8 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



Mat 7. 1908. 



are the cause of that rusty looking ap- 

 pearance of the buds before they show 

 the petals within. These, like the thrips, 

 multiply rapidly in hot weather, and 

 when the plants are badly infested it 

 is a big job to get rid of them. If 

 syringing is done properly as warm 

 weather approaches, they will be kept in 

 check in that way. A sharp spray of cold 

 water is about as effective against them 

 as anything. Keep after them daily and 

 let them have all the force at your com- 

 mand. A. F. J. B. 



A NEW OHIO PLANT. 



The illustration on page 7 is from 



an Easter photograph made at the es- 

 tablishment of the Fifth Avenue Floral 

 Co., Columbus, O. This is a new plant, 

 the range consisting of three houses, 

 each 27x400 feet. Two are in carna- 

 tions, the third in roses, with a glass 

 partition between the houses. The pho- 

 tograph was taken in the middle house 

 and affords a glimpse into the carna- 

 tion house at the left, with the rose 

 house at the right. 



The Fifth Avenue Floral Co. is a new 

 concern. Its officers are: President, C. 

 K. Seibert; secretary and treasurer, G. 

 H. Woodrow; manager, I. D. Seibert. 

 A downtown cut flower branch is main- 

 tained, in charge of James McKellar. 



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SEASONABLE 



SUGGESTIONS 



Fire Heat 



We have reached a month during 

 which the days are frequently hot and 

 the nights quite chilly. Light frosts are 

 not unlikely until the en^ of the month. 

 Much watchful care is needed to prop- 

 erly adjust temperatures. Except on 

 dark, wet days with a low temperature, 

 some of the houses will need but little 

 artificial warmth. We csinnot, however, 

 recommend the entire stopping of fire 

 heat, especially where roses are being 

 grown. We are liable to have spells of 

 cold, damp and sunless weather for sev- 

 eral successive days, and houses under 

 such conditions have a cold and ungenial 

 feeling without a little warmth in the 

 steam or hot water pipes. We have 

 always considered it to be false economy 

 to discontinue the use of fire heat at 

 the first signs of genial weather. There 

 are many who, owing to somewhat de- 

 pressed trade, would fain cut down their 

 operating expenses, and the cutting off 

 of artificial heat naturally occurs to 

 them as an easy way to save a few dol- 

 lars. Even if you can only have a little 

 warmth in the pipes on cold nights and 

 damp, cloudy days, it will mean much 

 to the growth of your plants. 



Field Plantins;. 



The first week in May usually sees a 

 commencement made in the planting of 

 stock in the field. It is yet rather early 

 to plant out anything but the hardiest 

 plants, and even these should have been 

 gradually prepared for their removal 

 outdoors. Violets, both single and 

 double, should be gotten out without de- 

 lay. Carnations will be next in order 

 and, when once they are out of the way, 

 it means the heaving of a sigh of relief, 

 as they give a good deal of space under 

 glass to many bedding plants, which are 

 now constantly calling for room. Seed- 

 lings of any varieties of flowering peren- 

 nials, if well hardened, will be better in 

 the field. The dividing and replanting 

 of ground roots should also be finished 

 at once. If asters, ten weeks' stocks, 

 pentstemons and antirrhinums are in 

 coldframes, it should be safe to plant 

 them in the open by the middle of the 

 month. Do not attempt at this early 



date to set out any plants not properly 

 hardened. These tender subjects will 

 not stand a breath of frost, and even if 

 they do, that omnipresent spring visitor, 

 the cutworm, will make short work of 

 them. 



Hardening Bedding Stock. 



The coldframes are now the best places 

 for a large proportion of the bedding 

 plants. In fact, if there is an abund- 

 ance of these useful accessories, even 

 the most tender subjects, like coleus and 

 alternanthera, will grow well in them 

 after May 10. Of course, sashes con- 

 taining the last named, and other semi- 

 tropical kinds, will need less ventilation 

 than those occupied by geraniums or 

 verbenas. They can also be dampened 

 over and closed up early in the after- 

 noon. By bottling up sun heat and 

 having the atmosphere at the same time 

 very moist, you will find that your plants 

 will make an astonishing growth, much 

 better than the same varieties kept in 

 the greenhouses. If short of stock of 

 these or other carpet bedding plants 

 and if you have a genial hotbed, they 

 will root quickly and make nice little 

 plants in a month. 



