10 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



October 27, 1910. 



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I SEASONABLE 



SUGGESTIONS 



Erica Melanthera. 



This is the best of all the ericas for 

 the average florist. As Christmas 

 plants, these heaths sell well. In order 

 to have them in good flower at that 

 time, a batch should be moved into a 

 slightly warmer house; 45 to 50 degrees 

 at night should not be exceeded, or the 

 plants will be spoiled. None of the 

 ericas will tolerate anything in the na- 

 ture of forcing. Ericas hyemalis and 

 gracilis will naturally flower for Christ- 

 nias in a cool house. Pretty as they 

 are, they do not, however, grow and 

 bloom with the freedom of E. melan- 

 thera. 



Azaleas and Camellias. 



Azaleas and camellias, when received, 

 should be unpacked without delay. 

 Often the balls become badly dried in 

 transit, and it is a safe plan to soak 

 all in tubs of water thoroughly. As 

 time will not often permit of their 

 being potted up right away, stand them 

 close together on the floor of a cellar, 

 a shed or in coldframes — anywhere just 

 clear of freezing. A spraying occa- 

 sionally will help to refresh them, and 

 give them plenty of fresh air. Camellias 

 for Christmas trade can be started in 

 a temperature of 48 to 50 degrees; any- 

 thing warmer will cause a loss of buds. 

 Azaleas will stand harder forcing, and 

 some of the early varieties, such as 

 Hexe (Firefly) and Deutsche Perle, may 

 even be had in fairly good flower for 

 Thanksgiving. Keep all frequently 

 sprayed. Any carried-over azaleas, 

 which were planted in the field and re- 

 cently potted, will flower earliest, and 

 usually more freely than the Belgian 

 stock. 



Dimorphotheca Aurantiaca. 



Dimorphotheca aurantiaca, the beau 

 tiful South African annual, appeared to 

 a limited extent in the markets last 

 winter and spring. It has a neat 

 branching habit. The rich, orange-gold 

 colored flowers capture the public fancy 

 at once, their bright coloring being 

 rendered the more striking by the dark 

 disk surrounded by a black zone. The 

 seed germinates quickly, and the plant 

 will flower earlier than almost any 

 other annual. If sown now, flowers 

 can be picked from the third week in 

 January onwards. A temperature of 48 

 to 50 degrees suits it, and the seed can 

 be sown thinly in shallow benches, or 

 started in small pots and transplanted. 

 The former plan answers well. Cus- 

 tomers looking for something out of 

 the beaten track wiW be glad to buy 

 this flower, which lasts remarkably well 

 after being cut. 



Pentstemons. 



Cuttings of pentstemons produce 

 plants which bloom earlier and more 

 persistently than seedlings. Cuttings 

 will winter in any frame or pit where 

 frost and dampness are excluded. The 

 latter is more destructive than a little 

 freezing. Select plants which have the 



best colors, and mark any specially 

 good ones. These plants are unimpor- 

 tant here, as compared with Europe. 

 They do wonderfully well near the sea- 

 board, and there may be possibilities in 

 them if grown under glass for spring 

 flowering. Some wide-awake florist 

 might do worse than experiment with 

 them. A few years ago no one thought 

 of antirrhinums, larkspurs, lupines and 

 other annuals as suitable for bench cul- 

 ture. Now they are grown more every 

 year, and there are other annuals now 

 little thought of which will in the fu- 

 ture become popular indoor subjects. 



Schizanthus Wisetonensis. 



The earliest batch of Schizanthus 

 Wisetonensis is now in 6-inch pots and 

 is being grown in a cool house. The 

 plants have had several pinchings, but 

 will now be allowed to run up and 

 flower for Christmas. This makes a 

 splendid Easter plant. It has been 

 popularly dubbed the "poor man's 

 orchid," and its culture is so simple 

 that anyone of ordinary intelligence 

 can manage it. Cool, airy treatment at 

 all stages of its growth is what schizan- 

 thus requires. Seed sown now will 

 prove serviceable in early spring, either 

 for growing on in pots or selling in a 

 cut state. Schizanthus keeps a week 

 after being cut, and makes a beautiful 

 vase or table centerpiece. Sow the 



seed in pans or flats and transplant 

 when large enough to handle, potting 

 them off singly later. Use light leaf 

 moldy soil in the early stages, later 

 making it heavier and richer. 



A LEAVENWOETH STORE. 



The Sunnyside Floral Co., of Leaven 

 worth, Kan., was organized in 1908 and 

 erected a range of greenhouses at 

 Twelfth and Vilas streets. At first only 

 a wholesale business was done, but in 

 September, 1909, the firm opened a re- 

 tail store, the interior of which is shown 

 in the illustration. A few weeks later — 

 October 31 — the opening of the store 

 was celebrated in formal fashion, by 

 issuing announcements, entertaining the 

 visitors with the music of an orchestra 

 and presenting flowers as souvenirs. The 

 store is located at the corner of Fifth 

 and Shawnee streets. It is a com- 

 modious room, affording good opportuni- 

 ties for the display of the large and 

 varied stock which is there handled. The 

 company expresses great satisfaction 

 with the rapid development of the busi- 

 ness in both wholesale and retail de- 

 partments. 



CINDEB COVEBINQ FOB BUIjBS. 



Kindly let me know if cinders will 

 injure bulbs. I have all my forcing 

 bulbs covered with sifted cinders. 



C. B. 



Screened cinders are one of the clean- 

 est and best coverings you could place 

 on your bulbs. Worms will not work 

 in them as in soil. You need have no 

 fears of the cinders injuring the bulbs 

 in the slightest degree. I have used 

 them in this way since I potted my first 

 bulbs and have yet to learn of any in- 

 jury they have caused. Either hard or 

 soft coal cinders are perfectly safe to 

 use. C. W. 



I 



Store of Sunnyside Floral Co., Leavenworth, Kans. 



