10 



The Weekly Rorists' Review. 



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April 2, 1908. 



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SEASONABLE 



SUGGESTIONS 



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Hotbeds, 



With the heavy inroads on bench space 

 by Easter plants and the rapid growth 

 I now being made by bedding stock, the 

 grower's ingenuity is now taxed to prop- 

 erly accommodate and give the requisite 

 space to his plants. The weather has 

 now become sufficiently warm to allow 

 the removal of some of the hardier bed- 

 ding stock to frames, more especially 

 where they can be stood over a little 

 warm manure. In hotbeds we have a re- 

 lief for the congestion which usually ex- 

 ists in all establishments early in April. 

 If the sash is tight and the frames well 

 made, it is now perfectly safe to move 

 quite a few of the hardier bedding plants 

 into them. First, however, throw out 

 any loam in the beds and replace it with 

 a mixture of fresh stable manure and 

 leaves. If this can be thrown in a heap 

 and allowetl to sweat for a day or two 

 first, ail the better. Moisten any mate- 

 rial which may be dry, but do not soak 

 it. When placed in the beds it must be 

 firmly tramped, and if, after this is done, 

 it has a depth of eight inches, it will 

 give a genial warmth for some weeks. 

 Place a coating of coal ashes over the 

 fermenting material and it is then ready 

 for occupancy. 



After April 10, or earlier in the more 

 southern states, geraniums, verbenas, 

 fuchsias, alyssum, asters, stocks, dian- 

 thus, Drumniond's phlox, lobelia, agera- 

 tuni, antirrhinum and candytuft, among 

 other varieties, will be found to succeed 

 as well in the hotbed as in the green- 

 house. Of course, mats and shutters are 

 needed on cold nights for a few weeks 

 yet. Quilted mats packed with wool are 

 durable; burlap answers well. Straw is 

 probably more used than any other kind, 

 but makes the glass present an untidy 

 appearance all the time. 



After the middle of April, if a depth 

 of twelve to eighteen inches of warm 

 manure is placed in a frame, such plants 

 as coleus, alternanthera, heliotrope, 

 achyranthes, acalyphas, and others en- 

 joying a warm, moist temperature, will 

 be found to ^row nuich better in the 

 hotbed than in the greenhouse. It may 

 seem to some obsolete, but we still find 

 that one or two sashes devoted to propa- 

 gating this class of bedding plants gives 

 us better results than we can get in the 

 greenhouses, where the declining amount 

 of fire heat used means that the cutting 

 benches are to be cooler. The geniality 

 and warmth in a hotbed is surprising. 

 By closing up early in' the afternoon 

 after damping them down, they can be 

 run up to 100 degrees or more in the 

 shade if wanted, and the growth made is 

 an eye-opener to the uninitiated in this 

 old but useful branch of horticulture. 



Dahlias succeed well started in a gen- 

 tle hotbed. Cannas grow fast in the 

 warmer frames. Vegetable plants of all 

 kinds grow sturdier and better in them 

 than in the greenhouse; in fact, their 

 usefulness can scarcely be estimated. 

 Careful ventilation and watering, partic- 

 ularly in dark weather, are a necessity. 



We should have said that if your sashes 

 face due south, they will be better for 

 this bedding stock. Any you may have 

 facing north, east or west will soon be 

 useful, however, for hardening purposes 

 or growing plants in during the summer. 



Planting Hardy Shrubs. 



This is the rush season with the nurs- 

 erymen, who must crowtl an enormous 

 amount of energy into the next few 

 weeks. The retail florists invariably have 

 more or less hardy shrubs to set out for 

 their customers. Not all can lay claim 

 to belong to that rapidly swelling army 

 of landscape gardeners, but many could, 

 no doubt, give points to not a few of this 

 latter class when it comes to the really 

 practical points of the game. A noted 

 tree authority in the east not long ago 

 stated that if he had $20 to spend on 

 trees and shrubs, he would use .$19 of 

 that sum in proper preparation of the 

 soil. Far too often the reverse is prac- 

 ticed. High-priced evergreens, for in- 

 stance, will have a hole dug barely large 

 enough to contain the roots, and possibly 

 a few shovelfuls of loam may be thrown 

 in to ' ' give it a good start. ' ' The start 

 such stock gets is speedily followed by 

 their finish. 



Cut off any broken fragments of roots 

 on the trees or shrubs you are to plant. 

 Make generous holes; the bigger tl^e bet- 

 ter. Go down two feet ^nd loosen up 

 the material at the bottom. Take away 

 all gravel and poor material. Do not use 

 any fresh manure in the compost. («oo<l 

 loam is preferable to a mixture contain- 

 ing even well decayed manure. Place the 

 latter on the surface after i)lanting, to 

 serve as a useful nuilch and gentle stim- 

 ulant. Be sure to firm the compost be- 

 low the roots thoroughly. Spread the 



roQjs^,ojit eveiQily and firm the soil well t' 

 after tHey are covered. Too many plants 

 still have the^hole^ filled up at once and 

 a little trampii^ completes the job. In 

 firm planting niuch of the secret of suc- 

 cess lies. Ldosely set out stock may be 

 expected to fail. Let all manure used 

 be well decayed. Before planting, if 

 roots are dry, dip them in a tub of clay 

 and water. In the case of evergreens, 

 after partly filling in the holes give a 

 soaking of water and allow this to settle 

 before filling in the balance. 



A point to be remembered in planting 

 large sized shrubs and trees is to prune 

 them back quite severely. Particularly is 

 this necessary with oaks. All deciduous 

 flowering shrubs are better cut back 

 after planting. Much of the nursery 

 stock sold is carried over winter in sheds, 

 packed in sand. These plants look fresh 

 on arrival, but a few days ' exposure to 

 the sun soon disfigures them and, as a 

 rule, they need a severe cutting back. If 

 you can secure fresh, outdoor dug nurs- 

 ery stock, it is much to be preferred. 



/- , Propagating. 



Such pmliis as coleus and alternanthera 

 can still" be propagated and will make 

 fine plants by June 1. The place to grow 

 alternanthera is in a hotbed. With the 

 reduced fire heat in the houses it hangs 

 fire, but give it a nice bottom heat, such 

 as hotbeds afford, and it will grow apace. 

 Heliotropes, salvias, ageratums, acaly- 

 phas, lemon verbenas and other sorts may 

 still be rooted. Fuchsias for late flow- 

 ering, marguerites, hydrangeas, dahlias, 

 and such decorative subjects as draca>uas, 

 crotons, dieffenbachias, pandanus and 

 panicum, will all root quickly in a good 

 bottom heat if the sand is kept con- 

 stantly moist. Be sure flvpot off the lit- 

 tle plants before they become hard and 

 stunted. 



Show Pelargoniums. 



Some of the ])elarg()iiiuins, on which 

 pinching was discontinued very early, 

 will be in good condition for Easter and 

 promise to make very salable plants. Pel- 

 argoniums want a cool and well venti- 

 lated house at all stages of their growth, 

 and are better if given full sunlight until 

 the flowers open, when a little shade will 

 be found necessary. At Memorial day 

 they are very useful, and while they will 



Pressure Regulating Valves at Bassett & Washburn's, Hinsdale, 111. 