Hippeastrums. 



While hippeastrums are not grown so 

 much commercially as they deserve, we 

 note a demand for them at the better 

 class florists' stores, and a few growers 

 are taking them in hand. The hippeas- 

 trums, or amaryllis, as most people still 

 prefer to call them, cannot be grown 

 and sold cheaply. If raised from seed, 

 a period of two years and occasionally 

 more will elapse before flowering size 

 bulbs are produced. Sometimes flowers 

 may be had in eighteen months, but with 

 the majority a year longer elapses. The 

 flowering season being ended, it will not 

 pay to neglect the bulbs. These should 

 be kept on a bench in a moderately 

 warm greenhouse, given full sun, occa- 

 sional doses of liquid manure, and en- 

 couraged to make vigorous growth. 

 Seedlings started early in the new year 

 should now be in 3-inch pots. If planted 

 outdoors a month hence in a warm, well 

 enriched piece of land, and watered occa- 



sionally in dry weather, these little seed- 

 lings will make quite large bulbs in one 

 season. In the fall they should be care- 

 fully lifted and potted and should not 

 be dried off until they arrive at their 

 flowering period. Seedlings may be 

 grown on in pots all the time, but we 

 find that those planted in frames or the 

 open do better. 



Dahlias. 



The demand for dahlias seems to be 

 ever on the increase, and no commercial 

 grower can well afford to be without 

 them. Dry roots planted outdoors now 

 will give excellent results for home trade. 

 As dahlias are killed by a very light 

 freeze, those with green tops will be 

 better under glass in the northern states 

 for three weeks yet. The cactus va- 

 rieties, while they produce the most at- 

 tractive flowers and seem to take the 

 public's eye, are not nearly so well 

 adapted for bedding purposes as the 

 pompons, shows and singles. The fault 

 with the cactus varieties is that the 

 flowers are almost hidden on many of 

 them, while in other sections they stand 

 up boldly. Plunge your pots contain- 

 ing rooted cuttings in frames to econo- 

 mize in watering. They will grow much 

 faster, as indeed will any other bedding 

 stock similarly treated. 



Hardy Nymphaeas. 



The liardier varieties of nymphaeas 

 can now be planted. These are already 

 starting to grow quite freely, the warm 

 sunshine of the last part of April start- 

 ing them into activity. A good com- 

 post for these water lilies is one con- 

 taining two-thirds good pasture sod and 

 one-third cow manure. The more root 

 run you allow the plants, the better they 

 will do. Boxes four feet square and a 

 foot deep are none too large. Plants 

 will thrive in a body of tMs size for 

 two seasons, but will succeed better if 

 it is changed annually. The water should 

 be two or three feet deep. Allow not 

 less than fifty square feet of water sur- 

 face for each plant. A few good, hardy 

 nympheeas are: N. Marliacea chroma- 

 tella, yellow; N. Marliacea rosea, pink; 

 N. odorata, white; N. odorata rosea, 

 pink; N. odorata sulphurea, yellow; N. 

 Laydekeri rosea, rosy pink; N. tuberosa, 

 white, which requires seventy-five to 100 

 square feet of water surface. 



Nelumbiums. 



Nelumbiums are all hardy in the 

 north and are a striking feature in all 

 aquatic gardens. They need a good, 

 thick bed of rich mud to grow in. While 

 growth the first year will be somewhat 

 sparse and flowers few, they will make 

 rapid headway in succeeding years, and 

 a sheet of water covered with them is a 

 striking object during the flowering 

 season. So rampant growing are they, 

 that they will encroach on the banks 

 where there is moisture enough below for 

 their roots. From May 15 to June 1 

 is a suitable time to plant the nelum- 

 biums. A few of the most reliable sorts 

 are: N. speciosum, the Egyptian lotus; 

 N. album grandiflorum, N. kermesina 

 and N. Pekinensis rubrum. 



Rambler Roses. 



At this very strenuous season, when 

 operations of all kinds crowd us, it is 

 easy to overlook the rambler roses. 

 Probably you have a few plants left to 

 be utilized at Memorial day. The stock 

 for forcing another winter should de- 



