeg, two 

 well known varieties; fourth, the show 

 and fancy type. This is the only class 

 known in this country as pelargonium, 

 and absurdly as Lady or Martha Wash- 

 ington. 



It is true that our climate and other 

 environments do not suit the show 

 pelargonium as well as those of western 

 Europe, yet it can be and is grown in 

 many gardens and some commercial 

 places with great success. The writer 

 has a reverence for this beautiful plant 

 because it was the successful production 

 of a few thousand pelargoniums for 

 three or four years, and selling them at 

 a public market first enabled us to 

 collect ducats enough to start in busi- 

 ness. It has a short and gay season 

 of bloom in May or June, and after 

 that makes its strongest growth, with 

 few if any flowers, so it is totally unfit 

 for a bedding plant. We no longer grow 



it and if we did it would sell poorly. 

 The plants are sadly addicted to more 

 than one species of aphis. If damp- 

 ness surrounds them they drop their 

 petals, and the wonderful perfection 

 which the zonal geranium has now at- 

 tained accounts for the passing of the 

 show pelargonium. The cooler and less 

 bright weather of England seems best 

 suited to this fine plant, for at the 

 leading flower shows of Great Britain 

 the firm of Charles Turner, of Stough, 

 England, annually exhibits plants not 

 over two feet above the pot, and seven 

 feet in diameter, with thousands of 

 flowers. They are a sight not easily for- 

 gotten. Now it is possible that many 

 of these widely dissimilar types would 

 cross and have been crossed, hence the 

 multitudes of varieties now cultivated. 

 Pelargoniums of any kind are only 

 produced from seed with the object of 

 raising a new and improved variety. The 

 pelargoniums bear seeds readily without 

 any artificial poUenization. If you want 

 to cross two good varieties, the proceen 

 is simple. Merely introduce the pollen 

 of one variety to the stigma of another 

 flower. It would be safest to do this 

 under glass, not out of doors, or the 

 bees or butterflies may have preceded 

 you in your work. Early spring would 

 be a favorable time. The seed should 

 be gathered as soon as the seed pods 

 are ripe, and sown at once. Don't 

 think for a moment that raising the 

 zonal geranium from seed is as profitable 

 as from cuttings. If you raised 500 

 plants from seed, it would be two years 

 before you had any fit for sale. Among 

 the 500 would be a few as good as their 

 parents, possibly one or two superior, 

 but the great majority would have all 

 sorts of freak colors and all the poor 

 qualities of their countless progenitors. 

 Unless your desire is to raise and dis- 

 seminate new varieties, stick to your 

 cutting bed or small pots. W. S. 



Had good results from the adv. — D. P. 

 Smith, Flint, Mich. 



EiCE 's Landing, Pa. — The Walton Co. 

 is building a carnation house 20x22, with 

 tile walls and tile beds. 



