14 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



J&NUABX 19, 1911. 



BEGONIAS. 



Lorraine Begonias. 



Lorraine begonia, the finest winter 

 flowering variety ever introduced, 

 seems to have lost little of its popu- 

 larity; at least it was never seen in 

 greater abundance, or better grown, 

 than during the present season, and 

 sales have been brisk. We were told 

 that some people are tiring of itj This 

 is true of every plant which is of com- 

 paratively easy propagation, flowers 

 freely and can be purchased at moder- 

 ate rates. An objection raised is that 

 the plant is too squatty in its habit, 

 that it carries too many flowers and 

 enough foliage does not appear to show 

 off the flowers to proper advantage. We 

 are told that in England this plant is 

 trained in more of a pyramidal shape 

 and has great uses as a hanging plant, 

 neither of which we seem to have tried 

 to any considerable extent. A scarlet 

 Lorraine would be a grand acquisition, 

 and its sale for Christmas would be 

 something phenomenal. We will some 

 day undoubtedly have one of this color, 

 or some other begonia of a similar 

 shade. The introducer of such a be- 

 gonia should reap a comfortable for- 

 tune from such a plant. 



The bulk of the Lorraines are prob- 

 ably now sold. The plants still on hand 

 will keep in good condition for a num- 

 ber of weeks yet, but it is well to 

 start now on the propagation for next 

 season's plants. Leaf cuttings should 

 be taken and inserted in clean, sharp 

 sand, where a brisk bottom heat of 80 

 to 85 degrees is maintained. In taking 

 off the leaves we like to make a little 

 slanting cut in the stem, which portion 

 is to be inserted in the sand. Better 

 success will be had from cuttings taken 

 thus than when merely a straight cut 

 through the leaf stalk is made. Water 

 the cuttings well every day. If the 

 sand is porous, as it should be, there 

 will be no trouble from damping off. 

 Some growers prefer leaf cuttings to 

 shoots. The former will produce stronger 

 plants, which carry larger flowers than 

 those on the short cuttings. They are 

 also less freely produced, which is really 

 an advantage. From shoots the plants 

 flower more heavily, and for small or 

 medium plants this method of propaga- 

 tion is to be preferred. 



Begonia Incarnata. 



This beautiful begonia flowers a lit- 

 tle later than Lorraine, not being at its 

 best until the middle of January. It 

 is a taller grower and requires less 

 staking and tying than Lorraine. There 

 is an improved type, which originated 

 in Brookline, Mass., and which is an 

 immense advance on the original va- 

 riety, the blooms averaging twice the 

 size. This would soon become a popu- 

 lar commercial begonia and prove a se- 

 rious rival, even of Lorraine, were it 

 as rapid a grower and as easy of propa- 

 gation. Unfortunately, it is difficult to 

 get plants of salable size in a single 

 season, and when carried over a second 

 season a fair price would necessarily 

 have to be charged to make them profit- 

 able. No one has yet placed this on 

 the market commercially, so far as we 

 know, and there is a grand good open- 

 ing here for some wide-awake grower 

 to make a big hit, for by growing it 

 at 55 degrees for a month it can be 

 had in fine shape for Christmas. Prop- 

 agation is effected by taking soft cut- I 



tings from old plants, which have been 

 cut back, rested a little, and then 

 started up in a moist house. 



Begonia Bex. 



There are always some buyers who 

 admire pretty foliage, and the vari- 

 colored foliage of the Rex begonias ap- 

 peals to quite a few. It is probably a 

 fact that all colored-leaved plants are 

 freaks, but just the same Eex begonias, 

 fancy caladiums, crotons, dracsenas and 

 not a few other plants are popular, and 

 rightly so. It is true that green is the 

 most pleasing and satisfying color, but 

 it seems narrow and harsh to condemn 

 all deviations from it. The Eex be- 

 gonia is not a plant much seen at the 

 stores, but the average country florist 

 can dispose of a good many, as there are 

 not a few buyers who see far more 

 beauty in them than in many much 

 choicer and more valuable plants. 



Now, while the propagating bench is 

 steadily warm, is an ideal time to in- 

 crease the stock of these begonias. 

 Only propagate those which have the 

 finest colors. Use well matured leaves, 

 which, when cut in small pieces and 

 laid edgewise in lines in the cutting 

 bench, are not long in rooting and pro- 

 ducing little plants. The warmer the 

 house, the sooner will they be fit to 

 pot off. It is best to discard the thin- 

 ner portions of the leaves as being 

 least likely to root. 



TBOUBLE WITH LILIES. 



I am sending you a lily bulb on 

 which you will find a lot of white in- 

 sects like thrips. These also are on 

 callas and I find them destroying many 

 plants. You will also find a pest of 

 black flies and worms. They seem to 

 be in the soil and get to the roots of 

 the plants and kill them off. These 

 black flies are in the houses all win 

 ter. Kindly advise me what to do to 

 kill this pest. E. S. & S. 



