'T'" ■ V " 



MAV 2. 190T. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



1817 



til is is rigidly, persistently and perpetu- 

 'lUv practiced, one will, in a few years, 

 \ ,'. a wonderful improvement In any 

 '^^•uiety that has had the good fortune 



inherit a strong constitution, such as 

 .',,,; j.awson and its numerous offspring. 



\,s to the propensity to split the calyx, 

 ],.. '^ Ave may fairly answer that eternal 

 ^'i,,;|';ince is the price of liberty. Dur- 

 jii the last few mouths, I have seen 

 ,p ;,v thousands of carnations of most 

 l,,,,i"iiio' varieties, grown on my place, in 

 ,,,],!• parts of Ontario, and in the states 

 ,,] Vow York and Pennsylvania. But, I 

 li;,.- r to confess that I have yet to see 

 il , variety that does not split its calyx 

 t, I irreater or less extent. 



"licre is a great difference in varieties 

 in iliis tendency to split, but 1 find that 

 ill ]ilaces where the smallest percentage 

 (it splits is found, the greatest diligence 

 is ((bserved in obtaining an even tem- 

 linatiirp, and at a degree best suited to 

 ill,' variety grown. The variety with the 

 Ic.ist tendency to split, Avill, under un- 

 l';norable conditions, do so badly, and 

 till' variety most suscej)tible to splitting, 

 will, under favorable conditions, have 

 rjic splitting reduced. 



'i'lu'refore, with careful selection of 

 the cuttings, and proper cultural meth- 

 <mIs, where is the variety today that will 

 irivo better results from a given number 

 of ])iants than does Mrs. T. W. Lawson? 

 Kvon that grand variety, Enchantress, 

 Avill not surpass Lawson in the number 

 of good blooms, day by day, for a pe- 

 riod of, say, eight months. 



In my humble opinion, Lawson is not 

 (lead yet. A large number that were 

 liorn into the carnation world after Mrs. 

 fiawson, have died a natural death, 

 wliereas the latter,. I find, is still sawing 

 wood at most of the old stands. In the 

 course of time, probably, we will obtain 

 a variety, or possibly a number, that will 

 ho worthy of taking Mrs. Lawson 's 

 jilace, but, up to the present, I am still 

 in search of it. H. L. Janzen. 



PRIMULA COCKBURNIANA. 



Tlie most striking novelty among pri- 

 mulas within recent years, the fine Pri- 

 mula Cockburniana, has been the object 

 of much admiration and curiosity since 

 its introduction by Veitch & Sons, of 

 <'hol8ea, England. Although it has been 

 frequently noticed in the gardening press 



• hiring the last year, it has not been 

 much cultivated as yet, and a few notes 

 upon it may be of interest. 



The most striking feature of Primula 

 < ockburniana is the color of its flowers, 

 Mhich open a brilliant scarlet, and grad- 

 'lally pass off to an orange-scarlet, some- 

 wiiat of the shade of that old-fashioned 

 jilant, Hieracium aurantiacum. It has 

 fair-sized heads of bloom, and the color 

 "f the blooms seems even enhanced by 

 'lie mealy stems. The plants seen were 

 from nine inches to a foot in height. 



Unfortunately, this distinct primula, 

 ^\liich has no rival in its own color, has 

 "ne grave defect iu the eyes of many. 



I liis is its biennial character, and it 

 •liould thus be sown annually if a stock 

 •^ to be maintained. Seeds germinate 

 ''reely enough if sown under glass. The 

 "("edlings should be pricked out in good 



inie and not planted out until the fol- 



• owing spring. It seems to prefer a 

 I'ather moist position. A good group is 

 ^ spectacle one rarely finds equalled 

 among flowers of its kind. It is quite 

 ■■ure to take a place among our useful 

 plants. 



Clematis PanicuUtat a Favorite ^Porch CItmber.'' 



THE CLEMATIS. 



Although the clematis more properly 

 belongs in the domain of the nurseryman 

 than in that of the florist, we are con- 

 tinually asked to supply plants of sev- 

 eral varieties of these free flowering, 

 hardy climbers. 



Some are readily increased by cuttings. 

 The paniculata type root freely from 

 pieces of the young growth, and there is 

 no better place than the gentle heat of 

 a hotbed. They all are, however, bought 

 very cheaply from the nurseryman. The 

 large flowered Jackmanii type are usu- 

 ally grafted on the roots of C. flammula, 

 the common European, or the root of any 

 strong growing variety. The florist buys 

 his clematis and is more interested 

 in knowing how to make them grow satis- 

 factorily than how to propagate them. 

 Very strong plants of Jackmanii and 

 other large-flowering varieties are im- 

 ported every fall, arriving here early in 

 November or perhaps a little earlier. We 

 spread out the roots and lay them in 

 trenches in the coldframe during winter 

 and in severe weather cover with glass, 

 removing it before forced by the suns 

 of March. We believe they are more 

 satisfactory to our customers planted 

 this way than potted and given any 

 time in the greenhouse. The potted 

 plants look well when sold, but are more 

 liable to suffer from neglect after plant- 

 ing. Strong plants have such a mass of 

 roots that it is impossible to spread them 

 suflBciently for all to get earth around 

 them, so we cut out about half the roots, 

 which enables us to get some soil among 

 them. 



You dare not guarantee the clematis. 

 If you do you will have to make good 

 many losses. But you can plant them 

 with care and give good advice as to the 

 attention they need. They are nearly al- 

 ways planted against a veranda, whose 

 overhanging roof often keeps the rain 

 away, or they may be on the side of the 

 house, or an aspect where rains are infre- 

 quent. They should during summer re- 

 ceive copious waterings. William Scott 

 has said that when planting out each 

 clematis should receive a barrow load of 

 good, rich soil and not be put into a 



small hole and have clay or brickbats 

 to feed on, which is often the result of 

 the grading and sodding that is done 

 around a pretty house. 



In milder countries the gorgeous Jack- 

 manii and its kindred varieties may re- 

 tain their stems through the winter; in 

 the rigorous northern winters they do 

 not, but when well established the roots 

 have such vigor that the young shoots 

 spring from the ground in a few weeks, 

 and by the end of *June are a gorgeous 

 mass of bloom seven, eight and nine feet 

 high, and five or six feet across. All 

 these flower from the growth of the same 

 year. 



There are many species and varieties of 

 clematis and some of them are very dis- 

 tinct. A few of them are natives of 

 North America and make splendid plants 

 for covering fences, railings, etc. C. pan- 

 iculata is very hardy and is the one most 

 largely used. It is shown in the accom- 

 panying illustration and is covered from 

 July on with its white, finely divided 

 flowers, ro.scmbling almost balls of cot- 

 ton. 



ARAUCARIAS. 



I would be pleased if you could give 

 me any information how to - propagate 

 Araucaria excelsa. Is there any remedy 

 for the 'white fly? If there is, jdease Jet 

 us know. B. Ij. 



Araucaria excelsa is readily raised 

 from seeds, but seedlings never make as 

 fine jdants as those grown from cuttings. 

 These are ])ropagated from the leading 

 shoots of the tops and branches inserted 

 in sand and covered with a hand-glass 

 or frame until rooted. But it doesn't 

 j)ay to ])ropagate araucarias in this 

 country ; let the Belgian do that ; he can 

 sell them f^o cheaply that greenhouse 

 space is better used for other purposes. 



As to the white fly, for the methods of 

 extermination, see page 1676 of the issue 

 of April 18. 



South Bend, Ind. — Kinyon Bros, have 

 contracted for the building of two new 

 greenhouses, each 35x65 feet, to be de- 

 voted to carnations and roses. 



