AUGUST 12, 1909. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



sideboard attached. They say they re- 

 alize that other florists have devised 

 many good forms of concrete bench, but 

 tbev believe their own idea meets the 

 jjeeds of the average florist at least as 

 fl-ell as anything else they have seen. 



Concrete benches are well known to be 

 prnctically indestructible, to be econom- 

 ical in first cost, and cheap in the long 

 ruu, but there is one point which it ap- 

 petirs growers generally may have over- 

 looked. Freedom from the necessity of 

 expensive and laborious rebuilding is no 

 greater advantage than the freedom con- 

 crete construction gives from those pests 

 which inhabit decaying wood, and which 

 are among the most difficult to exter- 

 minate of any the florist is called on to 

 combat. 



BLANCHE FERRY SPENCER PEA. 



The trade at large, and the sweet pea 

 world especially, owes a great deal to the 

 originator of Countess Spencer, No va- 

 riety ever did so much to revitalize in- 

 terest in this ever-popular flower. The 

 sportive character of Countess Spencer 

 has led to the introduction of a great 

 number of so-called Spencer varieties, 

 each possessing the type of the original, 

 with variations in color which have run 

 almost the entire gamut. If some varie- 

 ties closely alike in color have been dis- 

 seminated under different names, and if 

 some of the new sorts have proved inade- 

 quately fixed, it nevertheless is due to the 

 variable character of the parent that so 

 great an impetus has been given to sweet 

 peas in recent years. Had the Spencer 

 type possessed the staid qualities of the 

 older sorts, the sweet pea and floricul- 

 tural world would have missed a great 

 (leal these recent years. 



Many of the seed catalogues for 1910 

 will feature new Spencer sweet peas, 

 there being several new shades of color 

 in these coming out this season. One of 

 these is the Blanche Ferry Spencer, orig- 

 inated on the farms of the Boutzahn 

 Seed Co., in California, and shown in 

 the accompanying illustration. The va- 

 riety has pale rosy standard, with white 

 wings. 



CYCLAMEN. 



Starting the Seedlings. 



It is time to sow cyclamen seeds once 

 more. Of course the operation may be 

 deferred until as late as December, but 

 by sowing thus early you can depend 

 upon having excellent stock for sale by 

 Christmas, 1910. Secure, if possible, the 

 new crop of seeds which dealers should 

 now have on hand. Do not purchase a 

 (heap mixture, but the best possible 

 strains. As a rule, white and pink are 

 ! he best selling colors, but at the holidays 

 : ods always take well. 



The seeds can either be sown singly, 



• bout an inch apart each way, in shallow 

 ats, or more thickly in flats or pans. 



'^ome growers seem to prefer the thin 

 "wing, claiming they get stronger 

 lants. Whichever plan is adopted, the 

 'eds should be dropped evenly. Too 

 ften we see pans with a crowded bunch 



* f seedlings at the edges and nothing in 

 ■lie middle, often the result of careless 

 vatering. For compost use plenty of 

 ''^af-mold of a rather flaky nature; two- 

 lliirds of this to one-third of loam, to 

 •'hich is added some powdered charcoal 

 •lid sand, will answer well. Make the 

 surface smooth by using a light board 

 'lefore sowing, and cover the seeds with 



New Blanche Ferry Spencer Sweet Pea. 



a thin coating of finely screened leaf- 

 mold and sand. 



Place the seed receptacles in a north 

 house, or even a frame. After watering 

 cover with paper and keep well shaded. 

 Watch the soil carefully, and always 

 water through a can with a fine rose. 

 Never use the hose for these or any other 

 seedlings. The soil should be kept uni- 

 formly moist, but not wet, and if you 

 have secured good seeds you will soon see 

 them swelling up into little bulbs. 



Plant in Frames. 



With the arrival of somewhat cooler 

 nights, cyclamen plants in the frames are 

 commencing to grow much faster. Keep 

 the surface soil stirred, weeds and any 

 decaying leaves removed and pinch out 

 any buds which may be showing thus 

 prematurely. It will be necessary to 

 space the plants more frequently. Do 

 not let the plants become crowded, or 

 their symmetry will be spoiled. Half the 

 charm of a well grown cyclamen is in its 

 circle of clean, handsome foliage. Ex- 

 cept when heavy rains threaten, the 

 sashes need never be over the plants, but 



keep the lath or other shadings over the 

 plants during bright sunshine. 



Keep a sharp lookout for aphis and 

 thrips. In dry weather the latter pest is 

 liable to be destructive. The sashes once 

 a week should be placed on the frames 

 and a fumigation given. Between the 

 fumigations spray the plants with a nico- 

 tine solution, and you will effectively 

 control the insects. Attend to any neces- 

 sary potting. The final shift for plants 

 wanted for midwinter blooming should 

 be given not later than September 1. 



Brookline, Mass. — William Almy has 

 purchased from G. L. Stone a five-acre 

 tract of land on Warren street, with a 

 residence, stable and greenhouse. 



Grand Island, Neb. — John Ellsworth, 

 president of the Ellsworth Greenhouses, 

 Inc., has commenced the erection of four 

 greenhouses, one 22x140, one 80x125, 

 and two 16x100 feet each. With this 

 addition, the range will include 45,000 

 square feet of glass. He is using the 

 Wittbold bench system and the Mom* 

 inger ventilator. 



