OcTuBi;!! lo, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



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NOTES ON THE 



BEST LILACS 



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9 



(fc 



Their Value to Retail Florists. 



Tlioi'o (.•an be no question Init llial tlie 

 Jilacs arc tlie most widely popular de- 

 ciduous slirubs grown in America today. 

 Tlieir ease of culture, frai^rance, free 

 flowering qualities, hardiness and com- 

 parative freedom fioin insect attacks are 

 all strong points in their favor. Tiic 

 foliage ajjjiears early and luings on v(>ry 

 late, in nearly all varieties retaining its 

 dark green color until it falls. Whetiier 

 as individual specimens or in masses, 

 lilacs are effective. Care, howevin', 

 should be taken not to mix Narictics like 

 vulgaris, (Jhiiiensis and I'ersica. as the 

 habits vary so greatly and the lijooming 

 period is not the same. 



As forcing subjects lilacs ha\e never 

 attained the wide po[)ularity h'^re that 

 they hold in Kurope, but a goii<l number 

 are grown in winter near the liin cities. 

 1 do not. intend in these notes tu>peak 

 on this branch of lilac culture, but 

 rather to advocate their bcin;; niori' 

 taken in hatul by the general run of re 

 tail llorists for outddor iises. .\nyone 

 who has seen the anmud displays of 

 tlu-'se ilowers at su«h i)laces as the Ar- 

 nold Arboretum, lioston, or Highland 

 park, Kochester. ami nojed the crowds 

 of enthusiastic admirers, must admit 

 that they hold premier position among 

 outdoor lloweriny shrulis, and must at 

 the same time feel that here is a chance 

 for wide-awake florists t() secure some 

 of the best sorts, grow, llower and sell 

 them to their customers. Thai they will 

 sell admits of no (piestion. Ask any 

 prominent luirseryman if he ever has 

 .any trouble in disposing of all his good 

 lilacs. Your customers cannot all go to 

 the nurseries to see them in blo(un, but 

 if florists have some bushy little plants, 

 each' carrying even one good inllores- 

 cence, there will bt' no trouble in dis 

 ]iosiug of them at profitable [uicc's. 



Time to Plant. 



I"'all; in my estimation, is a nuuh bet 

 ter time to plant lilacs than in spring, 

 and unless the groiuid will freeze solid 

 very soon after jdanting, it is best to 

 '\o this work from October iMj to No- 

 \ember 1U ratlur than wait for the 



plants su<'ker consideraiiiy, .ind if per- 

 (•hanc(> :•. l)or(>r gets his work in on the 

 main stem, the whole plant is hi.-,t. 

 Syringa \ulgaiis and privet are a "iood 

 deal used for stocks. My experienre of 

 the latter is not faxoi'able. (iraftini; is 

 done in spring ami budding in .Inly and 

 .\ugusl. The best way to pro|)agate the 

 i'ar(>r sorts is by half ripened green 

 wo(jd in a hotbed in rlune. I*i'opa<iatioii 

 by layers 'and hai'dwooil cuttinys is also 

 cai'rie(| out to soint^ extent. 



After lil.acs have flowered, all the in 

 florescences should be removed; other 

 \vis(> these <ji( to seed and consid(>rablv 



t'e.-ired. :is tile |il;iiils IMC usually in a 



ilyiH;^ eiilidit inn het'cili' the pest is iiuted. 

 Ilnrnin;^ ali'ecle(| phiiils is the riinst 

 \\ li(desome renu'ciy. 



^ Single Varieties. 



The minied varietii's ' i iihics aie now 

 nnmerous, many of tin linest being in 

 Irodiiced i>y l.enioine. ei Nancy, I'^rance. 

 l-'roin the time the lirsi iluwers open on 

 .'"iyringa (ibl.-ita iiiitil tin tree lilacs, !^. 

 I'ekinensis and S. .lapenic;!, jiave faded, 

 there is a six weeks' s,.,is(in of bloom. 



