■•'■> .•'*.;';;":**■■• ' 



July 4, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



u 



Nephrolcpii Amerpohlu. 



frames where we could water them well, 

 putting sash on when frost or heavy rains 

 threatened to spoil the blooms. We have 

 always found it repaid us for the extra 

 labor incurred. 



Gladioli. 



Gladioli are another important and in- 

 dispensable outdoor summer crop. Like 

 asters and sweet peas, they love rich 

 ground and plenty of moisture, but will 

 withstand drought better than the two 

 other plants named if they are kept well 

 cultivated. If the first planting was 

 made early in April it will not be long 

 before some flower spikes appear. The 

 latest batch is just planted and, given 

 an open fall, will provide some useful 

 spikes until well along in October. 



It will hardly pay the average florist 

 to grow a mixed assortment of gladioli. 

 Better stick to one or two named varie- 

 ties, or, at least, distinct shades. There 

 is no finer variety in commerce today than 

 America, although it is a little high 

 priced for florists to plant in quantity. 

 The color is one that appeals to everyone. 

 No matter who raised this fine variety, 

 ' and I note that much ink has been wasted 

 in a futile effort to settle the question, 

 we think it is destined to become as popu- 

 lar among gladioli as Enchantress is 

 among carnations. G. Princeps I cannot 

 recommend as a florists' flower. "While 

 the blooms are big and showy, they are 

 poor keepers and rarely over three are 

 fresh on a spike at a time. 



In cutting gladioli for market, if you 

 want your bulbs for another season, don 't 

 cut them down too hard. Also cut them 

 when four or five flowers are expanded. 



The others will open in water as well as 

 on the plant. 



General Outdoor Work. 



In all probability you are planning a 

 little more glass, a new boiler or at least 

 some new benches. You are also, no 

 doubt, anxious to get the roof of some 

 house painted. The hot summer months 

 is the time to do this, and on no account 

 postpone making a start on it for a single 

 day. There will, however, be considera- 

 ble outdoor work needing attention for 

 the next two months. If you keep live 

 stock you probably have haymaking to 

 do. This cannot be neglected, but while 

 it is in progress there is danger of weeds 

 getting the upper hand in field or gar- 

 den. Plan to keep the ground thoroughly 

 stirred with the cultivator and use the hoe 

 on weeds. Where they grow very near 

 the plants some pulling out by hand will 

 be needed. Don't allow your lawn to go 

 untrimmed and keep your front approach 

 as attractive as possible. Use a scythe 

 among the rank weeds which may crop 

 up between the greenhouses, before they 

 run to seed, and do not forget the loam 

 piles, which will speedily be overgrown 

 with rampant weeds if not given a little 

 care. The worst of the insect war for 

 the season seems to be over. Cutworms 

 are on the wane. Leaf -eating insects on 

 trees and shrubs have already done their 

 worst, and if we can now keep aphides in 

 check all may be well. Where you can 

 use the hose, force of water is the best 

 antidote for the last named pests. 



Potting Retarded Lilies. 



We have just finished potting batches 



of Lilium speciosum album and L. aura- 

 tum, these being retarded bulbs. These 

 are placed on the floor of a cool cellar 

 and given one good soaking of water, 

 being then allowed to dry out well before 

 giving any more. For Christmas these 

 lilies prove very useful and are something 

 of a novelty, L. speciosum album is the 

 best all-around variety and is splendid 

 for design work, being a nice change 

 from the omnipresent Harrisii or longi- 

 flonim. If intended merely for cutting, a 

 good plan is to grow a number of bulbs 

 in boxes six inches deep, thus pro\id- 

 ing a better root run for them. 



Lilium Harrisii will arrive soon and, 

 if needed for Christmas, should be potted 

 as soon as possible. The bulbs of this 

 lily were poor last season, discouraging 

 many from trying it at all. It will be 

 some years before we receive the quality 

 of bulbs procurable a decade ago. Plants 

 of speciosum and auratum potted in No- 

 vember are now coming into bloom. 



NEPHROLEPIS AMERPOHLU. 



The accompanying illustration is from 

 a photograph of a plant of the new 

 Nephrolepis Amerpohlii, taken at Phila- 

 delphia, where William P. Craig, who 

 owns half the stock, is preparing for its 

 dissemination. He will have a large ex- 

 hibit of it at the S. A. F. convention. 



Nephrolepis Amerpohlii originated 

 with Edward Amerpohl, at Janesville, 

 Wis., and was given a certificate at the 

 Dayton convention. One of the special 

 merits of the fern is that it shows its 

 character in quite young plants. The 

 specimen illustrated is in a 6-inch pot. 



