M 



The Wc^y Florists' Review. 



Febbdaey 11, 1909. 



Geranium Claire Albaine. 



third of either old cow or horse manure, 

 will do. 



Freesia aod Calia Aethiopica. 



3. Freesia refracta alba and candidis- 

 sinia, the last named a newer pure white 

 variety, should not be planted before the 

 middle of September in boxes, the cold- 

 frame or in the open ground. With the 

 coldframe process I obtained the best re- 

 sults, saving time. I had fine, long- 

 stemmed flowers in season, and found 

 that the bulbs had greatly increased in 

 number. Freesias planted in boxes 

 should have a watering of liquid manure 

 once a week after the buds are formed 

 until in bloom. 



4. Calla .aethiopica can be profitably 

 grown in pots, raised benches or solid 

 beds. If grown in pots for selling pur- 

 poses, IV^-inch to 2-inch sizes are good 

 enough, but for the cut flower trade, 

 2-inch to 2i^-inch is better. For the 

 former use a 6-inch pot and for the lat- 

 ter a 7-inch or 8-inch, as the size of bulb 

 demands. Crock your pots well, use a 

 medium rich soil and plant so deep that 

 only the tip of the bulb protrudes above 

 the rim of the pot. Put the potted bulbs 

 in a cool house under the bench, and water 

 •well. Keep them somewhat dry until 

 partly rooted and the growths are from 

 six to eight inches long; then place the 

 plants on the bench about eight inches 

 apart from pot to pot, both ways. Give 

 them a layer of old cow manure, a free 

 supply of water, and during sunny 

 weather a frequent syringing. Eenew 

 the manure layers occasionally and, as 

 soon as your plants have about four to 

 five well developed leaves, water once a 

 week with liquid cow manure. Never 

 allow more than four to five leaves on 

 the plant, as each additional one takes 

 part of the strength from your plants, as 

 well as from the the flowers. 



Callas grown on the bench or in the 

 solid bed should be provided with a good 

 drainage, the soil made somewhat richer 

 than for potting purposes. With the 

 watering be more careful; the moisture 

 will remain longer and the danger of 

 your plants rotting off is greater. When 

 in full growth, feed in the same way as 

 is done by pot culture; likewise cut all 

 unnecessary leaves off. Plant the bulbs 



neck deep and from eight to ten inches 

 apart. Use a well ventilated house and 

 give a night temperature of from 55 to 

 60 degrees. It is best to plant fresh 

 bulbs every season; carried over stock 

 will not even justify the labor of potting 

 or planting. 



Lilium Harrisii and Longiflorum. 



5. Lilium Harrisii and longiflorum 

 giganteum are real money-makers when 

 successfully grown and brought into the 

 market at the proper season, especially 

 at Easter. During the last ten years 

 that I have been growing Harrisii in the 

 south, I came to the conclusion that the 

 success depends a great deal on the con- 

 dition of the bulbs and the proper house 

 after the plants are about one foot high. 

 As soon as the stock arrives it should be 

 planted and placed either in a cool house 

 under the bench or in a deep coldframe, 

 and in the latter instance covered with 



boards. Select your bulbs according to 

 size; plant seven- by-nines one in a 6-inch 

 pot, and in case you get five-by-sevens, 

 two fives in a 6-inch pot. Crock the pots 

 well. Use a little old cow manure on the 

 bottom, which will help the young grow- 

 ing plants considerably, and have the 

 bulbs covered with one and a half inches 

 of soil, which allows the top roots to get 

 a good hold and adds to the feeding of 

 the plants and buds later on. Any good 

 half-rich loam will do for potting. 



After the growth is about three inches 

 long, take the plants from . under the 

 bench and coldframe and place in a cool, 

 half -shaded house or frame for about ten 

 days, to get the plants accustomed to the 

 light and to stiffen up. After that, grow 

 them on in the open coldframe until it is 

 time to bring them inside for forcing, 

 and expose those growing in the house to 

 the full sun. Water carefully, pot by 

 pot, only what is getting dry after the 

 bulbs are planted, but never let them get 

 dry after the plants have once a good 

 root-ball, and on sunny days syringe the 

 growing stock well. 



Plants about two feet high can easily 

 be brought into the forcing house under, 

 a night temperature up to 75 degrees, 

 but keep the plants always well syringed 

 by day and twice during the night. To 

 all plants of such a size, it does not mat- 

 ter if in the forcing house or not, give 

 a manure watering once a week until the 

 buds begin to show color. It is advis- 

 able to harden off all plants partly in 

 bloom and not used immediately in a 

 cool, shaded house; the flowers open 

 slower and will last longer. If you have 

 no facility to bring your stock of bulbs 

 intended for later planting into cold stor- 

 age, make arrangements with your ship- 

 per to send them on at your own con- 

 venience, because lily bulbs, even if taken 

 out of the boxes, will not keep as well as 

 hyacinths or narcissi in our southern cli- 

 mate. 



On account of the scarcity of pure, 

 undiseased Bermuda stock, the Japanese 

 Lilium longiflorum giganteum has to a 

 great extent taken its place. These bulbs, 

 free from any disease, are grown in the 

 same manner as the Bermudas, and if 

 kept during winter in cold storage, can 

 be planted in a coldframe as late as the 



Geranium Juste Olivier. 



