The Weekly Florists' Review* 



Apbil 30, 1008. 



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SEASONABLE 



SUGGESTIONS 



&0W Pelargoniums. 



Mlay and June are the months when 

 show pelargoniums are in season. A few 

 bloomed this year for Easter, but, as a 

 rule, they cannot profitably be flowered 

 so early. They cannot tolerate forcing, 

 for it quickly ruins them by promot- 

 ing soft, spindling growths and flowers 

 with little substance, and gives aphis, 

 the arch enemy of this plant, a glorious 

 chance to cripple it. Now that the pots 

 are well filled with active roots, an 

 abundant water supply is necessary. One 

 or two wiltings will speedily cause a 

 loss of a large part of the foliage. A 

 surface dressing with . some highly con- 

 centrated chemical fertilizer altemated 

 with waterings of cow or sheep manure 

 water once a week will keep tixe plants 

 in a vigorous condition. 



On no account omit the regular week- 

 ly fumigation, as ajMs now spreads with 

 alarming rapidity. Avoid the use of 

 tobacco stems. These will cause the 

 petals to fall in showers from the plants 

 unless the doses are mild. Spread the 

 plants out to give them a chance to be- 

 come sliapely and remember that they 

 love a cool, airy house. 



There are now so many fine new va- 

 rieties of these beautiful pelargoniums 

 that every commercial grower handling 

 pot plants should try some. For Memo- 

 rial day work they are fine. 



Primulas. 



In the rush of other spring duties, 

 there is always a possibility of primulas 

 being neglected. The early sowings 

 should now be growing in shallow pans 

 and the strongest will soon be ready to 

 shift into 2-inch pots. Keep them well 

 up to the light, in a night temperature 

 of 50 to 55 degrees. P. obconica grows 

 more vigorously than P. Sinensis. The 

 latter is more easily spoiled by an over- 

 supply of water and quickly resents 

 sogginess at the roots. A good compost 

 for these primroses in the early stages 

 of growth consists of two-thirds leaf- 

 mold and one-third loam, with some 

 sharp sand and fine charcoal added to 

 give it porosity and sweetness. 



The baby primrose, P. Forbesi, seems 

 to have sunk into oblivion, to a large 

 extent, but the new golden yellow P. 

 Kewensis is a fine commerci^ variety, 

 one of easy culture, and anyone who can 

 make obconica grow and flower hardly 

 can fail with the newcomer. 



Planting Evergreens. 



The first half of May is undoubtedly 

 the best time of the year in which to 

 transplant evergreen stock of all kinds. 

 In August during cloudy, showery wea- 

 ther is the second best period. Our ex- 

 perience has always been that the great- 

 est success was to be had by planting 

 evergreens just as growth was commenc- 

 ing. If the plants are to be moved only 

 a short distance and they can be moved 

 with balls of earth, there should be few 

 failures. When, however, the stock has 

 to come hundreds of miles, and the roots 



may haye become dry in transit, there is 

 quite a different proposition to face. 



No evergreens should be planted with 

 the roots dry; neither, for that matter, 

 should deciduous stock. Dryness is less 

 destructive, however, to plants without 

 foliage than to those carrying it. 



We need hardly further advise the 

 thorough preparation of holes for ever- 

 greens, the soaking thoroughly before 

 planting of all bedls which may have 

 become dry, the firming of the soil as 

 hard as possible after care has been 

 taken to get it well among the roots. 



A good and safe plan with evergreens 

 is to partially fill the hole and firm the 

 soil, then soak with water and let this 

 drain away and dry a little before filling 

 in the balance. 



Avoid exposing the roots to drying 

 winds and do planting on dull days when- 

 ever possible. If a Ught rain is falling, 

 the conditions are ideal for successful 

 planting. 



Sowing Outdoor Annuals. 



The early sowings of sweet peas should 

 have been cultivated before this time 

 and it is well to give them the necessary 

 supports as soon as possible. Do not 

 practice drawing up additional soil to 

 your plants. It is responsible for many 

 failures in sweet pea culture. If your 

 seed has come up thickly, have the cour- 

 age to thin them. Four inches apart 

 each way is suflBciently thick. Better re- 

 turns are to be had by sowing an ounce 

 of seed to twenty feet run of row than 

 a half pound to the same length, as we 

 have .several times seen. 



Mignonette cannot be classed as one 

 of the best outdoor annuals. The spikes 



are insignificant if compared to those 

 produced under glass. It is, however, 

 useful in the flower garden and for 

 mixed summer bouquets is appreciated. 



Centaurea cyanus and C. imperiaUs 

 should be sown at once. Both. are excel- 

 lent for bunching. The annual larkspurs 

 and lupinus can be sown at any time, 

 as can the Shirley, Danebrog, Mikado, 

 Bride and other poppies. * Cover the seed 

 of all poppies very lightly. Scattering 

 on a smooth surface and a scratch over 

 with an iron rake is all that is needed. 



Candytuft and alyssum are useful an- 

 nuals. Each may be sown now, Godetia,, 

 eschscholtzia, nemophila, nigella, nemesia 

 and other varieties useful for massing 

 can be sown with safety. Nasturtiums 

 in the northern states are often cut off 

 by late spring frosts and we have found 

 it unwise to sow them before May 10. 



It is yet rather too early to sow 

 asters, stocks, zinnias and other annuals 

 in the open air. It is late to make any 

 further sowing of sweet peas. These 

 late sowings never give the returns of 

 the earlier ones. 



G)mpost Piles. 



Too often the proper preparation of 

 the compost piles is put off and put off 

 until planting time arrives and then it 

 is, perforce, done with a rush in a slip- 

 shod manner. The soil stacked last fall, 

 mixed with layers of good cow manure 

 and intended for rose, carnation, chrys- 

 anthemum and other crops, should be 

 chopped down and turned over without 

 delay. If inclined to be sour, add some 

 air-slaked lime. It is better to add the 

 necessary amount of fine bone now 

 rather than at planting time. 



If for any reason the requisite amount 

 of loam has not been secured in the fall, 

 it should be got as soon as time will 

 permit, and stacked, so that the sod 

 may have some time to decay before be- 

 ing used. Do not allow weeds to have 

 a free run over your loam stacks. It is 

 quite a common sight to see a scythe 

 in use to clean a way to the compost 

 heaps, which are themselves obscured 

 from view by a veritable forest of vigor- 

 ous growing native plants. It is poor 

 policy to go to the trouble and expense 



dmpanula Persidf olia Grandiflora. 



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