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The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



JCNB 20, 1912. 



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 ^ ^ SUGGESTIONS \ 



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Eucharis Amazonica. 



Eucharis Amazonica, that useful 

 warm house bulb, is not grown as it was 

 some years ago. This is to be regretted, 

 as either i#\ a cut state or as a pot 

 plant it' is in every way vastly supe- 

 rior to many flowers oflfered today. Its 

 culture is not at all difficult, and for 

 anyone wishing to secure a few plants, 

 the present is a good time to do so. 

 Eucharis can be cultivated in beds, 

 benches or pots. When planted out, it 

 should be where it can have a good 

 bottom heat. For compost use fibrous 

 loam, lumpy dried cow manure, broken 

 pieces of brick, charcoal and coarse 

 sand. It is best to shake out the finer 

 soil; what is needed is a compost which 

 is porous and through which water will 

 pass readily. The plants must be shaded 

 during the hot summer months and, 

 except in the coldest winter weather, 

 a light shade should be used, as bright 

 sun turns the leaves a pale color. Pot 

 grown plants are best where only a 

 few are to be grown. These can be 

 rested easily, and two crops yearly, and 

 occasionally three, can be secured if 

 they are treated rationally. In summer 

 the pots do well plunged in frames. 

 They make much finer growth here than 

 in the greenhouses. When making its 

 growth, and after starting it up for 

 a crop of flowers, eucharis enjoys a 

 warm, moist atmosphere. When rest- 

 ing, it should be kept drier and cooler. 

 Few flowers are more useful in design 

 work, and arranged in vases on their 

 long stems they surpass in purity and 

 beauty almost every other bulbous 

 flower in cultivation. 



Fancy Caladiums. 



After midsummer, when flowering 

 plants are none too abundant, the fancy 

 caladiums, with their beautifully col- 

 ored leaves, are extremely useful. There 

 is a wide range of colors among them, 

 and although there are those who fail 

 to see any beauty in plants with varie- 

 gated foliage, they are in a minor- 

 ity. For room decorations and on piaz- 

 zas where not too exposed or windy, 

 these caladiums stand remarkably well. 

 In order to bring out their high colors, 

 they must not be grown too much shaded. 

 They need a little protection from' the 

 direct sun's rays under glass, but it 

 should be comparatively light or the 

 leaves will not take on such beautiful 

 variegations. As the pots become well 

 filled with roots, use a little liquid ma- 

 nure once in four or five days. In 

 summer they succeed well in an ordi- 

 nary greenhouse and should not be 

 moved direct from a warm, moist home 

 to a cool, draughty position, or wilting 

 will result. Of course caladiums are 

 splendid bedding plants in the warmer 

 states, but many of us do not know 

 much of them, as pot plants. 



Canterbury Bells. 



If seed was sown when advised, the 

 plants of Canterbury bell will now be 

 sufficiently large to transplant. Eather 

 than rush them out in the field direct 



from the seed bed, during dry, warm 

 weather, it is better to prick them off 

 in a frame where they can be carefully 

 watered and given a protection with 

 lath shadings for a few days. Later 

 they can be planted out in rows, a foot 

 between the plants. If seed has not 

 yet been sown, it is not yet too late to 

 get plants of flowering size before fall. 

 The single and hose-in-hose varieties 

 are the best. The doubles are far too 

 heavy and do not make good pot plants. 

 The real value of single Canterbury 

 bells as pot plants is not yet half appre- 

 ciated by florists. 



Left-over Bedding Plants. 



While there is some call for bedding 

 plants, even through July, the principal 

 sales for the season will now be over 

 except in northern sections and where 

 the season is later than usual. Do not 

 leave the unsold plants scattered pro- 

 miscuously all over the place; get them 

 together in batches to facilitate water- 

 ing and, if you do not need them to 

 beautify your own grounds or to plant 

 out for stock, offer them in the Classi- 

 fied department of The Eeview; this is 

 so big a country that somewhere your 

 little surplus is just what the othpr man 

 needs. 



We hope every country florist, doing 

 a trade in bedding plants, has appre- 

 ciated the importance of keeping his 

 home surroundings attractive. Beds of 

 cannas, geraniums or other plants used 

 with taste, added to a lawn regularly 

 mowed, makes a commercial establish- 

 ment more inviting and encourages pur- 

 chasers. Bedding plants and hardy per- 

 ennials planted in beds, borders or nurs- 



ery rows are all splendid advertise 

 ments. More florists each year are awak 

 ening to the necessity of neat hom 

 grounds and we hope the good wori: 

 will continue to advance and prosper 



Bulb Compost. > ~\ 



Many early bulbs will soon be arriv 

 ing and it is always well to prepare ; 

 good heap of compost in advanfce of 

 their coming. Good fibrous loam, whicl' 

 "has been stacked sufficiently long to 

 lose most of its toughness, mixed with 

 old, decayed cow manure and sand, 

 makes an excellent bulb soil. If cow 

 manure is not to be had, spent hotbed 

 or mushroom manure, which has had a 

 chance to dry out and is not wormy, 

 will be found good. Pulverized sheep 

 or cow manure can be used, but is not 

 equal to the fresher article. Some soot 

 can be added if desired and this will 

 help to clear out the worms. The ma- 

 jority of bulbs like a ligj^t, fairly rich 

 and somewhat sandy compost and if a 

 good pile is now prepared, it. will be 

 in prime condition for use when the 

 various bulbs arrive. 



Amaryllis. 



It is a mistake to dry amaryllis off 

 in the summer. This is often done, but 

 it should be remembered that it is at 

 this season that the plants make their 

 real growth; in fact, the most success- 

 ful amaryllis growers, including those 

 who showed such marvelous groups at 

 the recent great London International 

 Show, never really dry off their bulbs 

 at all. If a house can be spared for 

 them, the pots will be better plunged, 

 and the glass given a light shade. Fail- 

 ing this, utilize a coldframe and plunge 

 the pots to their brims in decayed leaves 

 or some other suitable material. Leave 

 sashes on all the time. Shade the glass, 

 but not too heavily. Spray freely on 

 bright days and keep the sashes ele- 

 vated at top and bottom all the time. 

 Afford liquid manure at least twice a 

 week, as amaryllis, when in good health 

 and with their pots full of roots, appre- 

 ciate plenty of it. Give a shift to any 



Delivery Outfit Just Put Into Service by a Chicago Florist. 



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