Mabcii 1, 1006. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



985 



Preparations for Easter. 



A remark by a son yesterday reminded 

 me that we must be making calculations 

 for the great event, Easter. I often 

 think we prepare too much for this an- 

 nual florists' harvest. An unfortunate 

 who had little theology or reverence for 

 mythology might think it the only day 

 our products are in demand. By no 

 means is this the truth; yet it has be- 

 come a time when there is a national 

 feeling of good will and exchange of 

 sentiment, and practically it makes a 

 serious difference to many florists 

 whether their crops are in an attractive 

 state or otherwise on that particular 

 date. The "otherwise" man will often 

 have to dispose of his stock at one- 

 fourth the price it would have brought 

 if in perfection when demanded. So 

 we propose, in good time this year, to 

 comment briefly on some of those plants 

 that enter into the Easter trade. 



Bulbous Stock. 



Double tulips will want from twenty- 

 four to twenty-eight days, yet much 

 will depend on the weather. If a warm 

 March is in store for us, they will be 

 showing their leaves above their winter 

 covering and would take much less time 

 in the greenhouse, but should we get a 

 frigid March, which is likely enough, 

 then give them the time I have stated. 



Last year we experienced a serious 

 loss with that grandest of double tulips, 

 Murillo. They looked fine and were in 

 bud, when fifty per cent went off with 

 a watery stem. The stem had the ap- 

 ance of having been frozen and thawed 

 out for an inch or less, just below the 

 pair of leaves below the flower. By an 

 incident we think we found the cause 

 of the trouble and it may have occurred 

 to others. They were brought from out- 

 side into a shady house and the pans 

 were stood touching, and the tulips were 

 allowed to grow eight or nine inches 

 high, very densely, and without light 

 or air. These were the ones that col- 

 lapsed. A few dozen pans were put in 

 a light house, where they had full sun- 

 light, ventilation and air between the 

 pans, and with these there was no loss. 



Eemember that Tournesol and Cou- 

 ronne d'Or need several days less in the 

 greenhouse than the fine Murillo, which 

 must be fully out before it assumes that 

 beautiful,- satiny pink blush which 

 makes it so attractive. 



Single tulips will want only eighteen 

 days, Dutch hyacinths about fourteen 

 days, and narcissi the same. Two weeks 

 is plenty for Von Sion and Golden Spur. 

 You should have forced and sold all 

 your Emperor and Empress, because for 

 so late an Easter they become too lanky 

 in stem. 



Rhododendrons. 



Ehododendrons that are not showing 

 movement of the buds should be brought 

 from the cool house to one of 55 de- 

 grees, there to be kept well sprayed. 

 If in a cooler house and showing signs 

 of swelling buds, keep them there, for 

 they will quickly expand their buds 



when given sunlight and a little higher 

 temperature. It should be needless to 

 say how much all these hardy shrubs en- 

 joy the humid atmosphere that spraying 

 produces. A hot, dry spell in the spring 

 and our maples and lindens are almost 

 dormant, but let a rain occur and a 

 transformation scene follows. Lilacs 

 will want about five weeks in a night 

 temperature of 55 degrees. 



Azalea Indica. 

 Azalea Indica, which is now such an 

 important plant, will more than likely 

 be too early. It must still be kept cool 

 and shaded. Varieties differ greatly. 

 If any plant is showing color it is more 

 than early, because two weeks in a tem- 

 perature of 50 to 55 degrees will bring 

 it into full bloom. Some varieties need 

 a little more heat, even at this early 

 date, while others may need a perfect 

 arrest of development, if that were pos- 

 sible. 



Azalea Mollis. 

 Azalea mollis and the hybrid Ghent 

 varieties can be brought into the green- 

 house at once. Mollis is a true species, 

 less fragrant than the Ghent varieties, 

 but very profuse in fiower. They want 

 the same treatment and are much 

 superior in quality when brought along 



was not a desirable first impression, so 

 it is well to have your cahnas two feet 

 high and your caladiums one foot. 



When you start them, fill a flat of 

 three inches depth with sand or sandy 

 soil, press the bulbs slightly in and place 

 the flats a few inches above the hot- 

 water pipes. They will make more of a 

 jump in a week under these conditions 

 than they would in a month on a bench 

 in a 5-inch or 6-inch pot. 



Lily of the VaUey. 



There is always a brisk demand for 

 lily of the valley at Easter. As this 

 is a flower that can be cut and kept in 

 the cool for several days there is no 

 need of it being late. Whether forced 

 in a bed of sand, or in pots, as has been 

 lately illustrated, allow three weeks. 



Smilax. 



There is one simple item in the 

 economy of the average retail florist 

 that the absence of has impressed me, 

 and that is the old familiar smilax. 

 There is no greenhouse where a retail 

 business is done, big or little, but what 

 can aft'ord a few lineal feet for smilax. 

 It would, perhaps, bo superfluous to 

 mention the many uses to whi(?h this 

 pretty vine is put. No more in any 

 case than when suddenly you get a sur- 

 prise call for several designs. You have 

 everything but smilax, aiid then there is 

 hurry and scurry on this simple thing. 

 It might have been sown before now and 

 yet it is not late. Keep it, from the 

 seed flat, growing by shifting, and plant 

 out in six inches of soil on a low bench, 

 on the ground preferred, early in July, 

 and you can cut four crops in twelve 

 months, and it will pay you as well as 

 most things. William Scott. 



A J. H. Small & Sons Dinner Decoration. 



in a moderate temperature, say 50 to 

 55 degrees. 



Starting Caladiums. 



Because it is time to start oannas, 

 don't think it necessary to get the 

 strong gro\ying Caladiuai esculentum 

 going. The third week in March is time 

 for that. We frequently have found 

 that in planting a flower bed on the first 

 of June our caladiums were big and tall 

 and over-shadowed the cannas. This 



A SMALL & SONS DECORATION. 



The illustration shows a noteworthy 

 dinner decoration recently executed by 

 J. H, Small & Sons, of Washington, D. 

 C, at the Brazilian embassy in that 

 city. The fine taste of Ambassador Na- 

 buco was admirably carried out by the 

 genius of the Smalls. The table arrange- 

 ment was geographical, showing the two 

 American continents. On the South 

 American table were Brazilian orchids 



