8 The Weekly Florists^ Review^ dkckmbeu 3, im. 



dodendrons, andromedas and other flow- 

 ering evergreen shrubs need a heavy 

 mulching of leaves to keep the roots 

 moist and exclude frost. Pansies, violas, 

 foxgloves, aubrietias, hollyhocks and sim- 

 ilar plants will winter well in even north- 

 ern climes if on sloping ground and 

 mulched with leaves or straw held in 

 place by evergreen boughs. This covering 

 Bhould not be applied until the ground 

 becomes hard frozen. Beds of Dutch 

 bulbs require the same treatment. It is 

 a big mistake to heavily cover them until 

 they are frozen, for the mulching keeps 

 the ground warm and causes the bulbs to 

 push up into the covering when they 

 should be lying dormant. Consequently, 

 when removing the protective material in 

 the spring, many tops are broken. Lil- 

 lums should have a good covering, which 

 should not be removed too early in spring. 

 The majority of hardy plants need only 

 a light mulching, just such a covering as 

 we see shed in the woods each fall. Un- 

 less it is necessary to exclude a frost, be 

 on the safe side and cover lightly, but 



bo sure your covering cannot blow away. 

 Firm all labels well in the ground to pre- 

 vent frost heaving them. Look over and 

 rename any plants requiring it. 



C. W. 



INSECTS ON FERNS. 



I have an insect on my ferns which is 

 doing great damage. It is a very small 

 white fly, which multiplies rapidly, and 

 the ferns turn yellow and die. Please 

 advise me as to what I can syringe with 

 and not damage the ferns. G. W. C. 



Without seeing a specimen from the 

 affected plants, one must necessarily an- 

 swer this query by guess, there being so 

 many insects found on ferns. But it 

 seems likely that this is the same insect 

 that is so frequently found upon Boston 

 ferns, and one that has caused much 

 trouble to growers. If so, the best meth- 

 od of procedure would be to cut off the 

 worst leaves, and then to dip the plants 

 in a solution of Rose Leaf extract ;>f to- 



l)aL'((), uting one part of the extract to 

 fifty parts of water. 



'jhia insect is hard to kill and may 

 need more than one application. Syring- 

 ing with the sanfe preparation may also 

 be done, but is less effect ve than dip- 

 ping. W. H. Taplin. 



PROnTS IN PLUMOSUS. 



I should like to have someone tell me, 

 through the Review, if Asjjaragus plu- 

 mosus would be a paying crop at an 

 average price of 20 cents a bunch, a 

 dozen in a bunch. I have a house 20x60 

 feet. What could I realize out of a 

 house that size? F. J. R. 



If F. J. R. is not growing any strings 

 from the same plants, he ought to cut 

 about twenty-five good sprays to the 

 square foot, which, at his price, woukl 

 make a house 20x60 bring about $4S0 

 of gross income. With extra good cul- 

 ture, he may be able to exceed that es- 

 timate. Albeet F. Amling. 



THE NOVELTIES. 



Grace Whitney. 



Grace Whitney is an American seed- 

 ling that has received the society's rec- 

 ognition as a handsome exhibition pink. 

 It was exhibited by Frank Whitney as 

 No. 4 and has since been named Grace 

 Whitney. Size, stem and foliage are 

 O. K., and it will hold its own with 

 any of the importations. I considered 

 it one of the good things that I could 

 not afford to let go, and so the control 

 passed from Mr, Whitney to myself. We 

 do not have many native seedlings that 

 come large enough to run in the exhibi- 

 tion class, and I think more of it on 

 that account. 



Other Novelties. 



W. Meredith, as a crimson, is also 

 welcome, because we have so few really 

 good crimsons. We all used to love the 

 old Edwin Molyneux, and Meredith 

 might easily be taken for a good flower 

 of that variety. I have no compunction 

 in recommending Meredith to any one 

 who will give it good care and who 

 knows when to stop feeding. 



Glitter, which W. Wells thinks very 

 highly oif, has not done well with me. 

