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The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



November 28, 1807. 



such as decorative, or commercial, or 

 the beautiful singles, for all are very 

 beautiful and all have their usefulness 

 and are fully as beautiful as the large 

 Japanese. But, as I was asked to con- 

 fine my remarks to exhibition varieties, 

 I have done so. 



Feeding chrysanthemums is too well 

 understood for me to dwell on. You all 

 have your own way and it varies but 

 little. I find the chrysanthemum is not 

 very particular as to what it is fed on, 

 provided it is not fed on the same diet 

 too long; a change is always appre- 

 ciated, and the plant responds and re- 

 turns, many times over, the best care 

 and feed one can bestow upon it. 



BEST MUMS IN FRANCE. 



The journal of the French Chrysan- 

 themum Society presents the result of 



an audit of the varieties introduced in 

 1903, which shows its members consider 

 the f ollpwing as the best thirty varieties : 

 Sapho, Mme. Marguerite de Mons, Mme. 

 Ben6 Overthur, Lieut.-Col. Ducroiset, 

 President Viger, Tokio, Jean Calvat, 

 Souvenir de Bailleul, Ch. Schwartz, Mme. 

 Henri Douillet, M. Ant Marmontel, La 

 Gracieuse, President Loubet, Le Br6van- 

 nais. Alliance, Souvenir de Mme Buron, 

 Nathalie Bourseul, Ami A. Nonin, Albert 

 Maumen6, Rose Poitevine, M. Loiseau 

 Bousseau, Henri Second, Souvenir de 

 Calvat P6re, Mme. Toussaint, Charvet, 

 Vierge Montbrunoise, Amateur Eoziferes, 

 Mme. de la Verbeville, Mile. Eenf'e 

 Avisard, Ville de Ph^nicie, Mrs. J. A. 

 Miller. 



The Eeview will send Smith's Mum 

 Manual, postpaid, for 40 cents. 



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THE RETAIL 



FLORIST 



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ARTISTIC ARRANGEMENTS. 



The Handle Basket. 



The handle basket filled with plants, 

 with twig and bird's nest, designed by 

 Charles Henry Fox at the Sign of the 

 Rose, Philadelphia, is effective in its sim- 

 plicity. The little bird's nest on the 

 right adds charm. 



EMBLEMATIC DESIGNS. 



W. L, Leeka, of Fairmount, 111., is a 

 Mason and as a Mason pronounces the 

 proportions of the Masonic emblem 

 shown in the accompanying illustration 

 as just what they should be. He says 

 that to a Mason the attempts sometimes 

 seen at the reproduction of the square 

 and compass are such as to make the 

 departed member of the order inclined to 

 turn over in his coflBn, no matter how 

 favorably they may impress his sorrow- 

 ing relatives. This design was made of 

 asters and tuberoses, with plumosus for 

 green on the design itself and Sprengeri 

 for green in the base. Mr. Leeka sug- 

 gests that the proportions of this design 

 be borne in mind by all makers of set 

 pieces, no matter how much they may 

 seek to elaborate the idea, and the same 

 faithfulness should be shown in the re- 

 production of other emblems. At a re- 

 cent funeral of an old soldier the de- 

 rision of the veterans attending was ex- 

 cited by the largest piece in the whole 

 floral display, a reproduction of the G. 

 A. R. badge — but the stars were in the 

 wrong corner of the flag. 



SMILAX. 



How should smilax be grown? What 

 sort of a place should be given it and 

 what temperature does it require? M. 



Smilax may be grown in either solid 

 beds or raised benches, the former giving 

 most satisfactory results. Sow the seed 

 in February or March. Pot off when 

 large enough to handle into small pots. 



Shift these into 3-inch or 4-inch pots and 

 plant out in beds in June or July. Allow 

 the plants a foot between the rows and 

 nine inches between the plants. There 

 should be anywhere from six to ten feet 

 of headroom. Strings should be run up 

 for the young, trailing shoots soon after 

 they are planted, and they must not be 



allowed to ramble and become twisted on 

 other strings than their Qwn. 



A temperature of 58 to 60 degrees at 

 night suits smilax. For soil use three- 

 fourths good, strong fibrous loam and 

 one-fourth old cow manure. Syringe the 

 plants once a day to prevent red spider 

 securing any foothold. Do not cut the 

 strings until the smilax is well ripened, 

 and after cleaning off any part of the 

 bed, keep the soil quite dry until growth 

 has started again for a second crop, or 

 the roots may rot. Smilax may be carried 

 over for several years, but it pays best 

 to plant it annually. A very light house 

 is not needed; one with a span roof is 

 to be preferred and some of the best 

 strings I ever saw were grown in quite 

 shady houses. Give the plants a mulch- 

 ing of old manure after the first crop is 

 cut. C. W. 



HYDRANGEAS FOR EASTER. 



When should hydrangeas be brought in 

 to be forced for Easter and Decoration 

 day? C.U. 



Hydrangeas Avanted for Easter bloom- 

 ing should now be under shelter in a cool 

 house and should be put into a house of 

 55 degrees by New Year's day. For 

 Decoration blooming, forcing can be de- 

 ferred till the middle of February. 



RiBES. 



HARDY WATER LILIES. 



What is the best commercial variety 

 of hardy water lilies for a small pond 

 of standing water? I would like a 

 variety of enough substance to stand 

 shipping. What time of year should 

 they be planted, and what is the best 



Correct Proportions for Square and Compass. 



