JULT 16, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



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SEASONABLE 



SUGGESTIONS 



K^^7S#i 



Harrisii Lilies. 



The early shipments of Harrisii lily 

 bulbs will soon be at hand and, where 

 flowers are wanted for Christmas, there 

 should be no delay in securing and pot- 

 ting them. A compost of fibrous loam 

 and sand, with a little well decayed cow 

 manure, is a suitable one. Do not use 

 much of the manure, and if not thor- 

 oughly rotted, better leave it out al- 

 together. For 5-7 bulbs 5-inch pots are 

 sufficiently large. The 7-9 size can go in 

 6-inch. The latter size will also answer 

 well for three of the smallest bulbs. In 

 potting, put some sand below and over 

 the bulb, which should be covered about 

 half an inch. Give a soaking of water 

 after potting. Stand on a bed of coal 

 ashes in a frame or pit. Cover the pots 

 with half decayed leaves or manure. 

 Place matchboard shutters over them to 

 exclude sunshine and showers and ex- 

 amine at intervals, removing them to 

 light as soon as growths appear. 



CaUas. 



Calla bulbs, which have been resting 

 for some time, should now be shaken 

 out, preparatory to restarting them. With 

 intelligent care home-grown bulbs are 

 superior to California ones, just as home- 

 grown freesias are, but too often the dry- 

 ing process results in the ruination of 

 many bulbs, these being simply cooked, 

 rather than gradually ripened off. As 

 a general thing, we do not pot our calla 

 bulbs before August 1, this being suffi- 

 ciently early to insure a strong growth 

 outdoors before housing time arrives. 

 As between growing single large bulbs 

 in 6-inch or 7-inch pots, or several in 

 10-inch or 12 inch pots, we get larger 

 flowers from the latter pots, but have 

 secured rather more blooms from the 

 smaller pots in proportion to the space 

 they have occupied. 



A good compost for callas consists 

 of two parts fibrous loam, one part rather 

 lumpy, dried cow manure, with a good 

 sprinkling of sharp sand and a 6-inch 

 pot of bone meal to each barrowload 

 of loam. If this can be prepared some 

 time before it is used, all the better. 

 After potting stand outdoors on a bed 

 of ashes in full sunshine. After the 

 initial watering keep on the dry side 

 until growth becomes active. 



It is not advisable to plant dormant 

 bulbs direct into benches, where this 

 plan of culture is followed, but start in 

 5-inch or 6-inch pots and transfer to 

 the benches when nicely rooted around 

 the sides. 



Geraniums. 



It is much too early to do any propa- 

 gating of geraniums. In this torrid 

 weather the percentage of damped off 

 cuttings would be abnormally heavy. It 

 would be well, however, to look over 

 stock plants in the field. Where they ap- 

 pear to be wasting too much energy in 

 flowers, remove the trusses and keep the , 

 soil well cultivated, to encourage growth; 

 especially should this be done with va- I 



rieties of real value of which you are 

 anxious to increase your stock. 



Under the financial depression which 

 has existed since last fall, nearly every 

 branch of the florists' industry has suf- 

 fered to some extent, but in the case 

 of geraniums there appears to have been 

 no decrease in sales but rather the re- 

 verse, slocks being sold out clean in near- 

 ly every case. 



Plants being especially grown for win- 

 ter flowering should now be in 4-inch 

 pots, and during August should receive 

 a further shift to 6-inch. The double 

 varieties are more useful than the singles, 

 as they stand shipping better. Such 

 sorts as S. A. Nutt, Alphonse Eicard, 

 Ville de Poitiers, E. H. Trego and Peter 

 Henderson are just what are needed for 

 Christmas sales. The more showy singles 

 answer well for home trade. Paul Cram- 

 pel is one of the best of brilliant scarlet 

 color. Its habit is ideal. It is also more 

 floriferous than any other geranium. 



In this intensely hot weather the win- 

 ter geraniums will grow nicely in a cold- 

 frame without sashes. If a lath shad- 

 ing is run over them from 10 a. m. to 3 

 p. m., they will grow all the better for 

 it. 



Hollyhocks* 



There can be no finer border plant 

 than that grand old perennial, the holly- 



hock. For filling large vases its cut 

 stalks of flowers are magnificent, but 

 we do not see it grown to any consider- 

 able extent by commercial florists. In 

 the case of perennials, even if there were 

 no sales from cut flowers, the increasing 

 tendency towards using a larger number 

 of these plants by every owner of a gar- 

 den should create an excellent sale for 

 them, and the florist who can show pros- 

 pective customers a nice row of holly- 

 hocks in bloom can hardly fail to sell 

 them plants for next spring's delivery. 



From seed started now vigorous plants 

 can be had. Owing to droughty condi- 

 tions usually prevailing in July, it is 

 better to sow the seed in a coldframe. 

 Glass covering is not necessary, but 

 cheesecloth, to prevent drying out of the 

 soil, should be used during bright sun- 

 shine. Separate colors of good double 

 hollyhocks can be purchased so reason- 

 ably that it is better not to bother with 

 any mixtures. The seed germinates in 

 a few days and the seedlings should be 

 transplanted before they become too 

 crowded, always choosing a cool, moist 

 spell for this work. 



General Repairing. 



During the heated spell is the proper 

 time to attend to all greenhouse repairs, 

 although many of us put it off each year 

 until the first cool nights remind us of 

 what we have forgotten. Painting, glaz- 

 ing, piping, bench repairing and build- 

 ing, overhauling steam and hot water 

 boilers and work of a like character 

 should be don& during the hot summer 

 months. Then we need not sleep with 

 an open eye when the first killing frosts 

 arrive. The continued high price of lum- 

 ber is causing many to adopt concrete 

 benches as a substitute, and all who have 

 tried them have no further use for wood. 

 It also pays to use concrete for perma- 

 nent coldframes. 



Sweet Peas in Gdifomia. 



