.ti.i.Y s, moo. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Show Pelargonium Duchess of Teck. 



least one of those pelaryuniiiitis in their 

 collections of window plants. Tlianks to 

 cooler summers, the flowering ])erio(l in 

 Europe is more ])rolonge(l tlian here; 

 still, we can get two months of bloom 

 from them here, which is far more than 

 an azalea, rambler rose, genista, spiriea, 

 Easter lily or acacia will give. By adopt- 

 ing proper cultural methods they can be 

 flowered for East(>r. Or, if preferred, 

 they can be held back for ^lemorial day 

 or even later. And, by the way, at this 

 latter holiday anyone having a good re- 

 tail trade, c\en if he cannot sell all his 

 plants, can make good use of the trusses 

 in boucjuet or other decorative work. 



Their Merits and Their Uses. 



May and June is the time to see these 

 pelargoniums in full beauty. What a 

 multiplicity of l)eautifid coldrings are 

 re^tresented in them and what a truly 

 gorgeous show the}- make I Anyone who 

 has not previously grown any shouhl, if 

 possible, sec a batch in bloimi and take 

 the names of desirable sorts. Where 

 nicely flowered jxd plants are wanted, 

 these should certainly find a place. Tliey 

 make a welcome cbange from the ever- 

 lasting hydrangeas, whicii at this st-ason 

 seem to be ont^ of the chief staples, ami 

 whilt! they are not adapted for opiMiair 

 culture, they do finc^ly on ]iia/./.as shaded 

 from the sun or in living rcxuiis. A good 

 plan is to j>Iace a number of one cohu' 

 in large, fancy viises. ])lungei| in moss 

 for jiiaz/a- tise. With a little picking 

 over they will last <|nite a mnuher of 

 weeks in good shape. 



After the flowering season the plants 

 should be stood (mt<loors in a sunny 

 sjiot. Any flower trtisses slioidd be re 

 nn)ved and th(> water supply graduiilly 

 reduced till the leaves turn yellow. The 

 pots can then be laid on their sides ami 

 no water giv<'n foi' some time. Marly in 

 August the wood will have become a 

 ntitty brown color and the shoots can 

 then b(> cut back within one or two eyes 

 of the jirevious year's growth; the ])lants 

 can be syringed and encouraged to lirc:ik. 

 When growth is starting, siiake them 

 clean out of the pots. |>iuiie liack the 



largest roots and place them in as small 

 j)ots as they can be crowded into, holding 

 them in a coldfrairie until early Octolier. 



Propagation. 



Usually llorists do not carry any plants 

 over a second year, and this is unneces- 

 sary, uidess large ])lants are desired. 

 C'uttings taken any time after flowering. 

 j)rcferahly in Augtist, will root easily in 

 a frame. They need little shade. Place 

 in small pots of sandy loam at first and 

 keep rather close for a few days, later 

 airing abundantly. A shift from :2'-j- 

 inch to 4-ini'h pots will be necessary by 

 the early part of October, at which time 

 they can be moved, if space permits, to a 

 cool, airy house, kept at 40 to 45 degrees 

 at night. They can, however, be held in 



a coldframe until the mum s(>ason ends, 

 if re(|uired. Last season we carried some 

 over winti'r in ;in unlieated j)it, where 

 frost was just excluded. In these cases 

 a slight dryness at the loot during mid- 

 winter is necess.'iry. I'or Master flower 

 iug no |iiiiilii iig should lie done after 

 Xovemliei-, Init till' late blooming it can 

 be continued until tiie md of I'ebruary. 

 Easter stock shouhl reccixc its final sliift 

 into (i-incli pots brtoi-c ( hi-istnias, but 

 whi'ii ^vante(l later the last potting can be 

 <leferre(l until I'ebrn.iry. 



T he Compost. 



I'elargoniunis i|o well in a compost of 

 three-fourths fibrous loam ami one-foui'th 

 dry cow mainire, adding a good dash of 

 sharp saml. WIumi well rooted in the 

 flowering pots, liijuid manure alternated 

 with (diemical top-dressings will be found 

 stimulating. The jilauts require firm 

 |)otting to enc(nirage shoit - jt)inted, firm 

 growth, which will be tloiiferous. 



(ireeii ajihis has a marked partiality 

 for these sliow and decoi';iti\(' jxdar 

 goidums, \n\t if the houses get a wci^kly 

 fumigating, the )jest will be kejd in 

 (dieck. lie sure^ not to use t(d)acco stems 

 while, the plants are in llower. The 

 smoke from thesis will cause all the jietals 

 to fall. Occasionally red spider attacks 

 the foliage where jdanfs are grown too 

 warm and dry, but as these ])laiits dislike 

 a high tem[)erature and should never 

 have a winter nMninuim of over ."(t ile 

 grees, there should be little trouble from 

 this source. 



Some Good Sorts. 



Out of a host of beautiful show and 

 decorative |ielargoniums the following 

 can bo rcconnnemkHl ns first idass: Lord 

 Woberts, ricdi, rosy red; ,1. Douglas, rosy 

 pink, whitt' center; Captain Kaikes, 

 bright crimson, dark blotch on upper 

 petals; Mme. Thibaut, a first -(lass old 

 variety, whitt! heavily blotched and mar 

 ])led with rose; Duchess of Teck, the 

 finest pure white, pr(diably a sport from 

 Mine. Thibaut; <'onntess ot' tfewe, 

 satiny rose, linely cri!n]ied ; < rinison 

 King, brilliant crimson, stocky habit, 

 just till' color in <leinaml for .Memorial 



Show Pelargonium Gloriosa. 



