Februauy 22, 1912. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



13 



plants, the bulk will require a shift. 

 Vllamandas are strong feeders and a 

 , oinpoat of three parts fibrous loam, 

 ,1,10 part old cow manure, some bone 

 ,,ii<al and coarse sand can be used. Place 

 ,,, a warm, moist house. Water spar- 

 in. rly, but syringe freely until the 

 ]ilants break, after which more moisture 

 can be afforded at the root. Large 

 specimens in tubs or planted out should 

 have the surface soil removed and a 

 .;.uerou8 top-dressing of cow manure 

 iiud loam added. This can be supple- 

 mented, while the plants are in active 

 .rrowth, by a mulch of pure cow ma- 

 nure, as well as applications of liquid 

 manure. AUamandas are among our 

 finest ot greenhouse climbers in sum- 

 mer, and the variety Williamsi in addi- 

 tion makes a charming pot plant. 



Tuberous Begonias. 



In order to get a batch of tuberous 

 begonias in flower early, start some 

 tubers now in flats containing some 

 sand and leaf-mold. Water sparingly 

 so as not to rot the tubers and pot off 

 before the roots ramify too far. Be 

 sure to prick off seedlings into shallow 

 tiats of light soil before they become 

 irowded. Give them a light shelf in 

 a carnation temperature. They can be 

 potted along and will make excellent 

 plants, either for flowering in pots 

 or bedding out. For the latter purpose 

 a well shaded position is necessary. 

 When this can be given them, and also 

 an occasional watering, they make one 

 of the most brilliant and satisfactory 

 beds imaginable. 



Hydrangeas. 



Memorial day and through the month 

 of June is the season par excellence for 

 selling hydrangeas. In order to have 

 the plants in nice condition at that 

 time they should be placed in a cool 

 greenhouse not later than March. Do 

 not stand them along the paths, to be 

 l)rushed against, nor under the benches, 

 to be drawn and spindled. It is diffi- 

 cult before Easter to give them the 

 space they ought to have, but it can be 

 ■lone usually by what is generally 

 termed a little "scheming." 



Gladioli. 



For Memorial day crops gladioli 

 >hould be planted now. Even if they 

 should come into flower a little ahead 

 of that date, there is generally a good 

 ^ale found for them. The old and inex- 

 pensive Brenchleyensis, brUliant scar- 

 let in color, is a grand Memorial day 

 sort, and anyone hitting that date with 

 a good batch will make money. Other 

 useful varieties are Augusta, America, 

 -till the most popular of all, May, 

 Shakespeare and Mrs. Francis King. 



Shamrocks. 



The time when shamrocks will be in 

 lemand is rapidly approaching. All 

 the young plants should before this 

 time be in the little pots or pans in 

 which they are to be sold. Keep them 

 m a light, cool house. Avoid cold 

 Irafts, as the plants are susceptible to 

 mildew and once badly affected are 

 I'ractically unsalable. Thrips will also 

 sometimes attack them if the atmos- 

 phere becomes too arid, but this can be 

 kept in check by weekly fumigations. 



Candytuft. 



There are few Memorial day crops 



which pay better money than does 



"candytuft. The plants of these should 



Iron Frame House of G. E. Kopper, Schenectady, N. Y. 



now be in small pots, and this is merely 

 intended as a reminder that the sooner 

 these can be planted out in beds or 

 benches, the better. Continue to grow 

 them cool. If the crop is at all back- 

 ward some additional heat can be given 

 later in the season, when the growth is 

 more advanced. 



Lily of the VaUey. 



Flowers from the new season's crop 

 of valley pips are now coming fine. It 

 has been slower work than usual forc- 

 ing this popular flower of late, owing 

 to the intense cold, but now, with the 

 assistance of more solar fervor, crops 

 are coming along more quickly. It is 

 too early yet to start plants for Easter 

 unless they are brought along in a 

 moderately cool house. Six weeks in a 

 temperature of 50 degrees will flower 

 valley now, and four weeks in 10 de- 

 grees more heat. This refers to plants 

 in pots which do not now need to be 

 drawn up in the dark, but can go into 

 the light at once. Such plants may be 

 a trifle dwarfer than the darkened- 

 frame-grown stock, but will carry 

 heavy, dark foliage, and the flowers 

 will have a great deal more substance. 



For cut flower purposes a fresh batch 

 of pips should be planted in the cases 

 once a week. They should flower with- 

 in three weeks, now that the most 

 severe of the winter's cold has passed. 



The outlook for valley for next sea- 

 son is dubious. Reports are that whole 

 fields in Germany were plowed up as 

 the result of last summer's great 

 drought. This is sure to cause an ad- 

 vance in price next season here. 



Annuals for Memorial Day. 



Many inquiries are received as to 

 good annuals for Memorial day. Seed 

 can now be sown of ten weeks' stocks, 

 annual larkspurs, antirrhinums, calen- 

 dulas and dimorphothecas for this pur- 

 pose, but the sowing must not be de- 

 layed. Asters can not be flowered so 

 early, but if a spare bench is planted 

 with Early Wonder or Queen of the 

 Market they will prove invaluable later 

 in the season, when carnations are 

 running out and before the outdoor 

 aster crop comes in. 



The Propagating Bench. 



The cutting bench should now be 

 filled to its fullest capacity all the time. 

 Coleus, alternantheras, petunias, ver- 

 benas, heliotropes and ageratums are 

 only a few of the many subjects which 

 should be freely propagated. It is as 

 important to pot or box off the rooted 

 cuttings at the correct time as to place 

 them in the sand, for if neglected even 

 a few days too long, they become hard 

 and stunted and never prove so satis- 

 factory as when placed in the soil while 

 the roots are yet short. 



KOPPEB IS PBOGBESSING. 



At Schenectady, N. Y., G. E. Kopper 

 is planning the increase of his glass 

 this spring; his first addition will be a 

 house 50x200 feet, half of which he 

 plans to plant to carnations, with 

 chrysanthemums and greens in the 

 other half. Business is increasing 

 steadily with him, and he intends to 

 develop a large commercial plant. The 

 accompanying illustration gives an in- 

 terior view of Mr. Kopper 's iron frame 

 Hitchings house, with concrete bed 

 walls. The house had just been planted 

 with chrysanthemums for last season's 

 crop when the photograph was made. 

 Mr. Kopper is a strong advocate of 

 concrete construction, both for walls 

 and benches, believing that it will be 

 the material of the future for all up-to- 

 date greenhouse construction. Mr. 

 Kopper has fifteen acres of fine, flat 

 land which has been growing vege- 

 tables for five years. He expects to 

 plant half of it to hardy perennials 

 and nursery stock, developing the 

 nursery department at the same time 

 that he is building up the greenhouse 

 business. 



New Haven, Conn. — Smith T. Brad- 

 ley is the owner of a crow which is so 

 remarkably clever that a local news- 

 paper recently devoted a column or so 

 of space to a description of its accom- 

 plishments. It acts the part of a watch- 

 dog, spending the night in a cage on 

 the lawn and setting up a vociferous 

 screaming and cawing if any stranger 

 appears on the premises. 



