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10 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



August 26, 1909. 



dilute it, and how often would you use 

 it in the present condition of weather? 



H. J. P. 



STOCK TO BE CARRIED OVER. 



Ripening the Vood. 



Stock which is intended to be run for 

 a second season should now receive at- 

 tention. 



If not already ripened, this should be 

 done as soon as possible, by gradually 

 diminishing the supply of water and 

 giving all air possible, both night and 

 day. If the stock is on raised benches, 

 the drying off can be accomplished in 

 n short time if the weather is bright; 

 if on solid benches, more time will be 

 required. 



During the period of ripening, great 

 care must be taken not to dry too quick- 

 ly or to such an extent as to cause the 

 soft shoots to wilt. It is also essential 

 that spider be kept in subjection. The 

 dryness of the atmosphere and warm 

 weather being favorable to the increase 

 of this pest, it is necessary to exercise 

 great care and vigilance to keep it in 

 check. 



When the plants are in good condition 

 the top part of the soil — as much as pos- 

 sible without injuring the roots — should 

 be removed, and the remainder should 

 be given a sprinkling of air-slaked lime. 

 A mulch of one-third decomposed cow 

 manure and two-tliirds good fibrous 

 loam, Avell incorporated, should be put 

 on to replace the soil removed. A sprin- 

 kling of bone meal, added to the mulch, 

 is of great benefit. 



Re-establishtne the Plants. 



The bench should now get a thorough 

 soaking, which is all that will be re- 

 quired for a week or ten days. The 

 house during this period should be kept 

 as cool and moist as possible, using the 

 syringe frequently and keeping the paths 

 watered. 



So soon as root action is again estab- 

 lished, the small, strawy wood should be 

 removed and the stronger canes cut back 

 to a suitable eye. The taller canes can 

 be bent down and tied, so as to retain 

 this position. Tliis will encourage the 

 breaking of those dormant eyes near the 

 base of the stem, which frequently make 

 the best and most vigorous stems. 



It is not always best to do all the 

 pruning at one time, as denuding the 

 plants of so much foliage has a tendency 

 to retard root action. 



With such varieties as Liberty and 

 Eichmond I have had good results with- 

 out subjecting the stock to any prelim- 

 inary drying or ripening, and with but 

 little pruning. In fact, in comparison 

 with benches treated in the orthodox 



fashion, they produced rather larger 

 crops and of equally good quality. 



When the plants have made a few 

 inches of new growth they will require 

 an increase of water, and, to prevent 

 the young wood and foliage from becom- 

 ing too soft, free ventilation must be 

 practiced. Eibes. 



FEEDING YOUNG ROSE PLANTS. 



My young roses. Bridesmaid, Chatenay, 

 Killarney and Eichmond, were planted 

 June 15, in a moderately rich soil. They 

 are looking healthy, clean of disease, 

 vigorous and thrifty. After disbudding 

 them several times, they commence to 

 throw up crown shoots from two to three 

 feet tall, with pretty fair flowering buds 

 on them. I am sure that they need 

 something which will encourage their 

 growth and strengthen their working 

 capacity, especially the Eichmonds, which 

 do not produce as large a leaf as former- 

 ly. Some growers mulch the beds with 

 cow manure, but conditions here make it 

 undesirable and objectionable; neither 

 do I want to trust chemicals. Could I 

 feed with liquid made of sheep manure? 

 Would sheep manure serve the same pur- 

 pose as liquid? How much would you 



Plants of this age — nine weeks — are 

 doing remarkably well to produce canes 

 of two or three feet, and though the 

 buds are not quite up to size, they will 

 improve as the weather gets cooler. The 

 foliage on the Eichmonds will also im- 

 prove in size and texture as they grow 

 older. 



Sheep manure can be used with advan- 

 tage, either as a mulch or in the liquid 

 form. When applied as a liquid, it is 

 safest to make it rather weak at first, 

 gradually increasing in strength as the 

 plants get accustomed to it. For a first 

 application, one peck of manure to forty 

 gallons of water will be strong enough 

 Apply once in ten days. 



Eibes. 



REMOVING BLIND VOOD. 



We should like to know how to trim 

 the blind branches out of Brides and 

 Maids that were planted in the last part 

 of June. The roses are in perfect con- 

 dition and we have been cutting about 

 two weeks. G. W. P. 



Stock planted in June cannot possibly 

 require trimming in the sense you mean. 

 Plants of this age require all the foliage 

 they can make to keep root action going, 

 and as every leaf is of benefit, they 

 ought rather to be encouraged to make 

 more wood instead of pruning. 



The stock being in good condition 

 and giving a crop, it should get a little 

 encouragement by way of a little weak 

 liquid food once in two weeks. Keep 

 the branches neatly tied up, so that the 

 air can circulate freely, and allow the 

 sunlight to shine on the soil and you 

 will have little trouble with blind wood. 



Eibes. 



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SEASONABLE 



SUGGESTIONS | 



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Hardy Roses. 



As a general rule, hardy roses are neg- 

 lected after the flowering season has 

 passed. This is a mistake, for even the 

 hybrid perpetuals will well repay one 

 for a little extra care. Where budded 

 plants are grown, any suckers of Manetti 

 or briar should be carefully removed, as 

 they quickly sap the vitality of the 

 plants. Do not cut these off above the 

 ground with a knife, but endeavor to 

 pull them out root and branch to avoid 

 further trouble. Cut off any seed pods 

 which have formed. Keep the cultivator 

 plied between the plants and you will be 

 agreeably surprised at the nice fall crop 

 of blooms you will get. 



The teas and hybrid teas are specially 

 valuable at this season and every florist 

 who does a retail trade would do well 

 to plant at least a few dozens of such 

 splendid bloomers as white and pink 

 Maman Cochet, Killarney, Gruss an Tep- 

 litz, Mme. Caroline Testout, Bessie 

 Brown, Mrs. W. J. Grant (Belle Sie- 



brecht), Mme. Eavary, Eichmond and 

 Mildred Grant. These will grow and 

 flower well, either on their own roots 

 or grafted, but the latter give much the 

 finest blooms. In dry weather an occa- 

 sional soaking of water will help to 

 keep the plants growing and flowering 

 freely. 



Gardenias. 



The growth of gardenias is now rapid. 

 Plants benched in five inches of soil early 

 in June are getting well established and 

 their rate of growth is surprising. Blooms 

 are valuable at Christmas and some grow- 

 ers bend their energies toward getting 

 a crop at that time. There are, alas, 

 many slips 'twixt the cup and the lip 

 in gardenia culture for midwinter bloom- 

 ing. Too high or low temperature, too 

 much or too little moisture at the root 

 or in the atmosphere and an injudicious 

 use of stimulants may, any one of them, 

 cause the falling of the buds which is 

 so common an experience with many. 



It is different growing gardenias for 



