U96 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Skftbmbeb 27, 1906. 



THE CYCLAMEN. 



Potting. 



Continuing the subject of a simple 

 method of growing cyclamen, begun in 

 the Review of August 16: 



As growth warrants, proceed to remove 

 from the flats in the same manner as the 

 seedlings were, and pot into 2%-inch 

 pots, shifting when large enough into 

 3-inch, in which size they will remain 

 ■until put out for the summer. 



If late in sowing seeds, or they are 

 slow in starting, it is quite probable that 

 the shift to 3-inch will not be necessary. 

 Soil for potting need not differ from 

 that used to prick out seedlings. 



Although procedure up to this point 

 varies but little from that pursued under 

 continuous culture in pots, it was thought 

 best to take up the matter from the be- 

 ginning for the benefit of those having 

 had limited experience handling this most 

 desirable plant. 



The Summer Frame. 



Following is a description of tlie frame 

 as constructed and used by the writer 

 for culture outside during the summer: 



The front is of two planks 2x12 inches, 

 set on edge, the back the same except 

 that it is three planks high. Stakes are 

 driven at intervals on either side, and 

 serve to hold the planks in place; every 

 ten feet, pieces of sashbar let in flush 

 with the top edge and nailed back and 

 front add to the stability. As sashes 

 3x6 feet are used, the lines of planks 

 are placed five and one-half feet apart, 

 allowing the sashes to overhang in front. 



Across the ends at the bottom are 

 nailed 12-inch boards, the space above 

 being left open for circulation of air, but 

 covered with 1-inch mesh poultry netting 

 to exclude animals. 



This frame was constructed of 2-inch 

 planks for the reason that the material 

 was at hand, the lumber having pre- 

 viously done service as a sidewalk. One- 

 inch boards will answer equally well, and 

 it is no matter how rough they are. 



Care in Drainage* 



The cyclamen having a dread of wet 

 feet, it is necessary that the ground upon 

 which the frame stands be of such nature, 

 or raised by grading in a manner with 

 such material, that water will quickly 

 pass through. This is highly important, 

 as the less we are obliged to resort to 

 artificial watering the better, there being 

 nothing so beneficial to this plant as to 

 obtain its needed supply of moisture in 

 Nature's way. With the sashes off or 

 tilted back on the approach of a storm, 

 there is no danger, provided under- 

 drainage is good. 



Of course, in case of long continued 

 rains, the sashes would be replaced after 

 a time and during thunder storms kept 

 closed. 



A good location is on the north side 

 of an east-and-west house, the building 

 being a sufficient distance away to allow 

 access to either side of the frame, and 

 the frame of such a length as to accom- 

 modate the number of plants grown. 



Soil for Frame. 



Having previously whitewashed the in- 

 terior, proceed to fill the frame with a 

 soil mixture in about the proportion of 

 four parts rotted sod, containing a small 

 amount of manure, to one of leaf -mold or 

 rotted peat. 



Preserve an even density throughout 

 by raking it to a level as filling pro- 



ceeds, but keep yourself outside. When 

 even with the top of the 12-incb board 

 at the ends, give a generous sprinkling 

 of sand, a good dusting of air-slaked 

 lime, rake in lightly and all is in readi- 

 ness for the plants. 



Estimating four rows across the frame 

 and plants set sixteen inches apart in 

 the row, a 100-foot frame will hold 300 

 plants, but for best results it is ad- 

 visable to provide a frame carrying 

 thirty-five 3x6 sashes for this number of 

 plants, as it is not safe to plant nearer 

 than two feet from the open ends. 



It will be necessary to shade the glass, 

 and there is nothing better than white 

 lead thinned with naphtha to the consis- 

 tency of milk and applied with a brush. 

 Let the first application be a light one, 

 giving a second and heavier one as the 

 sun's heat increases. 



Planting Out. 



When ready to plant, knock out no 

 more than can be immediately set. Re- 

 duce the ball slightly at its upper rim, 

 keeping the lower part intact. Plant 

 firmly, taking care that at the finish 

 the bulb or corm is not covered. 



A wide board, about the width of the 

 frame in length, on which to kneel when 

 planting, will prove handy and prevent 

 soil from becoming trodden. 



The time to plant out will vary slight- 

 ly in different parts of the country, 

 but if put in the frame a week or two 

 before the time to plant carnations in 

 the field, it is well enough. 



Summer Care. 



Care through spring and summer con- 

 sists of removing weeds, an occasional 

 light stirring of the surface soil, manip- 

 ulation of sashes for ventilation through 

 the day, or to take advantage of rain 

 to supply needed moisture, and, should 

 occasion demand, a watering with the 

 hose. 



