

Afbil 14, 1910. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



imperialis and C. cyanus, candytuft, 

 coreopsis in variety, sweet alyssum and 

 scabiosa. The soil for all these seeds 

 should be thoroughly pulverized. Avoid 

 thick' sowing, or, if you prefer to sow 

 thickly, thin severely while the seedlings 

 are quite small. 



Dimorphotheca Aarantiaca. 



Dimorphotheca aurantiaca, the new and 

 attractive annual from Namaqualand, 

 South Africa, which has appeared in the 

 cut flower markets to a limited extent 

 during the last winter, is well worthy the 

 attention of the trade. The plant has 

 a neat branching habit. The flowers re- 

 semble marguerites, but are much more 

 graceful. The rich orange-golden flowers 

 average two and one-half inches in 

 diameter and are borne in the greatest 

 profusion. The dark zone in the flower 

 renders it all the more striking. While 

 the flower has the habit of closing up at 

 night and during cloudy days, we find 

 that after being cut forty-eight hours and 

 kept in a warm room it will remain open. 

 Its keeping qualities are remarkable, 

 flowers lasting four or five days in good 

 condition. As ^^his annual can be bloomed 

 from seed in eight to nine weeks, it is 

 likely to be much more widely grown an- 

 other season. It succeeds as well in the ' 

 open border as in a greenhouse bench. 



Peonies. 



"^•eonies promise to be exceptionally 

 early this season, being already in active 

 growth. The ground among them should 

 be either forked over or cultivated. As 

 a general rule, we advise a dressing of 

 well rotted manure on the beds or rows 

 late in the fall. To encourage growth 

 still further, a sprinkling of nitrate of 

 soda at the rate of 250 to 300 pounds per 

 acre, applied now, will materially improve 

 the flowers. Any planting omitted for 

 any reason in the fall should be com- 

 pleted without delay. Spring planting of 

 peonies, however, is far less satisfactory 

 than fall setting. 



Smilax. 



Pot off the little smilax seedlings be- 

 fore they become too crowded. They en- 

 joy a temperature of 60 degrees. As 

 crops in the beds are cut down, give the 

 plants a few weeks' rest before starting 

 them up again. Also apply a mulch of 

 decayed cow manrrre. Be sure to get 

 new strings in position before the new 

 growths can become entangled. Smilax 

 is less in demand than it used to be, but 

 the average country florist can always 

 find use for a few dozens or hundreds of 

 strings per season. 



PENNISETUM RUPELIANUM. 



I have some Rupelianum (purple foun- 

 tain grass) which was sown in March 

 and is three inches high. This is my 

 first experience with it. I want it for 

 borders of canna beds. Does it stool 

 out, or does it grow up singly, and how 

 closely should it be set! I am potting 

 them now singly in 3-inch pots. 



W. H. S. 



The Pennisetum Rupelianum will stool 

 out and flower the first season from seed. 

 Had you sown the seeds in January, 

 however, they would have done better. 

 The best method of propagation is to 

 lift a number of the old plants and store 

 anywhere over winter, out of the reach 

 of frost, dividing these in January or 

 February, and start in flats of sandy 

 loam and later potting them. These 



Charles H Vicfc. 



(Superintendent of the Trades Display at the Rochester Convention. 



divided portions prove much better for 

 bedding than seedlings. Plant the latter 

 twelve to fifteen inches apart. C. W. 



CHARLES aVICK. 



A familiar face at the S. A. F. conven- 

 tions, as well as' at the meetingat of the 

 American Seed Trade Association, is that 

 of Charles H. Vick, of Rochester, N. Y. 

 Since boyhood, Mr. Vick has been iden- 

 tified with the seed business, receiving his 

 early training with his father, James 

 Vick, than whom no better known nor 

 more highly honored seedsman ever served 

 the American people. Charles H. Vick 

 became actively identified with the firm 

 of James Vick's Sons after the death of 

 his father, and has been uninterruptedly 

 associated with the business for nearly 

 thirty years. His wide experience in hor- 

 ticultural lines generally made him a 

 most valuable man to the directors of the 

 St. Louis Exposition, and the appoint- 

 ment of superintendent of horticulture 

 was only a slight token of the esteem in 

 which he was held by the managers of 

 that exposition. 



At the exhibition held by the Rochester 

 Florists' Association in November, 1909, 

 only one name was mentioned for man- 

 ager, and that was C. H. Vick ; the great 

 success of the exhibition, both financially 

 and educationally, was due in a large 

 measure to his untiring efforts. 



At the recent meeting of the executive 

 board of the S. A. F., Mr. Vick was ap- 

 pointed superintendent of the trades dis- 

 play to be held in connection with the 

 convention in Augiist. 



Mr. Vick's unfailing courtesy, his op- 



timism, his good nature at all tTmes, make 

 him extremely popular with his asso- 

 ciates, and no gathering of local seeds- 

 men or florists is complete unless " C. H. " 

 is present. Mr. Vick will be a busy man 

 during convention week, buti every vis- 

 itor will be sure of a "glad hand" and 

 a word of welcome frota the trade's su- 

 perintendent. ^ 



CUTTING BACK BEGONIAS. 



I have some tall begonias that I have 

 used for decorating. Can I cut them 

 back? If so, when and what is the best 

 treatment to bring them in flower for 

 fall and winter? F. J. V. * 



Your begonias are presumably of the 

 fibrous rooted section, such as gigantea 

 rosea, nitida alba and President Carnot. 

 Any or all of these can be cut back quite 

 hard and planted outdoors after danger 

 of frost has gone. Lift about the end of 

 September. If your plants are getting 

 of unwieldy proportions, it would be ad- 

 visable to take cuttings of each kind. 

 These root easily and can be grown along 

 into nice plants in 6-inch pots before win- 

 ter, either in a cool greenhouse or a cold- 

 . frame. c. W. 



INDIANA FLORISTS. 



The Northern Indiana Florists' Asso- 

 ciation will hold its regular meeting in 

 Rochester, Ind., April 20, 1910 The 

 Dunn Co. and J. H. Shelton, city florists, 

 will entertain all visiting florists at one 

 'clock luncheon. This promises to be a 

 very interesting meeting. 



J. H. Shelton, Sec'y. 



