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12 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



APRIL 22, 1909. 



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I SEASONABLE 

 l^^^^ SUGGESTIONS 



Bedding Stock. 



Growth is now rapid with all bedding 

 stock, and incessant care is required to 

 keep seedlings and rooted cuttings potted 

 or boxed oflf before they become drawn. 

 It is now possible to increase bench 

 space for the more tender bedding plants 

 by removing geraniums, verbenas, petu- 

 nias, lobelias, asters, variegated vincas, 

 Drummond's phlox and other kinds to 

 coldframes. Spread a layer ef fine coal 

 ashes to stand the pots or flats on and 

 keep the plants a little close for a day 

 or two to gradually accustom them to the 

 lack of fire heat. 



Coleus grows fast now. Tops taken 

 now will root and still make nice little 

 plants for Memorial day; so with alter- 

 nanthera and achyranthes. Cannas should 

 now be given a somewhat cooler house. 

 Dahlias must not be coddled. They want 

 abundance of air or will be spindly. Put 

 a stake to such climbers as Cobsea scan- 

 dens before they fall over and become 

 entangled. 



Make additional sowings of asters, of 

 ■uch sorts as Semple's, Vick's Branching 

 and Victoria. There is still ample time 

 to sow salvia for a late planting, also 

 balsams, celosias, cockscombs, zinnias, 

 marigolds and other quick-growing an- 

 nuals. 



Show Pelargoniums. 



The earliest plants of pelargoniums are 

 now coming into flower, but the main 

 batch will be at their best about the 

 middle or end of May. They sell well at 

 Memorial day, for although they lack the 

 persistent flowering qualities of the zonal 

 and ivy sections, their large and showy 

 flowers take on a variety of rich colors 

 lacking in other pelargoniums. The plants 

 will require a little shade from the sun 's 

 rays now. They cannot stand sunshine 

 as can the zonals. An abundant water 

 supply and some liquid stimulant or sur 

 facing of a good chemical like Clay 's will 

 keep the foliage a rich, dark green color. 

 Air freely, but use great care in fumiga- 

 tion. Avoid the use of tobacco stems, or 

 you will lose all the expanded flowers. 

 Nico-fume is a safe fumigant, which will 

 not injure the blooms. 



Calceolarias. 



The earliest flowers are now opening 

 on the herbaceous calceolarias, and if the 

 plants have not yet been staked, the 

 necessary supports should be supplied at 

 once, as the plants are extremely brittle 

 and easily broken. The glass must be 

 shaded for calceolarias, or the flowers 

 will quickly burn. They cannot be grown 

 too cool and airy now. The rugosa sec- 

 tion, of which the variety Golden Gem, 

 well known as a bedding plant in Europe, 

 is best known, are specially useful Me- 

 morial day plants, worthy of much more 

 extended culture commercially. The 

 flowers are smaller than those of the 

 herbaceous section, golden yellow in 

 color. The stems are stiff and the flowers 

 possess excellent substance. For bou- 



quet work they are excellent. There is 

 a new hybrid between the rugosa and 

 herbaceous sections, with flowers of the 

 same color as Golden Gem, but treble the 

 size, named C. Stuarti, which when better 

 known will become popular. The rugosa 

 section are best propagated from cuttings 

 in September or October and grown along 

 in a cold house, but they can also be had 

 in two or three colors from seed. 



Cyclamens. 



There is always a danger of the little 

 cyclamens being somewhat neglected at 

 this season, owing to the rush of other 

 duties. They should now be establishing 

 themselves in 3-inch pots, with the 

 stronger plants in 4-in(ih pots. They will 

 not require any shade as yet. A light 

 bench in a house held at 50 to 55 degrees 

 at night will suit them to a nidety. Keep 

 weeds removed, the surface soil stirred 

 occasionally and give the plants a spray- 

 ing in the afternoon of bright days. 



