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The Weekly Florists' Review^ 



October 17, 1907. 



Gladioli. ' 



"While the lifting of gladioli is less ur- 

 gent than that of dahlias and cannaa, 

 it should be attended to sometime in 

 October. Gladioli, like montbretias, will 

 winter with a little winter covering and 

 are not by any means tender bulbs. They 

 are, however, better lifted and replanted 

 yearly. If they can be dug and left on 

 the surface of the ground to dry a few 

 days, all the better. In a treacherous 

 climate, this is hardly possible, but if 

 laid on boards in a sunny spot and some 

 awning or other covering placed over 

 them on cold nights, they will soon dry 

 and ripen sufficiently to allow of the 

 stems being cut off a few inches above 

 the bulb. It is unwise to cut the stems 

 down too far while green. Shelves in a 

 cool shed or cellar make excellent storage 

 places. Where many are grown it is cus- 

 tomary to stack them in shallow crates. 

 If you wish to increase your stock of 

 any particular varieties, save all the lit- 

 tle bulbs or corms and plant next sea- 

 son. These will bloom usually in a couple 

 of years. 



Caladium Esculentum. 



If you only grow a limited quantity of 

 Caladium esculentum it is far the better 

 plan to buy a few tubers at some seed 

 store each spring. If, however, you de- 

 sire to keep some roots, lift as advised 

 for dahlias and dry well in the sun, pack 

 the tubers in perfectly dry sand in a 

 temperature of 50 to 55 degrees and they 

 will come through all right. 



LemoDHceoted Verbena* 



Perhaps you have an all-sufficient stock 

 of lemon-scented verbena. If not, it will 

 pay you to lift a few old roots. Never 

 mind if they have had a little frost. 

 Pack them quite thickly in boxes of earth 

 and store in a cool house, where they are 

 just clear of freezing. Keep fairly dry 

 all winter and in early spring put them 

 in a warm, moist house. They will soon 

 give you a fine crop of cuttings, which 

 will root readily if rubbed off with a 

 heel. 



Hydraogeas. 



It was remarked in recent notes that 

 hydrangeas should be kept somewhat on 

 the dry side to assist in ripening the 

 wood and that a little frost would bo 

 beneficial. We all have seen painful ef- 

 fects of October frosts on plants with 

 green foliage and soft, sappy wood. 



While a temperature of 28 or 30 degrees 

 would do no harm, if the temperature 

 should suddenly drop to 20 degrees, as 

 sometimes happens, probabilities are that 

 any plants not well ripened would have 

 their flower buds all killed. Better be 

 on the safe side and if your plants are 

 still outdoors giet them together in a 

 batch and be prepared to throw some 

 covering over them on frosty nights. 



Hardy Perennials. 



Much outdoor work now demands at- 

 tention. Many of our customers, having 

 had their tender bedding plants cut down, 

 are clamoring to have the beds filled 

 with bulbs. There is no immediate hurry 

 for this work, for the bulbs are just as 

 well off if not planted until the last of 

 the month. More and more small grow- 

 ers are planting collections of peonies, 

 phloxes, larkspurs and other hardy her- 

 baceous perennials. There could be no 

 better time than the present to do any 

 replanting of these, either for yourself 

 or your customers. The average retail 

 florist does not half appreciate the value 

 of these plants. By planting a bed or 

 row of a few of the more useful sorts 

 he can depend on a good supply of flow- 

 ers from May until October. In re- 

 planting be sure to give the stock well 

 spaded and enriched ground and plant 

 firmly. A winter mulch of some sort is 

 also advantageous to this class of plants. 



Trees and Shrubs. 



A great amount of planting of trees 

 and shrubs which is usually crowded into 

 the strenuous spring months would be 

 better done during the latter half of 

 October and first half of November. 

 There are many advantages in planting 

 at this season. The ground is more 

 moist than in the spring, the sun less 

 powerful and roots less likely to become 

 dried up. Shrubs moved at this season 

 make a much better start in spring than 

 those replanted at that time. All fruit 

 trees, except peaches, are better planted 

 in the fall even in a northern state, pro- 

 vided they are planted firmly and suf- 

 ficiently early to allow the roots to make 

 a little start before the ground is sealed 

 by frost. The same applies to about all 

 deciduous trees and most of the shrubs. 

 Some subjects, like Viburnum plicatum, 

 the Japanese snowball, afe better spring 

 planted, but as a rule better results may 

 be had by doing more of this work now 

 and less in the spring. Nurserymen can 



more readily make delivery now and you 

 are more likely to get just what you 

 want than in the overwhelmingly busy 

 spring season. 



Brief Reminders. 



Do not give mignonette too much fire 

 heat; 40 to 45 degrees at night is am- 

 ple. Attend to disbudding and give a 

 little weak liquid , stimulant where plants 

 are coming into flower. 



As your early mums are cut be sure 

 to reserve an ample supply of stock 

 plants of the best sorts. Throw away 

 any kinds which do not do well with you. 

 It is a mistake to grow too many va- 

 rieties. 



Do not forget the shading for the 

 mums. We get very hot days in October 

 and if petals are damp in the early part 

 of the day through false economy in 

 withholding - fi*e heat, scalding will re- 

 sult whfen tne sun strikes them. 



Cinerarias are now growing rapidly. 

 Look out for aphis among them. Keep 

 renewing the tobacco stems among them. 



Sow candytuft or sweet alyssum on 

 the edges of any beds where there is a 

 chance for them to flower, or give a 

 separate piece of bench to them in a 

 cool house. 



Wash some of the heavy shading from 

 palms and other foliage plants. Do not 

 remove it entirely, for the sun will still 

 be too strong for many of them. 



Have protecting material in readiness 

 for coldframes and if breakages in glass 

 are not repaired, attend to them at once. 

 Let the greenhouses have an overhauling 

 at the same time to make them tight. 



DUTCHESS HORTICULTURISTS. 



The Dutchess County Horticultural So- 

 ciety recently paid a visit to Uplands, 

 the estate of William P. Clyde, near 

 Wappingers Falls, N. Y. This is one 

 of the leading private establishments of 

 the vicinity. There is a large range of 

 glass, including three new houses. The 

 gardener in charge is H. J. Osterhandt 

 and in the accompanying illustration he 

 is seen with the establishment's pet dog 

 in his arms. 



Nashville, Tenn. — Work has been 

 begun in the erection of a greenhouse, 

 18x50 feet, in Capitol park, near the 

 Polk tomb. The foundation will be of 

 concrete and the building will cost about 

 $1,250. 



The Dutchess County Horticultural Society on a Visit to Ui^nds. 



