AUGUST 27. 1914. 



The Eorists' Review 



15 



Gladiolus Exhibits at the Boston Indoor Display, with Arthur Cowee's Group in Foreground. 



this time on and slioultl never be al- 

 lowed to become in the least potbound 

 before being potted on. A coldframe 

 is the ideal place for them for some 

 time yet. 



Freesias. 



The earliest batch of freesias will 

 now have made considerable jjrowth. 

 Keep them in a coldframe for some 

 time yet and protect them from rains. 

 A second batch was placed in pans 

 August 15 and a third lot will be 

 started September 1. The last plantiuj,' 

 will be made about September 2<l. 

 After that date I do not find it ad- 

 visable to start freesias, for, while they 

 "row quickly, they niMer ])roduce 

 flower stems of more than half the 

 •"•ij^ht of the early batches. 



Schizanthus Wisetouensis. 



Tlif most useful and free-floworiug 

 '"iiuial, Schizanthus Wisetonensis, if 

 ^vantt'd in flower early in the new year. 

 should be sown now. The seeds germi- 

 nate (juickly and care should l)e taken 

 'i'»t t(i draw them up in a shadv house. 

 '■'vc them full light, to keep them 

 "to.ky. Transplant them into flats 

 '"I'l Inter pot them off singly, using a 

 J'f-'ht hut rich soil. Always remember 

 jaat to grow schizanthus well if mii-rt 

 '^' V'lown near the glass all the time, 

 •''111 kept cool. A winter minimum of 



' ''' 4,') degrees is ami)le. At 50 dc- 

 K'ree- the plants are sure to liecome 

 '•'■aw II and leggy. 



Genistas. 



" uistas now are making rapid 



'^'•■"^vth. If formal plants are wanted. 



'•^' heads will require clippini; intt» 



shape every three weeks. I note that 

 a good many purchasers prefer plants 

 which are allowed to grow more natu- 

 rally and it would be well to cater to 

 both tastes. Genistas should be left 

 outdoors for some weeks yet, even in 

 the more northerly states. A light 

 frost will not harm them. 



Transplanting Seedlings. 



Kecent rains have fallen at a time 

 when they were much needed and they 

 make it possible to take in Jiand any 

 delayed transplanting of perennials 

 and biennials, which year by year are 

 becoming of greater importance to the 

 average florist. Be sure the ground on 

 which these are to go has been Avell 

 loosened up and jiulverized. Given 

 these conditions, if the seedlings are 

 set out carefully while the ground is 

 moist, they will make rajdd headway. 

 To assist them, the hoe or cultivator 

 should be frequently used among them. 

 Delphiniums, aquilegias, digitalis, hol- 

 lyhocks, Canterbury bells and many 

 other jdants should be fransjdante<l 

 now, and smaller subjects, such as 

 jiansies, daisies and forget-nie-nots. 

 should go either into coldframes or ]>re- 

 jiared beds as soon as of sufficient size. 

 Be sure that any location selected is 

 dry in winter, as fewf i)lants will suc- 

 cessfully winter if the\^ have wet feet. 



Violets. 



Double violets can be housed at any 

 time now. The heavy night dews aj^^ter 

 the end of August, followed by hot 

 days, will be found to induce the spot 

 disease which has caused so many to 

 discontinue their culture. Keep all 

 runners carefully removed. Thev 



weaken the crowns if allowed to grow 

 ad libitum. 



Single violets must not be housed for 

 some considerable time yet. They are 

 now making grand grow-th and runners 

 are being produced in great abundance. 

 Keep these removed ; it will mean a big 

 saving in labor when the final housing 

 time arrives. Lest anyone should be 

 tempted to house his single violets tliis 

 early, let me say that so doing is sure 

 to result in failure. Singles are quite 

 different from doubles, which latter can 

 be and are grown under glass all the 

 tijue in many cases. I'nless the stronger 

 singles have their exuberant leaf 

 growth checked by one or two moderate 

 freezings, it will be found that no 

 nmtter how freely the house is venti- 

 lated they will continue to ]troduce an 

 immense crop of leaves at the expense 

 of flowers. Therefore do not house any 

 singles before the early jtart of Octo- 

 ber, unless frost comes to your assist- 

 ance. South of New York city, No- 

 vember will be found on the whole a 

 safer month to house the ]dants. Many 

 growers now find they can be left out 

 until after mums are pulled out, Ity 

 giving the ]>lants a light mulch to i)ro- 

 tect them from severe frost. 



How much frost singles will stand 

 without injury is an important ques- 

 tion. All dei)ends on how warm the 

 season has been j)rior to the first freez- 

 ing. Tsually 26 to 2S degrees above 

 zero is a sufficient freezing. I have 

 found that at 22 degrees the plants 

 were much injured; at least, their 

 flowering (jualities later in the season 

 proved the temperature had been too 

 low for them. 