Any plants still growing in flats should 

 be potted off as soon as possible. Use 

 a good proportion of leaf-mold at the 

 first potting; a heavier loam later. Al- 

 ways use a good proportion of sharp 

 sand, and some finely broken charcoal is 

 liked by cyclamens. 



Outdoor Annuals. 



The soil in many sections is now in 

 excellent condition for sowings of a num- 



ber of the hardier annuals. Of these 

 Centaurea Cyanus, imperialis and mos- 

 chata, sweet sultan, are better put in at 

 once. Mignonette and sweet alyssum can 

 -be sown now, as well as at intervals later 

 in the season. Tall and dwarf nastur- 

 tiums, ipomoeas, larkspur, lupines, candy- 

 tuft, calendula, scabiosa, schizanthus, 

 poppies and annual sunflowers can all bo 

 sown with safetv now, and the majority 

 will do Jbetter thata if left unsown till a 

 month hence. 



Pulverize the soil well where all flower 

 seeds are sown and cover.: according to 

 the size of seeds. .^ ,•: .'^ , ': , 



Hardy Perennial^. " ' ' 



The covering will have been removed 

 from all hardy perennials some time ago, 

 and with recent copious rains and warmth 

 they will be making rapid growth. If 

 you failed to give them any surfacing of 

 manure last fall, they can still be much 

 improved by a topdressing of nitrate of 

 soda, blood and bone or dried blood, af- 

 terwards running the hoe or cultivator 

 among them. Be careful in scattering 

 fertilizer not to bring it in direct contact 

 with the foliage, nor too close to the 

 plants. 



Any planting of perennials, which it is 

 intended to do in spring, should be hur- 

 ried along. Pall is the best time for this 

 work, but many customers will be want- 

 ing it done now. Results from spring 

 planting are less satisfactory than if 

 the same work had been done the previous 

 October. Pall planted stock has a chance 

 to get established, while in the spring 

 many of the plants are almost in bloom 

 when moved. 



Seeds of perennials, which have been 

 pricked off in flats, can now be set out in 

 nursery rows at any time. Let the rows 

 be two feet apart, to allow of proper 

 cultivation, ancj^ choose, if possible, a 

 cloudy day before or after rain for the 

 work of transplantation. 



LEAVES DISEASED. 



Kindly tell me what I should do with 

 my geraniums. Enclosed you will find a 

 sample of them. If there is any remedy, 

 I would be glad to know what it is. 

 Last year I had over 500 of this kind, 

 and they are coming this year. 



C. H. Z. J. 



Soil containing too much rotted ma- 

 nure or fertilizer, a cold, damp atmos- 

 phere, too much moisture at the roots 

 and on the foliage, decaying rubbish 

 under the benches, or a close and stag- 

 nant atmosphere are each and all con- 

 ducive to the spread of the disease you 

 have. It is common, and complaints 

 come each year from half the states in 

 the Union about it. Do not coddle your 

 plants; 48 to 50 degrees at night is high 

 enough. Do not keep them constantly 

 wet at the root. Allow them to get fairly 

 dry between waterings. This allows wood 

 and foliage to become tougher, and more 

 disease-proof. All possible sunshine, 

 abundant air when not in cold draughts. 



and perfect cleanliness are the remedies 

 to adopt in combating the trouble. 



C. W. 



DISEASED GERANIUMS. 



I send you a geranium plant that is 

 diseased. Several in my house are like 

 this one and all the same variety. What 

 is the cause of their condition and will 

 they amount to anything? H. W. L. 



The plant forwarded contained healthy 

 roots and the stem seemed firm and 

 plump. The foliage, however, was rather 

 badly diseased. I would advise isolating 

 these plants. Pick off decaying foliage. 

 Run on the dry side in a sunny house for 

 a time, gradually increasing the water 

 supply as new growth appears. Keep the 

 foliage dry, and I think your plants will 

 grow out of this trouble. If they do not 

 show signs of improvement after two 

 weeks of this treatment, it would be 

 better to discard them. Some varieties 

 of geraniums are more susceptible to dis- 