A condensed list of sen t" the most 



desirable sorts in sinejes is as follows: 

 Marie Legraye, still nrisui'passed among 

 whites; I' ran liertha hammann and 

 Mme. Mosei', ,mIso good whites; in <lark 

 purples J'hilemoii takes the l(>ad and is 

 one of the linest lilacs in cultivation; 

 the old Souvenir de l.iidwiL; rspitth is 

 also gooil; K'ubra de Mailey or .Nladlyen 

 sis is a free Iplooming purple red variety; 

 ca'iadea superba is a beautiful clear l)lue 

 when fidly open; the well known ('hiirles 

 X, with its bi^' clusters of d.irk red 

 flowers; (doir( des Monlins ami Am 

 brojse \'c|-scliafl'elt aie excellent lii.dil 



^I'ling, 



when so manv duties crowd. 



There is far less prt)b:ibility of the 

 roots becomin;; dried out in fall than 

 in spring-, and 1 have rarely lost a jdant 

 ;it the toiiner seasipu. The niir^ei ies are 

 o\ei\\ lielnn'd with sprint;- orders, but 

 novv thev can attend to custmuers 

 prouqitly and there i- le-^ likelihood of 

 \;irieties s|H(ially wanteij being sold 



out . 



Lilacs ;il'preciate ,a i idi soil. ;uid do 

 li.vi in ;t nioder;ite|y miust one, v\liere, 

 however, water will not stand in win- 

 ter. Thev will gidw t;iirlv well in quite 



poor Soil. Iiiil to see tlleni at their besj. 



Syringa Villosa. 



wi'iikeii ;hi' pi;inls. .\l tlii'- lime. al-o. 

 .inv iiece>s;j IV pinning: can be .(one. 

 .■spiin^ and tall are nii^nitalije se;i>oie 

 (••\ tlii- '\oik. 



I .i Iric^ ;! II- -I li^ll |:i ll\ ll ee I loin i I'-c t 

 .lllack^. Tile liolel' ;il|c;ldy lelVlle.l to 

 i- ^oiiiri ; :::ev l i-mi i Mc^. i|i;c. ii^U'ilK i li oM 

 I- ^l.ell vcnl,- .•.■in' 



l;nid well m-inur(^d and ileeply jdoued or 1 iTin'-. (i\--i,|- ,1,,'|| ^rnli' ■■■.tw I.e .{, 



■•paded is re(|nire(|. (Iral'leil jdants are -ii-uxe,! U\ w.i-liin;.; ilic wn^l with -i 



niostiv s,i|(|. 'j'lie^e .-lie piel'erable t'or viion^ ■•■.liiiioh ot' whali- oil v.inii '• 



loicin^'. I. Hi own I'oot stock is prel'eralile | wh^di 1..- I. ■en ;pldei| ,i little keio-cne 



l.iiil 111'. 



The 



'r:it !e(| 



I !,■ i- till eiii n; V aio-l 1 o 



pink ^orl~: M,-iciovt;icli\ ,i is il^,, ;, oj,, 

 ii''i- hull' I ink \;iiiet\. in.iki!i_ .p ~|p|. ii 

 did plan;. 



Double Varieties. 



\\ hi le ;| - ;i ||i j,- tip >i ||._ .1, s ;, | ,. j,| ,■ | ,1 

 .ii'le to tlie .ioalij, V, ; |,, !:i: 1, r j,,.|-,;.; ji, 

 ih'Wei- 11111,-h |;ilc) 'ii.lll llie l.Mliiei illid 

 I !iev illclllur ,soli|. 1.. . -in; I i II I -.,i-| s. A 

 t ■ \\ of t he di. jc,-; ,iie : Mm, . I,, n. ■; ;; ■, 

 -iiperb w |:il,'. |.|,.l,:il,|\ I he liii. -t ij.oil.l,. 



Ill p iih i\:ii ion : I ';■, ■-;.!. Ill ( ;i:n,,i . .,;;|, 



