July 23, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



gave eight different varieties under the 

 same name. Out of about 100 sorts, new 

 and old, we have received Andre Lauries 

 under ten different names, Cherita under 

 as many, but I may add that this is also 

 the case in other items. This season we 

 imported a lot of gladioli and got one 

 sort under three names. This same con- 

 dition also exists with a number of grow- 

 ers on this side. I paid $10 for a root 

 of Milton Hill which proved to be Pottsi 

 Alba; $5 per root for John Bichardson 

 which was Andre Lauries, etc., but the 

 average grower or dealer invariably is 

 pleased to make good any errors. One 

 trouble Avith many growers is that they 

 are not up on nomenclature except on a 

 small list of sorts. We have little matter 

 of an authoritative nature on peonies. 



Sarah Bernhardt (Dessert, 1895) is La 

 France (Polman-Mooy, about 1870). 

 Mr. Dessert found this in Dessert & 

 Mechin's collection. This is our earliest 

 Chinese sort. Last season we cut it with 

 the first officinalis sorts. Usually we cut 

 it about the third day after the first offi- 

 cinalis blooms, but before we have the 

 officinalis cleaned up La France is done. 

 Keine des Francaise often brings this 

 sort, but is a quite different sort under 

 its correct name. 



Culttiral Sucfgestions. 



I find many growers, striving for the 

 limit of development, are overfeeding 

 their peonies. A peony, while vigorous, 

 is also sensitive. Peonies can not stand 

 overfeeding. AVe now have no disease in 

 our peonies. At first we had much ro- 

 sette, which is a symptom of overfeeding. 

 The wilt disease is the same thing in the 

 last stages. Remove the cause and it disap- 

 pears. When this disease appears the best 

 remedy is to remove some of the overrich 

 soil and replace with as much poor soil; 

 also give each plant a good sprinkling of 

 slaked lime, or remove the plant entirely. 

 Remove any damaged root and lime the 

 root; then plant into poor soil, but keep 

 the plants well watered for a week. Thus 

 they may be dug up at any time and not 

 harm them. As a rule, when a plant 

 shows the symptoms of wilt it is in a 

 pretty bad shape, although not always 

 hopeless. 



We plant our peony ground to potatoes 

 or corn previous to planting peonies. We 

 first prepare the ground and sow to rye 

 early in the fall, then manure it heavily 

 in December with fresh manure. By 

 plowing early and planting to corn it gets 

 the plot in the best of shape, so that 

 there is little loss of plants dying or get- 

 ting diseased. Any plants that are 

 bought and have any trace of disease 

 may be given a good dusting of lime, 

 which will help to eliminate it. After 

 the plants have been growing for two or 

 three years we give a good dressing of 

 manure over the soil about December, or 

 earlier, during the growing season. Where 

 a large tract is to be planted for cutting, 

 it will be good to sow oats about August 

 15 ; then put the manure on during Jan- 

 iiary. This Avill put the ground in excel- 

 lent condition in the spring. 



C. Betscher. 



Washingtonville, O. — J. H. Cox has 

 completed an addition which will double 

 his greenhouse capacity. 



Le Roy, N. Y.— William C. Barlow 

 will build another greenhouse, 26x100, 

 directly back of his present houses. 



Jacksonville. Fla. — Sawyer, & Payne 

 are in the market for a quantity of 

 palms and plants for decorative pur- 

 poses. 



Peony Mme. De Verneville. 



PEONY MME. DE VEBNEVILLE. 



It always takes a new peony a long 

 time to secure any sort of general ap- 

 preciation and distribution, but Mme. De 

 Verneville is one that William A. Peter- 

 son thinks has not progressed in popu- 

 larity as rapidly as its age and merits 

 would seem to indicate it should. It is 

 one of the many good things that have 

 originated with Crousse, in France, first 

 sent out in 1885, and it is now in the 

 lists of the large growers throughout the 

 world, but is not widely planted for all 

 that. 



Mme. De Verneville is described as 

 pure white with a faint blush tint in 

 the center; very delicate, early, free and 

 exceptionally fragrant. It has been 

 grown at Peterson Nursery for fifteen 

 years and not once in all that time has 

 it failed to bloom satisfactorily. Florists 

 who grow peonies for cut flowers need 

 in white an early, a mid-season and a 

 late sort, and those who want to be sure 

 of a crop grow two varieties in each 

 class, as, for instance, Couronne d'Or 

 and Mme. Dupont would not both be 

 needed except that one seems sure to 

 bloom in the season when the other fails. 

 According to the Peterson experience, 

 Mme. De Verneville needs no understudy 

 where planted as a main crop early white 

 for cutting. Not only is it absolutely 

 hardy, but it multiplies possibly more 

 rapidly than any other peony, and there- 



fore produces more stalks and more 

 blooms, for the growths are never blind. 

 Mr. Peterson says it is both as free a 

 bloomer and as reliable as Golden Har- 

 vest, and that is high praise, in addition 

 to which it has an advantage in color, 



GERANIUMS FOR MEMORIAL DAY 



Will you please give me the treatment 

 of geraniums from the time of propaga- 

 tion to finish, in order to have them in 

 for Decoration day ? W. P. 



In propagating, the best success is to 

 be attained by not starting before the 

 last of September. During hot weather 

 the cuttings are liable to damp off, and 

 I would not advise you to do any propa- 

 gating for a couple of months yet. The 

 cuttings can either be inserted singly in 

 2-inch pots of sandy loam or thickly in 

 flats of clean, sharp sand. Place on a 

 greenhouse bench. Soak well with water. 

 Then apply no more until the sand or 

 loam becomes quite dry. When rooted, 

 water should only be given in sufficient 

 quantities to prevent shriveling. No 

 shade should be given geranium cuttings 

 at any season of the year. In fall a 

 house kept at 45 degrees at night is suf- 

 ficiently warm. For spring propagating, 

 pots are preferable to flats, and some 

 bottom heat is an advantage. 



In February the cuttings in the flats 

 can be potted off and those in pots 



