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Sbpi-ember 9, 1909. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



at the high class stores as ardisias or 

 Otaheite oranges, the average country flo- 

 rist can always dispose of a good num- 

 ber at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Plants 

 in the open ground are now heavily ber- 

 ried and can be lifted and potted into 

 5-inch and 6-inch pots, according to the 

 strength of the plants. Allow a little soil 

 to adhere to the roots if possible when 

 lifting. Pot firmly, soak well with water, 

 spray freely during bright weather, shade 

 for a few days and the wilting consequent 

 on removal will soon disappear. The 

 plants can remain outdoors a few weeks 

 longer. A light frost will not harm them. 

 Christmas peppers should also be potted 

 now. They are somewhat more tender 

 than the solanums and, while popular 

 in some localities, are hardly so desirable 

 a pot plant as the Jerusalem cherries. 



Bedding Geraniumi. 



In the more northerly states the mid- 

 dle of September is quite early enough 

 to start propagating bedding geraniums. 

 By waiting unti^ cool weather the shoots 

 get harder and are less liable to damp 

 off than a month earlier. Well drained 

 flats of sharp sand, or fine charcoal and 

 sand, are preferable to loam. The per- 

 centage of rotted cuttings will be greater 

 if loam is used, although some growers 

 claim to get good results from it. Sandy 

 loam during the winter, when the harder, 

 less sappy indoor cuttings are used, is all 

 right, especially when small pots, which 

 dry out quickly, are used, but in the 

 fall flats filled with it are too retentive 

 of moisture; at least, such is the gen- 

 eral experience in the colder states. Un- 

 less you are growing rooted cuttings for 

 fall sale, do not be in a hurry about get- 

 ting in your geranium cuttings. The 

 later you can leave them, with due safety, 

 the better they will root, and remember 

 that, unlike most cuttings, they should 

 never be shaded. 



German and Japanese Iris. 



German and Japanese iris should be di- 

 vided and replanted not later than every 

 third year. This work is better done 

 during the month of September. It 

 can be delayed much later, but by early 

 transplanting the stock gets a chance 

 to make good roots before freezing 

 weather arrives. The German iris are 

 specially useful when they come in sea- 

 son for Memorial day. They prefer well 

 drained land which has been deeply 

 plowed and well manured. The Jap- 

 anese varieties are not semi-aquatics, as 

 many imagine, except during the grow- 

 ing season. If under water during win- 

 ter, the roots will decay; therefore they 

 should be allotted a place where they can 

 have perfect winter drainage. 



Mignonette. 



Keep a careful watch for the white 

 butterflies which are busy among your 

 mignonette this month and kill all you 

 see. Their larvae will do untold damage 

 to the young plants in a short time if 

 not carefully looked after. It will not 

 pay to allow the plants to run up to 

 flower thus early; pinch them back so 

 that they will break from near the base. 

 Then, if you want fancy spikes, select 

 three of the strongest shoots. If more 

 moderate ones only are needed, leave 

 double the number. Scratch over the 

 surface soil frequently. The more you 

 stir it, the faster the plants will grow. 

 Never close the ventilators. Mignonette 

 is always at its best when the tempera- 

 tures are the lowest and no fire heat 



Cattleya Portia. 



should be given until absolutely neces- 

 sary. 



Pansies and Violas. 



The pansy and viola seedlings are now 

 demanding attention and should be trans- 

 planted before they become too crowded. 

 Where small quantities are grown, it 

 is best to place them in coldframes, the 

 sashes, of course, not being used until 

 the beds are frozen solid. Where thou- 

 sands are to be handled they will winter 

 well outdoors on land with a gentle slope, 

 just sufficient to prevent ' ' wet feet, ' ' 

 a winter mulch of some light material 

 being given after real winter weather has 

 arrived. Keep the ground frequently 

 cultivated among the little transplanted 

 seedlings and they will grow rapidly, 

 September and October being months in 

 which they delight. 



Myosotis, daisies and any other bi- 

 ennials or perennials should also be 

 pricked out as soon as possible. Keep 

 the hoe or cultivator going between the 

 earlier planted digitalis, coreopsis, gail- 

 lardias, Canterbury bells and other hardy 

 plants. They grow fast with the arrival 

 of cooler and moister weather and dou- 

 ble in size quickly when the surface soil 

 is kept loose among them. 



rContinued on pa&e 48 1 



CATTLEYA PORTIA. 



Cattleya Portia is the result of a cross 

 between the popular C. labiata and C. 

 Bowringeana, both fall flowering varie- 

 ties. C. Portia is almost exactly inter- 

 mediate in character. The flowers are 

 held erect on stiflP scapes, usually six to 

 ten flowers on each, more nearly approxi- 

 mating the size of C. labiata than the 

 other parent. Two leaves are usually 

 produced on each bulb, as in the case of 

 C. Bowringeana. Flowering with its 

 parents in October and November, C. 

 Portia makes an excellent addition and, 

 When placed on the market in sufficient 

 numbers at a more moderate price, 

 should prove of great commercial value. 

 Pots or pans of fern fiber, with treat- 

 ment similar to that given the well 

 known C. labiata, will grow C. Portia 

 well. Like all cattleyas, it likos to be 

 grown near the light, in order to develop 

 its free flowering qualities. 



W. N. Craio. 



Beaumont, Tex. — The Beaumont Flo- 

 ral Co., of which Mrs. Bessie O. Weis- 

 singer is proprietor, has a store at 319 

 Orleans street and greenhouses at 426 

 Sabine Pass avenue. The business is 

 well managed and prosperous. 



