1858 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



Mav it, I'JUG. 



planted it is best to thin the shoots to 

 one or two stalks to the hill. When the 

 plants attain their second pair of leaves 

 it is a good i)raetiee to i)inch out the 

 leader and, again, the laterals can be 

 pinched after the second pair of leaves. 

 This starts the plant into bushy form, 

 which helps to keep it upright and less- 

 ens the necessity tor staking. Still some 

 staking is required liy sucli tall growing 

 varieties as John Klitch and Cirand Duke 

 Alexis. 



If there is any one requirement for 

 dahlia success, it is plenty of moisture 

 from August through the blooming sea- 

 45on. At this time the plants are making 

 their greatest efforts and to be checked 

 now, seriously hinders their perfect de- 

 velopment. 



There is enough in the cutting and 

 handling of dahlia blooms to make up a 

 separate paper and nuich is yet to be 

 learned by even the most experienced. 

 The projier handling of these cut flowers 

 is much more difficult than its growing; 

 it cannot be told; it must be experi- 

 enced. 



When frost has robbed the dahlia of 

 its beauty ar^d the season has advanced 

 to about the tirst of October, Ave take a 

 clear, warm sunny day for the gather- 

 ing of the roots, digging all we can up 

 to about 3 p. m. and then gather the 

 roots up, being careful to bruise and 

 break them as little as possible, and put 

 tnem in the root cellar either in com- 

 pact heaps or in boxes, using no earth or 

 other material for protection. If any 

 variety seems to be drying out too much, 

 it is well to cover it Avith a paper or 

 other material that Avill prevent further 

 evaporation. My experience is that cov- 

 ering with dry earth, as frequently rec- 

 ommended, is unnecessary labor. 



The decorative type of dahlias is dis- 

 tinguished by its broad, tlat petals, usu- 

 ally of great substance and long- 

 stemmed. C W. Bruton, yellow; Lynd- 

 hurst, scarlet; Augusta Victoria, white; 

 Sylvia, pink, are varieties bclongmg to 

 this class. The decorative group furnishes 

 the most satisfactory varieties for com- 

 mercial cut tlowers. 



Recommeaded Varieties. 



To close this j)aper without giving a 

 partial list of recommended varieties 

 would seem like erecting a house and 

 maintaining it Avithout occupants, it 

 would be empty. J append a list that has 

 done well on our sand loam. There are 

 many left off for fear of too extended a 

 list. 



Cactus Class — Arachna, Bodenia, 

 Countess of Lonsdale, Earl of Pem- 

 broke, General Buller, Kriemhilde, The 

 Queen, Aunt Chloe, ^;ight. Jealousy. 



ShoAV Class — Arabella, Black Diamond, 

 Glori De Lyon, (Jrand Duke Alexis, A. D. 

 Livoni, Mary D. llallock. Oyster Bay, 

 Ked Hussar. 



Fancy Class — Eloise, Kaiser Wilhelm, 

 Miss Marsh, Penelope, Puritan, Striped 

 Banner. 



DecoratiAC Class — In addition to those 

 previously mentioned I Avould add: 

 Catharine Duer, Frank Basset, Mad Van 

 den Dael, Mrs. Winters, Oban, Pendent. 



Pompon Class— Canary, Daybreak, 

 Ouiding Star. Little Beauty, Ked Piper, 

 Verdiflora. In the Century class, large 

 flowering single, i would name: Twen- 

 tieth Century. White Century, Crimson 

 Century, Scarlet Century. In the small 

 flowering single: Ami Barillet, Mrs. 

 Bowman, Sunset. Souvenir de Franz 

 Liszt. 



No collection is complete Avithout the 

 collarette dahlia. President Viger, rich 

 blood red Avith Avhite collar. 



Vegetable Forcing. 



The Kural Ncav Yorker devotes two 

 columns to advising its readers of the 

 " uselessness of i^urbank's Crimson Win- 

 ter rhubarb in localities where the cli- 

 mate does not permit it to grow outside 

 during winter. ' ' 



VEGETABLE MARKETS. 



Chicago, May IG. — Cucumbers, 20c to 

 50c doz. ; lettuce, heads, $1 to $1.50 bu. ; 

 leaf, 30c case. 



