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12 



The Weekly Fbrists^ Review^ 



Mauch 1G, 1911. 



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I 



I SEASONABLE 



SUGGESTIONS 



t 



Easter Lilies. 



A late Easter nearly always causes 

 growers to hold back much, of their stock 

 of Easter lilies a little too long. They 

 figure that as March has been moderately 

 warm,, April is bound to be even warmer. 

 Were we sure of these climatic condi- 

 > tions, it would be all right, but not in- 

 frequently a warm, sunny March gives 

 place to a cold, sunless April and our 

 theory about an April week being worth 

 two or three in March gets a severe jolt. 

 It is always safe to get the lilies along 

 in good season, for even if they flower a 

 week ahead of the time they are wanted, 

 a cold cellar will hold them nicely. The 

 buds should now be dropping on all 

 plants for Easter and in an average night 

 temperature of 60 degrees these will be 

 in flower in good season. Considerable 

 moving around of the plants will be 

 found necessary to have them all in 

 bloom together. Plants which are only 

 just showing the buds may still be flow- 

 ered in time if, subjected to hard forcing, 

 70 to 75 degrees at night. Frequent 

 syringing and a close, moist atmosphere 

 will be needed to hurry them and those 

 who have a batch of late plants know 

 t)etter than anyone else how painfully 

 slow their progress seems, more espe- 

 cially when we get a daj-k spell of weath- 

 er during the last few days before Easter. 



Bulbous Plants for Easter. 



A correspondent inquires if it would 

 be possible to flower such bulbs as hya- 

 cinths, tulips and daffodils without fire 

 heat for Easter. It is not only possible, 

 but in the case of a late Easter is much 

 the best way to grow them. It is too 

 early to start these bulbs, but from 

 March 25 to April 1, according to the 

 condition of the bulbs and the variety, 

 they can be brought from the cellar, 

 where they have been stored for the win- 

 ter, and placed on a bed of ashes in a 

 coldframe, well up to the light". Here 

 they can be properly watered and cared 

 for and ventilated freely, and the plants 

 will be much stockier than if grown in a 

 greenhouse. Of course, a hot spell of 

 weather will send these plants on with a 

 rush and it may be necessary to remove 

 them to a cold cellar to retard them. On 

 the other hand, with cold weather a re- 

 moval to the greenhouse, or a closing of 

 the frames to bottle up a little sunheat, 

 may be necessary. To reduce the tem- 

 perature in the frames on hot days, mats 

 can be thrown over them. This is better 

 than shading the glass, as this latter 

 method tends to draw up the plants. 



Hydrangeas. 



' We have passed the middle of March 

 now and Memorial day will be here with- 

 in ten weeks. There are advantages in 

 an early Easter, as it gives us bench 

 space for the Memorial day crops sev- 

 eral weeks ahead of 1911, for example. 

 The hydrangeas should all be started 

 now,, not under benches, but if yojj have 

 no greenhouse space utilize some cojd- 

 frames with the neoessarv head room. 



Stand the pots on a surface of coal ashes 

 and be sure to protect them on cool 

 nights with mats, as a little frost will 

 injure the tender shoots. If you have 

 any bench space in a cool house, utilize 

 it to the fullest extent for the hydran- 

 geas. They should have the light now, to 

 prevent their making thin, spindling 

 growths. 



The plants for Easter should now have 

 flower heads well advanced. If at all 

 backward, give them a brisk, moist heat 

 to hurry them along for a couple of 

 weeks. They are better in quality, how- 

 ever, if not hard forced. Hydrangeas are 

 notoriously thirsty subjects and, given 

 good drainage, it is hardly possible to 

 overwater them while in active growth 

 under glass. Feed freely also and in 

 case of any showing pale foliage, a dose 

 or two of Clay's fertilizer applied in the 

 form of a top-dressing, or in liquid form, 

 or soot water will soon green them up. 

 Marguerites. 



The marguerites intended for Easter 

 flowering must now have the closest at- 

 tention. The fact that Easter comes at 

 a later date than usual makes it possi- 

 ble to have them in better flower than is 

 customary. Marguerites enjoy the full- 



est light, are gross feeders and, the pots 

 being full of active roots, manure water 

 should be given at least twice a week. 

