16 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



AiMJisr 11, inio 



SEASONABLE 



SUGGESTIONS 



Poinsettias. 



TIk' la:>t li;itr)i of iioiiisottia cuttings 

 shduld iiiiw lie tako;i. Of course they 

 i;ni lie iii(itt'(| (ncji a iiiont'i later, but 

 tlic icsultaut jilauts will be too puny to 

 lie of much \ alue. The earliest and 

 strongest i;lants are now in benches con- 

 taining li\e inches of loam and have 

 just been staked uji. From these, Ijracts 

 cigliteen to twenty inches across will be 

 cut. unless something unforeseen occurs. 

 I'oinsettias -will grow outdoors in a 

 frame or in any oidiiiarv gieeniiousc in 

 summer, but they sliould not be planted 

 out in any hovise where it is not possible 

 to maintain a minimum temperature of 

 (lU to (!- degrees wiiile the bracts are 

 develojiing. A lower tempeiature means 

 a loss of foliage and a reduced size in 

 tiie liiacts. 



It is a little early yet to make up 

 pan> id' jioinsettias, as thev will become 

 too tall before they bloom. 'I'he earlier 

 plants would better be either benched 

 or liowered singly in (3 inidi pots. Nice 

 st<i(k in (i inch ]iots. v.cll loliaged, is 

 ahvays salable, even if it is a foot taller 

 than what is in pans. Be sure to keep 

 cuttings potted ojf while the roots are 

 small. They are easily l.iroken and 

 seriou-ly injured if left even a few days 

 too long in tlie jiroiiagatiug bench. 

 Ki'eji "dose until established in the pots, 

 th(Mi more cool and airy, in order to 

 keep them stocky. 



Show Pelargoniums. 



'J'lie wood on sliow pelargoniums, after 

 a few week--' jcst lying on their sides, 

 should now be t)retty well ripened and 

 of a nutty brown color. Take a sharp 

 knife and jjrune back the shoots quite 

 severely, le.aving not e\en a eouple of 

 eyes on eaidi. Jf you need more stock 

 of any s|>ecial variety and have omitted 

 jiutting in cuttings, you caii still do so. 

 The shoots, even if quite firm, will root 

 readily in a cool house. Alter heading 

 back the plants. gi\c t hem :> little water 

 and spray twice or thrii-e a day. As 

 soon .-(s they show signs (d' breaking 

 nic-e|\- is the time to sh;ik" the soil en- 

 tirelv away from them. <';it back the 

 long roots and place the plants in as 

 sm.'ill pots as they can conveniently be 

 squeezed into. A jilant in a 0-inch pot 

 --hould gii in ,■! 1 im h. and those in 

 7imdi and ^ im ji in ."i-incdi pots. Water 

 >paringly. not only before potting, but 

 afterward. It is easy to cause the plants 

 Uj rot off in warm weather with a little 

 too mu(di moisturi'. Spray freely, but 

 u-ater little until roots and shoots are 

 growing actively. 



Crotons. 



l>nring the dog days all tropical jdants 

 reach their maximum rate of growth. 

 <'rotons are lovers of heat and moisture 

 .and now are making rajiid headway. 

 The foliage will soon gel dirty and 

 insect pests will multiplv. unless a force 

 of water, well directed from :i careful 

 hand, is used. Theie is really no need 

 of blaekeneil. slimv leaver, such as we 



too often see, if the water pressure 

 through a line spray iH)zzle is properly 

 directed. Neither should it be possible 

 for such jiests as nu\aly bug or red 

 spider to take up quarteis on any of 

 tiu^ jilants. (Jrotons. wIhmi well rooted, 

 enjoy weak doses of licpiid manure, and 

 we have found Clay's fertilizer scat- 

 tereil on the surface an excellent food, 

 applied at intervals of ten days. 



Young plants, to keep them growing 

 along in good shape, must have a brisk, 

 moist heat. A first-class place for them 

 is in a coldframe of sufficient depth, 

 where the pots can be plunged in ashes, 

 leaves or tan bark. Shade given should 

 l)e just enough to prevent the leaves 

 from scalding. A heavy coat will spoil 

 the coloring of the leaves. Syringe them 

 over and close up about the middle of 

 the afternoon. If a brisk heat is bottled 



up each day the rate ot' growth is ,[■. 

 ]irising, not only with ci'otons, but m u\- 

 other line foliaged plants. 



Lilimn Harrisii. 



