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JAXUABT 6, 1910. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



J5 



Seeiag Leonard Kill Off for California, Chicago, Januiry 4, 1910. Photo by Chicago American. 



SNOW INCREASES CUTS. 



It used to be the idea that snow was 

 n decided detriment to the production of 

 <;ut flowers; it lay for days on the glass 

 ■of the old-style greenhouses, shut out the 

 light and retarded the development of 

 blooms. But one of the observing, think- 

 ing men in the selling end of the busi- 

 ness — where thought is becoming each 

 year more and more necessary — says that 

 snow is no longer a detriment, that it 

 is a strong factor in increasing produc- 

 tion. He figures it out this way: With 

 (he modern iron-gutter houses the snow 

 passes off practically as fast as it falls; 

 it leaves the glass clear and the ground 

 dazzling white. Everybody knows that a 

 house kept painted pure white is better 

 to grow in than one that is unpainted; 

 that white surroundings make for a 

 lighter house than one that is in dark 

 <'nvironment. Hence this authority argues 

 that a snowy season like the present is a 

 I'ositive help to the cut flower grower. 



A CROP FOR EASTER. 



Will you tell me what to put in a va- 

 <ant space I have in a greenhouse? I 

 liave a ground bed in the greenhouse, 

 'ifty feet long, with good soil. I have 

 '•Pen thinking of Paper White narcissi 

 •or Easter bloom. Is it too late to start 

 the bulbs? I have an excellent cellar for 

 ><!arting them. Would it be best to plant 

 i» flats and then set the flats on this 

 I'Pnch after starting, or is there any other 

 l^ind of stock which would be more profit- 

 'l)le? What would be a good tempera- 

 'iire for narcissi? The greenhouse is 

 "tram heated. I have a good many pot- 

 'f'd plumbagos cut back. Could I bring 

 ihem into bloom for Easter? 



M. E. H. 



, It is now too late to start bulbs of 

 ' iiper White narcissi. Any which are 

 ■'ill out of the soil will be too badly 



''■ied up to be of any value. You could 

 ! iirchase any of the spiraeas (astilbes), 



•ich as grandiflora, astilboides, flori- 



bunda, Gladstone and the old Japonica. 

 Pots of these will sell well for Easter. 

 Other plants, such as azaleas, lilacs and 

 genistas, would be in flower by the end 

 of March. 



Plumbagos would not be in season and 

 I am afraid it will be useless to plant any 

 crop directly into the bed. Less than 

 three months remain until Easter, and 

 the best thing to do would be to grow 

 some of the plants named, in pots. Al- 

 low them ten weeks each, except the lilac, 

 for which three weeks less will suflSce in 

 a night temperature of 50 to 55 degrees. 

 C. 



ASTERS FOR MEMORIAL DAY. 



Can I grow asters for Memorial day, 

 and what variety? P. G. C. 



None of the asters sown now would 



flower for Memorial day; even the ear- 

 liest varieties, such as Queen of the Mar- 

 ket, the standard early sort, and early 

 Hohenzollern, would not be in season. 

 These would, however, make a useful 

 summer crop for you later in the sum- 

 mer, coming in as they do when carna- 

 tions are poor and other flowers suitable 

 for cutting or design work scarce. 



There are a number of crops you could 

 grow for Memorial day trade. Among 

 these are ten weeks' stocks, sown about 

 February 14; white candytuft, March 1; 

 antirrhinums, sown now ; any of the large 

 flowering gladioli, planted about Febru- 

 ary 1; sweet peas, February 1; annual 

 larkspurs in several colors, sown at once. 

 Dahlias will also flower at the time named 

 if tubers are now started. Note an ar- 

 ticle on these in a recent issue of the 

 Review. C. W. 



GERANIUMS FOR BEDDING. 



I have a house, 16x30, in which I wish 

 to grow bedding plants. I have had 

 splendid success in rooting geraniums 

 and had thought of buying stock plants 

 and rooting cuttings for myself and the 

 trade. Would you advise a beginner to 

 do this? If so, which would be the 

 cheapest in the end, to buy the plants 

 now or in the spring? Would you ad- 

 vise growing only four or five varieties, 

 or several? R. F. 



The present is not a good time to buy 

 stock plants of geraniums. Secure these 

 in the fall. Your best plan now would 



be to purchase either rooted cuttings 

 from sand or small plants from 2-inch 

 pots. These can be grown into nice, 

 bushy stock in 4-inch pots for sales in 

 May. It will pay you to purchase young 

 plants now and grow them on if you 

 have the room to spare. I would cer- 

 tainly not grow too many varieties; four 

 or five different varieties would be suf- 

 ficient, and if two-thirds of these are 

 scarlet or crimson and the balance pink 

 and white, that would be about the right 

 proportion. As a general thing, double 

 or semi-double sorts are favored for bed- 

 ding, but you might try some Paul Cram- 

 pel and Jacquerie among singles. They 

 are superb bedders. W. N. C. 



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