'PIViV)»' 



Febbuaby 23, 1911. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 7 



THE GOOSE FIANT. 



You have, of course, noticed with what 

 avidity your local newspaper seizes upon 

 the unusual, the extraordinary, the bi- 

 zarre in horticulture, how nothing seems 

 to interest the reporter so much as the 

 improbable and impractical. Then why 

 not take advantage of it? 



Don't undertake to mislead the credu- 

 lous scribe — perish the thought! Just 

 give him the Mnt and he will let his fancy 

 have free reign and save all strain on 

 your conscience. 



For instance, call him up on the phone 

 and tell him that there is an Aristolochia 

 grandiflora Sturtevantii in your green- 

 house, that it is quite harmless but a 

 great curiosity. Ask him to come up and 

 take a look. Lead him out into the green- 

 house and show him the goose plant; teU 

 him that it is attracting wide attention 

 and causing much talk; that you have 

 thus far admitted all who have come to 

 see it. He will set the tongues of the 

 whole town wagging and you will have a 

 stream of visitors, people who will come 

 a mile to see the wonderful freak plant 

 who would not walk around the block to 

 see your really well grown but everyday 

 carnations and roses. 



You can tell them that the goose plant 

 is first cousin to the Dutchman's pipe. 

 It 's nothing 'but the truth, but you must 

 say it with great gravity. 



The name, aristolochia, is applied to 

 the genus because of supposed medicinal 

 virtues. Most medicines taste bad and, 

 by the same token, most of the aristo- 

 lochias smell bad. Many of the tropical 

 forms have flowers of extraordinary size 

 and structure, but the odor is suggestive 

 of putridity. The best known representa- 

 tive of the genus is A. Sipho, the Dutch- 

 man 's pipe, than which there is no better 

 hardy climbing vine for shade or screen- 

 ing purposes, say about a porch. The 

 only value possessed by A. grandiflora 

 Sturtevantii is its unique form. In some 

 of the larger park conservatories it regu- 

 larly is grown because of the amount of 

 attention it attracts from those passing 

 through the houses. The flower when 

 well developed almost exactly resembles 

 a goose. The color is greenish white. 



The aristolochias are of easy culture, 

 requiring only good loam and careful at- 

 tention to keep them thrifty and free 

 from insects. Most of them require a 

 rather warm temperature, but if in pots 

 they may be flowered in the conservatory. 

 The large growing species require much 

 room and do not bloom as a rule until 

 they are quite large. Propagation is 

 easy, by means of cuttings rooted in a 

 frame. 



UUES FOB EASTEB. 



Many growers are now getting anx- 

 ious about their Easter lilies, to judge 

 from the queries which are coming to 

 hand almost daily. A typical question 

 is: "My lilies are four to five inches 

 high. Will these be in flower for 

 Easter and how warm must I keep them 

 to be sure they are on timet" 



Lilies, no matter whether Harrisii, 

 multiflorum or giganteum, are a little 

 late if only four or five inches in height 

 by the latter part of February. They 

 must have a steady night temperature 

 of 65 degrees, and 5 degrees more will 

 be better. Close the house in which they 

 are growing early in the afternoon and 

 syringe the plants overhead twice a 

 day. There is one advantage in Easter 

 coming later than usual, in that back- 

 ward plants can be brought into flower 

 rather more quickly than a year ago. 



The Goose Plant. 



when it occurred in March. To be on 

 the right side with plants, it should be 

 possible to see and count the buds early 

 in Lent, in which case a night tem- 

 perature of 60 degrees will bring them 

 in flower in good season and allow of 

 their being placed in a cool house for 

 a few days. 



Probably nine-tenths of the lilies 

 grown for Easter are giganteums; next 

 to these come multiflorums. Both of 

 these are dwarfer in habit than Har- 

 risii and Formosas and stand up well 

 without the aid of stakes. As the pots 

 become well matted with roots, apply 

 manure water twice a week in moder- 

 ate doses. An adequate water supply 

 must be given, or considerable of the 

 lower foliage will be lost. Spray once 

 a week with nicotine for aphis, if you 

 do not fumigate. Giganteums love heat 

 in every stage of their growth, and 

 many who blame the dealers for selling 

 them diseased bulbs have only them- 

 selves to thank for their losses, which 



are really caused by starting the bulbs 

 too cool, overwatering in the early 

 stages of growth and not giving suffi- 

 cient heat once the plants have started 

 into growth. 



If you can see your buds early in 

 March, they are all right; if not, they 

 are late and want all the heat and 

 moisture you can give them. 



Candidum lilies are less seen at 

 Easter than their merits would seem to 

 warrant. An inferior grade of bulbs, 

 which produces poor spikes, small flow- 

 ers and much disease, has discouraged 

 many from growing them. Those who 

 have the true, broad-petaled type need 

 have no fear of disease and can rest 

 assured that the flowers will sell quick- 

 ly to any of the up-to-date stores. 

 Now, if your candidums show their 

 buds by March 15, they will be all 

 right if allowed an average night tem- 

 perature of 50 to 52 degrees, never lot- 

 ting it exceed 55 degrees. If you give 

 your candidums the sweltering treat- 



