Decbubeb 10, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



11 



./.." 



Slipper with Gardenias. Hamper of Cattleyas and Valley, 



quite hardy, even in our coldest states, 

 and will succeed in any good garden 

 soil. Propagation may be effected either 

 by seed or division of the roots. Seed- 

 lings usually do not flower until the 

 third year. Crambe maritima, the com- 

 mon sea kale, is a much esteemed vege- 

 table and is better known in America 

 probably than C. cordifolia. 



W. N. Craig. 



. NARCISSI AND HYAQNTHS. 



Is it too late to plant narcissi and hya- 

 cinths for Easter? R. C. E. 



It is getting a little late to plant hya- 

 cinths and narcissi to flower for Easter. 

 It is true the latter floral carnival also 

 comes late this year and if you can get 

 some bulbs into the soil right away they 

 will be in season all right. The quality 

 of the flowers will not equal that of 

 bulbs potted some weeks ago, as bulbs 

 have by this time exhausted some of their 

 strength by being so long out of the soil. 

 C.W. 



TROUBLE WITH SWEET PEAS. 



I have a solid bed of sweet peas. The 

 bed is above the floor level. The peas 

 were planted the last week of August. 

 The vines look fine, but the buds are 

 blighting. The bed has no drainage, but 

 80 far as I understand peas like plenty 



of water and on examining the soil it 

 does not seem too wet. They have had 

 a little ventilation every night but one 

 or two; temperature from 45 to 55 de- 

 grees. What do you advise? 



C. A. M. 



Your sweet peas would have done much 

 better on a raised bench in winter. It 

 is true that these flowers love plenty 

 of moisture, but even outdoors they must 

 have good drainage. No doubt they 

 would do well with you for late winter 

 or early spring flowering, but few 

 flowering plants^ succeed well in solid 

 beds in winter. * In benches the roots 

 are warmer and take lots of water. In 

 beds, little watering is possible, which 

 is a disadvantage at this dark season. 



I would advise a temperature of 45 

 to 50 degrees at night, with a rise of 5 

 to 10 degrees in the daytime. Keep the 

 surface of the bed stirred and let it 

 dry out pretty well before giving any 

 more water. Do not give any liquid 

 manure or chemical top-dressings. Ven- 

 tilate as you have done and your plants 

 will improve after the New Year. An- 

 other year use a raised bench for your 

 winter crop and the solid beds for peas 

 to flower after February. C. W. 



GLADIOLI FOR MEMORIAL DAY. 



When should gladioli be planted to 

 have in bloom by Decoration day? How 



sliould they be cared for/ Will have to 

 grow them in a carnation house. Can 

 they be planted where carnation plants 

 have died out? R. C. E. 



The small-bulbed gladioli, of the Col- 

 villei and nanus types, if placed in flats 

 now will bloom for Memorial day. They 

 can be held in a frame or pit until March 

 and then grown along in a cool house. 

 The large-bulbed section would be quite 

 suitable to grow where your carnations 

 have died out, and if planted at the end 

 of January will come in all right for 

 Memorial day. A few suitable forcing 

 varieties are May, Auglsta and Shake- 

 speare. Any of the Gandavensis section 

 will come in if planted two weeks ear- 

 lier than the sorts named. Separate 

 shades of color would be preferable to 

 mixtures. They cost a little more but 

 sell much more readilv. C.W. 



LE CANDEUR AS A POT TULIP. 



Culture under glass often redeems an 

 otherwise commonplace variety, be it tu- 

 lip or other flower, and it certainly has 

 a marked effect upon the late double 

 white tulip called Le Candeur, says the 

 Gardener's Magazine. Outdoors this is 

 often unsatisfactory, being greenish in 

 color, and often of poor shape. Under 

 glass it is almost, if not quite, the best 

 double white tulip we have. I once did 



Slipper with Gardenias. Hamper of Cattleyas and Valley. 



