JUNB 2, 1910. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



13 



(Spirsea) Japonica or some of its im- 

 vrovements for cutting for Memorial 

 '[■J^y^ you will probably be getting ready 

 !, iw to throw away the plants. It is 

 I ae they can be bought inexpensively. 

 ; iiey can also be grown at a low cost 



■ .'bt at our own doors. Select a piece 



rich, rather moist ground. Chop 

 c larger clumps in two with a sharp 

 :ide and plant them out in nursery 

 J \vs thirty inches apart, allowing fif- 

 ,'n inches between the plants. Keep 

 > o\\ cultivated. By the end of the 

 , ond season you will have big, heavy 

 I ;)nps, which will need dividing into 

 ;: lee or four in some cases, and these 

 \ ill flower far better than any you 

 en buy in Holland or Belgium. If you 

 (11 spare the ground, grow some of your 

 (IV n spiraea clumps. You will be sur- 

 prised to see how well they grow and 

 h'W finely they will force. 



Astilbe Queen Alexandra. 



Speaking of astilbes reminds us that 

 while the glorious peach-pink variety, 

 (^ueen Alexandra, is as yet seen only in 

 moderate quantities commercially, it 

 is getting cheaper each year and is 

 liound to have a tremendous sale, 

 ospecially at Memorial day. Probably 

 tlie white forms will continue to be 

 t'iivored at Easter. This astilbe does 

 not take kindly to early and hard forc- 

 ing, but if allowed to come on in a 

 cool house it is superb at the end of 

 May. It is of vigorous habit and 5- 

 inch pots of it will carry more spikes 

 tlian any other astilbe, either pink or 

 white. The plants want a shaded 

 liouse when opening, to prevent the 

 fading out of the flowers. Every grower 

 should plan to buy some of these and 

 grow them for Memorial day, 1911. 



Lorraine Begonias. 



If you do not propagate your own 

 Lorraine begonias — and it is far bet- 

 ter for many small growers to se- 

 cure stock from some reliable special- 

 ist — the present is a suitable time to 

 jmrehase a quantity of young plants. 

 Keep them in a rather warm house 

 which is not heavily shaded. When 

 1 lotting use plenty of flaky leaf -mold, 

 i^orraine begonias like a light and 

 moderately rich soil, through which 

 water passes freely. It is not yet too 

 lite to take cuttings from any old stock 

 plants. Some good bottom cuttings are 

 low being produced and these will root 

 '■adily. The slow rate of growth on 

 '.orraines during the early summer 

 ' tenths is discouraging to beginners in 



■ leir culture. They make rapid head- 

 ay with the coming of cooler even- 

 igs in August. 



Tender Nymphaeas. 



The weather is now sufficiently settled 



I allow the planting out of any of the 



■nder water lilies. Of the day-bloom- 



ig varieties a few of the best are: 



^. Capensis, Cape Blue water lily; N. 



icrulea, blue Egyptian lotus; N. Zan- 



ibariensis, deep blue; N. Zanzi- 



ariensis rosea, rose; N. pulcherrima, 



'ght blue, a hybrid of N. cserulea; Mrs. 



'. "W. Ward, rosy pink, very fine. Of 



light bloomers a few good sorts are: 



'^. rubra, purplish red; N. Sturtevantii, 



I'ink, sometimes red; N. dentata, white; 



^'. dentata magnifica, creamy white; 



•V. Deaniana, light pink; N. Devoniensis, 



red." 



Lilies do best planted in natural beds 

 <^f mud, but, as this is not always at 

 *'ommand, half barrels answer well for 



A, Alost. 



a season, also boxes three to five feet 

 square and a foot deep; six to twelve 

 inches should be allowed between top 

 of boxes and water surface. Use 

 half cow manure and half loam for 

 compost. Cover with three inches of 

 sand, to prevent washing away after 

 the plants are placed in them. Never 

 plant water lilies in a shady spot; they 

 want the fullest sunlight. 



ALOST OF NEW ORLEANS. 



A. Alost, president of the New Or- 

 leans Horticultural Society, started 

 .lune 1 for a tour of Europe, to occupy 

 the greater part of the summer. He 

 will visit all the larger horticultural 

 establishments in Europe in the inter- 

 est of his private business and at the 

 same time to exploit the horticultural 

 department of the Panama Exposition, 

 to be held at New Orleans in 1915. 

 The New Orleans Horticultural Society 

 intends that in so far as horticulture is 

 concerned this exposition shall be the 

 grandest ever held in America and it is 

 earnestly desired that all leading hor- 

 ticulturists, not only in this country 

 but in Europe, participate in it. 



It has been the annual practice of 

 Mr. Alost to entertain the society at 

 dinner at Kose Villa Nursery, "the 

 event coming just before his departure 

 for Europe, the society expressed its 

 love and esteem for its president by re- 

 sponding to the invitation in large num- 

 bers, there being more than 100 mem- 

 bers and guests seated about the tables 

 when the festivities began. While the 

 steaming dishes were being served Sec- 

 retary C. R. Panter presented Mr. Alost 

 with a silver tea set and also a hand- 



some traveling bag. His remarks on 

 behalf of the society were expressive 

 of the good will that went with the 

 gift. This little incident unnerved the 

 host, but he responded happily, and 

 resigned his office as toastmaster in 

 favor of Secretary Panter, who acquit- 

 ted himself with dignity. 



Among those who spoke were P. A. 

 Chopin, U. J. Virgin, C. W. Eichling, 

 Joseph Steckler, Ed. Baker, Harry Pap- 

 worth and several guests not members 

 of the trade, A toast was proposed to 

 John Eblen, the treasurer of the so- 

 ciety, who was detained at home. 



After the dinner the guests were 

 taken about the establishment and 

 upon returning to the house were again 

 treated to light refreshments. The la- 

 dies of the house entertained with songs 

 and music and dancing in the big par- 

 lors. The crowds left Rose Villa long 

 after dark and were brought to their 

 respective destinations in the big 

 wagons of Joseph Steckler. 



The New Orleans Horticultural So- 

 ciety is 26 years old and a local news- 

 paper, in an account of the dinner, said 

 the society has done more toward beau- 

 tifying New Orleans than any other or- 

 ganization. 



The officers are: A. Alost, president; 

 Herman Doescher, vice-president; C. R. 

 Panter, secretary; John Eblen, treas- 

 urer. 



Cony, Pa. — Mrs. Milton Caldwell has 

 opened a flower store in the traction 

 office. 



Des Moines, la. — The Iowa Seed Co. 

 is planning an important addition to 

 its gre'(§nhouses this Reason. 



