March 13, 1913. 



The Florists' Review 



35 



Two Ways of Selling; the Easter Cut Flowers— In Metal Lined Baskets. 



names on the books, and the invested 

 funds amount to $350,000. The 

 chairman. Sir Trevor Lawrence, men- 

 tioned that the occasion was the 

 twenty-fifth anniversary of the ap- 

 pointment of Kev. W. Wilks as secre- 

 tary. He had pleasure in stating that 

 the council were having a portrait of 

 Mr. Wilks prepared and the testimonial 

 fund had reached $2,500. In addition 

 he had pleasure in handipg a silver 

 salver to Mr. Wilks. 



The proposed establishment of a 

 diploma in horticulture is likely to be 

 achieved soon. In conjunction, the De- 

 partment of Horticulture, the Royal 

 Horticultural Society and the Univer- 

 sity of London are preparing a syllabus. 

 It is also hoped that a degree in horti- 

 culture will be established at London 

 University. 



The Royal Horticultural Society has 

 conferred the Victoria medal of honor 

 upon Rev. W. Wilks; also upon James 

 Whitton, superintendent of the Glasgow 

 parks, and W. H. Divers, gardener at 

 Belvoir Castle, a well knoWn gardener 

 and writer on gardening subjects. 



David King, nurseryman, Edinburgh, 

 who has succeeded W. H. Massie, seed 

 merchant, Edinburgh, as president of 

 the Scottish Horticultural Association, 

 del^tred his inaugural address Febru- 

 ary^. His subject was "Recent Ad- 

 vanceir in Horticulture," and he ex- 

 pressed the opinion that such advances 

 had been more along scientific lines 

 than on practical lines. Britain had al- 

 ways stood high in practical horticul- 

 ture and it was difficult to say that 

 there had been much advance during 

 the last half century. 



Two well known gentlemen in the 

 dahlia trade spoke at a conference of 

 the National Dahlia Society in JLrondon 

 ETebruary 14. W. C. Wyatt, of TKeynes, 



tember, for decorative garden dahlias, 

 on a space 3x25 feet. 



The French National Society of Ac- 

 climatization has conferred its large 

 gold medal upon Sir Henry J. Veitch, in 

 recognition of services rendered by the 

 introduction of numerous exotic species 

 of trees and shrubs, which can be cul- 

 tivated in the open air in Europe. 



John Waterer & Sons, Ltd., Bagshot, 

 England, have appointed H, Bucken- 

 ham as their landscape gardener. He 

 received his early training in England 

 and thereafter proceeded to the United 

 States, where he was engaged in land- 

 scape operations. Among the schemes 

 he superintended was that of Duke's 

 Farm, Somerville, N. J. With John 

 Waterer & Sons there will be abundant 

 scope for his talents. 



The ubiquitous sweet pea claims at- 

 tention at all seasons. Seed merchants 

 are now at their wits' end to satisfy 

 customers as certain seed drawers be- 

 come depleted. A number of mem- 

 bers of the National Sweet Pea Society 

 recently gave their votes on the best 

 twelve varieties and the result was: 

 Thomas Stevenson, 53 votes; Clara Cur- 

 tis, 42; Elfrida Pearson and Maud 

 Holmes, 40 each; R. F. Felton, 39; Elsie 

 Herbert, 37; Nubian, 36; Mrs. C. W. 

 Breadmore, 35; Etta Dyke, 33; Hercules, 

 30; Mrs. Hugh Dickson, 23; Sunproof 

 Crimson, 23. Bee. 



Williams & Co., Salisbury, spoke on 

 and Pf^. 



Ltd., Cafdil 



Dahlia." A challenge cup of the value 



of $370 will be competed foJr in Sep- 



GABDENIAS IN BENCHES. 



You were kind and prompt in getting 

 me the desired information regarding 

 the pest on Rhea Reid roses for which 

 I wrote you, . and for which I thank 

 you. I am now writing to ask you for 

 information through your paper regard- 

 ing the culture of gardenias in the 

 bench: also, how many blooms one 

 should get per plant, and the average 

 selling, pricji ^er Mop m W.^^ . ^, 



now be in sand or potted off. They will 

 root in a month with a brisk bottom 



heat in a night temperature of 70 de- 

 grees. Cuttings require frequent water- 

 ing; in fact, with fairly coarse sand 

 they can scarcely be overwatered. Keep 

 the young plants close and shaded until 

 established in the pots, which should be 

 2%-inch or 2%-inch. Later a shift can 

 be given into 3i^-inch pots, although 

 if the bench is ready they can go there 

 direct. 



Gardenias want a light house, piped 

 so that an absolute minimum of 65 to 

 70 degrees can be maintained with ease. 

 I prefer to have the pipes below the 

 benches, but near the ground, so as to 

 afford some bottom heat. Use good 

 drainage in the benches and for com- 

 post two-thirds fibrous loam to one- 

 third dry, lumpy cow manure. To this 

 can be added some broken charcoal and 

 coarse sand. Gardenias want a porous 

 soil, through which water will readily 

 pass. If this is not given the soil will 

 become sour and the yellows will ap- 

 pear sooner or later. Five inches of soil 

 is ample. Set the plants fifteen inches 

 apart in the rows and let the rows be 

 twenty-four inches apart. Leave a lit- 

 tle saucer about each plant and water 

 in these for a time, until the roots are 

 running through the soil freely. Too 

 much water may bring on the yellows. 



Gardenias enjoy a brisk, moist heat. 

 Mealy bug and other pests can be con- 

 trolled by the judicious use of the hose. 

 Right through the growing season spray 

 the plants over in the afternoon and 

 close up so as to have a warm, moist 

 growing atmosphere. Always avoid any- 

 thing like overwatering. Pinch the lit- 

 tle plants once or twice as needed and, 

 before they become too much grown, 

 support by a wire stake, to which some 

 of the stronger shoots can be tied. 

 Some growers use no stakes, but it 

 pays to have them. 



As autumn approaches, with colder 

 "nights, use great care in watering. Both 

 then and in midwinter it is best to let 

 '>eds 'get' a-littl# on the dry side 

 ihqi^soBK well.JjiA. too ^♦et condi- 

 tion i^ more likely tb^cause Tjud drop- 

 ping than soil partially dry. Do not 

 let the minimum go below 65 degrees. 