The earliest bateli of Harrisii h ,.> 

 ha\e just lieen ]iotted in 5-inch p >, 

 We are told that the percentage ij 

 <liseased bulbs will this season bi' ! ,s 

 than usual. It is a consummat imi ,■. 

 \()utly to be wished, for of late y< is 

 t h(M-e has been little profir in grow im 

 them, owing to the large number -.t 

 iliseased bulbs. Hither a coldfram 

 where the })ots. after watering, can iic 

 covered with a light coating of dry m -s 

 or excelsior, afterwards ])lacing bo.ird 

 shutters over them — or the floor of a 

 cellar, is a suitable place to stand ' 'u- 

 pots. They shoidd not bo exposed in 

 the sun and, if given a suitable pla. c. 

 ought not to recpiire any water until 

 growth is nicely started Too innch 

 water in the early stages of growth is 

 productive of mu<di oi' the so calleil 

 disease. 



North Judson, Ind.— 0. <'. .\rnohl ins 

 a fin(^ held (d' gladioli, mostly .\mcric:i, 

 with a few I'l'inceps. Imt a great iha] 

 <d' watering has been le'cessary on ;ir- 

 count oi' the prolonged di'ought. Haily 

 asters, he saxs, are poor. 



SCENTED GERANIUMS. 



K'et.ail floi'ists are finding considerable 

 call for seemed geraniums ea(di year, 

 not (inly lor selling as plants, but the 

 shoots .are jiopular, ;ind rightly so, for 

 airanging in bowls. The inclividual 

 lea\('-- .also lind i-on^iderable fax'or for 

 using in finger bowls for dinneis. One 

 wtdl known giKwer, who nuikes some- 

 thing of a spe(dalt.\' of scenteil leav(^d 

 geraniums, saves a nundu r ot plants 

 o\-er from his spring sales ;ind jilants 

 -e\er,al ot' them in boxes six inidies deep, 

 growing them outside until cold weather 

 neces-^itates theii' icmov.-il under glass. 

 Treated thus, tine shooi-- a'l' prix-nrable 

 t'or winter use. Of course from [ilants 

 outdoors whole armfids of shoots can be 

 had at tiiis seas.on. Iiut the dem.aml for 

 the^e is light now ;is comprired with 

 w intei'. 



If no stoik has been carried over, it 

 is ;i good {dan to take ,a L;ood bat(di of 

 cuttings now. Hither jilaee them in a 

 north hoitse in the saml bench, or in 

 flats (d' s.and in a coldframe. They will 

 i-o(d in about three we(d\s, when they 

 can be potted off; by potting along, fine, 

 bushy stock can be had b(d'')re Christmas, 

 f'tittings taken with a heel and inclined 

 to be hard are less liable to damp off 

 at this season than the thi(d\. sajjjiy 

 ones. 



GERANIUM FOLIAGE EATEN. 



My geranium leaves are dying, first 

 at the base of the plant, then on up 

 the stalk. There seem to l^e little 



t r.ansparent ])laces eaten on the leavt 

 while the tissue of the leaf is left, 

 am unable t(» find any insects on t! 

 l>lants. The trouble is not confineil 

 any one variety. The plants on tl 

 east side of the house are not a 

 fected. Those that are troubled 

 this way are on the north side of ti 

 greenhouses and the others ;ire in i' 

 full sun. I send you a leaf that h 

 just been blighted. The leaves st 

 green ;it first, but soon turn brew 

 • an you tell me where the trouble li' 



R. I" 



The lea\('s show unmistakal)le si^i 

 of having been (diewed by some |>e- 

 probably a small caterpillar. One et 

 hairy nature is not infrequently to ' 

 foiuid at work among them in late si " 

 mcr. You cannot s])ray your plat, 

 with Paris green without burning ' 

 foliage. Arsenate of lead will i 

 harm them, but will whiten the folia. 

 White hellebore, dusted on while ' 

 leaves are danij). is safe and relial 

 Vou can also spray it on at the r.ate ■ 

 two ounces to a .'! gallon can. '• 

 raniums grown in shade or parti ■ 

 shade are always softer than th" ' 

 in the full sun, and fall an easier pr^ 

 to insect attacks. Do not use any ■ 

 the oil solutions or kerosene emulsii '• 

 on the geraniums, or you are likely ' 

 burn much of the fidiage. Nicoti'"' 

 (!xtracts are safe, Imt the helleboK' 

 should take care of the ]iests .attackin- 

 yoiir plants. ('. W 