New York, May 15. — Cucumbers are 

 in lighter supply, $2 to $5 a box; cauli- 

 flower, of widely A'arying quality, $2 to 

 $6 doz.; lettuce, 50c to $1.25 doz.; 

 mushrooms, 15c to 75c lb.; tomatoes, 

 10c to 15c lb.; radishes, $1 to $1.75 100 

 bunches; rhubarb, $1 to $1.50 100 

 bunches; mint, 30c to 50c doz. bunches. 



Boston, May 14. — Cucumbers, $2 to 

 $4 box ; lettuce, 40c to 85c doz. ; toma- 

 toes, 10c to 15c lb.; radishes, $1.25 to 

 $1.75 crate; mushrooms, $1.50 to $2.50 

 per 4-lb. basket; cauliflower, $2 to $4 

 doz.; bunch beets, $1.50 to $1.75 doz.: 

 bunch turnips, 75c doz. 



A DAVIS HOUSE. 



The accompanying illustration is from 

 a photograph made in one of the cucum- 

 ber houses of W^ B. Davis & Co., Aurora, 

 111. This is a ncAV and up-to-date plant. 

 One of the interesting features of the 

 photograph is that it shoAvs the equipment 

 for mechanically watering and syring- 

 ing. This is the Wittbold patent and the 

 swivel arrangement shows hoAv the spray 

 may be directed to all parts of the house. 

 All the Davis houses are equipped Avith 

 this appaiatus. Davis & Co. find them 

 great labor savers and consequently money 

 makers. They say the only use they 

 have for the hose is to touch up dry 

 spots occasionally. 



STRAWBERRY FORCING. 



A querj' suggests to me that a little 

 information on the forcing of straAV- 

 berries might be of service to some of 

 the readers of the Eeview. 



In preparation for forcing, the first 

 essential is to procure good, strong 

 plants. These are best obtained from 

 the home patch. As early in July as the 

 runners are large enough, 2Vii-inch pots 

 should be prepared by being filled Avith 

 a good potting soil. These are plunged 

 to the level of the ground in the straw- 

 berry bed Avherever they can be reached 

 by a good, strong runner. The young 

 plant already formed on the runner is 

 pegged down to the soil in the pot and 

 allowed to root Avell in the pot before 

 being separated from the parent plant. 

 All secondary runners forming on the 

 young })lant are, in the meantime, 

 pinched off' as they aj)pear. Just as soon 

 as the pots are filled Avith roots the plants 

 should be shifted up into 4-inch pots 

 and afterAvards into (5-inch pots, this be- 

 ing the best size to fruit them in. 



Every effort should be made during 

 the growing period to keep the plants 

 groAving as strong and vigorous as pos- 

 sible, as the stronger the plants the more 

 certainty oi good results. 



Next in rotation is the thorough rip- 

 ening of the plants, preparatory to be- 

 ginning to force. The best place for 

 them as winter approaches is a cold 

 frame Avhere the pots may be set close 

 together. Here they should be allowed to 

 stand uncovered until they have been 

 exposed to at least 10 degrees of frost; 

 l)ut Avhen the frost exceeds this they had 

 better be protected by covering, as too 

 much frost would crack the pots. Freez- 

 ing and thawing should also be provided 

 against as much as possible, though light 

 should not be excluded or loss of foliage 

 Avould result. Towards the end of De- 

 cember or beginning of January Ave usu- 

 ally find the plants sufficiently ripened 

 to be ready to force. Started at that 

 time, the hardest part of the season has 

 to be encountered. The later they are 

 left the easier the forcing operation 

 liecomes, but the season must be regu- 

 lated according to the time the fruit is 

 AA-anted. In private establishments, where 

 a continuous sui)ply is needed, the plants 

 are brought in in batches, the first being 

 taken in just; as soon as the plants are 

 ready. 



When the plants are first introduced 

 to the house the tempera rare sliould not 

 at first exceed 45 degrees, but siiouid be 

 increased as groAvth adA-ances until, by 



^ ' y; '^ 



House of Cucumbers Grown by W. B. Davis & Co., Aurora, III. 



(The Wittbold Watering Device Is In use la all the Davis houses.) 



