May 6, 1909. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



11 



How E. T. Barnes Packs Dahlias in His Light Boxes. 



tion to the rather limited number of sum- 

 mer flowering plants under glass. Any 

 florists having window boxes to keep sup- 

 plied will find them good standbys. Such 

 plants must be kept pinched regularly 

 and not be allowed to throw any buds 

 until three or four weeks before they are 

 wanted in bloom. Do not allow them 

 to become potbound before shifting them 

 on, and when in their flowering pots and 

 well established, remember that they can 

 be fed as liberally as chrysanthemums. 



Bays and Boxes. 



It is not usually safe to place sweet 

 bays and tree boxes outdoors before the 

 first week in May. After their several 

 months ' winter storage, they will in many 

 cases take on a brownish tinge after a 

 few days' exposure to the outdoor ele- 

 ments. A little light trimming of the 

 worst looking plants may be necessary, 

 but they will soon be making new growths 

 and will hide any present imperfections. 

 Irish yews, cupressus, bay and Portugal 

 laurels, golden hollies and other ever- 

 greens wintered in storehouses should be 

 placed outdoors at once. The longer they 

 are kept under cover, the more they will 

 suffer when exposed to strong sunlight. 

 Last year a neighbor kept a number of 

 these plants in a shed until the end of 

 May. The day after they were stood 

 outdoors a hot wave came along and the 

 plants were badly burned, in spite of 

 hosings overhead to counteract the heat. 



Poinsettias. 



The present is a suitable time to shake 

 out and repot the poinsettias which have 

 been resting in the potting-shed or under 

 one of the greenhouse benches for the 

 last four months. There is no advantage 

 in starting the plants any earlier than 

 the beginning of May, as the first cut- 

 tings even then will give rather leggy 

 plants. Shake away all the soil from 

 the roots. Prune back the tops and place 

 in as small pots as they can be conven- 

 iently squeezed into. As a rule, 4-inch 

 and 5-inch pots are large enough. Place 

 in a warm house. Give a soaking of 

 water and then keep a little dry until 



they break. They will do well in a house 

 kept at 50 degrees at night, when once 

 they start to grow. Rub the young shoots 

 off with a heel when three inches long. 

 These root more quickly than when the 

 shoots are cut through with a knife. 



Begonia Incarnata. 



There is a much improved form of 

 Begonia incarnata, well worthy the in- 

 creased attention of florists who handle 

 pot plants. It is a taller and stockier 

 growing begonia than Gloire de Lorraine 

 and the flowers are larger and a little 

 paler in color. The plants are at their 

 best from Christmas until February and 

 bloom profusely. Now is the time to get 

 cuttings. Plenty of thick, fleshy shoots 

 are now procurable on plants pruned back 

 a little after flowering. These cuttings 

 will root quickly and, if kept on the 

 move, will make nice stock in 6-inch pots 

 for Christmas or New Year sales. This 

 begonia roots like a weed and needs no 



fussing over. Anyone who is able to 

 grow a geranium or hydrangea can man- 

 age it. 



PentstemoQs. 



Pentstemons are usually treated as an- 

 nuals, or propagated in the fall of each 

 year, the cuttings being carried over in 

 a frost-proof frame or cold greenhouse. 

 As pentstemons are not at all tender, 

 they can be planted out in advance of 

 the regular bedding plants. They enjoy 

 cool, moist weather and will do much bet- 

 ter if bedded out now, rather than at the 

 end of the month. There are now some 

 remarkably fine strains of these procur- 

 able and they are worthy of increased 

 culture. There are possibilities in their 

 culture under glass for spring flowering,, 

 which some wideawake florist might try 

 to develop. Treated like antirrhinums in, 

 benches, they should make a hit and at 

 Memorial day would be specially useful. 



ITieDox Complete 



Wred Rcddy for 

 §>hipment 



i>/)ow/n^Construdion^ 



Light Shipping Box Used by E. T. Barnes. 



