October 27, 1010. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



13 



Tulip Chrysolora, Golden Yellow. 



hyacinths and tlic majority of the 

 tulips, the narcissi improve from year 

 to year, possible exceptions being the 

 large golden trumpet varieties, which 

 do not wear so well as the bicolor and 

 short trumpet sections. Of the large 

 golden trumpets, PJmperor, Golden Spur 

 and Henry Irving are the best. Glory 

 of Leiden is the queen of all, but is still 

 rather high priced. Single Von Sion 

 and Trumpet Major should not be used; 

 they are not very hardy. Of the bi- 

 color trumpets, Victoria is a leader. 

 Empress is better than Horsfieldii. 

 Grandee maximum blooms a trifle later 

 than Empress, but is a fine sort. Prin- 

 ccps is cheap, but too flimsy a flower. 



Of the medium trumpet varieties, 

 Barri Conspicuus is one of the cheapest, 

 but best. Narcissus incomparabilis Sir 

 Watkin, the giant Welsh daffodil, with 

 its big, bold flowers five inches across, is 

 indispensable. Leedsii Mrs. Langtry, 

 Leedsii Minnie Hume and incompara- 

 bilis Cynosure are all inexpensive and 

 good. 



Apart from formal beds, narcissi can 

 be used to great advantage in shrubbery 

 borders, in herbaceous borders, and for 

 naturalizing in woodlands or grass 

 lands. For naturalizing purposes, poeticus, 

 poeticuB ornatus, Leedsii Mrs. Langtry, 

 Burbidgei Vanessa, Johnstoni, Queen of 

 Spain and incomparabilis Stella are a 

 splendid seven. The poeticus varieties 

 succeed in almost any location, but de- 

 light in moist soil of good depth, in 

 which they increase amazingly. In natu- 

 ral planting, the bulbs should be thrown 

 broadcast from the hand and planted 

 where they fall. If in grass land, the 

 grass should not be cut until the foliage 

 has matured. If limited to two varie- 

 ties for natural planting, a good selec- 

 tion would be poeticus and Mrs. Lang- 

 try. 



For clumps in borders, the varieties 

 of Narcissus poetaz are fine. These are 

 hybrids between N. polyanthus and N. 

 poeticus ornatus, have proved perfectly 

 hardy and increase rapidly. Elvira, 

 Klondyke, Irene, Ideal and Aspasia are 

 good and now quite cheap. 



In some cases crocuses, Scilla Sibirica 

 and chionodoxa are planted among the 

 stronger bulbs as a gr.oundwork. When 

 these are used, hbwever, it is necessary 

 to remove the mulch earlier than is 

 desirable for the other bulbs. A much 

 better plan is to use these and snow- 

 drops in patches or bands in the borders, 

 or for naturalizing purposes, and utilize 

 daisies, myosotis, violas, aubrietias and 



similar plants for hiding mother earth 

 from view. 



Bulbs are moderate in price this sea 

 son and while sales for forcing purposes 

 may not show any great increase, every 

 year shows a big gain for outdoor plant 

 ing. Some florists use bulbs quite free 

 ly in front of their own homes or green- 

 houses, and it is never money thrown 

 away, but one of the best of advertise 

 ments. Plant a nice bed in front of 

 your own place and it will in all proba- 

 bility bring a number of orders for 

 similar beds for customers the following 

 year. Try it and be convinced, as others 

 already have been. 



TUBEROSES IN WINTER. 



Please tell us whether single Mexican 

 tuberoses can be grown profitably under 

 glass during the winter in solid beds, 

 where they have bloomed all summer. 

 If they will not do well, we will throw 

 them out and put in some other crop. 

 We live in the state of Texas. 



S. F. C. 



It will certainly not pay you to carry 

 over the single tuberoses for another 

 season. They require a considerable 

 period of rest and cannot be success- 

 fully and profitably forced early in the 

 season. My advice would be to dig up 



the bulbs, heel them in closely to ripen 

 — under a coldfranie sash would be a 

 suitable place in your climate— and 

 I)lant some other crop which will bo of 

 some real benefit to you in winter, when 

 flowers are scarce and high priced. 



V. \\\ 



INK FOR ZINC LABELS. 



Many florists and nurserymen may 

 have difficulty in obtaining a satisfac- 

 tory acid or ink for use in writing the 

 inscriptions on the zinc labels attached 

 to their stock. The following is the 

 recipe for the indelible ink which I use 

 for that purpose: Bichloride of plati 

 num. fifteen grains; distilled or soft 

 water, one ounce; iiydrochloric acid, 

 five drops. 



Use a quill pen. This mixture must 

 be used on labels of zinc only. The zinc 

 should be clean and free from grease. 

 The ink is yellow, but turns black in a 

 few seconds after touching the zinc. 

 Bichloride of platinum can be bought 

 of any of the large dealers in chem 

 icals. 



If the writing on the zinc appears in. 

 time to grow dim, wet the labels and it 

 will become clear again. Labels which 

 have stood outdoors for five years in 

 my garden are still plainly legible. 



Francis J. WooUey. 



Fotosa (Darwin) in Foreground, Picotee in Backeround. 



