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8 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Mat 12, 1910. 



BULBS IN VIRGINIA. 



While the government is spending con- 

 siderable money, and making much effort, 

 to encourage the growing of bulbs on the 

 Pacific coast, the Virginian growers are 

 going right ahead without assistance 

 from any outside source and are building 

 up an important industry purely on its 

 merits as a money-making proposition. 

 Those who have not seen them invariably 

 are amazed at the extent of the Vir- 



ginia bulb industry when they pay a first 

 visit to the fields while the stock is in 

 bloom. Tidewater Virginia is becoming 

 the Holland of America. An idea of the 

 extent of the fields may be gathered from 

 the accompanying illustration, reproduced 

 from a photograph made at the Rose 

 Gardens, the establishment of C. W. 

 Beman, at North Emporia, Va. In the 

 picture only one variety is shown of the 

 large number of varieties that are grown. 

 This is Narcissus Virginian Glory. 



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SEASONABLE 



SUGGESTIONS 



Dahlias. 



While dahlias are frequently planted 

 outdoors as early as the middle of Aptil, 

 we have proved that those set out a 

 month or even two months later will give 

 better results. Green plants cannot be 

 planted until danger of frost has passed, 

 and if sod land has been plowed up for 

 them there is always the danger that 

 cutworms will find them toothsome mor- 

 sels. A ring of soot and lime around 

 each plant will help to ward off attacks 

 of cutworms, and will at the same time 

 provide a little food for the plants. 



Divided pieces of roots are used by 

 about all large growers; one or at most 

 two eyes to a portion are ample. Plant- 

 ing whole clumps gives a mass of shoots, 

 which, if left, simply smother one an- 

 other. The sunniest possible location 

 suits dahlias and the furrows for the 

 roots should be plowed six inches deep, 

 allowing a yard between the plants. 

 Where small lots are grown, spades or 

 trowels can be used for planting. The 

 land should previously have been well 

 manured and thoroughly cultivated. We 

 like to use a stout stake to each plant, 

 but the largest growers, by planting 

 closer and pinching the plants after they 

 have made two or three pairs of leaves, 

 to give a stocky, branching habit, dis- 

 pense with the use of supports. 



Allow four or five feet between the 

 rows where horse cultivation is to be 

 given, and keep stirring the soil on every 

 possible occasion. It is astonishing what 

 a prolonged drought dahlias will stand if 

 a niee, loose mulch of earth is constantly 

 kept 'on the surface. In planting dah- 

 lias, always lay the roots down flat; a 

 common error is to stand them straight 

 up. 



Hardy Nymphaeas. 



If planting of the hardier nymphseas 

 is to be done, it should be done at once. 

 Although May weather has not been of 

 the warmest, the plants are already mak- 

 ing some growth. A good compost for 

 nymphaeas is two-thirds fibrous loam and 

 one-third cow manure. A box twelve 

 inches deep and forty-eight inches 

 square, sunk in water thirty to thirty- 

 six inches deep, will carry a plant nicely 

 for two seasons. A layer of coarse sand 

 should be placed on the surface of the 

 boxes after planting. When in their 

 natural conditions, nymphaeas have an 

 abundance of rich mud to grow in ; there- 

 fore it pays to give a liberal treatment 

 if fine flowers are desired. They should 



also have the fullest possible sunshine. 

 Allow plants fifty to seventy-five square 

 feet of space each. Tliey do not look 

 well crowded on the water. Each plant 

 should have ample space to show its in- 

 dividuality. 



Some good hardy nymphaeas to set out 

 now are: Odorata, odorata rosea, odor- 

 ata sulphurea, all the Marliac hybrids, 

 including Marliacea chromatella, Mar- 

 liacea albida, Marliacea rosea; Layde- 

 keri rosea and tuberosa; the latter should 

 be allowed 100 to 125 square feet of 

 space, being a luxuriant grower. 



The noble nelumbiums or lotus plants 

 should have a separate pond from the 

 nymphaeas, as they are robust growers, 

 attaining a height of three to six feet 

 and spreading with great rapidity when 

 once well established. They can be 

 planted from the middle to the end of 

 May. Nelumbiums want plenty of rich, 

 black mud. After the first year they in- 

 crease rapidly. Good varieties to grow 

 are: Speciosum (the common Egyptian 

 lotus), Pekinensis rubrum, kermesinum, 

 album grandiflorum and luteum. Musk- 

 rats are fond of lotus roots and will 

 soon do great damage to both these and 

 nymphaeas, unless systematically trapped. 



Where they abound, traps should be set 

 under the water in the supplies or over- 

 flows and should be securely fastened by 

 an iron chain, or the rats will drag them 

 long distances. 



Lilies. 



Lilium longiflorum for Memorial day 

 is likely to be useful this year, as flowers 

 promise to be none too abundant. The 

 plants, owing to the increased warmth 

 and longer daylight, are coming along 

 much more rapidly than during the late 

 winter months, and if the first buds show 

 white by May 30, they will be in season. 

 On the other hand, a cold cellar will hold 

 back early ones for some time. The de- 

 mand for cut lilies May 30 is consider- 

 able, while few pots will be called for. 



Summer blooming lilies in pots, such 

 as speciosum in variety, auratum, Han- 

 Boni and others, which were potted in late 

 fall, have made considerable growth and 

 many are already showing buds. Keep 

 these in a cool, sunny and well ventilated 

 house. Supply with liquid manure as the 

 pots become filled with roots. Lilies un- 

 der glass are always clean and free from 

 spot, as compared with outdoor ones, and 

 even in the hot months there is always a 

 demand for such flowers. 



Outdoor lilies are now growing apace. 

 A good mulch of littery manure, or well 

 decayed manure, will keep the roots cool 

 and moist, and rains will carry some food 

 to them. A few of the most satisfactory 

 of the garden lilies commercially are: 

 Candidum, tigrinum splendens, auratum, 

 speciosum album, speciosum rubrum, 

 speciosum Melpomene, Henryi, Hansoni 

 and Brownii. With the exception of L. 

 candidum, which flowers in late June and 

 should be planted four inches deep, the 

 sorts named will be better covered eight 

 to ten inches. 



Perennial Phloxes. 



Perennial phloxes are now making 

 quick growth. In order to secure a 

 longer blooming season, it is a good plan 

 to cut back some clumps, or at least 

 pinch back part of the growths. This will 

 compel them to bloom in September or 

 early October, when good phlox spikes 

 are scarce and are much called for. Any 

 planting should be completed with as 



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Field of Narcissus Virpnian Glory at the Rose Gardens, North Emporia, Va. 