When ventilating, do not slide the 

 sashes back, but use blocks of wood 

 fashioned to hold at various heights 

 and raise every other sash; this pro- 

 vides more ventilation than if the whole 

 line were raised the same, and there is 

 less danger of wind lifting the sashes. 



When nearly two-thirds grown, many 

 plants will persist in blooming, but ex- 

 perience has proven this to result in no 

 harm, if blooms are removed at the 

 proper time in the right way. Allow 

 them to develop fully, then with the 

 stem between thumb and forefinger, roll 

 as if making a paper lamp lighter, at 

 the same time giving a steady upward 

 pull, and the stem should come away 

 entire. This is important, as a small 

 portion left on the plant will decay, 

 and cause trouble. 



Subsequent treatment will be described 

 in an early issue. Geo. S. Osborn. 



A LATE START. 



Is it too late to plant violets for win- 

 ter flowers, and especially for Easter t 

 If not, would you take the large field 

 clumps and plant them just as they aref 

 What variety would you prefer. Princess 

 of Wales or California! N. O. T. 



Although three months' time has 

 elapsed since the violet specialists began 

 planting their houses, other growers still 

 are filling odd corners with field-grown 

 plants and may reasonably expect a fair 

 crop, "especially for Easter." There 

 was a time when practically all violet 

 plants were grown outdoors in summer 



and benched in early autumn, but bet- 

 ter results were found to follow June 

 planting under glass. As to variety, it 

 is largely a local question. Probably 

 more growers succeed with Campbell 

 than with Princess of Wales, but many 

 markets will not take Campbell. H. 0. 



EMBELLISHMENT OF WAYSIDES. 



[A paper by J. A. Pettlgrew, read before the 

 Oardenera' and Florists' Club of Boston, April 

 17, 1906.] 



Recognition of the value of trees as 

 an adornment to streets, in this coun- 

 try, dates from an early period. In 

 Mr. Albert Matthews' intensely inter- 

 esting address on the history of the 

 trees of Boston Common, delivered a 

 year or two ago before the Boston Com- 

 mon Society, we find that as early as 

 March 3, 1655, interest was manifested 

 in the preservation of trees. At a town 

 meeting held that day, an order was 

 passed, that "Whosoever shall cut, hack, 

 or hew any of the trees planted in the 

 Neck, shall pay for every tree so 

 spoyled, twenty shillings, the one-half 

 to the informer, the other to the town." 



On May 12, 1701, a by-law was 

 passed that "No person shall lop, peel, 

 girdle, or deface any of the trees now 

 standing or that shall hereafter be 

 planted or set by order of the select- 

 men, or by their approbation, upon any 

 part of, or place in, the common ground 

 of the town, under penalty for every 

 such offense." 



Although not so stated, it is presum- 

 able that these were public trees; but, 

 whether or not, the order reveals to us 

 the fact that the early pioneers of Bos- 

 ton recognized the value of trees as an 

 adornment to the town, and the ne- 

 cessity of their preservation. 



In one respect we have not progressed 

 much since that day, 247 years ago, 

 twenty-five years after the first settle- 

 ment was made. We have with us today, 

 as the early founders of Boston had 

 in 1655, those who "cut, hack or other- 

 wise 'spoyle' " trees; and it is to be 

 feared that their numbers have in- 

 creased since the days when the Puri- 

 tans made the order. We ha,ve also, in 

 goodly numbers, the small boy with his 

 ever-ready pocket-knife, to whom the 

 sinooth stem of a tree is a sore tempta- 

 tion — a temptation as irresistible as was 

 the cherry-tree to George Washington in 

 his boyhood days. 



Then, too, the trees on the curb of 

 every street, bear ghastly evidence of 

 the gnawing of generations of unhitched 

 horses; indeed, it is not an uncommon 

 thing to find hitching-rings driven into 

 fine old trees. 



Modern Despoilers. 



In addition to the despoilers of trees 

 of "ye olden time," we have the 

 modern gas companies, and the city 

 sewerage and water departments, whose 

 employees, seldom giving thought to the 

 destruction they are working, cut off 

 more roots from our street trees than 

 would be necessary, were the work done 

 under intelligent direction. 



To counterbalance, as it were, the 

 lopping off of the roots under the sur- 

 face, we have the cutting and slashing 

 of the branches by employees of the 

 various corporations whose business re- 

 quires the use of overhead wires. 



When one sees these battle-scarred 

 veterans of the streets enduring ill-use 

 year after year, and sometimes decade 

 after decade, yet still putting forth 



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