o''?M-'. K*' !»- •'/•,■''. 



1264 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



OCTOBBB 4, 1900. 



only thing in ttie insect line that sur- 

 vived. 



As to plant injury, after the lapse of 

 a week the only thing that shows any 

 signs of being affected in the least are 

 two fine-leaved rose geraniums. The 

 growing tips, with two or three tender 

 leaves, are dead, while the ordinary 

 broad-leaved variety shows no sign of 

 injury. 



I now feel more certain than ever that 

 my theory that the bad results experi- 

 enced by many are due to using cyanide 

 of uncertain strength is correct. 



Having had such flattering success 

 with it this time we are going to use 

 it in place of tobacco for green-fly. 

 I hope others who have white fly to 

 contend with will try this according to 

 the directions given above and report 

 results- A. E. Summey. 



CESPEDESIA DISCOLOR. 



Cespedesias are seldom encountered in 

 America, although it is a South Amer- 

 ican genus, probably for the reason that 

 the plants have little value eommer- 



bearing showy yellow flowers in large 

 panicles. The chief decorative feature 

 of C. discolor, however, lies in the or- 

 namental coloration of its young 

 growth, which is rapidly developed 

 from terminal buds, the five or six long 

 drooping lanceolate leaves composing it 

 being of a pale cinnamon buff, or Bis- 

 cuit color, faintly suffused with rose 

 and veined with pale yellow, forming a 

 striking contrast to the dark green of 

 the mature leaves. 



THE RANUNCULUS. • 



The cultivation of the ranunculus has 

 largely died out, and we seldom, if ever, 

 hear of any one trying to raise varieties 

 from seed; yet there is great probability 

 of new colors, shades and forms arising 

 from so doing. The plant is hardy, 

 flowers early in the spring, and the mode 

 of cultivation presents no diflSculty. Very 

 pretty double-flowered varieties are 

 grown largely by the French and Dutch, 

 but the variety E. Asiaticus superbissi- 

 mus, is, perhaps, more effective as a 



Cespedesia Discolor. 



cially except to such firms as make a 

 business of supplying plants for large 

 private collections. The genus is one 

 of few species. The name is derived 

 from that of Juan Cespedes, a priest of 

 Santa Fe de Bogota and the date of 

 introduction to Europe is given as late 

 1^ 1878. Cespedesia discolor was re- 

 cently shown before the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society in England and was 

 awarded a first-class certificate. It is 

 a strikingly ornamental stove plant. 



border flower, and eminently so as a cut 

 flower for room and table decoration. 



M. Herb, seedsman, at Naples, gives 

 in the Deutsche Garten Zeitung, for 

 April 28, a short appreciative and in- 

 structive account of the plant and his 

 method of obtaining flowers in seven 

 months from the time of sowing the 

 seed : 



"I should like to recommend the 

 method of raising Eanunculus Asiaticus 

 superbissimus from seed, as it always 



affords the amateur a greater degree of 

 pleasure when he is enabled to raise 

 plants from seed rather than from claws, 

 sets, tubers, etc., the hopes and prospects 

 of so doing being greater, and, if at the !-;, 

 same time there is no loss of time, and ' 

 no great difficulty about it. If the seeds ' 

 are sown in the months of August and . 

 September, on porous, fairly light soil, 

 in a well-sheltered spot, and the treat- ,'',<■ 

 ment is the same as that afforded other .": 

 autumn-sown seeds, it is possible to have 

 seedlings in flower in the following 

 month of April. Such, at the least, is 

 the case at Naples. In more northerly 

 countries some sort of winter protection 

 should be afforded, which, in my opinion, 

 would be properly met by an ordinary 

 garden frame, with a straw mat thrown 

 over the glass in severe weather. If the 

 position of the bed is on the south side 

 of a wall or building, so much the better 

 are the chances of early blooming. The 

 usually semi-double flowers of the va- 

 riety far exceed in beauty, and variety 

 of their coloring, the double French and 

 Dutch ranunculuses; and besides the dis- 

 tinct colors — red, white, yellow and vio- 

 let, with the sub-tints, creamy-white, 

 flesh pink, scarlet, orange, purple, etc. — 

 there is scarcely a hue which is not 

 represented in these flowers. 



"The abundant flowering of this va- 

 riety raises its value considerably as a 

 decorative object." 



A LATH HOUSE. 



Ten tons of cycas stems sounds like 

 quite a few, but more than one year this 

 has been the weight of the stems bought 

 and started by the George Wittbold Co., 

 Chicago. There are those who say that 

 the sago palm is no longer as salable as 

 in years gone by, but this is not the ex- 

 perience of the Wittbold Co. When the 

 new plant at Edgebrook was erected, pro- 

 vision was made for a lath house in 

 which to shelter such o tbjects as the 

 cycas. The house is shown in the accom- 

 panying illustration. Beyond the cycas 

 stands Otto Wittbold, the superintendent 

 of the place. In the farther distance is 

 a section of asparagus anu beyond that 

 are rubber plants. All three items are 

 grown in enormous quantities by the 

 Wittbolds, but they are not able to pro- 

 duce enough stock to meet their demand 

 and are constantly buying to maintain 

 their stock. 



THE CYCLAMEN. 



Another installment on the subject of 

 an inexpensive method of growing cycla- 

 men, begun in the Review of August 

 16, and continued September 27: 



Lifting and Potting. 



We now come to the critical stage 

 in the proceedings. Everything depends 

 on the work being done with thorough- 

 ness and dispatch. All material and 

 arrangements for the reception of the 

 plants must be in readiness at the start, 

 so that there may be no unnecessary ex- 

 posure of the plants. 



The bench, preferably a side one, 

 on which the potted plants are to stand, 

 should be thoroughly cleaned and white- 

 washed, and should have pjaced on the 

 bottom an inch of clean cinders. With 

 wire staples and a few lath or simi- 

 lar material arrange a support to hold 

 a covering of cheese-cloth about eight- 

 een inches above the bench, and a strip 

 to fall about the sides. 



Prepare the soil as recommended for 

 use in the frame, with the addition of a 



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