12 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



October 21, 1,09 



GERANIUMS IN HOTBEDS. 



Can geraniums be grown successfully 

 in hotbeds in the state of Ohio? If so, 

 how early should the rooted cuttings or 

 2-inch plants be put in to make blooming 

 plants by :May 20? Are some varieties 

 more suitable for this method of grow- 

 ing than others? If so, what varieties 

 would you recommend? Can they be 

 grown as stocky as in the greenhouse? 

 Can Vinca vari'egata also be grown in 

 the hotbed? E. S. 



Yes, geraniums can be successfully 

 grown in hotbeds in spring. In your 

 state it would be unwise to place the 

 plants in the frame before the first half 

 of April. Mix up some horse manure 

 and leaves and tramp it well. Over this 

 place a layer of some loose plunging ma- 

 terial, such as ashes, cocoanut fiber or 

 half decayed leaves. The geranium pots 

 can be plunged in this, and plants with 

 this genial warmth at the roots will grow- 

 faster and make better and stockier 

 plants than in the greenhouses. The 

 plunging prevents the soil from drying 

 out, and much greener and healthier look- 

 ing plants are the result. Your plants 

 should be in their flowering pots, 31/4 -inch 

 or 4-inch, before being placed in the hot- 

 beds. To secure strong plants at that 

 time, cuttings should be put in now if 

 you have not yet inserted any. Any of 

 the regular bedding geraniums will suc- 

 ceed in a hotbed. 



Variegated vincas and many other bed- 

 ding plants will grow in a hotbed. The 

 vincas, however, owing to their droop- 

 ing habit of growth, are better grown 

 along the edge of a greenhouse bench. 

 Colons, iresines, cannas, alternantheras, 

 heliotroj)es and many other bedding 

 plants grow faster in hotbeds than in 

 the greenhouse, it being easy to bottle 

 up a moist growing heat for them. Of 

 course, hotbeds have fallen into disuse in 

 many places and are even classed as old 

 fogy and out of date, but, as the late 

 William Scott often wrote, they are 

 splendidly adapted for the culture of 

 many bedding plants in spring. 



WINTER GERANIUMS. 



The demand for winter geraniums is 

 showing a steady increase. Well grown 

 plants of the best varieties, in bloom, will 

 take a purchaser 's eye more quickly than 

 a chrysanthemum. They are not yet com- 

 mon. They are plants anyone can grow, 

 even in the humblest home, but there is 

 room for ten plants where one is being 

 grown now. The public sees only the 

 useful but omnipresent bedding varieties, 

 such as Ricard. Nhtt, Grant and Poite 

 vine. We must educate them to the beau 

 ties of the winter-flowering section and 

 they will eagerly buy them. Either at 

 Thanksgiving or Christmas well flowered 

 geraniums are yet something of a nov- 

 elty. Those who have been growing 

 along plants for the coming season should 

 Bee to it that their plants are seen in the 

 store windows and at the fall shows, thus 

 stimulating interest and demand. 



Discontinue piiiehing the shoots on all 

 ])lants wanted for Christmas flowering 

 and for Thanksgiving. The flower trusses 

 can after this date be allowed to remain, 

 lu feeding avoid constant doses of liquid 

 manure. This jtromotes a soft and sappy 

 growth. Surface dressings of some 

 highly concentrated and reliable fertilizer 

 are preferable, as they keep the wood 

 shorter jointed and harder and promote 

 floriferousness. A dry atmosphere, plenty 

 of fresh air and a little fire heat at night 

 will now benefit geraniums. As the flow- 

 ers open, a night temperature of 50 to 

 55 degrees will be found about right for 

 them. 



HEAVY RAINS SPOIL PALMS. 



Last year I bought a large quantity of 

 seeds of Kentia Belmoreana, K. Forsteri- 

 ana. Phoenix Canariensis, P. reclinata, 

 Latania Borbonica, washingtonia, etc. 

