8 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



June 24, 1909. 



GERANIUMS FOR EASTER 



When should geraniums be started so 

 as to have nice, stocky 4-inch plants for 

 Easter? When should the pinching back 

 and disbudding be discontinued? I live 

 in the state of Illinois. L. M. D. 



The early part of October is a suit- 

 able time to root the geraniums in your 

 state. Farther soutJi a still later date 

 is to be preferred. Many growers err 

 in getting their cuttings too early, during 

 extremely hot weather, such as we fre- 

 quently get in September, when a large 

 proportion are liable to rot. You can 

 either root your cuttings separately in 

 small pots, using sandy loam, or in flats 

 of clear sand. No shade whatever should 

 be given the cuttings. A position well 

 up to the light, such as a shelf af- 

 fords, is suitable. After one thorough 

 watering, afford only sufficient to pre- 

 vent shriveling, until the cuttings are 

 rooted. 



For Easter it will be better for you to 

 start your cuttings in 2-inch pots. They 

 will need a shift to 3-inch pots after 

 they are rooted six weeks and can go 

 into 4-inch pots about the middle of 

 February. One pinching will be all that 

 any of the plants require. It must be 

 done according to their strength and not 

 later than the beginning of February. 

 You should discontinue the removal of 

 flower trusses six weeks before you waut 

 them for sale. Grow the plants in a 

 light, sunny house, with an average win- 

 ter minimum of 50 degrees, and be sure 

 to keep them picked over and spaced as 

 they grow. Avoid the use of animal 

 manures in the soil. Tlicse promote too 

 much leaf growth. Bone meal will give 

 harder and more floriferous plants, es- 

 pecially where they are wanted as early 

 as Easter. C. W. 



A GOOD PHLOX. 



Phlox Canadensis, Perry's Variety. 



The well known ' Phlox Canadensis 

 (syn. divaricata) has always been a groat 

 favorite both for the rockery and the 

 herbaceous border. Perry's variety, 

 however, is certainly a great improve- 

 ment over the old form, and although it 

 is more than four years since it was in- 

 troduced and given an award of merit by 

 the E. H. A. in England, here in America 

 it is not yet so well known as it should be. 



It is a first-class border and rock plant, 

 remarkable for its freedom of bloom and 

 for tlie light lavender blue color of the 

 flowers, resembling that of Plumbago 

 Capensis. The individual flowers are 

 much bigger than those of the type, and 

 it is readily forced. 



Growing in any kind of soil and in po- 

 sitions where nothing else will grow, and 

 producing flowers for over eight weeks, 

 it certainly should find a place in every 

 garden. 



It is easily propagated from soft- 

 wooded cuttings, which should be taken 

 in August, when the second growth is 



some weeks old. When put in a deep 

 frame, with an inch and a half of sand 

 on the top, and shaded until they begin 

 to strike, they will be ready for trans- 

 planting into 3-inch pots in three or four 

 weeks and will be fit for sale in the 

 spring. C. Gronloh. 



SCREENS AGAINST HAIL. 



The illustrations on page 9 are not 

 a "before and after" demonstration, 

 but they are nevertheless a most effective 

 object lesson for those with glass roofs 

 exposed to the elements. 



Colorado Springs, Colo., was visited 

 by two severe hail storms earlier in the 

 month. June 11 there was hail that did 

 an immense amount of damage to the 

 greenhouse plants and then, June 14, 

 there was a second storm, which finished 

 off a large part of the glass which had 

 escaped breakage the first time. 



Both of the accompanying illustrations 

 are from photographs taken between 

 June 11 and June 14, after the first 

 storm and before the second one. The 



picture showing the unbroken roofs was 

 made at the establishment of the Pikes 

 Peak Floral Co., where the houses are 

 covered by a wire screen, as shown in the 

 picture, supported by an iron rail at- 

 tached to the ridge pole, as may be seen 

 in the picture. This plant escaped the 

 first storm without the breakage of a 

 single pane of glass. The other picture 

 is from a photograph made at the old 

 Clark plant, now also owned by the Pikes 

 Peak Floral Co. The picture shows clear- 

 ly what would have happened to the 

 other range if it had not been for the 

 screen protection. 



