B'EBRUARY 20, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



refers to Gladiolus nanus Mathilda. 1 

 have ordered this gladiolus from two 

 leading houses and was unable to obtain 

 it. Kindly ask C. W. wherfe he obtains 

 his Gladiolus nanus Mathilda. 



Chas. Winkler. 



Gladiolus nanus Mathilda arrives in 

 America during October, from Holland, 

 and should be placed in flats not later 

 than the last part of November. Many 

 Dutch firms list this invaluable variety, 

 which is much superior to G. Colvillei 

 The Bride. The variety was listed last 

 season by many American bulb dealers 

 and when this year's fall bulb lists ap- 

 pear the correspondent will have no trou- 

 ble in finding it. C. W. 



Albert T, Hey. 



(President State Florists' Association of Illinois.) 



well-grown standard varieties of carna- 

 tions, some fine callas, and a design, 

 scroll on easel, inscribed ' ' Welcome. ' ' 



George Van Horn, Springfield, palms 

 and ferns. 



The following firms were represented 

 by signs: A. F. Longren, Des Plaiues, 

 111.; John C. Moninger Co., Chicago; 

 C. A. Kuehn, St. Louis; R. M. Ward & 

 Co., New York; Chicago Carnation Co., 

 Joliet, 111.; Geo. H. Angermueller, St. 

 Louis ; Wm. Hagemann & Co., New York ; 

 Crowl Fern Co., Millington, Mass.; 

 Vaughan &tSperry, Chicago; C. F. Meyer 

 & Co., New York; Kroeschell Bros. Co., 

 Chicago ; McHutchison & Co., New York ; 

 Jensen & Dekema, Chicago. 



USE FOR LEATHER SCRAPS. 



I get a large quantity of leather 

 scraps weekly from a glove factory. I 

 am using them for fuel, but want to 

 know if they are of more value as a fer- 

 tilizer. How can they be rendered solu- 

 ble? The ashes have a peculiar greenish 

 color. Have they any particular value? 



J. L. J. 



Lindsey forwarded a bulletin detailing 

 some work the station had done along 

 this line, which I shall be pleased to send 

 to vou if interested. W. N. Cbaig. 



GLADIOLUS NANUS MATHILDA. 

 In the Review of September 19, 

 1907, pages 3 and 4^jjHder the head of 

 ' ' Useful White Summer Flowers, " C. W. 



DAHLIA PROPAGATION. 



It is my intention to propagate some 

 dahlias in the hotbed this spring, put- 

 ting the clumps from which the young 

 plants are to be obtained into the hot- 

 bed early in March. Will cuttings from 

 these plants grow readily in a coldframe 

 in sand or in a hotbed with mild heat? 

 Or ought one to try to start only those 

 plants that have a heel and are starting 

 roots when removed from the plant? 



J. L. D. 



We would not advice you to start the 

 dahlias so early as the beginning of 

 March. A month later will be season- 

 able. Nothing is gained by early propa- 

 gation or planting of dahlias. The roots 

 are usually divided soon after being 

 started and a single shoot left to each. 

 They root readily from soft cuttings 

 and those rubbed off with a heel are the 

 best. Do not try to root these in mold, 

 but in clean sand with good drainage 

 below it. If you are not familiar with 

 the propagation of soft-wooded bedding 

 stock, it would be better for you to 

 divide the roots. For home trade or 

 shipping moderate distances, we think 

 cuttings are preferable, but for long 

 distances it is better to use divided roots. 

 If the plants are for your own use, either 

 method of propagation will answer. 



C. W. 



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SUGGESTIONS 



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I referred your query to the chemistry 

 dei);irtment of the Massachusetts Agri- 

 cultural College at Amherst. Professor 

 J. B. Lindsey, head of the department, 

 reports in brief as follows: "Leather 

 refuse is of little value for fertilizing 

 purposes, unless it is dissolved in sul- 

 phuric acid. It requires considerable pa- 

 tience to do this and I doubt if anyone 

 would care to attempt it. The ashes 

 from the leather contain about two per 

 cent of potash and possibly seven to 

 eight per cent of lime. I should .iudge 

 it might be worth for fertilizing pur- 

 poses about $5 par ton." Professor 



Easter Lilies. 



Lilies for Easter will need close watch- 

 ing for the next few weeks. To have this 

 crop come in exactly on time requires 

 considerable care, and the florist who 

 gets nearly all his plants in flower has 

 every cause to feel elated. Easter prices 

 are always much higher than those pre- 

 vailing before and after the great festi- 

 val, for about everyone who buys a plant 

 wants an Easter lily. As a general rule, 

 it is well to see the buds so that they 

 can be counted forty days before Easter. 

 Under ordinary conditions the plants will 

 flower within the time named, if grown 

 in a sunny house and given a minimum 

 temperature of 55 degrees. It is always 

 well to be on the safe side, and if your 

 plants are a trifle early, do not worry, 

 for it is an easy matter to move them to 

 1 a cooler house and retard them, if you 



only grow a few hundreds. Even where 

 thousands are produced, the same moving 

 around is necessary, for in a large batch 

 of lilies there will be a difference of 

 weeks in the flowering of a large pro- 

 portion of the plants. 



Weather conditions have much to do 

 ^yith the forwarding or retarding of 

 lilies. Do not depend too much on three 

 weeks of hot, sunny weather in April to 

 push along your laggard plants. This 

 month may prove cold and sunless and a 

 sweating process may be necessary to 

 flower them. After you 'see the buds, 

 feeding may be given every fourth or 

 fifth day. Sheep or cow manure i\-ater is 

 good; so is guano water. For plants 

 which are inclined to be yellow, a little 

 nitrate of soda has a magical effect. Do 

 not allow aphis to secure any lodgment 

 on the plants. Either squirt nicotine 

 juice into the tops of the shoots or drop 



