12 



The Florists' Review 



JCLT 11, 1912. 



crop under now. The next important 

 thing is to keep your soil good by fre- 

 quent feeding while in the houses. And 

 take care not to get it too wet and 

 sour, as these conditions are favorable 

 to such diseases as are bothering you. 

 Boses on their own roots, are often 

 held two or three seasons in the same 

 way as grafted stock and, if handled 

 right, do quite well. I am not in- 

 formed as to fruit tree budding, etc., 

 but would suggest that you buy grafted 



roses, as the process is difficult to do 

 well and requires considerable experi- 

 ence. 



The fact that you have lettuce dis- 

 ease this season does not mean pos- 

 itively that you would have it next 

 winteiT, even if you did not sterilize or 

 change the soil. It may run out before 

 you use it for lettuce again this fall. 

 It is always a good plan to scrape off 

 a little of the top soil and carry it out 

 before spading up for a new crop. 



H. G. 



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SEASONABLE 

 ^ ^ SUGGESTIONS i 



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Sowing Biennials and Perennials. 



Now that bedding plants are out of 

 the way and there has been a chance 

 to clean up the frames somewhat, it is 

 an ideal time to sow many varieties 

 of perennials and biennials. Of course, 

 perennials, if sown in early spring, 

 will make much stronger plants before 

 fall. Nevertheless, nice little plants of 

 many sorts are to be had by sowing 

 now. The compost for these seeds 

 should be light. A good proportion of 

 leaf-mold is useful, though not neces- 

 sary, for their successful germination. 

 Do not sow broadcast, but in shallow 

 drills six inches apart. It is easier 

 then to keep the seedlings clear of 

 weeds and the ground frequently 

 stirred. Among the seeds which should 

 be sown now are the following: Sweet 

 rockets; digitalis, or foxglove; Coreop- 

 sis grandiflora, Gaillardia grandiflora; 

 delphiniums, all varieties; aquilegias, 

 lychnis, Gypsophila paniculata, alyssum, 

 saxatile, aubrietias, sweet-williams, Pa- 

 paver orientale, Iceland poppy, Pyre- 

 thrum roseum, Lupinus polyphyllus, 

 hollyhocks, hibiscus; campanulas in 

 varietj:,_inQjuding CfiBlterbury bells if 

 they have^ijbeen overlooked hitherto;. 

 ChrysantEemum maximum in variety, 

 arabis and achilleas. 



Keep the seed beds shaded and well 

 watered. Use a watering can, how- 

 ever, for this latter purpose and not 

 the hose. Gradually remove the shad- 

 ing when the seedlings are nicely above 

 the ground. Choose cool, moist days 

 for transplanting into the nursery rows. 

 We do not always get such weather 

 when wanted, but usually some suitable 

 day will present itself. Every country 

 florist would do well to grow more of 

 these hardy plants. There is an in- 

 creasing tendency to grow them ex- 

 tensively and he who is wise will equip 

 himself to meet the increasing call. 



Lorraine Begonias. 



The old stock plants of Lorraine and 

 Glory of Cincinnati begonias will still 

 yield plenty of cuttings and these 

 fbould be taken off and rooted as soon 

 as of sufficient size. They will make real- 

 ly nice little plants for Thanksgiving 

 and Christmas trade and the last year 

 or two has seen a decided shortage of 

 plants in small sizes, although in large 

 plants there has been something of a 

 surplus. Keep earlier plants shifted 

 along into pots or pans and be sure to 

 have the compost light. Plenty of 



flaky leaf-mold is particularly to their 

 liking. While these begonias require 

 some shading, it should not be heavy, 

 or they will become much drawn. Their 

 rate of growth may seem disappointing 

 during the hot summer months, but 

 will be accelerated a little later in the 



season. 



Spray Plants Freely. 



During July and the first half of 

 August, which is the hottest period 

 of the year, the hose should be called 

 into frequent requisition, not only 

 when the plants require watering at 



Tbe Editor Is pleased 

 \eben a Reader 

 presents his ideas 

 on any subject treated in 



_^/pi*^ 



As experience is the bent 

 teacher, so do we 

 leam fastest by an 

 exchansre of experiences. 