The two storms broke probably 100,- 

 000 square feet of glass in Colorado 

 Springs. Of this amount the Clark plant 

 of the Pikes Peak Co. lost probably 

 half. F. F. Crump lost only about one- 

 fourth his glass, but Frank Hayden and 

 John Smith were heavy losers. In addi- 

 tion to the breakage of glass, the hail 

 cut up a large amount of beddiijg stock, 

 much of it being rendered entirely use- 

 less just at the season when bedding out 

 is beginning in the mountain district. 



In the matter of the screen Over the 

 houses, the question will naturally arise 

 if it might not be preferable to pay the 

 cost of hail insurance and undergo the 

 other losses incidental to hail storms, 

 which are usually as seldom as they some- 

 times are severe, rather than to shut out 

 light every day in the year. For Colo- 

 rado Springs it may be said that the 

 percentage of possible sunlight there is 

 usually in favor of the florist; he gets 

 a relatively large amount of light. 



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Tuberous Begonias. 



Wlierc flowering plants in pots are re- 

 quired in summer, tuberous rooted be- 

 gonias prove invaluable. They can be 

 iiad in bloom over a long period by start- 

 ing the tubers early or late, and as they 

 are quite persistent flowering their value 

 is greatly enhanced. Our earliest batch 

 is now in flower in a cool house. A mod- 

 orate shading is on the glass and venti- 

 lators are continuously open. It is neces- 

 sary to use some supports for the thick, 

 fleshy flowering stems, which would other- 

 wise be liable to snap off. These stakes 

 should be short and should not be visible 

 wlien the plants are in flower. 



For room decoration, for piazzas and 

 window-boxes, where broken from direct 

 sunshine, and bedding-out in shady spots, 

 tuberous begonias are superb. The new- 

 est and most up-to-date strains have 

 flowers of great substance and immense 

 size, blooms six to seven inches across be- 

 ing quite common. It is unfortunate 

 that, owing to our hot summers, their cul- 

 ture in the open air is uncertain, unless 

 they have a fair amount of shade. This 

 is especially true of the interior, although 

 along the sea-coast they do well in the 

 sun. Ilore, however, the night tempera- 

 tures iuo lower and the air is more con- 

 stantly laden with moisture, conditions 

 Just to the liking of these begonias. 



Seedlings should be potted along as 

 they need it. Use a light, rich compost, 

 containing a fair proportion of sand. 

 These will make nice plants for late sum- 

 mer blooming. If tubers only are wanted, 

 plant the seedlings outdoors in partial 

 shade, or better still, in a coldframe, 

 using a cheesecloth covering during 

 bright sunshine. The low price at which 

 tubers of good quality are now offered 

 makes it hardly worth while for small 

 growers to raise seedlings. 



Cinerarias. 



Where cineraria plants are wanted in 

 bloom at Christmas, or a little later, it is 

 now time to sow a batch of seeds. 

 Cinerarias do not germinate well during 

 hot weather and the little seedlings are 

 liable to damp off during hot, moist 

 spells. Their growth is at best slow dur- 

 ing the summer months; in common with 

 many other plants, their real growing 

 season starts with the cool nights of au- 

 tumn. Sow the seeds in well drained pans 

 of light, sandy soil. Cover the seed light- 

 ly and after watering cover with a sheet 

 of glass, laying paper again over this. 

 Place the pans in a cool, north house or 

 coldframe facing north. Eemove the 

 glass and paper as soon as the seedlings 

 germinate and always air freely. A close, 

 stuffy atmosphere will speedily cause the 

 seedlings to damp off. 



