Jri.y 20, lUOQ. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



583 



that time the membership will be largely 

 increased. M. M. L. 



GLADIOLUS NANUS. 



IniiiK-'iisf numbers of (iladi^ Ins (^'uhil- 

 lei, more esjiecially the whit'' inmi gen- 

 erally known as The Briilc. are forced 

 here and in Kurope annually fur cutting, 

 but somehow the merits of the different 

 varieties oi G. nanus are imx yet fully 

 recognized aiul it is only occasionally 

 that a small batcli is met with. This is 

 rather surprising when the great beauty 

 of this section, their ease of rulture and 

 low price are considereil. Wo lind that 

 given precisely the same conditions as 

 G. Colvillei The Rride. smno of G. nanus 

 come into bloom three wcks earlier, 

 while the latest of them come in about 

 the same time as the olilov and better 

 known sort. The habit is a little less 

 rigid and the spikes can !»■ arranged 

 much mure gracefully than in the case 

 01 the G. Cidvillei varieties. The foliage 

 is a little heavier, of a Ix^uitiful 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 splendi<lly 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 witlunit saying. 



The following sorts are especially good 

 and as all are inexpensive any florist 

 who has not yet grown them can niake 

 no mistake in trying a few tlnnisands: 

 Apollon, fine deep pink; Mathilda, white, 

 faintly suffused with lavender, early va- 

 riety, and rather dwarfor in liabit than 

 other sorts; Pink Perfection, a much 

 better sort than (i. CHlvillci roseus ; 

 Blushing Bride, really a \aricty of G. 

 blandus, white grouuij, dark .riinsnu spot 

 on lower petals. l;ir;.'e bhitch in the cen- 

 ter; Peach Blossom, in nur e.-timation 

 the most b.-autiful oi tlio wh.'lc family, 

 color a dt.licato peach tilnssoni, received 

 an award "f merit in Ijoi'l^ai in 1"^9>»; 

 Crimson i^ivc '-n, briLdit -'-.ir!';. light 

 blotclies on lower petal.-: A'k.rmanni, 

 rich salmon grange, ilowi- ">■ ry lar^e 

 and handsome, spikes fxira -iion_': Sal- 

 mon (^ueen, beautiful rich oran::o,. 



While the various forms of C. CoI\ill..-i 

 and G. nanus can l-e pian'oi outdoors 

 as soon as tl,- oroumi is "p'-u and will 

 flower in .Cino, we find ^\• c:,!! i;ct bet- 

 ter spines in llats, and fui-.i ■ iir. ro these 

 latter 'an l- hasten'-d -•. r.\iidod as 



neo'lc' 



w. N. •;. 



GERANIUMS FROM SEED, 



llcfot-i-i. I La\c alv.a\,- multiplied 

 my stock of m:raniunis by . a;un^>. but 

 desire to experiment \\ith seed. \\ ill 

 you kin^ily t>dl me when to pick the 

 seeds, at "what stage I'f dcvolM],mont, 

 and how soou thereafter it i~ advisable 

 to sow tiicni f'lr commei'cial prirp"S.. ; 



I'. \V. 1,), 



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



What wo know as geraniums in this 

 country are called by their c(irrcct imme 

 in Kuropo, zonal {Hdarironiuins. In tact, 

 pelargonium is the correct botanical 



name of the whole genus, which con- 

 sists of hundreds of species, some of 

 whi(di were introduced into the gardens 

 of Europe more than two leirturies ago. 

 and; these numerous species have been 

 so 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 

 of late years it is easy to observe that 

 some varieties have the blood of two 

 crosses. I'or instance, that fine semi- 

 double scarlet, Trego, must be a cro,ss 

 between Pelargonium zonale and the ivy- 

 leaved secti^m, or Pelargonium peltatum. 

 Broadly, the four distin<.-t classes are 

 as follow >: first, the zonal or horseshoe, 

 used so extensively for bedding tiio 

 world ovi'i', so aihuiiably suited to rlie 

 temiierate latitUiles of this country, and 

 iini\ers;illy known as g.^raniums; sec- 

 ond, the ivydeaved oeraniuui-, tin- oif- 

 spring of P.dargoiiium peltatum. <■> 

 largely used f^v i railing' plants in i.as- 

 kets and vas.--. ihi< class seems t" v. ■ 

 main nearer to its ance>tor than :i!iV 

 other class, y<.'t it has Inon so impro\cd 

 in >toutne--. op i;aliit, loian. .-ul'staic'' 

 and c^dor ^'i Id.ioin. that i? is d'-abMiil 

 ^^lletl,•l till' parent, P. pchainin. \\"u!i 

 r.',-,i;^ni/i' its ..|f-i'rini; a- luiii^ an;- 

 r>-!;iti'Oi: tliir.i. rhc -c,-nt..l ::crani:.i!is. 

