10 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



OCTOBEH 15, 1908. 



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SEASONABLE 



SUGGESTIONS 



Poinsettias. 



Late propagated cuttings of poinset- 

 tias, which have become established in 

 small pots, will still make up into nice 

 little pans for Christmas. Mix a few 

 small nephrolepis or other ferns with 

 them. Of course, these late poinsettias 

 will not give large bracts, but they pro- 

 duce nice, compact stock, generally with 

 foliage to the bottom, and these sell bet- 

 ter than the leggy specimens too often 

 seen. 



Now is the critical season with poin- 

 settias. Sudden drops in temperature 

 and an oversupply of water at the roots 

 are chief causes of yellow foliage. A 

 night temperature as near 60 degrees as 

 possible should be maintained. As the 

 bracts open, a rise of 5 degrees is desir- 

 able, lowering it again when the bracts 

 are fully expanded. Of course, good 

 poinsettias can be and are grown in 

 lower temperature, but plants given the 

 treatment suggested can hardly fail to 

 give satisfaction if carefully tended. 



Unless plants have a starved appear- 

 ance, it is better to avoid use of liquid 

 stimulants until the bracts form. If they 

 take on a pale color, try weak nitrate 

 of soda or soot water to tone them up. 



Euphorbia Jacquiniaeflora. 



Euphorbia jacquiniaeflora is not nearly 

 so much grown as its merits warrant. 

 Those who handle it commercially have 

 no trouble in disposing of what they 

 produce, either in pots or in the form 

 of cut sprays. It is an old plant, but 

 many people hardly know it, and it is 

 looked upon as a novelty in some mar- 

 kets. Treated similarly to poinsettias, 

 it will come in bloom for Christmas. 

 The rather slender shoots will require 

 staking, but not too stiflBy. The best 

 way to get first-class sprays is to plant 

 out a few in a bench, or, if you have 

 a piece of roof adapted for climbers and 

 can train them up it, you will be sur- 

 prised at the splendid sprays of flowers 

 they will produce. 



Berried Plants. 



Ardisia crenulata is always a prime 

 favorite at Christmas. The berries hang 

 on the plants so long that they almost 

 seem like everlasting. It is necessary 

 to get a good price for ardisias. They 

 cannot be grown into salable plants in 

 less than three or four years, and there- 

 fore cannot be imported very cheaply, 

 and unless the bferries are well colored 

 by the holidays, they will not take jvell. 

 To ensure their having that brilliant 

 red which is so desirable in Christmas 

 plants, let the stock have a sunny house 

 and elevate the best specimens on invert- 

 ed pots to give them all possible light. 

 As the pots are probably crowded with 

 roots, use liquid manure once in ten days 

 to keep them a good color. 



Berried solanums and Christmas pep- 

 pers ripen so quickly that a cool house 

 only is needed to have them well ripened. 

 These plants are easily and cheaply 



grown, and can be sold profitably at a 

 moderate price. When they are ripe in 

 good season, a little sale will probably 

 be found for them at Thanksgiving. 

 Both require an abundant water supply 

 and green aphis must not be allowed to 

 disfigure them. 



Camellias. 



Imported camellias have recently come 

 to hand and are nicely budded. Europe 

 reports a revival of interest in these one- 

 time chief American favorites, and a 

 little better call than usual may be, made 

 for them the coming season. Bushy little 

 plants in 6-inch or 8-inch pots are the 

 best sellers. After potting, keep in a 

 cold pit or cool greenhouse. Camellias 

 resent any forcing. This always causes 

 a dropping of the buds. The only time 

 when a fairly brisk heat is advantageous 

 is during the early part of the growing 

 season. These remarks, of course, apply 

 to the cold northern states; in the south, 

 as we know, camellias are familiar out- 

 door shrubs. 



Azaleas. 



Sales of azaleas at Christmas are 

 quite considerable each year. The most 

 easily forced variety is the brilliant 



Hexe, or Firefly, as it is often called, 

 with rosy crimson flowers. Charles Enke, 

 a beautiful pink of similar dwarf habit, 

 is also desirable. Of the larger flower- 

 ing varieties, Apollo, with its brilliant 

 orange-scarlet flowers, always takes the 

 lead. Vervajneana, Simon Mardner and 

 P°iutsche Perle can also be had in 

 bloom for Christmas. Do not subject 

 the plants to too much heat at once, as 

 this may cause many leaves to drop. A 

 temperature of 55 to 60 degrees at 

 night, with a free spraying overhead 

 two or three times a day, will bring 

 them along nicely. Later in the season 

 more heat can be given if it is seen 

 that they are a little backward. 



Freesias. 



It is time to make the final plantings 

 of freesias. No advantage is gained by 

 keeping the bulbs any longer, as they 

 will only produce weak plants. 



The earliest batch should now be on a 

 shelf in a light, sunny house, or if a 

 shelf is not at command, a light bench; 

 52 to 55 degrees at night is as high as 

 the temperature should be. The pans 

 and flats require a lot of water; in fact, 

 if they are well drained, there is more 

 danger of too little than too much water. 

 A dose of weak liquid manure once a 

 week, now that the flats are full of 

 active roots, will stimulate the plants. 

 Use care in fumigating where freesias 

 are. The foliage is easily scorched and, 

 no matter how fine the flowers may be, 

 they will bring poor prices unless the 

 leaves are green to the tips. 



Cyclamens. 



Already a few flowers are opening on 

 some of the cyclamens wanted for 

 Christmas sale. For early flowering the 



Lilac Charles X. 



