Makcii ], ]'.M)G. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



985 



Preparations for Easter. 



A I'C'in.-ii'k liy ;i son ycstorday I'diiiiidetl 

 me tliMt we iriuHi, Ijo iiiiikintf calcuhitions 

 for tlic git'ut e\(Mi1, Kastfi'. 1. ol'tcii 

 think we ]u-ep;iro toci imu-li lor tliis an- 

 imal florists' hai'ves-t. An unfortunate 

 who had little theology or revcrenee for 

 mythology might think it the only day 

 our products are in demand. \<y 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 difl'erence to many florists 

 whether their crops are in an attractive 

 state "!• olherwise on that particular 

 date. 'I'lie ''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 jiropose, in good time this year, to 

 cftnuneiii iirii'lly on so!ne of tiiose ]»iants 

 thai <'iitfr into the I'laster trade. 



Bulbous Stock. 



l)oiiliie tulijis will want from twenty- 

 four to twenty-eight days, yet much 

 will depi'ud on the weather. If a warm 

 Marcii is Jii store for us, they will be 

 showing their leaves above their winter 

 covering and would take much less time 

 in the greenhouse, hut should we get a 

 frigid March, wiiicii is likely enough, 

 then give thcni tiie time I have stated. 



Jjast, year uo experienced a serious 

 loss with, that grandest of doulje tulips, 

 Mnrillo. They jijokcd line and were in 

 bud, wJKii lifly per cent went off with 

 a watei'v viotn. The stem had the ap- 

 ari'c of haxirig liccn frozen and thawed 

 out tor ■n\ im-h nr less, just lielow the 

 jiair of lia\c^ lieluw t lir tlo.\('r. I'y .an 

 ini-i<li'iit \\i' liiink \\i- t'nund the i-;i\is(> 

 of the troulde and it may ha\e occurred 

 to otliers. Tlie\' were brougiit from out- 

 side into a shady house and the jians 

 were stood touching, and liie tiiiip-^ were 

 allowed to grow eight or nine inches 

 high, very densely, and without light 

 or air. These were the ones tiiat col 

 lapscii. A few dozen pans wer(^ put in 

 a light house, where they iiail full sun- 

 light, \entilatinn nnd air hetueor{ the 

 pans, and with these there was no loss. 



Iieinemlier th.at Tournesol and <'ou- 

 ronne d"Or need several d.ays less in the 

 gre<Miliini-r than the fine Murilio. which 

 must be fidly out before it assunics that 

 beautiful, satiny pink blush wliic-li 

 m.akes il >o ;itt rait i\ e. 



Single 1uli[is will want only eighteen 

 days, I hitch liyacinths about fourteen 

 days, and nui-eissi tlie same. Two weeks 

 is jdeiity IDr \'nn .Sion and (i(d<Ien S[iur. 

 You slioidd lia\o forced and sold all 

 your I'inipernr and l]ni[iress. bec.'iuse for 

 so late an Easter they become tue lanky 

 in stem. 



Rhododendrons. 



liliododendioiis that are not ^hnvving 

 moveineni of th<> buds should be bnuight 

 from tiie cool liiuise to one ni' V) de- 

 grees, ther( to be kept well spniyed. 

 If in ;i cooler house and showing signs 

 of swelliiig buds, keep them there, for 

 tlwy will (|uickly expand their iunls 



when given sunlight ami a little higher 

 timiperature. It should be needless to 

 say how much all these hardy shrubs en- 

 joy the humid atmosphere tiiat spraying 

 produces. A ^ot, dry spell in the spring 

 and our mapu's and lindens are almost 

 dortnaid, but Jet a rain occur .and a 

 transformation scent- follows. Lilac.s 

 will want about five weeks in a night 

 temperature of .").■> degrees. 



Azalea Indica. ^ 



Az.'ilea Indica, which is now such an 

 important plant, will more than likely 

 be too early. It nuist still bo kept <!ooI 

 and shaded. Varieties dilfer greatly, 

 if any plant is showing color it is more 

 than early, because two weeks in a tem- 

 perature of .")() to ~)~) degrees will bring 

 it into full bloom. Some varieties need 

 a little more he.at, even at this early 

 date, while others may need a perfect 

 arrest of development, if that were [los 

 sible. 