I was unable to discover any of the 

 flies or worms in the soil when re- 

 ceived, nor could I detect any thrips 

 on the scales of the lily bulbs. As 

 the trouble seems to lie entirely in the 

 soil, it will be necessary to use some- 

 thing to kill them where they are, 

 without at the same time injuring the 

 plants. If your soil seems to be gen- 

 erally infested, it would be better to 

 sterilize it, if possible, before using it. 

 If you cannot do this, secure a few 

 cans of carbon bisulphide, which at 

 retail costs about 25 cents per pound. 

 While your compost is in heaps, bore 

 holes eighteen inches apart with a 

 pointed stick. Pour about a teaspoon- 

 ful of the liquid in each hole, imme- 

 diately covering it up. Go over any 

 compost in this way and you will kill 

 all grubs, worms and insect life of 

 every kind. Keep lights away while 

 applying the carbon, as it is explosive 

 and must be handled with great care. 



You can use the same remedy on 

 plants in your benches or in pots. Bore 

 a single hole in each pot and pour in 

 a few drops, or in the benches let the 

 holes be eighteen inches apart. It is 

 better to have the soil wet when apply- 

 ing it, as the fumes then are more pen- 

 etrating. You need have no fear of 

 carbon hurting your plants in any way. 

 A top-dressing of black soot scratched 

 into the soil, or watering with soot 

 water, would tend to drive away these 

 pests and at the same time benefit your 

 plants. C. W. 



BOSTON. 



The Market. 



Conditions show an improvement 

 over a week ago and flowers are clean- 

 ing up much better. In some cases 

 prices have hardened a little, but in 

 others they continue unusually low for 

 mid-January. Soses are somewhat off 

 crop with practically all the growers 

 and have sold quite well during the 

 last week. Prices have been a little 

 higher than a week previous. Quality 

 remains good. Carnations are less 

 abundant. They also are off crop with 

 some of the growers. Particularly good 

 are Pink Delight, Enchantress, Beacon, 

 Helen Goddard, White Enchantress, 

 Dorothy Gordon and White Perfec- 

 tion. Violets continue low in price. 

 Some of the growers blame the high ' 

 Christmas prices, which they say 

 frightened people from buying them. 

 Certainly present prices are not at all 

 profitable for the growers. 



Sweet peas are abundant and prices 

 arc quite low. A month hence there 

 will be an immense lot on the market, 

 as so many more are growing them this 

 season. Valley is of better quality, 

 but the demand is only moderate. 

 Freesias are fine and sell well. Among 

 tulips, some excellent Thomas Moore 

 are seen. Dutch hyacinths are also ar- 

 riving. Golden Spur is now the best 

 narcissus. Paper Whites continue over- 

 plentiful. There is still an abundance 

 of stevia; large quantities of this use- 

 ful little flower are sold. Marguerites 

 continue to sell well, especially the 

 yellow varieties. Gardenias are not 

 abundant, but the demand is light. 

 Cattleyas are now in good supply and 

 prices have fallen. Of lilies there is 

 an ample supply. A few speciosum 

 roseum are to be seen. Callas are ar- 

 riving more freely. There has been a 

 good business done in adiantum and 

 asparagus. The plant trade is un- 

 usually quiet. 



January 17 the market turned much 

 higher. Eoses were scarce and carna- 

 tions and other flowers advanced. 



Club Meeting. 



Ladies' night at the meeting of tho 

 Gardeners' and Florists' Club January 

 17 brought out an attendance of over 

 250. The committee on S. A. F. enter- 

 tainment made a report, which was ac- 

 cepted as progressive. The newly 

 elected officers, P. M. Miller, president; 

 Thomas Pegler, vice-president; W. N. 

 Craig, secretary; Peter Fisher, treas- 

 urer, and J. P. A. Guerineau, Mr. 

 Cameron, William Downs and W. J. 

 Kennedy of the executive committee, 

 each made short and optimistic ad- 

 dresses. The report of the treasurer 

 showed a substantial balance on the 

 right side of the ledger. The secretary 

 in his report stated that seventy-nine 

 new members were added in 1910; that 

 the largest attendance at any of the 

 regular meetings had been 240, smallest 

 102; average for the year, 148. There 

 wero members in eleven states and one 

 foreign country. A new committee on 

 exhibits was appointed, consisting of 

 Duncan Finlayson, Arthur Griffin, W. 

 J. Harvey, Pembroke Patten, George 

 Page, George Anderson, Kenneth Fin- 

 layson, Wm. McGillivray, Peter Fisher, 

 J. L. Smith, W. C. Eust, David Weir, 

 George Shields and Albert Botley. The 

 entertainment committee named is P. 

 J. Turley, C. J. Harvey, W. D. Nicker- 

 son, P. J. Van Baarda, George Butter- 



