12 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



Januabt 19, 1911, 



omit the weekly fumigation. If you do, 

 you will find the lower sides of the 

 leaves which are near the surface of 

 the pots alive with green aphis. Candi- 

 dums are strong rooters and will be 

 much improved by the application of 

 liquid manure once a week from now on. 



Spiraea Japonica. 



If the newly imported spiraja clumps 

 have had a good freezing, a batch 

 should be potted up and placed in a 

 warm, moist house. These would be 

 rather too early for Easter, but spireeas 

 are such neat pot plants that there is a 

 sale for them over quite a long period. 

 The old S. Japonica is a cheap variety 

 and still much grown, especially for 

 cutting at Memorial day, but in pots 

 such sorts as Gladstone, astilboides 

 floribunda, grandiflora compacta and 

 others are vastly superior. Any or all 

 of these can be forced successfully now. 



That beautiful variety, Queen Alex- 

 andra, is not seen at its best if forced 

 for Easter. It comes much better dur- 

 ing the last half of April and from that 

 date until the middle of June. This is 

 one of the finest forcing spiraeas ever 

 introduced and, now that it is quite 

 moderate in price, more florists will un- 

 doubtedly grow it. In a cut state for 

 Memorial day it is superb, as is that 

 other charming pink variety, Peach 

 Blossom. The spiraeas wanted for 

 Easter need not be started before the 

 early part of February. 



Amaryllis. 



The earliest batch of amaryllis will 

 now have spikes well advanced. In- 

 crease the water supply as the spikes 

 develop, but be careful not to over- 

 water, especially where the bulbs were 

 repotted. In order to have a good suc- 

 cession, start a fresh batch of bulbs 



some hybridizing and saved your own 

 seed. In pans or flats kept shaded, 

 moderately moist and in a brisk heat, 

 amaryllis will soon germinate. Pot off 

 when they are of sufficient size and 

 keep them growing right along until 

 they flower, which is usually when two 

 years old, but sometimes earlier or 

 later. There is a considerable increase 

 in the interest in amaryllis, and up-to- 

 date retailers display not only plants in 

 bloom, but cut spikes. These latter are 

 better cut in bud; the flowers open out 

 in water just as well as on the plants. 



Spencer Sweet Peas. 



January is a good time to make a 

 liberal sowing of Spencer sweet peas 

 under glass. They are easily the best 

 sellers among sweet peas, and after 

 April there seems to be a demand for a 

 wider range of colors. At that time 

 violets are gone and sweet peas are 

 probably the most popular of all flow- 

 ers in season. There are each season a 

 number of additions to the so-called 

 orchid-flowering type of sweet peas. 

 The following are tested and reliable 

 varieties, with colors which cannot fail 

 to please: Mrs. Koutzahn Spencer, soft 

 chamois pink, beautiful; King Edward 

 Spencer, crimson scarlet; "White Spen- 

 cer, a grand, pure, wavy white; Heien 

 Lewis, bright orange, a fine selling 

 color; Countess Spencer, clear pink, still 

 one of the best; Frank Dolby, pale lav- 

 ender, a popular color; Apple Blossom 

 Spencer, blush pink, beautifully waved. 



Antirrhinums. 



From the earliest planting of antir- 

 rhinums, spikes of fine quality have 

 now been cut for over a month, and 

 they are selling well. In order to se- 

 cure really strong stalks, some disbud- 

 ding of the shoots is necessary. If they 



Establishment of Conrad C Gindra, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 



once in two weeks. A temperature of 

 60 degrees at night and some bottom 

 heat are conditions which amaryllis en- 

 joy. If there are any facilities for 

 "lunging the pots in leaves or any 

 other suitable material, they will thrive 

 vastly better than when not plunged. 



This is a suitable time to sow a fresh 

 batch of amaryllis seed. Try the best 

 possible strain if you have not done 



are wanted of the best quality, not over 

 three must be allowed to each plant. 

 For such spikes, however, a good price 

 must be obtained and it may pay bet- 

 ter to allow double the number to 

 grow, of medium strength. Be sure to 

 keep the flowering shoots tied up. Once 

 they become twisted, they are value- 

 less. 



Never subject the plants to strong 



heat in order to hasten a crop into 

 bloom. If you do, the stalks will be- 

 come so weak and Isrittle that they will 

 snap off or bend over. Fifty degrees 

 should be the absolute maximum at 

 night for antirrhinums. As the spikes 

 develop a top-dressing of sheep manure, 

 scratched into the soil and washed in, 

 will be of material benefit to them. 

 Take note of any particularly pleasing 

 varieties, mark them and put in a batch 

 of cuttings from them. The colors come 

 tolerably true from seed, but the qual- 

 ity is often variable, and a first-class 

 white, pink or yellow snapdragon is 

 well worth retaining. 



Mignonette. 

 During January, February and March 

 mignonette produces the finest spikes 

 in the year. It is an annual which 

 loves cool weather, and in a house held 

 as near 40 degrees at night as possible, 

 with other conditions to its liking, it 

 makes excellent spikes. Give the beds 

 a top-dressing of cow or sheep manure. 

 Mignonette likes a generous soil and ap- 

 preciates feeding. If you have a first- 

 class strain, it will pay to save some 

 of your own seed. Mark and reserve a 

 few of the finest spikes for this purpose. 



Show Pelargoniums. 

 Show pelargoniums should now re- 

 ceive their final potting. Use for com- 

 post two-thirds fibrous loam and one- 

 third dried cow manure, to which may 

 be added some soot and coarse sand. 

 Press the soil firmly in the pots. If 

 wanted for Easter, do no further pinch- 

 ing of the shoots, but if intended to 

 flower in May or June, remove the tops 

 from the stronger shoots. These plants 

 grow rapidly now and should be af- 

 forded a fresh stand every week. Baise 

 up some of the larger specimens on 

 pots. This will insure stocky and well 

 furnished plants. Any failure to fumi- 

 gate or syringe with nicotine will mean 

 a swarm of green aphis, which will 

 speedily disfigure the plants. Grow 

 cool and airy at all times for the best 

 results. 



Petunias. 



Petunia cuttings from double plants, 

 taken now, will make strong, salable 

 stock in May. There is always a good 

 sale for petunias. Certainly they are 

 among the few plants which bloom per- 

 sistently, either in window boxes or 

 beds. Packets of so-called double seed 

 will only yield a small percentage of 

 doubles. This is a good time to make 

 a sowing. Be sure to prick off every 

 seedling. The weaker ones are most 

 likely to be the doubles. Seed of single 

 petunias can be sown any time from 

 now until the end of March. If they 

 are wanted in 4-inch pots for May sales, 

 sow now. Do not cover the fine seeds 

 at all. A thin scattering of fine sand 

 may be dusted over them. As the seed- 

 lings germinate, be sure to keep them 

 well up to the light. If there are snails 

 in your houses, they will clear the little 

 plants off in short order, unless looked 

 after sharply. 



THE GINDBA PLACE. 



Conrad C. Gindra's establishment at 

 Poughkeepsie, N. Y., is located on 

 Main street, on the line of travel to 

 and from Vassar College, and is kept 

 constantly neat and attractive. The 

 accompanying illustration gives a 

 bird's-eye view of a part of Mr. Gin- 

 dra's establishment and its environ- 

 ment. 