 The color is good, but the flower is 

 only medium in size and poor in stem, 

 and after a second year's trial I cannot 

 indorse it. I understand it has done 

 fairly well in the west, but I Jo nut 

 think it will do in our locality. 



Mrs. J. C. Neill has a serious rival 

 here in Cheltoni, which is also an Aus- 

 tralian, and seems to get better every 

 year. It does not show much difference 

 in style, color or growth from Cheltoni 

 at present. It is a gold medal winner in 



Australia, and so another year may show- 

 it up in a much more striking manner. 



The notes printed November 21, wifh 

 this addition include the best of the 

 new things as I have seen them, and 

 I think we have more good ones than 

 usual. The interest in novelties certainly 

 keeps up, and I believe it will continue 

 to do so as long as the quality of the 

 novelties is likewise kept up. 



C. H. TOTTY. 



BITLER'S PRIZE-WINNERS. 



One of the successful exhibitors at the 

 show of the Indiana State Florists' So- 

 ciety, held at Indianapolis in November, 

 was W. A. Bitler, (tf Kokomo, and the 

 interesting feature about his prize-win- 

 ning was that this is his first season 

 growing chrysanthemums and that he had 

 an exceedingly limited quantity from 

 which to select his exhibition blooms. He 

 took first for ten pink, on Dr. Enguehard, 

 with only 150 plants to select from, and 

 he took second on yellow, with Col. Ap- 

 pleton, with only 100 plants to select 

 from. Mr. Bitler 's blooms are shown in 

 the accompanying illustration, but as the 

 flowers are only second consideration in 

 the Bitler family, the children were put 

 in front. 



REVIEW OF VARIETIES. 



The Best Forty. 



In accordance with my usual custom, 

 I present herewith a review of the best 

 forty varieties, in their respective colors, 

 as they have shown up at the exhibi- 

 tions. This table of varieties is com- 

 piled as far as jmssible from my own 

 experience, and from the published lists 

 of varieties exhibited at different shows 



and checked by myself at gliows I have 

 visited. Not one of the uudisseminated 

 sorts is given, because they are not yet 

 in general culture, and consequently are. 

 only in the experimental stage. 



Yellow.— F. S. Vallis, Col. Appleton, 

 Mrs. Geo. Hunt, Cheltoni, Mrs. W.. Duck- 

 ham, C. Montigny, Dubuisson-Foubert, 

 Mrs. W. Knox, Souv. Scalarandis and 

 Rose Lawrence. 



White. — Beatrice ilav. Miss Clay 

 Frick, Pres. Loubet, ills. D. V. West, 

 Merza, Nellie Pockett, Mile. Simone Jos- 

 sier. May Seddon, Ben Wells and Mrs. 

 F. F. Thompson. 



Pink. — President Vigor, Miriam Han- 

 key, M. Loiseau-Rousseau, Morton F. 

 Plant, William Duckham, Reginald Val- 

 lis, Valerie Greenham and Lady Hope- 

 toun. 



Red.— Mrs. H. Partridge, S. F. Wright, 

 Mrs. A. H. Lee. 



Bronze shades. — Ethel Fitzroy, Mrs. J. 

 A. Miller, Mrs. Geo. Heaunio, Mmo. L. 

 Roussel and Dakoma. 



Chestnut and red shades. — Mrs. John 

 E. Dunn, Mrs. Henry Barnes. E. J. 

 Brooks and Mary Ann Pockett. 



Some Old Friends. 



It is interesting to note how some old 

 friends stick. Among them are Merza, 

 whicii was shown in splendid shape 

 again; also Nellie Pockett, which seems 

 to improve right along; F. S, Vallis, 

 which still takes the prize always for 

 the biggest flower in the show, and Col. 

 Appleton, which is still largely shown 

 in yellows. 



Chrysanthemiste Montigny furnished 

 the most sensational vase in yellows. 

 This has been previously noted in these 

 columns, but I seriously question if it is 

 over siinwn again in such condition. Mrs. 



