»"''■- V !':•>-■•■' -■'. 



Dgcbmbeb 12, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists' R«view. 



27 



Christmas Hamper in Which a Great Variety of Stock was Used. 



flowering season. If you have a num- 

 ber of small plants which do not amount 

 to much individually, make them up sev- 

 eral together in small pans. Lorraine 

 ■ begonias like full sunshine and should 

 not be sprayed overhead. Fumigation 

 with tobacco stems will ruin them un- 

 less lightly done. None of the begonias 

 will stand heavy fumigation without loss 

 of flowers. 



Brief Reminders. 



Dicentra spectabilis should be potted 

 soon after arrival. Keep in a coldframe 

 for a time. 



Move out into a cooler house any of 

 the azaleas being forced for Christmas, 

 as they come into flower. 



Get any » left over bulbs into the 

 ground at once, before frost seals it up 

 tight. ^ 



A little stevia will come in useful now. 

 Keep most of the plants as cool as pos- 

 sible without freezing, and move a few 

 boxes or pots into a warmer house 

 every week. 



As the flowers develop on Romans and 

 Paper Whites, move into a cool house. 

 Have you a good batch coming on all 

 right for Christmas? 



Keep berried solanums, ardisias and 

 Christmas peppers quite cool. All are 

 very useful Christmas berried plants. 



Have plenty of covering ready for 

 outdoor plants needing it. Use it as 

 soon as the ground freezes solid. 



Feed the Lorraine begonias. Give a 

 few ties where required. Less heat is 

 needed after the flowers start to open 



VIOLETS FLOWERING POORLY. 



I am growing Princess of Wales and 

 California violets, but as yet have been 

 getting few blooms. The plants appear 

 to be in good condition and have plenty 

 of buds scattered, but they are slow to 

 develop. I used one load of rotted ma- 

 nure to four of sod soil. I keep the 

 temperature down to 40 degrees at night, 

 but it runs up pretty high these bright 

 days. What do you think is the trouble! 



I figure to grow sweet peas early in 

 the spring in the violet house, planting 

 between the rows. What time should I 

 plant so as not to interfere with the 

 violets and what are the best pinks and 

 whites? E. W. G.- 



Very likely the trouble with your vio- 

 lets is that they were lifted too early. 

 Many florists and gardeners fail with 

 singles through planting thenv at the 

 same time as the doubles, which is en- 

 tirely wrong. They should not be housed 

 until they have had a good freezing and 

 if you leave them out another year un- 

 til the middle of October, your trouble 



will probably disappear. Your tempera- 

 ture and treatment are all right. To im- 

 prove your crop for the balance of the 

 winter, allow the plants to have a good 

 freeze. Never mind if some of the ten- 

 der leaves are destroyed. Let the tem- 

 perature go down to 28 degrees. This 

 will help to check leaf growth and pro- 

 mote floriferousness. 



The single violet season will be over 

 about April 1. Sow sweet peas early 

 in January. The seed may be placetl 

 either in flats of fine, sandy loam or in 

 small pots and later transferred to the 

 beds or benches. This will be found bet- 

 ter than sowing directly among the vio- 

 lets. By the time your violets are over, 

 your peas will be starting to yield some- 

 thing, and it may be necessary to remove 

 one row to give them a chance. A tem- 

 perature of 40 degrees at night is all 

 right for violets, but the peas prefer it 

 5 to 8 degrees higher, especially as they 

 near the flowering stage. The best forc- 

 ing varieties are Mont Blanc, pure white, 

 and Earliest of All, or Christmas Pink, 

 pink and white. C, W. 



FAILURE WITH SINGLE VIOLETS. 



Will you please tell me why my Prin- 

 cess violets do not flower better? I have 

 a bed 6x75. Two-thirds of this is Marie 

 Louise and the other third Princess. 

 Both were housed at the same time, Sep- 

 tember 15, in well enriched, loose, black 

 soil. The doubles are doing finely, but 

 tlie singles have very few flowers, and I 

 think too many leaves. The. latter look 

 very green and healthy. Is it possible 

 that the soil is too rich? It is niv first 