 as a s;iijipl,., ip,. ,,,..,. ;ind natnie;^. rw,. 

 well known vaidetio*; I'oaith. the slcc,-,- 

 an. I lainy t} pe. Tins is !li,. ,,niy da-- 

 known in this c.c^iuny as p.dar-"')i^;e.. 

 and ati<;irdh a- l.adv ,.r Martha W:.-.- 



110.^1.01. 



It is tno' that u;ir clin.ate and .-rher 

 on\ iroiuiionts .1,, n.'t suit the -h-w 

 lielaro;oniom as well as tiio-e "i v.a.-st.i-ii 

 iairop,-. y,r it can be and is ^r. \\n in 

 m.aiiy ^.ardcns and s,,iiie commercial 

 jdaci-s with oreat succes,s. 'i'lie writer 

 has a rev.reiice for this lieautiful plar.t 

 liecau-e it was the successful pro,luctioi; 

 of a fow thousand pelanroidums f..r 

 thr.e ..r t.'ur years, and -clliinr th- m at 

 a public n.aikot first enabled i;s t.' 

 c(dlect duc.ats enoui.'!) to st.art in i.asi- 

 ne.ss. It li;ts a short and gay soasoti 

 of bloom in May or .Tune, and .after 

 that makes its strongest growth, with 

 tow if any llowcrs. so it is totally unfit 

 for ,a I nodding pdarit. Wo tio loner,-.]- rri-.-iw 



it and if we did it would sell poorly. 

 The plants are sadly addicted to more 

 than one spe<des of apihis. If damp- 

 ness surrounds thom ttiey 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 tlower shows of Great Britain 

 the firm of Charles Turner, of Stough, 

 England, annually exhil.dt.s plants not 

 over t\vo feet abii\o the pot, and seven 

 feet in diameter, .with thousamls of 

 iloweis. They are a si^ht not easily for- 

 L'otteii. Now it is piossible tliat many 

 'f the-e wi'lely dissiniilar tyj^es wnuld 

 cross and have been iTussed. hence the 

 multitudes of varieties now cultivated. 

 Pelargiiiiiums of any kind are only 

 produced from seod with the object of 

 lai.-inu^ a new and improved \;iriety. The 



P' hir^ouiiims bear s Is readily without 



any artiticial jiolleiuzation. If you want 

 ••■ , ro-s two ^r,,(id varieties, the prcjcess 

 a- -:mplo. Merely introduce the pollen 

 • ■• "n.- \aji.ty t., tin- -tio|i:a of another 

 li'ovr. It Would t..' -afc~r to do this 

 '.'a'ar -la.-s. hmt out >■( d-ors, ,ir the 

 !■■- '-r V.utterili-s n;ay have preceded 

 v.". ill your W'.rk. liailv -pring would 

 :• a favorable ti:n.. The >.ed should 

 'oc -ath.-red as .s.imi. ;,, T|,e s..^ed piods 

 ar- ripe, and s,,uii at -no. pon't 

 ■ ..' i< I'^r ;i iiiona!:: t!:at rai-in:; the 

 /■■!;al _o.r:ii;i:ini frMin se.,;-d 1- a.- ji!-tiial)le 

 as ir^.ni cuttings. 1 1' %,,;; rai-ed ."eMi 

 p.:iv.ts from -c.-d. ir w.-uld he x\\.< \ears 

 '■^"r'' v.ea had ,aiiy li; i'..r sale. Aiiiou^r 

 •he .'cio wrcald be a few as :,'o.m1 as their 

 patents. p,is<i!dy one .,]■ two superior. 

 1 It the ^ro;it nia.jority would have all 

 -orts ,,] fre.ak colors atid .all the {ioor 

 'ly.alities of their countless progenitors. 

 rnlyss your d.-iro is to raise and dis- 

 -ndnat.e iicw varieties, sti^k to vour 

 ' .--nig be.l nr small j>..ts. W. S. 



Had aooil results from tlie adv.— p. p. 

 >^:^■.■n. Flint, Mich. 



I>I'K. "s LA.Md.ve;. Pa. — 'i he W.alt^ n ''o. 

 i-^ huildiui,' a carn.ath.n !:oi;s.' l'o>.-_j. ^vith 

 • ■ walls and tile b,.d,-:. 