 During the spring and summer months, 

 when heavy rains are scarce in Florida, 

 they grew to perfection, free from dis- 

 ease, pests and fungus. Several weeks 

 ago heavy rains became more frequent 

 and would often last two or three days 

 without any interruption. The palms be- 

 gan to show signs of rust and black spots, 



especially on Phoenix Canariensi: aad p 

 reclinata. Some Kentia Bel loroa 

 leaves also got badly spotted, mij ^ 

 i'orsteriana got a little rust. I [,, lieve 

 is caused by excess of rain, as tli > wat" 

 would often remain in the pot foj^' 

 certain length of time and sour * 



and disease the roots. It was evi 

 with the ferns, as it would ofto: 

 some of the leaves and rendo 

 almost useless. Now I am almi 

 vinced it is a hard problem to gro 

 and palms here to perfection, es 

 in their young stage, without glass 

 I contemplate building a glass li 

 the spring. Of course, all that is 

 sary is roof protection; the sides an be 

 screened to keep out moths and utter 

 flies and other pests. Give mi your 

 opinion as to this. Would it be advig 

 able to spray my palms with Bordeaux 

 mixture or blue stone and in what quan 

 tity? L. M. 



lie soil 



Worse 



break 



them 



t con 

 ferns 



"cially 

 ouses. 

 •se in 

 neces- 



Spraying Avitli either solution of blue 

 stone, or the Bordeaux mixture itself, is 

 of rather doubtful value for rust upon 

 palms, and has the added objection that 

 such a spraying would leave a deposit 

 upon the leaves that would disfigure them 

 badly. I would suggest spraying with 

 solution of sulphide of potassium, com- 

 monly known as liver of sulphur, using 

 one ounce of the sulphide of potassium to 

 two gallons of water, and to repeat the 

 dose at intervals of one week. The 

 trouble is doubtless caused by stagnant 

 water at the roots of the plants, and if 

 the plants are allowed to be exposed to 

 such heavy and continuous rains as those 

 described, I fear the spraying will not 

 help very much. W. H. T. 



GLORIA AND OTHER NEW SORTS 



The remarks made by Mr. Totty on 

 Gloria, in the Eeview^ of October 14, 

 will undoubtedly be indorsed by all who 

 have made a trial of this variety. The 

 color took well in our market; that En- 

 chantress shade of pink has never yet 

 lost its drawing power. The habit of 

 the plant is excellent. It does not seem 

 to make any great difference whether 

 only one or three flowers are grown on 

 a plant; the flowers are all good. Those 

 from crown buds give the most satis- 

 faction as to color, the terminal buds 

 being too light. The foliage is excellent. 

 Though a seedling of October Frost, it 

 is a great improvement on that variety, 

 as it does not grow half as tall as Octo- 

 ber Frost and is much more double. Mr. 

 Smith has certainly given us a good early 

 pink in Gloria, and it is sure to be grown 

 largely the next season. 



Mr. Smith's other novelty. President 

 Taft, is not quite open yet, but, from 

 all we can see so far, it will not disap- 

 point the most critical. 



What Golden Glow really is, is hard to 

 tell. If it was grown largely this season, 

 there is no question that at least three 

 times as many will be grown next season. 

 It is a chrysanthemum for everybody. 



It can be had in bloom at almost any 

 time, from spring till November, an' I the 

 flowers are always good. 



J. L. SCHILI.KB. 



MUMS IN A COLDFRAME. 



1 have a number of plants of the new 

 Wells single chrysanthemum, grown ■ rom 

 seed and planted in the open groum the 

 same as asters. Owing to an unfavoi ^blo 

 season and rather late planting, I d' uot 

 think they will bloom outside and I -i"- 

 not give them greenhouse space. ^^ i"" 

 they winter over in a coldframe, >'^" 

 T)rotected? I am located in Mich an. 



H. H. 



There is no reason why H. H. -^ 

 plants of singles will not winter ov> '" 

 a coldframe, and if he will dig the ■>o'' 

 out deep enough he can lift the p' "ts 

 and set them close together in the fr '»^ 

 and flower them in a very satisfac iry 

 manner, even though they may be '00 

 late to flower outside. The type at f ' es- 

 ent is not well fixed; that is to say 'Y' 

 the seedlings do not show the extra e rly 

 flowering habit. Some of my plants 1) '^^ 

 been in flower two weeks and others are 

 only now swelling their buds, but from 



SkL,^^.. 