 Never allow the plants to get dry or 

 once they are in flower much foliage i.nd 

 many flowers will be lost. Do not let ;the 

 plants stand too closely. Elevate some 

 on inverted pots and stand a saucer below 

 them to prevent undue drying out. As 

 a general rule, marguerites well iioweired 

 and of good shape are not overabundant 

 at Easter, and well grown and shapely 

 plants should sell well. Queen Alexandra 

 is not naturally an early bloomer and, 

 rather than attempt any forcing tactics, 

 hold them cool for Memorial day, when 

 marguerites always sell well. ; 



Transplanting Seedlings. 



Many small seedlings will now require 

 pricking off into flats. It never pay$ to 

 delay this work, as once the little plsints 

 start to crowd each other, they become 

 drawn and weakly, and unless caref^illy 

 handled many will die when transplanted. 

 A light compost passed through a half- 

 inch screen is suitable for all seedlings. 

 If half is leaf -mold and the balance loam 

 which has had a little old manure mixed 

 in it, about all seedlings will take kindly 

 to it. In addition to seedlings, there are 

 many small cuttings which are just as 

 well, or better, in shallow flats than! in 

 pots. Never leave them in the cutting 

 bench to become hard. When the roots 

 are quite short is the time to transplant 

 and not when they have matted the whole 

 bench with roots. Careful and thorough 

 watering and shading are necessary es- 

 sentials for all newly transplanted cut- 

 tings and seedlings, and shade from di- 

 rect sunlight and a moderately close and 

 moist atmosphere for the first fow days 

 will reduce losses to a minimum. 



*^«C> 



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SEASONABLE CX7LTUBE. 



The fall rooted cuttings, if not already 

 in 4-inch pots, should go into this size 

 without delay. When repotting gerani- 

 ums and, for that matter, any other 

 plants in active growth, be sure that the 

 balls of earth are moist; it makes a 

 great difference to the future welfare of 

 the plant. A small ball in a perfectly 

 dry state takes a lot of water to soak it 

 after repotting, and if you want to sat- 

 isfy yourself on this point, just select a 

 few plants and mark them. 



Geraniums at the final shift are better 

 potted firmly. Avoid much decayed ma- 

 nure in the soil; any used should be old 

 and crumble through the hands or sieve 

 readily. Use a 4-inch pot of fine bone to 

 each barrow-load of soil. This tends to 

 build up a firm, stocky growth and one 

 which will be floriferous, and every 

 country florist knows that the geraniums 

 and other'bedding plants with flowers on 

 are what people will buy, the strong, 

 green flowerless plants being neglected. 



The earlier spring, or rather winter 

 rooted cuttings, should now be in 3-inch 

 pots and can get a further shift in three 

 weeks' time. While not so strong as the 

 fall cuttings, they will make nice, sal- 



able stock. A later batch is well rooted 

 in 2-inch and ready for a size larger pots. 

 It is now getting too late to root any fur- 

 ther cuttings to produce plants of suflS- 

 cient size for late spring salds, but any 

 such can be saved and planted out at 

 home for stock. 



At this season are received numerous 

 inquiries in regard to diseased plants. 

 This trouble sometimes has its inception 

 in the cutting bench. It can, however, 

 be created by giving the plants too much 

 nitrogen in the soil, which will cause a 

 rank but soft growth, and sometimes leaf - 

 spot or bacteria will become rife and 

 spread with great rapidity under such 

 conditions. The best way to counteract 

 it is to clean away the affected leaves. 

 Allow the plants" to dry out well betv.'een 

 waterings to assist in hardening the 

 growths. Air abundantly during favor- 

 able weather. Keep the atmosphere dry, 

 rather than moist, and let all possible 

 sunlight strike the plants. Geraniums 

 should not be forced at any stage of their 

 growth. The cuttings themselves root 

 better in a temperature of 50 to 55 de- 

 grees than 10 degrees higher, and after 

 potting 50 degrees should be the absolute 

 maximum night temperature where stocky 

 plants are wanted. 



