14 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



Max 26, 1910. 



tivating. Half the success in growing 

 crops is to keep a mulch of fine soil on 

 the surface all the time. The plants 

 show almost immediate benefit, as any- 

 one can readily see by comparing 

 patches of cultivated and surface baked 

 crops. 



Canterbury Bells. 



If Canterbury bells were not sown in 

 late spring when advised, the present is 

 a good time to get in a batch of seed. 

 The double varieties have heavy, 

 clumsy flowers, but the single and hose- 

 in-hose, or calycanthema types are fine, 

 either for pot or garden culture. By 

 the way, what beautiful subjects these 

 are for Memorial day in pots! They 

 are so easily grown and bloom so pro- 

 fusely that the wonder is they are seen 

 80 little. At Easter, if late, they can 

 be flowered nicely, but to see them in 

 all their glory hold them cool and 

 flower for Memorial day. In 8-inch to 

 10-inch pots they make magnificent 

 specimens, carrying a wealth of flowers. 



Sow the seeds in a coldframe. Cover 

 with sashes and keep shaded until the 

 seedlings appear. Eemove the sashes 

 as soon as the second leaves appear. 

 Transplant to open ground during cool, 

 damp weather, allowing nine inches be- 

 tween each seedling. 



Sowing Perennials. 



When the frames are cleared of bed- 

 ding plants, we have a good opportun- 

 ity to get in a batch of perennial seeds, 

 if their sowing has not yet been done. 

 More and more perennials are wanted 

 every year, and every country florist 

 should prepare to meet this demand. 



if you for any reason neglect trans- 

 planting them for a week or two after 

 they are ready, they will become almost 

 useless. Some of these perennials will 

 flower the first season. All will flower 

 the following year. There are some 

 specially good and easily raised varie- 

 ties which should now be sown. Aquile- 

 gias, digitalis, Pyrethrum roseum, 

 Shasta daisies, delphiniums in variety, 

 Alyssum saxatile, asters. Coreopsis 

 grandiflora. Campanula persicifolia, hi- 

 biscus, physostegia, sweet william, 

 lychnis, gypsophila, Papaver orientale, 

 GailJardia grandiflora and many other 

 varieties are among them. It is rather 

 too early yet to make any sowings of 

 such subjects as hollyhocks, pansies, 

 myosotis and double daisies. 



Bambler Boses in Pots. 



Field plants of the rambler roses, pot- 

 tea some weeks ago, are now growing 

 quite strongly. As the number of 

 shoots after four exceeds what is nec- 

 essary, it is better to disbud them, 

 leaving three or four of the strongest 

 to each pot. Keep the plants under 

 glass for some time yet, and as the 

 growths advance, give them supports. 

 This pot culture may entail more labor, 

 but such plants, being fit to force at 

 any time after January, respond much 

 more readily than such as are dug up 

 and potted late in the fall. 



Left-Over Azaleas. 



Any left-over azaleas should now be 

 planted outdoors. They do not need 

 shade. They will make far more flower 

 buds in the full sun. Plant firmly and 

 endeavor to locate them so that they 



Euonymus Radicans. 



Of course, plants can be bought from 

 big specialists at moderate rates, but 

 it is possible to raise hundreds of thou- 

 sands of seedlings at so low a cost that 

 the wonder is that more are not sown. 

 Any light soil is suitable for perennial 

 seed, and after sowing they should be 

 kept moist and shaded, until they are 

 well started. Avoid sowing thickly, for 



can be hosed over every day, and in 

 hot weather twice a day is better. 

 While ground containing a good pro- 

 portion of leaf-mold, sand and old de- 

 cayed manure is fine for azaleas, they 

 will grow all right in any good garden 

 soil. Be sure all seeds are removed be- 

 fore planting out. 



Ericas, such as melanthera, Caffra, 



densa, gracilis, hyemalis and others, 

 are better planted out like the azaleas, 

 and similar treatment answers well for 

 camellias, Daphne Indica, Diosma eri- 

 coides and other hard-wooded plants. 

 All enjoy frequent syringings. 



EUONYMUS BADICANS. 



Among climbing plants, one not as 

 largely used as its merits seem to justify 

 is Euonymus radicans, a low, procumbent 

 shrub, with often trailing and rooting or 

 climbing branches, which sometimes grow 

 twenty or more feet high. It is ever- 

 green and fairly hardy, giving excellent 

 satisfaction as a cover for walls, rocks or 

 trunks of trees. Good soil is a great ad- 

 vantage. It is rather slow growing, but 

 once established is excellent for many 

 purposes. The accompanying illustration 

 is from a photograph of a New England 

 residence on which Euonymus radicans is 

 climbing. 



THE WORK AT CORNELL. 



[An abstract of an address before the New 

 York Florists' Club, May 10, 1910, by John 

 Craig, Professor of Horticulture at Cornell Uni- 

 versity. ] 



In his opening remarks. Professor 

 Craig drew a contrast between the flori- 

 cultural conditions which prevail in Eu- 

 rope and in this country. In Europe 

 these interests are largely fostered by 

 the amateur. In America the commercial 

 florist dominates. In the nature of things, 

 and as time goes on, it is inevitable that 

 interest in floriculture will spread among 

 the masses and that the number of ama- 

 teurs, therefore, will largely increase. On 

 the other hand, commercial interests are 

 bound to extend also, for the reason that 

 the ability of the American people to 

 satisfy their desires for the luxuries of 

 life is unsurpassed by any other nation. 

 By taste and ability they are purchasers 

 of high class products. The florist caters 

 to the aesthetic side of human nature, and 

 his market will increase as culture and 

 purchasing ability become a part of the 

 make-up of the American people. 



New York, said the speaker, stands pre- 

 eminent in her horticultural position in 

 the United States. In floriculture she 

 occupies first place. In the production of 

 nursery-grown plants, she leads all other 

 states. In the production of fruit prod- 

 ucts other than citrus fruits, she also 

 holds first place. This is most gratify- 

 ing and gives the horticulturists of the 

 Empire State a feeling of responsibility 

 and pride. 



Problems Arising. 



As any industry depending upon soil 

 and climatic conditions becomes special- 

 ized, it takes on, of necessity, artificial 

 phases. As these become pronounced, dif- 

 ficulties are likely to arise. Intensive 

 culture is always likely to be followed by 

 troubles which do not appear under nor- 

 mal conditions; but the game always is 

 worth the candle, for the returns are 

 great in proportion to the effort put 

 forth. 



The commercial florist is the most in- 

 tensive farmer in the world. He often 

 has more capital invested in an acre of 

 land under glass than the farmer may 

 have in his 160 acres of outdoors. The 

 commercial florist is an exceedingly busy 

 man, and has no time to spend in ex- 

 perimenting or testing methods. If a 

 method does not bring him success, or a 

 variety is beset by parasitical enemies, he 

 changes his method or drops this variety. 

 What the florist of New York needs at 

 the present time is an equipment con- 



