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June 1, 1911. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



11 



by going fishing because it's Sunday, 

 but you can be very ill. Go out Satur- 

 day night and take something — appen- 

 dicitis or ptomaines perhaps." 



In reply to Mrs. L. A. Smith 's article 

 on having a Fathers' day, I heartily 

 agree with her date and flower. 



Benj. J. Passmore. 



CALOT'S DUCHESSE. 



J. H. Humphreys, in charge of the 

 arrangements for the exhibition of the 

 American Peony Society at Philadel- 

 phia, June 8 and 9, writes: 



"Will you please mention that in 

 Class 14, the Duchesse de Nemours 

 should be Calot 's or the white type, and 

 not Guerin's pink Duchesse de ' Ne- 

 mours. ' ' 



KENTIA BELMOREANA. 



A General Favorite. 



If one were asked to name the most 

 popular palm at the present day, the 

 subject of this brief sketch would doubt- 

 less be the first species mentioned, it 

 being grown and sold more freely than 

 any other by florists in general through- 

 out our country. 



It was within the last fifteen to twenty 

 years that the palm business of the 

 United States attained its special prom- 

 inence, and during that period kentia 

 seeds have been imported by million* 

 from their native country, Lord Howe's 

 Island, an island that appears as a small 

 dot on the map and is located some 600 

 miles from the northeast coast of Aus- 

 tralia. 



The seeds of Kentia Belmoreana and 

 also those of the closely allied K. For- 

 steriana are usually shipped in two main 

 shipments each year, or rather at two 

 seasons in the year, the first arriving 

 in this country in the spring and the 

 second in the autumn. Those of the 

 latter season are preferred by many 

 growers, on the ground that they usu- 

 ally give a higher percentage of germi- 

 nation. 



These seeds are quite large, frequently 

 over one inch long, extremely hard, and 

 contain a single germ at one end of the 

 seed. "When packed in good condition 

 they are sometimes found to have germi- 

 nated in the cases, though this condition 

 is by no means general. 



Sowing the Seeds. 



Large growers of these plants usually 

 sow the seeds broadcast in a bench in a 

 warm greenhouse. The planting is made 

 very thick and the seeds are covered to 

 a depth of nearly one inch with peat or 

 other light soil. The soil is kept moist 

 and the house moderately shaded, and 

 with a bottom heat of 75 to 80 degrees 

 some of the seeds wiU germinate in the 

 course of two months, while others may 

 lie dormant for nearly a year before 

 they will show signs of growth. 



The early plants are taxen out and 

 potted and the ungerminated seeds re- 

 sown, from which it will be readily 

 understood that this crop occupies space 

 for a considerable time before any 

 money return may be expected. 



The seedlings are potted off into 

 2-incb pots, the extra deep rose pots 

 being convenient for this purpose, ovring 

 to the stiff roots of the seedling kentias. 

 In these pots they are likely to remain 

 for four to six months. 



From this size they are shifted to 

 3 -inch pots, and in due season to the 



Kentia Belmoreana. 



4-inch size. From the 4-inch they are 

 moved to 5-inch and 6-inch pots, ac- 

 cording to the vigor of the plants, but 

 each shift signifies at least four months, 

 and frequently longer. 



Not a Quick Money-maker. 



The 6-inch plants vary in price from 

 $1 to $2 each, according to the size and 

 quality of the stock, these being whole- 

 sale rates. It is not a quick-money 

 crop, and therefore many florists are 

 content to allow the palm specialists to 

 raise the seedlings and grow them on to 

 a fair size before purchasing their stock 

 for growing on for a season, or for 

 retailing at once. 



The plant of Kentia Belmoreana here 

 pictured is from a photograph of a fair 

 sized specimen in an 8-inch pot, such as 

 usually sells for about $3 at wholesale. 

 When we take into consideration that 

 such a plant is at least three years old, 

 it does not seem like a great return for 

 the space, time and labor involved in 

 the transaction. There is much labor 

 about palm culture in order to produce 

 first-class stock, for the potting, water- 

 ing, cleaning and general care for a 

 period of years represent a considerable 

 total of expense, even without the final 

 expense of packing for shipment. The 

 latter, of itself, forms no small item, 

 especially when the packing is done for 

 winter shipment. 



The Final Eetums. 



These heavy expenses make the palm 

 business less profitable in proportion to 

 the investment than some other branches 

 of our trade, though it must be admitted 

 that much of the work is of an interest- 

 ing character. 



It should also be taken into consider- 

 ation that not only is there a considerable 

 percentage of loss from non-germination 

 of seeds in each crop, but that there are 

 always some weak seedlings in every 

 batch, and that the latter will not make 

 fine, salable plants in the same time as 

 the strong seedlings. 



These various drawbacks give strength 

 to the contention, on the part of grow* 

 ers, that a good kentia in a 6-inch pot 

 should not be sold for less than $2 at 

 wholesale. A few years' experience in 

 this line of trade would probably briny 

 many to this opinion, an opinion that il 

 not that of a pessimist as to the plant 

 trade. 



IJUUM CANDIDUM. 



Will you give me some information as 

 to the general culture of Lrlium candi- 

 dum? E. E. P. 



Bulbs of L. candidum usually arrive 

 about the end of August. There are 

 two types. The true, broad-petaled 

 north of France variety is the only one 

 worth growing. As the bulbs start to 

 make growth and roots even in transit, 

 unpack and pot at once. While they 

 can be grown singly in 6-inch pots, they 

 do far better if planted three in an 8- 

 inch pot or five in a 10-inch pot. Stand 

 outdoors after potting. Shield from 

 heavy rains, but otherwise give full ex- 

 posure to the weather until quite sharp 

 frosts occur. This freezing is essential 

 to successful culture of them. If treateJ 

 like L. longiflorums they will be a fail- 

 ure. 



Stand in a coldframe and house the 

 early batch about the middle of De- 

 cember. This would be a suitable date 

 to start them to have flowers for Easter, 

 1912, the date being April 7. Candidum 

 lilies resent hard forcings; 55 degrees 

 at night should be the absolute maximum 

 for them. 



For outdoor culture plant four inches 

 deep in any good soil. Give a light coat- 

 ing of leaves in winter. Spray with 

 Bordeaux mixture once a week after 

 spikes start to push, to ward off or 

 mitigate the disease. Indoor plants are 

 always free from this disease and the 

 quality of flowers on them is vastly su- 

 perior to outdoor ones. A succession of 

 candidum flowers can be had from April 

 1 to July 1 by holding plants in cold 

 pits. C. W. 



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