 Many valuable points 

 are brought out 

 by discussion. 



Good penmanship, spelling and 

 grammar, though desirable, are not 

 necessary. Write as you vrould talk 

 when doing your best. 



WS SHAU. BE OLAD 

 TO HEAR VROM TOU 



the root, but sprayings overhead are 

 refreshing to nearly all plants. The 

 clearer and more intensely hot the day, 

 the greater benefit will come from 

 damping the plants overhead frequent- 

 ly. Chrysanthemums are specially re- 

 freshed by these syringings. Even when 

 moist at the root, intense sun heat will 

 cause them to wilt badly, and to check 

 this the hose should be called into 

 requisition. Such plants as azaleas, 

 ericas, genistas, etc., greatly appreciate 

 these sprayings overhead. In fact, 



there are few plants which resent it, 

 if we except such flowering plants as 

 tuberous begonias, gloxinias, achimenes 

 and others of allied character. The 

 old theory of keeping water off the 

 leaves when the sun shines, for fear 

 of browning them, is pure moonshine. 



Sowing Late Annuals. 



There are quite a few annuals which, 

 if sown now, will provide a useful lot 

 of flowers for cutting later in the sum- 

 mer. Some of these are excellent in 

 design work, while all have uses as cut 

 flowers. A few sorts which can be 

 sown now are lupines, larkspurs, 

 clarkias, mignonette, Shirley poppies, 

 candytuft, sweet alyssum and Gypso- 

 phila elegans. 



Bambler Boses. 



Pot-grown rambler roses will now 

 have made canes of considerable length. 

 Do not allow these to lie over on the 

 ground, but tie them up securely. Only 

 in this way can they be well ripened. 

 This is particularly necessary with 

 Dorothy Perkins and other pink varie- 

 ties, which are somewhat prostrate in 

 their natural habit. These pink ram- 

 blers also send up far more shoots than 

 should be retained; reduce these to 

 four or five on each plant. If ramblers 

 in pots are still indoors, get them out- 

 side at once, where they will grow 

 much better and be less susceptible to 

 attacks of spider. Plunge them to 

 their brims, not in ashes but in an old 

 hotbed or in some good soil where they 

 can root through, and stronger canes 

 will be the result. Use the hose free- 

 ly on the ramblers and there is little 

 likelihood of red spider getting a foot- 

 hold. 



The wood on outdoor plants is now 

 in good condition for propagating pur- 

 poses. Select the thin and fairly well 

 ripened wood rather than that from 

 rank growing shoots. Cuttings with 

 two eyes are best and the leaves can 

 be shortened back. Cut right below a 

 leaf. Insert in pots, pans or flats, or di- 

 rectly in the soil in the frame. A compost 

 containing plenty of sand is needed. 

 Keep the frame shaded, freely sprayed 

 over and quite close until the cuttings 

 are rooted. Practically all hardy rq^ps 

 can be easily propagated from cuttings 

 in frames at this season. A mild bot- 

 tom heat is an advantage, but is not a 

 necessity now, when solar heat is sa 

 strong. 



Dahlias. 



Dahlias are now making good growth 

 in the field. The later planted ones 

 usually do the best. These I do not 

 attempt to stake, but pinch them when ' 

 five or six inches high. This causes 

 them to branch out and form nice,, 

 bushy plants, which stand up well with- 

 out staking. The earlier plants, which 

 are much stronger, would better be 

 staked, and as they are now of a con- 

 siderable length, the sooner the sup- 

 ports are given, the better. Dahlias 

 like moist weather, as under such con- 

 ditions they make their best growth,, 

 but it is astonishing how much drought 

 they withstand if the cultivator is kept 

 constantly at work among them. 

 Where the ground is rather poor, the 

 plants can be much improved by giving 

 a sprinkling of nitrate of soda or dried 

 blood, scratching it in around the 

 plants, but not getting it too near 

 them. The roots will soon find this 

 food and the plants will respond and 

 grow with much greater vigor. 



