16 



The Florists' Re>Sew 



j(j-f»iApFVj«H'V5i,'r«»'wy', 



Sbptbmbkk 10, 1914. 



is the Puget Sound country, and at Bel- 

 lingham, Wash., are the trial grounds 

 of the United States government de- 

 voted to the propagation of bulbs. The 

 climate, tempered largely by the Japa- 

 nese current, approaches that of Hol- 

 land as nearly as any on this conti- 

 nent, and the soil seems quite fit for 

 this industry. 



Although in terms of import duties 

 it is as far away from the United 

 States as Holland itself, and in terms 

 of freight rates to the leading florists' 

 centers, in the central and eastern 

 «tates, even farther away, the Holland 

 Bulb Farm, at Royal Oak, near Vic- 

 toria, B. C, is so close in miles to that 

 part of this country where the bulb 

 growing industry is likely to flourish 

 most that its success may serve as an 

 indication of what may be done on this 

 side of the border. W. J. Van Aalst, 

 proprietor of the Holland Bulb Farm, 

 two views of which are shown on page 

 15, has been growing bulbs there 

 since 1912 and reports the best of re- 

 sults. He says that for forcing, those 



grown there are unequaled, and for 

 Christmas use they are even better than 

 the French grown. He further states 

 that the hyacinth bulbs of his section 

 are smaller than tho.se grown in Hol- 

 land, as the former are grown in a 

 dry soil, but that the quality is better. 

 If the same success with these bulbs 

 can be had on this side of the Cana- 

 dian border, the reduction in price 

 owing to the absence of duty will 

 enable them to compete seriously with 

 those from across the ocean. 



WOEBNEB WISE WOBES' OUTINO. 



The accompanying illustration shows 

 the members of the working £aitce of 

 the Woerner Wire Works, Omaha, Neb., 

 and their families on their annual out- 

 ing, at Miller park, Omaha. The day 

 was spent in games, baseball, bathing, 

 etc., in which all enjoyed themselves, 

 and a picnic dinner, spread from well- 

 filled baskets brought by the party, 

 added to the day's pleasure. 



Xhe Hardy Garden^ 



, 'ViT ■$: 



fc--'' ■• ■ _ _"_„ ' '•''" •■ x.-*-' •■ . ^^a' 



-^rtai'' 



^ 



THE HABDY PEBENNIAL OABDEN. 



As It Looks in September. 



While the hardy herbaceous border is 

 now less attractive than in June, when 

 a wide assortment of plants are in 

 flower, it is more interesting in Septem- 

 ber than during the last half of July 

 and the first hsJf of August, when, ow- 

 ing to heat and drought, the flowers last 

 but a short time. Now, thanks to co- 

 pious rains, the display of flowers is 

 varied and attractive. A large number 

 are varieties of robust growth, although 

 some dwarf and medium varieties are 

 still left. Some staking is a necessity 

 at this season; otherwise the borders 

 will present an unkempt and tangled 

 appearance. The hoe should be con- 

 stantly plied in the borders or nursery 

 rows where hardy perennials are grow- 

 ing. It is better to pull large weeds 

 out by hand. Cleanliness and persistent 

 cultivation will keep the plants in a 

 good growing condition. 



Late-flowering Phloxes. 



The perennial phloxes are now some- 

 what past their best, but spring propa- 

 gated cuttings are just at their best 

 and make a beautiful show. The trusses 

 on these are superior in size to those 

 carried on the older plants. Probably 

 each grower, if consulted, would give a 

 different selection of the best twelve 

 phloxes. I submit a list selected so as 

 to give an assortment of the best colors, 

 taken from 100 varieties: H. Murger, 

 white, crimson center; F. G. Von Lass- 

 burg, pure white; R. P. Struthers, rosy 

 carmine, crimson eye; Le Cygne, pure 

 white; Europa, white, crimson-carmine 

 eye; Elizabeth Campbell, beautiful sal- 

 mon pink; Frau Anton Buchner, pure 

 white; Rheinlander, salmon pink; Sie- 

 bold, bright scarlet, an improved Coque- 



licot; Le Mahdi, reddish purple, the best 

 blue shade to date; G. A. Strohlein, 

 scarlet, carmine eye; Esperance, mauve, 

 white center. 



Fall is the best time to plant phloxes, 

 the middle of October being about the 

 best date. Fall planting insures much 

 finer spikes than when the work is de- 

 layed until spring. 



Michaelmas Daisies. 



The asters, or Michaelmas daisies, are 

 now making a grand show and will con- 

 tinue to bloom for some weeks. In fact, 

 one or two sorts will persist until No- 

 vember. There are some beautiful hy- 

 brids of these, of English raising, which 

 show decided improvement on the old 

 sorts. Those who have never grown 



any of these newer sorts should try a 

 few. They will be found attractive as 

 border plants and useful for cutting at 

 this season. Here are a dozen good 

 asters, some rather old, others of recedt 

 introduction: Beauty of Colwall, pale 

 blue, semi-double, height four feet; 

 Feltham Blue, aniline blue, three and 

 one-half feet; White Queen, pure white, 

 four feet; Starlight, dark blue, fading 

 pale blue; Novi-Belgii Perry's Pink, 

 much branched reddish pink, four feet; 

 Novi-Belgii Robert Parker, pale blue, 

 three feet; l8Bvis floribunda, pale helio- 

 trope, two to three feet; ericoides En- 

 chantress, light blue, three feet; cordi- 

 folius magnificus, large lavender flow- 

 ers, three feet; Novae- Anglise rosea, 

 pink, four to five feet. * 



Fdll planting suits all the asters. 

 They require frequent division, as they 

 increase in size rapidly. Anyone who 

 has never raised any from seed should 

 purchase a packet from a really good 

 strain and he will get a wonderful va- 

 riety of beautiful forms. Seed sown 

 in spring will produce strong blooming 

 plants the following year. 



Aconitums or Monkshoods. 



The aconitums or monkshoods are tall, 

 stately perennials, loving a deep, cool, 

 moist soil. They do much better near 

 the seashore than inland. I have seen 

 rows eight to nine feet high with won- 

 derful branched spikes, something unat- 

 tainable under more arid conditions. A. 

 Napellus, dark blue, is still the best 

 variety, although A. Napellus bicolor, 

 blue and white, is distinct and beauti- 

 ful. A. autumnale, dark blue, is par- 

 ticularly adaptable to planting in shady 

 locations. The new A. Wilsoni, from 

 northern China, grows six feet high and 

 carries deep blue flowers. A. Fischeri is 

 the dwarfest of all the monkshoods, at- 

 taining a height of only two and one- 

 half feet. Its flowers are pale blue. All 

 the aconitums are at their best in 

 August and September. 



Japanese Anemones. 



The Japanese anemones, A. Japonica, 

 are just commencing to open their flow- 

 ers. It is a wonder that more florists do 

 not appreciate the value of these 

 beautiful, hardy fall-flowering plants. 

 A. Japonica alba is still, in my estima- 

 tion, the most beautiful of the whole 

 family. Its large, pure white flowers 



At the Annual Outing of the Woerner Wire Works Force, Omaha, Neb. 



