May 21, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



13 



House of Longiflorums from Bulbs Grown in Formosa^ Flowered by Emil Lieker, Lanidowne^ Pa. 



tial shade the nicotianas are splendid, 

 flowering all summer. During sunshine 

 the flowers close, but on dull days and 

 evenings they are very showy. The hy- 

 brids of N. affinis are superior to those 

 of N. Sanderie. Dianthus Heddewigi 

 flowers nearly all summer. Clarkias, go- 

 detias, eschscholtzias, nemophilas, schi- 

 zanthus and other quick growing annuals 

 can only be depended upon to make a 

 showing for a few weeks. Petunias are 

 perhaps the most satisfactory of all bed- 

 ding annuals and will flower freely all 

 summer. 



Window-boxes and Vases. 



There is always a big demand for 

 plants to stock window-boxes and vases. 

 Often the florist is, also, asked to fur- 

 nish the soil. In this case be sure to 

 make it liberal. Put good, rotten manure 

 in the bottom and mix thoroughly 

 through the loam. Eemember that the 

 small body of soil will quickly be a 

 mass of roots, and unless it has been 

 well prepared the plants will show the 

 absence of food long before the season 

 ends. 



In boxes and vases it is better to use 

 one solid color, although many like the 

 popular variegated vinca as a droop- 

 ing plant for everything. English ivy, 

 Kenilworth ivy. Asparagus Sprengeri 

 and quite a variety of other green-leaved 

 plants may also be used to good advan- 

 tage. Dracaena indivisa msies one of 

 the best centerpieces for vases. 



In palms the phoenix stands sun and 

 wind better than any other sorts. Lata- 

 nias will get yellow unless they have 

 shade. Kentias will not stand heavy, 

 thrashing winds, but in sheltered piazzas 

 can be used to good advantage. With a 

 moderate amount of shade the nephrol- 

 epis will do well, also many other ferns 

 with moderately tough fronds. 



Do not forget some scented plants 

 when filling boxes or vases. Such vari- 

 eties as heliotropes, scented geraniums 



and lemon verbena are universally -popu- 

 lar. _ S^ 



Briei Reminders. 



Another planting of gladioli in the 

 open will now be seasonable. Use the 

 cultivator among the early batches. 



Apply a mulching of strawy manure to 

 sweet peas. This will help to. keep the 

 roots moist and prolong the flowering 

 season. 



Be sure you reserve an ample stock 

 of all bedding plants for your own use, 

 and do not let them be the poorest left- 

 overs. 



Keep the cyclamens constantly stirred. 

 In June remove them to a coldf rame. Do 

 not allow them to become potbound. 



Pot along seedlings of gloxinias and 

 tuberous begonias wanted for late sum- 

 mer blooming. 



'You can still put in some chrysanthe- 

 mum cuttings. They will root fully as 

 well in a coldframe as a greenhouse now. 

 These and all other cuttings need fre- 

 quent wettings overhead now the tempera- 

 ture is so much higher. 



Plaut out any early asters, stocks and 

 other annuals being grown for cutting. 



Keep the carnations, violets and per- 

 ennial plants well hoed. The more you 

 hoe, the faster they will grow. 



Gradually harden off tender plants, 

 such as cannas, coleus, crotons and al- 

 ternanthera. Do not plant them out 

 before June. 



Propagate antirrhinums now if you 

 want strong plant's to flower next Christ- 

 mas. 



Look out for cutworms. Poison them 

 with bran, powdered sugar and Paris 

 green well mixed. 



The time, to prune deciduous shrubs is 

 not now, but after they have done bloom- 

 ing. 



Look out for aphis on roses, euonymus, 

 hawthorns and other outdoor stock. 



Do not leave empty flftwer pots lying 

 on or under the benches. As you sell 



your bedding plants, stack the pots away. 

 It means fewer breakages and a much 

 neater place. 



Jot down the names of bulbs, peren- 

 nials and shrubs which you think will 

 be useful for your future Memorial d^y 

 trade. 



Lily of the valley is a useful hardy 

 plant. It prefers a little shade, but 

 grows well in sun if the ground is rich 

 and deep. If you are short of it, plan to 

 set out a few rows next November. 



Keep potting off the little Lorraine 

 begonias as they root. Do not become 

 discouraged at the slow growth they 

 make at this season. 



HOUSE OF FORMOSA LILIES. 



The trade is much interested in the 

 longiflorum lily bulbs from the Island 

 of Formosa and welcomes this new source 

 of supply. for its pi>omise of true stock. 

 Because of this, the accompanying illus- 

 tration is noteworthy. It is from a 

 photograph supplied by H. F. Michell 

 Co., Philadelphia, and shows a house at 

 the establishment of Emil Lieker, a well- 

 known forcer of Easter lilies at Lans- 

 downe, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, 

 to whom the Michell Co. furnished a 

 quantity of the bulbs of the 1907 crop 

 in Formosa. The photograph was taken 

 April 7, 1908, and shows how well and 

 evenly the stock had flowered. Mr. Liek- 

 er is a skillful grower, accustomed to 

 good results, but he says this was as 

 satisfactory a house of lilies as he ever 

 flowered. 



Last year the importations from For- 

 mosa consisted of only a few hundreds 

 of cases, but this year the crop will 

 amount to several thousand cases. The 

 Formosa lily flowers in the month of 

 February on its native island, or about 

 two months earlier than the Bermuda 

 lily. The bulbs are thoroughly ripened 

 by the end of May, when shipments com- 

 mence, which are expected to reach the 



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