Azalea Mollis. 



Azalea mollis and the hybrid (ihent 

 varieties can Ik- brought into the green- 

 house at once. Mcdlis is .a true sy)e(Mes, 

 less fragrant than tiu' (ihent varieties, 

 but very profuse in llowcr. They want 

 the same ti'eatment ami are nincji 

 superior in quality when brought .ahuig 



\\;is mil a desirable first impression, so 

 il is well to lia\e your eann.-is two feet 

 high and your caiailiiuiis one toot. 



When you start them, fill ;i tlai of 

 thiee inches depth with sand n\- .sandy 

 s.iil, press the bulbs slightly in and place 

 the Mats a few inches abo\e ihe hot- 

 water jiipes. They will make muci- of a 

 .jump in ;i week under these ccnditions 

 than rhey would in a month on a ijcnch 

 in a .") inch or (J-inch [Hit. 



Lily of the Valley. 



Tliei-e is always a ijrisk demnml for 

 jil.v <'f the valley at |-:aster. As tlii.s 

 is a flower that can be cut and kept in 

 tin; cool for several days there is no 

 need of it being late. Whetlu'r f.o-eed 

 in a. bed of saml, or in pots, ;i< |ias beet\ 

 lately illusf i-afed, allow tinee wi'eks. 



Smilax. 



'I'hei'e is one simple ilcin in tho 

 ec.iiHimy of the averagi' retail llorist 

 Mini ihe .aiiscnce of ha> impressed nie, 

 ami that is the idd familiar s,,iila.v. 

 There is no greenhouse wheic .-i retail 

 business is done, big or little, but what 

 can .•((fold ;i few lineal feci |'(0- -niilax. 

 It would, perhaps, be .-.nperlliicnis t<\ 

 nn'ninin the m.'iny uses in ujiich this, 

 pretty \ine is put. No iiupic in any 

 case than when sudilenly you ^ei a sur- 

 prise call foi- sever.al designs. Ynw havo 

 evcrylhing but smilax. and then there is 

 linriy ami scurry on this sim[il'' thing. 

 It might ha\(; been sown bel'ioc new ;ind 

 yet, it is not late. Keep it, from the 

 seed Hal, growing by shifting, ami plant 

 enl in six inches ot soil on a low bench, 

 on the gi-(nind |o-eferi'ed, early m .hdy^ 

 mmI S(mi can enl four cr<ips in i\\cl\n 

 'nimliis, ami il will p;iy you .i^ \\,.|| .-1;^ 

 'mi^t thii.os Wi I.I.I \ \i Si urT. 



A J. H. Small & Sons Dinner Decoration. 



in :i mo(|er;ile leinperal iire. ^.-iv ."lO lo 



.1.1 dcerrcs. 



Starting Caladiums. 



Uec.ause it is tinu' to start canna-. 



dun 'I think it mcess.ary to i;rl tin 



strong erowing CaladiMai esrulentum 

 goiitg. The thiid week in March is time 

 •oi- ihal. We frei|uently ha\e fouml 

 'hat in planting a Mower bed on the tirsl 

 ol ,lnnc. our ral.adiums were big and t.all 

 and ii\ er-siiadowed the cann.as. This 



A SMALL & SONS DECORATION. 



'i'iie illii.str.-ilioii show^ a tiotcuorthv 

 dinner decoratiim r.M-cniK .r\,-,-uted by 

 •I. II. Sn, .all \, .S,,ris, ,,f W.a.hmgtPn, D. 

 ' - 'i' 'Ik' Iba/ilian .•fidia--\ ^i thac 

 '■''>■ 'I'Ik' fine tasle of .\m l,;i ss;, dor N'a 

 I'lico w.as admir.ablv carried oui by the 

 l;.mius of the Sruiills. The tai.|.- ..rr'ango 

 meat was geografdiica I. s(|,,wing tii,. two 

 American continents. ( »n ilr South 

 ■^""■'''•••111 ':il'lc weie |;ra/.ili;io oiehids 



