20 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



December 9, 1909. 



FAILURE WITH MRS. JONES. 



During the last season we have grown 

 two houses of mums, such varieties as 

 Pacific, Golden Glow, Ivory, Dean, Bon- 

 naffon, Amorita, Eaton, Chadwick, 

 Noniu, Jones and others. Every variety 

 turned out fine, producing large single- 

 stemmed blooms, with the exception of 

 the Jones, yellow and white. They 

 reached a height of three feet, with fine 

 green foliage, but no flower measured 

 over three inches across. All my mums 

 were plaiited between June 15 and June 

 25, in raised benches, in five inches of 

 good fresh soil, planted eight inches 

 apart each way and carried to single 

 stems. What is the cause of the Jones 

 turning out so poor, when all other va- 

 rieties under the same treatment turned 

 out so fine? 



When should Nonin be planted to pro- 

 duce a nice crop for Christmas? How 

 much soil should be used, and how far 

 apart planted? What other varieties of 

 mums can be had in for Christmas day? 



Which are the best for mums, ground 

 or raised benches? H. J. H. 



I see no reason for the failure with 

 Jones except that the soil is lacking in 

 some constituent that it requires. I must 

 confess that I have been unable to grow 

 good flowers of this variety myself, and 

 have not grown any of it for some years. 

 About the only remedy I can see is for 

 you to grow something else. 



Nonin, if planted in July, can be held 

 back for Christmas by being kept as 

 cool as possible in early fall, and taking 

 the last bud. The conditions under which 

 1 have grown the other varieties is five 

 inches of soil and seven or eight inches 

 apart, and this is the same way in which 

 I grow Nonin. 



Other varieties that are brought into 

 market for Christmas day are Bonnaflfon, 

 Nagoya, J. Bosette and W. T. Brock. 



The question of which is best for 

 chrysanthemums, ground or raised 

 benches, is something almost every grow- 

 er figures out for himself, since different 

 conditions have considerable to do with 

 it. To my mind, raised benches are far 

 superior and I would never plant a solid 

 bed. In a raised bench, the roots are 

 absolutely under control and the plants 

 can be set to better advantage. 



C. H. T. 



MUMS IN UNHEA.TED HOUSES. 



The Review has referred to the success 

 of Joseph E. Bonsall, of Ohio, in grow- 

 ing chrysanthemums in unheated houses. 

 Will Mr. Bonsall please tell us what va- 

 rieties of mums he grows in that way, for 

 early blooms? Are such flowers of good 

 enough quality for funeral work? Does 

 he protect the blooms with cloth, or how 

 is it done? Will he also please tell us 

 how he keeps his chrysanthemum plants 

 over till spring without artificial heat, 

 and whether he grows any outdoor flowers 



for cutting in the summer time in the 

 open ground? P. C. P. 



Eeplying to P. C. P. 's inquiry, I find 

 that there is little danger of injury to 

 mum blooms in my unheated greenhouses, 

 unless the mercury falls below 28 degrees 

 outdoors, as the warmth of the soil car- 

 ries the inside temperature from 8 to 10 

 degrees higher for one or two nights. By 

 reference to my records I see that, in this 

 part oi Ohio, we usually get cold enough 

 weather to freeze inside about the first 

 week in November. This year we cut 



The Kdltor Is pleased 

 ^rhen a Reader 

 presents his Ideas 

 on any subject treated in 



tWe«^ 



■% 



As experience is tbe best 

 teacher, so do v^b 

 learn fastest by an 

 exohanee of experiences. 

 Many valuable points 

 are broucht out 

 by discussion. 



Good penmaDship. Bpellinsr snd 

 Krammar. thouKh desirable, are not 

 necessary. Write as you would talk 

 when doing your best. 



WS SHALL BX GLAD 

 TO HEAR FROM TOU 



Kaiserin roses, and some late mums de- 

 veloped from side buds, November 23, 

 which is unusually late. 



Any variety of mum which, in heated 

 houses, will finish the crop by October 25, 

 can be safely grown, in this locality, in 

 unheated houses. This will include Berg- 

 mann, Monrovia, October Prost, Polly 

 Rose, etc., though on some occasions I 

 have had Polly Rose nipped before the 

 crop was all off. I find that, owing to 

 cool nights during October, the crop is a 

 few days later in finishing than in heated 

 houses. The point to be determined, in 

 deciding what sorts can be grown in this 

 way, is at what-feime-iL killing frost may 

 be expected. 



As to the quality of the flowers, they 

 are fully as fine as when grown in heated 

 houses. 



I do not use any cloth protection, but 

 treat them just as I would in heated 

 houses. 



As to carrying over stock plants, I 



simply cut off ti.e old tops and let the 

 plants stand where they bloomed. I find 

 that they are not injured in the least, 

 though they freeze quite hard. The 

 ground, however, seldom freezes so hard 

 that it cannot be broken with the fingers. 

 At one time last winter, when the glass 

 was covered by about four inches of 

 snow, which does not melt quickly unless 

 the sun shines, the thermometer outside 

 was near zero for three days and nights, 

 and inside did not fall below 30 degrees. 

 As to growing outdoor flowers, I grow 

 asters and some other things, but being 

 strictly a wholesale grower, I am not 

 compelled to have a supply at all seasons, 

 as I would if I had a retail trade. 



Joseph E. Bonsall. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM SOC3ETY. 



James Livingston, of Lake Geneva. 

 Wis., exhibited a white single chrysan- 

 themum before the Chicago committee 

 of the C. S. A. November 26. Name. 

 Constellation; scored as follows: Color, 

 35; form, 15; substance, 15; stem and 

 foliage, 15; total, 80. 



C. W. Johnson, See'y. 



CHOOSE A SOUTH EXPOSURE. 



We expect to build a range of even- 

 span houses for cut flowers. We have an 

 option on a tract of land with an east 

 slope and another with a south slope. 

 Will experienced growers kindly state 

 which would give more satisfactory re- 

 sults, houses running east and west with 

 a south slope or running north and south 

 with an east slope? M. B. C. 



The south exposure is certainly best. 

 The houses should, for almost any crop, 

 run east and west, as this aspect is 

 favorable to getting the best results dur- 

 ing the short days of winter, when sun- 

 shine is at a minimum. RiBES. 



SHRUBS FOR EASTER FLOWERING 



T received from Holland the following 

 plants, which I want to force for Easter: 

 Azalea mollis, pot grown lilacs, staphylea, 

 Dcutzia I^enioinei and gracilis, Wistaria 

 Sinensis and Prunus triloba. Will any 

 of the?e, except Azalea mollis, require 

 pruning? J. M. 



You must not prune any of the shrubs 

 named, as you will only cut away flower- 

 ing wood and thus ruin them. Allow 

 the deutzias and stai>hyleas eight weeks 

 and the wistarias, Prunus triloba and 

 lilacs six weeks in an average night tem- 

 perature of 55 degrees, and you will 

 have them in good season. C. 



Denver, Colo. — Warren Armington 

 has just opened a retail store at 1469 

 Broadway, doing business as the Broad- 

 way Floral Co. 



