12 



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The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



Dbcoubbb 26, 1007. 



Carnation House of D. C. Noble, CdfamUa City, IncL 



shown in America. After visiting the 

 majority of the leading growers over 

 here, he is astonished at the results, ob- 

 tained from pot culture and admits that 

 for October and November cutting, pot 

 culture is superior to bench culture. He 

 also remarks upon the higher prices ob- 

 tained here for first quality blooms. 

 After an enjoyable trip and having en- 

 deared himself to a large circle of car- 

 nation growers by his unassuming and 

 genial manners, he sailed from Liverpool 

 December 14 for New York. Bee. 



AT BRANDYWINE SUMMIT, PA. 



A visit recently to E. A. Harvey 's 

 place, where carnations abound, was 

 much enjoyed. While Edwin was not 

 at home, his father took the lead and 

 we followed from house to house, be- 

 ginning with the house of Lawson, 

 bench^ the last of February, which 

 were fine, and surely one could ask no 

 more at this season of the year. Just 

 across the ^ain aisle was a block of 

 Aristocrat, -which looked good, but did 

 not see the gilt or hear the gingle that 

 was in sight on the other side. Winsor, 

 just over the way, was giving Lawson 

 a hard chase, and Enchantress and Bose- 

 pink Enchantress were traveling in their 

 usual fine style. Quite _ a fine lot of 

 Lady Bountiful showed' all signs of 

 winning the race in the whites. Per- 

 fection, hard by, was not in it at all. 

 Queen still holds a good space. Vic- 

 tory was not to be passed by unnoticed. 

 Beacon promises well for a little later. 



A trial block of E. C. Marshall's 

 white made us stand and take notice. 

 It has flowers of the largest size, with 

 stems strong and erect. A visit to its 

 home, near Kennett Square, is well worth 

 the time it takes. Any one wanting a 

 white — and that of all colors we cannot 

 do without — ought to keep an eye on it, 

 for like its owner, E. C. MarshaU, it will 

 bear scrutinizing and acquaintance. I 

 have seen it at three different times 

 since it was planted in, and on the last 

 visit I was amazed to see the wonder- 

 ful wealth of growth and bloom that 

 had developed in the four weeks. At 

 Mr. Marshall's place we also saw En- 

 chantress and Victory of fine quality. 

 Queen naturally has had to retire to 

 the side beds, with Bed Sport and its 



companions. A house of mignonette 

 here, as well as two at Mr, Harvey's, 

 were in the best of shape. 



A Wandekee. 



THE BEGONIA MITE. 



The begonia mite is a scourge in some 

 gardens. Specimens of begonias sent 

 from the west of England to the Board 

 of Agriculture, says a British contem- 

 porary, were found to be infested with 

 the mite (Tarsonymus), but this mite 

 does not confine its attack to begonias, 

 some species of which seem to be more 

 susceptible than others, but also infests 

 a number of other plants. Closely alUed 

 species have on occasion done much harm 

 to box. With begonias the pest seems to 

 be held in check if the plants are dusted 

 with tobacco powder. Tobacco water and 

 fumigating with tobacco are also favor- 

 ably mentioned. Sulphur is a well-known 

 treatment for mites generally, the treat- 

 ment recommended for the black currant 

 mite being to dust the plants with a mix- 

 ture of two parts of sulphur to one part 

 of finely ground unslaked lime. The be- 

 gonia mite spreads rapidly where the cul- 

 tural conditions favor it, and the increase 



is especially marked when the plants are 

 allowed to become too dry. A case is 

 known in which the mite, at one time a 

 great pest, is now easily kept in check by 

 the thorough and repeated syringing of 

 t^e plants with clean water. 



-V. 



.:!■'.;'«■ 



NERINES. 



Those brilliant South African bulbous 

 plants, the nerines, are little seen in 

 either commercial or private establish- 

 • ments. This is rather surprising, as 

 they'bloom at a period when choice flow- 

 ers are the reverse of abundant. One 

 reason why they are not grown commer- 

 cially is that at the time flowers are pro- 

 duced the plants are practically leafless. 

 The umbels of flowers, borne on scapes 

 twelve to twenty-four inches long, are, 

 however, splendid for cutting and last 

 nearly a fortnight in water, and should 

 sell readily at any of the high-class 

 flower stores, where novelties are always 

 in demand. 



Nerines, or Guernsey lilies, as they 

 are commonly called, need cool treatment 

 at all seasons. Our plants are wintered 

 in a light, sunken pit which has no fire 

 heat and where the temperature fre- 

 quently hovers near the freezing point. 

 The plants are never in the greenhouse 

 except when in bloom, being placed in 

 the pit as soon as the flowers have faded, 

 and are grown there until the middle of 

 May, when they are laid on their sides 

 on a hot, sunny bank and left in this 

 position until the flower scapes show in 

 September or October. Two essentials 

 for success in nerine growing are to have 

 the pots thoroughly matted with roots 

 (otherwise they will not bloom) and to 

 give them a thorough summer baking in 

 the sun. 



In potting, three bulbs may go into a 

 5-inch pot and from a 5-inch into a 

 6-inch; such sorts as Sarniensis or Foth- 

 ergilli major, some of the pink and 

 other light forms, making smaller bulbs, 

 do well in smaller pots or in shallow 

 pans. For compost, turfy loam, leaf- 

 mold and sharp sand is ideal, and plants 

 should not be potted more than once in 

 six or eight years, for the best results. 

 Small bulbs can be picked out and potted 

 rather thickly until they reach blooming 

 size. The old plants require a little sur- 

 face dressing each fall and doses of 

 liquid manure once a week while making 



Home and DeKvery Auto of D. C Noble, Columbia Gty, Ind. 



