January 10, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



545 



ploy of John Wanamaker, Philadelphia. 

 Mr. Haines is also assisted by his daugh- 

 ter Mrs. George Haines Weber, who 

 takes great interest in the business and 

 aids her father by keeping the books and 

 attending to the correspondence. 



In the summer of 1906, three green- 

 houses were added to the plant. They 

 are filled with his three new varieties, 

 John E. Haines, which was disseminated 



to produce fine flowers of the popular 

 annual. I would recommend you to try a 

 few of all the leading varieties, or at 

 least the leading varieties, which are 

 Comet, Victoria, Truffaut's Peony-flow- 

 ered and the late branching form. There 

 are other varieties, but the above will 

 cover the season, especially if you in- 

 clude the Early Market variety. 



For an early crop the seed is usually 



la the New Houses of J. E. Haines, Bethlehem, Pa. 



in 1906, and Imperial and Pink Impe- 

 rial, now being sent out. 



FORCING FOR EASTER. 



Which are the best strains of ten 

 weeks' stocks and candytuft for forcing 

 for cut flowers and when should they be 

 sown to be in bloom for Easter? When 

 must gladioli bulbs be planted in a tem- 

 perature of 50 degrees to be in bloom 

 for Easter f W. B. & S. 



The ten weeks' variety of stock is the 

 only one you could expect to get in 

 flower by Easter, sowing as late as this. 

 These come in a variety of colors; a 

 pure white called Mount Blanc is fine. 

 The finest white candytuft you can buy 

 is Empress and both the stocks and can- 

 dytuft should be sown at once. If you 

 contemplate growing candytuft every sea- 

 son you must select the finest spikes for 

 seed. By selection for several years you 

 can produce a strain of candytuft which 

 will be a wonderful improvement on the 

 seed you bought. 



It is impossible to flower common 

 gladioli by Easter, 1907, in a tempera- 

 ture of 50 degrees. I doubt if they 

 would be in bloom in any temperature 

 by that date. They are very slow. If 

 planted now they would be in bloom dur- 

 ing May. W. S. 



ASTERS IN MISSOURL 



Kindly let me know what varieties of 

 asters in all colors would pay best to 

 grow in the state of Missouri. What 

 time should the seed be sown and how 

 should they be handled for early outdoor 

 blooming t W. W. 



I know of no reason why asters are 

 difficult to grow in Missouri, but have 

 been told by residents of St. Louis that 

 the climate of Missouri is not favorable 



sown in flats only covered enough to hide 

 the seed. When the seed leaf is fully 

 developed they are transplanted into 

 other flats in two or three inches of soil, 

 one inch or a little more apart. This 

 transplanting is a simple job, yet there 

 are one or two points about it that you 

 should be particular to observe. For in- 

 stance, the seedlings must be planted 



seedlings into a vacant carnation or vio- 

 let bed, but I prefer the flats of con- 

 venient size, because they can be re- 

 moved outdoors and the plants hardened 

 off and the plants can be carried in 

 them to the very spot where you are 

 planting in the field. 



Our first sowing is made in early 

 March and other sowings at intervals of 

 two weeks. Many asters are sown in 

 coldframes in drills and transplanted in 

 other frames. Animal manure is consid- 

 ered better than any chemical fertilizer 

 for asters and they should be within 

 reach of the hose, for many a fine field 

 is often ruined by a long spell of dry 

 weather. In the months of July and 

 August, and sometimes September, the 

 early varieties can be planted one foot 

 apart. Victoria and Truffaut's should 

 have at least eighteen inches of space 

 and the branching varieties two feet. 

 Leave out every fifth row of plants. 

 You will need this space to hoe, water 

 and pick flowers. W. S. 



STOCK FOR MEMORIAL DAY. 



Please tell me what is the best lily and 

 its treatment for Decoration day. Also, 

 what other plants and flowers are profit- 

 able for florists with small ranges? 



E. E. 



The Japan lilies, or, more properly, 

 the bulbs of Lilium longiflorum grown 

 in Japan, are best for this late date. It 

 would be quite feasible to leave these 

 lilies out in a frame until the first part 

 of March and then, with little forcing, 

 have them in flower for Memorial day. 

 But there would be danger of their be- 

 ing hurt by our cold weather of January 

 and February. Therefore, I would ad- 

 vise potting them when received and 

 after six weeks in the coldframe bring 

 them into the greenhouse the middle of 

 December and place them in a cool 

 house. A house 40 to 45 degrees at 

 night will be warm enough. The natural 



In the New Houses of J. E. Haines, Bethlehem, Pa. 



deep enough so that the seed leaf is rest- 

 ing on the surface of the soil, and the 

 soil must be made firm and compact 

 around the roots of the seedlings. The 

 first watering will settle the soil on the 

 surface sufficiently. 

 Instead of flats you can transplant the 



increase of temperature and sunlight 

 will bring them on fast enough. 



Some ten years ago, when the Japan 

 bulbs first began to be imported, we re- 

 ceived 1,000 bulbs too late, we then 

 thought, to force for Easter. So we 

 kept them in a cool house and they came 



