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14 



The W^cckly Florists^ Review* 



Septbmbeb 7, 1011. 



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SEASONABLE 



SUGGESTIONS 



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Frimulas. 



The growth of primulas is now much 

 more rapid. The proper place for them 

 for some time yet is iu coldframes. 

 Ill greenhouses they will become more 

 drawn, no «iatter how carefully they 

 are tended. Plenty of ventilation at 

 the tops and bottoms of the sashes 

 should be given, where sashes are 

 used. Glass covering is better dis- 

 pensed with entirely, except to thro'w 

 off heavy rains. Shade from bright - 

 sunshine must be given and for this 

 purpose the light wooden lath shades 

 are better than any cloth coverings. 



- They are cooler and admit air and a 

 sufficiency of sunlight. 



The plants should now be ready for 

 their final potting if they are to be in 

 good condition for Thanksgiving and 

 (."hristmas sales. This applies more es- 

 pecially to the Sinensis section, which 

 sells particularly well at these holidays. 

 The obconicas and . Kewensis are 

 usually in better condition in February 

 and March, but a good many can be 

 flowered for Christmas. la giving the, 

 final potting, a/good compost is one of 

 two-thirds well decayed pasture loam, 

 ** one-third cow manurOj screened, and a 



"^eijd dash each of sharp sand, pow- 

 dered charcoal and soot. Be sure to 

 pot the Sinensis sufficiently deep, so 

 that they are not wabbly; if properly 

 potted they should not need any sup 

 ports. 



Fropagation. 



While we may not get frost for some 

 time, yet it is well to take clippings of 

 some of the more tender bedding plants 

 now. Many growers wait and lift a 

 few old plants of coleus and alternan- 

 thera. These plants make ideal har- 

 bors for mealy bug; rather than lift 

 old roots, fill a few flats with alternan- 

 thera cuttings — they root quickly in 

 sandy soil. The same holds good of 

 coleus. Heliotrope is a popular bed- 

 ding plant, of which a batch of cut- 

 tings should also now he taken. If you 

 want to increase your stock of crotons, 

 colored draca^nas, Pandanus Veitchii, 

 dieffenbachias, acalyphas and other 

 tropical bedding subjects, now is a 

 good time to put them in the propa- 

 gating bench. If well watered, shaded 

 and kept close, few will fail to root. 



Calceolarias. 



During the summer months these 

 make slow growth, but with the advent 

 of cool nights they take on a new lease 

 of life. Green aphis is the bane of 

 calceolarias. If, however, they are in 

 a frame, the proper place for them 

 until the end of October, it is easily 

 kept in check by fumigation. Pot 

 them along before the pots get at all 

 matted, or the plants will do little 

 good. Spray over at midday on warm 

 days and throw oflF the sashes at night, 

 unless a rain storm seems imminent. 

 Tlie small plants like a soil with con- 



siderable leaf-mold in it, but for the 

 later shifts use loam, cow manure and 

 sand. Some fine broken charcoal is 

 also good for calceolaria?. 



Transplanting. ' ■ 



Now is the time to transplant the 

 seedling pansies, violets, forget-me- 

 nots, daisies, aubrietias, alyssums |^nd 

 other spring-flowering bedding plants. 

 Where large quantities are grown, beds 

 oh ground with a gentle slope can be 

 utilized, but the average country florist, 

 growing onl.v a few hundreds or thou- 

 sands, will find it better to prick them 

 out directly into coldframes, using a 

 light and moderately rich soil. Do not 

 place any sashes over them until really 

 sharp winter weather sets in. 



Hydrangeas. 



Hydrangea plants which have been 

 pot-grown are the best adapted for 



Another Double Spathed Calla. 



early forcing. Presuming that they 

 have been grown in the full suA, the 

 wood should now be getting harfl- To 

 prepare plants for early forcing, grad- 

 ually reduce the water supply, in order 

 td further mature the wood and foli- 

 age. When time permits, it is a good 

 plan now to pot up a good batch of 

 the field-grown plants. They always 

 lift well. There is no need for a large 

 ball, or pots of unwieldy size will be 

 needed. I prefer to shake away most 

 of the soil, taking care, of course, to 

 keep all possible roots intact. Pot 



firmly, soak well with water and stand 

 them where some lath shading can be 

 run over them during bright sunshine 

 for a few days. Spray several times- 

 daily and the plants will soon become 

 established and stand full sunlight. 



Amaryllises. 



Give amaryllises the full sunlight 

 now if they have been kept well fed 

 throughout the summer. The bulbs will 

 have increased wonderfully in size. Do> 

 not dry off the plants at all yet; such, 

 treatment is unnatural and only weak- 

 ens them. About five or six weeks 

 hence some of the leaves will be turn- 

 ing yellow; then gradually reduce the 

 water supply. Common-sense culture 

 is frequently not given to these showy 

 plants; not infrequently we have seen 

 them, after flowering, laid on their 

 sides under some bench to rest, where 

 they will remain until a year hence, 

 when perchance they will thrcfw up 

 softie feeble spikes. The best growera 

 of amaryllises rest their plants but 

 little; in fact, the plants sometimes do 

 not shed all their leaves. A long^ 

 severe drying off is more harmful than 

 beneficial. ^ 



Lorraine Begonias. 



The early plants of Lorraine be- 

 gonias will require considerable atten- 

 tion now. If not staked up and tied 

 securely, they will soon, be so twisted 

 and broken as to be useless. When- 

 ever possible, use stakes which are 

 thin, green and inconspicuous. It is 

 better to keep the flowers picked off 

 for some time. ■ These begonias are 

 now often seen nicely bloomed in 

 October. From Thanksgiving to Christ- 

 mas is the best sellmg period for them. 

 The earliest plants, which are well 

 established now, received liquid man- 

 ure every fourth or fifth day. All of. 

 this class of begonias prefer a light 

 to a heavily shaded house. Little 

 shade is now needed for them. Gut- 

 tings just rooted will prove serviceable 

 in small pots or pans. A year ago 

 there was quite a scarcity of the small 

 sizes, but a surplus of the big speci- 

 mens. Never use a heavy soil for these 

 big begonias. A compost of one-half 

 flaky leaf-mold and one-half loam,, 

 with some well rotted manure and 

 sand added, and rather loose potting,, 

 seems to suit them. 



Stevias. 



Stevias should now be carefully lift- 

 ed where they have been planted out- 

 doors. They are brittle, and careless 

 handling will break many shoots. After 

 potting, keep them shaded and 

 sprayed for a few days. Keep the 

 plants outdoors just as long as possible. 

 Stevias are injured by the least breath 

 of frost, however, and should be stood 

 where they can have some protection 

 on a cold night, if space indoors is 

 not ready for them. Night winds are 

 liable to cause havoc among them and 

 the plants should be stood where they 

 will not be wind-swept. 



ANOTHEB DOUBLE CALLA. 



Callas with double spathes are by no 

 means rare, but the accompanying illus- 

 tration shows one of peculiarly regular 

 form, the two segments being almost 

 identical in size and shape. This Is a 

 spotted-leaved calla grown in a 6-uich 

 pot by Edwin W. Hambright, Philadel- 

 phia, who says the plant ayOused much 

 comment. Florists with whom these 

 freaks appear frequently turn them to 



t»t' -.'-li. 



