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10 



-The Weekly Florists* Review. 



NOTBMBEB 26, 1008. 



vided by hot water pipes being prefer- 

 able to steam for this purpose. A brisk 

 bottom heat and a top heat of 60 to 65 

 degrees is what valley wants for a start, 

 lowering the temperature as the flowers 

 are opening. Given a good bottom heat, 

 lily of the valley should be ready in a 

 little over three weeks from the time it 

 was started. Valley is not fastidious as 

 to soil, for it will grow" as well in clean 

 sand as in loam. The pips should be 

 kept dark until well drawn up, by laying 

 heavy paper over the glass on the case. 



Hardy Lilies. 



There should be no delay in planting 

 hardy lilies, as bulbs are now to hand 

 and it is all-important that these should 

 be gotten below the soil as soon as pos- 

 sible, for the bulbs will suffer if left 

 lying around the sheds. The general tend- 

 ency still is to plant hardy lilies too shal- 

 low; unless the bulbs are small they 

 should be covered not less than eight 

 inches deep and if your soil is of good 

 depth, ten to twelve Inches will be better. 

 In stiff ground, inclined to be clayey and 

 ■ moist, a layer of sharp sand should be 

 placed below and over the bulbs after 

 planting, and when the ground becomes 

 well frozen, mulch with marsh hay or 

 leaves. 



The forms of L. speciosum are the 

 most valuable commercially. L. auratum 

 usually does well the first year and then 

 deteriorates. L. Hansoni is a good, re- 

 liable sort. L. tigrinum, L. superbum, 

 L. Canadense and Henryi are all good 

 as a rule; however, the demand is more 

 for white than colored varieties. 



Any speciosums and auratums intended 

 for culture in pots can be comfortably 

 taken care of now that the mums are out 

 of the way. 



Hardy Roses. 



The ground will probably soon freeze 

 up tight. It hardly seems possible, while 

 we are enjoying such extremely open 

 weather, that winter may be almost with 

 us. The best protection for hybrid per- 

 petuals is to draw earth up to the stems. 

 If the bushes are pruned back hard each 

 year, there should be no trouble in af- 

 fording the needed protection. As a 

 rule the wood covered by the earth will 

 appear green in spring, even if all else 

 is killed. The plan often still adopted, 

 of banking roses with leaves or manure, 

 before winter sets in, will answer well in 

 some spots, but there is no better pro- 

 tection than mother earth herself. 



Hybrid teas and teas, except in a few 

 favored spots near the ocean, are not 

 classed as reliably hardy, even if pro- 

 tected well, and it is always safer to dig 

 up and store any plants of those sec- 

 tions, heeling them in a coldframe or pot 

 where they can have a little frost. If no 

 frame is at liberty, lift and bury the 

 hybrid teas outdoors, laying a coating of 

 straw or leaves over the surface. 



Bulbous Plants. 



Some of the earliest La Reine, Due van 

 Thol or Tournesol tulips will now have 

 grown sufficiently to be removed to the 

 greenhouse. Keep them darkened for a 

 few days in order to draw up the stems, 

 the general trouble with early tulips al- 

 ways being lack of stem. Trumpet Ma- 

 jors wanted for Christmas should also 

 be housed if they have not already been 

 taken in. Golden Spurs cannot be forced 

 successfully for Christmas. Paper Whites 

 and Romans both come on quickly when 

 placed in heat, about three weeks being 

 sufficient time to flower them in a tem- 

 perature of 60 degrees. It is better, es- 



pecially ia the case of Paper Whites, to 

 bring them along cooler, the flowers then 

 having so much more aubstancie. 



Be sure that all Dutch bulbs in pots, 

 pans or flats are not suffering from dry- 

 ness. More forcing bulbs are ruined by 

 dryness in the early stages of growth 

 than by an excess of moisture. 



Sweet Peas.; 



The early batch of sweet peas is now 

 over three feet in height and giving us 

 flowers with fine stems. These are con- 

 stantly lengthening and by Christmas will 

 be satisfactory. We find it necessary to 

 look over the plants twice a week and 

 loosely tie up the stems. The night tem- 

 perature is kept at 45 to 50 degrees and 

 it is better not to allow it to go any 

 higher. Do not be tempted to try a 

 little forcing to bring in a heavy Christ- 

 mas crop. It will tell on your plants for 

 the balance of the season. 



The latest mums will now be mostly 

 out of the way and any spare beds can be 

 planted with sweet peas. Avoid too thick 

 planting and be sure that you allow them 

 abundant head room. Do not omit a 



fumigation once a week to keep insects in 

 check. 



AZALEAS FOR CHRISTMAS. 



Kindly inform me how many weeks 

 before Christmas, and at what tempera- 

 ture, I should start to force azaleas for 

 Christmas trade. K, V. O. 



Azalea Indica wanted in flower for 

 Christmas should be placed in heat ^t 

 once. . Do not start too warm at first; 

 50 degrees to 55 degrees at night is 

 sufficient, or leaf growth is too jDpuch en- 

 couraged. After a fortnight you can 

 raise the temperature 5 degrees to 10 

 degrees. As the plants come into bloom, 

 remove them to a somewhat cooler house. 

 Ply the syringe freely among them, es- 

 pecially on warm, bright days. The 

 little Firefly, or Hexe, forces perhaps the 

 most easily of any of the azaleas. Of 

 \he whites, Deutsche Perle is the earliest. 

 Apollo is the best forcing red. Other 

 suitable early varieties are Vervseneana, 

 Simon Mardner and Mrs. Petrick. 

 Charles Enke is a pretty little dwarf 

 pink in the way of Hexe. 



CARNATION NOTES.- WEST. 



Plow the Field This Fall. 



If you have provided your bench soil 

 for next season, as I suggested some 

 weeks ago, there is still another thing you 

 will do well to look after before winter 

 sets in. You are not likely to use any 

 more of the carnation plants which are 

 left out in the field. If you intend plant- 

 ing your young stock on the same ground 

 next year you can pull up all that are 

 left and have the ground plowed over this 

 fall. Have it plowed as deep as possible 

 and let it lie in a rough state. 



This is to let the frost and the air into 

 it during the winter. You will be sur- 

 prised and pleased to see how it will help 

 to mellow a soil which is inclined to be 

 heavy and lumpy. This is a practice 

 which could be followed with profit much 

 more generally than it is. 



During the winter you can spread on 

 the field a coat of manure in quantity as 

 your judgment may dictate. My advice 

 would be to put it on shortly before you 

 wish to plow in the spring, as the ground 

 will dry out earlier if not covered with 

 manure. A good plan is to make small 

 piles at regular distances over the field. 

 Then in the spring it needs only to be 

 spread before plowing. 



Give this matter your attention before 

 bad weather sets in. A. F. J, Baub. 



cause carnations to split their calyx and, 

 without more data to work on, it would 

 be impossible for me to say what is the 

 cause in your case. The most frequent 

 cause, however, is irregularity in tem- 

 perature. Extreme and sudden variations 

 in temperature will cause almost any 

 variety to split, and at this time of the 

 year, when firing is done intermittently, 

 this matter of even temperature is not 

 so easy to control. Splitting may also be 

 brought on by overfeeding, but that usu- 

 ally happens later — in midwinter.^ If the 

 soil is dry at the bottom, that also may 

 cause splitting of calyxes. So be care- 

 ful with the temperature, with the water- 

 ing and the feeding, and give all the 

 ventilation you can at all times. 



A. F. J. B. 



FAIRY RING. 



SPLIT CARNATIONS. 



Can you tell me why most of my car- 

 nations split! Is it the heat, ventila- 

 tion, or not enough water! Early in the 

 fall t^ey were lovely, but now those that 

 open out are all split. In the daytime 

 the temperature is about 60 to 70 de- 

 grees, and at night or early in the morn- 

 ing it is below 50 degrees. C. M. H. 



There are many things which may 



Please tell me what is the disease, 

 cause and remedy of the enclosed samples 

 of carnations. The plants look fairly 

 healthy, but as soon as the buds appear 

 the disease manifests itself and ruins the 

 flowers. The plants were bought from a * 

 reputable grower early in the spring, but 

 never appeared strong while in the field. 

 Can you suggest a remedy, as a great 

 many plants are affected with the dis- 

 ease! P. C. M. 



The specimens forwarded showed that 

 your plants are affected with fairy ring 

 and you will have to adopt vigorous meth- 

 ods to rid them of this disease. Of all 

 the spot diseases this seems to be the 

 most tenacious and the most difficult to 

 get rid of when once it gets a good start. 

 From now on the weather is likely to be 

 against you, too. 



To begin with, you will do well to cut 

 off every leaf or stem that shows a spot, 

 and burn it. Go over the plants daily, 

 picking off newly developed spots, even 

 though you may almost strip some of 

 the plants. After having cleaned the 



Mid- 



