Mabch 13, 1913. 



The Florists' Review 



39 



he cut a ^ood crop of spinach from 

 seed sown in the fall; also some pansy 

 T.lants. He plowed the land and planted 

 lettuce plants from his greenhouse. 

 When the lettuce was nearly market- 

 able he drilled radish seed up the 

 rows. When these were being pulled 

 he planted wax beans which had been 

 started on sod in his greenhouse. Then 

 • ame crops of summer lettuce, fall 

 radishes and spinach. 



A New York market gardener once 

 told me that I tried to get too many 

 (^^rops from the same piece of ground 

 in one season. He relied on a single 

 crop. But I would rather have the 

 satisfaction of the Detroit florist who 

 grew seven crops than that of the 

 New York gardener who secured but 

 one. 



I had several thousand cosmos plants 

 which grew too rank in the beds. I 

 thought I would try lopping off the 

 tops, as they were touching the glass. 

 As an experiment I stuck the slips in 

 between the tomato rows in a hotbed. 

 In a few days they rooted and I dis- 

 covered that these cuttings made flow- 

 ering plants much sooner than those 

 from seed, besides doubling my plant 

 supply. In fact, somef were in bloom 

 before I planted them out in June. 



Cream on Cream. 



Gladioli seem to be a popular go- 

 between in greenhouse plantings in this 

 vicinity. Especially do carnation grow- 

 ers take to this bulb. But there are 

 those, like the aforementioned New 

 York gardener, who desire to see but 

 one crop growing on the same ground 

 at the same time. They forget that if 

 they select those kinds that do not 

 intrude on their neighbors, whatever 

 is added to the income from these 

 extra sales is but cream on cream. 



Having 2,000 pond lily cosmos unsold 

 one season, I planted them between 

 the hills in a field of Golden Bantam 

 corn; after the corn was cut the cos- 

 mos massed the field and several thou- 

 sand cuts of the bloom added to the 

 season's profits. 



If we only knew all the workings of 

 the underworld of roots — if we could 

 see all plant life upside down, as it 

 were — we (fould more easily choose 

 those that would couple in harmony. 

 If such plants as the gerardias are root 

 parasites, as some botanists assert, we 

 must beware of that class. On the 

 other hand, those of the order of le- 

 gumes, the sweet pea, etc., from their 

 reputed congenial habits of growth, 

 might be welcomed in composite flori- 

 culture. 



With some greenhouse crops, such as 

 <ucumbers, etc., where all the soil or 

 space is not needed at the start, beans, 

 lettuce and even radishes might be 

 "sed as fillers. The "Japanese climb- 

 'Dg cucumber seems to me to have 

 many points in its favor as an agree- 

 :ible greenhouse resident. 



The Pentstemon and Its Future. 



One of the coming popular flowers, 

 in my mind, is the pentstemon. Amer- 

 'ca is the natural home of this inter- 

 "sting plant, for there are no less than 

 'en kinds found east of the Bockies, 

 'resides several in California, Mexico 

 =ind elsewhere. But it is to the hybrids 

 That We must look for suitable commer- 

 cial varieties, an^ while, the English 

 ^peak of named varieties of these 

 jiyprids, it is quite time for Americans 

 ^0 get their heads together and give 



Arm Bouquet Canted by the Queen of the Mardi Gras. 



the different beautiful colored speci- 

 mens of Hartwegi, gloxinioides, glaber, 

 pulchellus, etc., suitable individual 

 names. In solid beds, until I can deter- 

 mine whether or not they are root 

 parasites, I shall be slow to companion 

 them with other kinds of plants. With 

 the advent of hybrids having more 

 sturdy, less wiltable bloom for cutting, 

 with its already proved adaptability for 

 bedding out and its ease of propaga- 

 tion from seed or from cuttings from 

 low side shoots, the pentstemon is on 

 the verge of a wave of popular fashion 

 or public favor, such as is already ex- 

 perienced by many of its more for- 

 tunate neighbors. 



Mushrooms may be grown in many 

 beds without inconvenience to the host. 

 Montbretias may be used quite as well 

 as gladioli. Sea kale and Swiss chard, 

 owing to their increasing popularity, 

 must be given consideration. 



Cultivate some of the "new things" 

 in the open during the summer; give 

 specimens or messes to the fancy res- 

 taurants; let them sample and whet 

 their appetites; then try to force some 

 to supply your trade. I have found that 

 a bunch of flowers or hamper of some 

 new vegetable, freely given. away, often 



brings a good reward in the following 

 sales. Ulysses R. Perrine. 



A MABDI GBAS BOUQUET. 



The accompanying illustration shows 

 a large arm bouquet of American Beau- 

 ties and valley carried by the queen of 

 the Mardi Gras. It was the work of 

 Conover & Butherford, Mobile, Ala. 



CLAY'S FEBTILIZEB. -*i 



What proportion of Clay's fertilizer 

 should be used to a gallon of water f 

 8. B. 



A teaspoonful to a gallon of water is 

 a sufficiently strong dose for the aver- 

 age soft-wooded plant. Such plants as 

 callaa, hydrangeas, marguerites and 

 chrysanthemums will take it double that 

 strength. Clay's fertilizer can also be 

 applied as a top-dressing; one teaspoon- 

 ful to a 6-inch pot should be applied to 

 such plants as begonias, primroses, cine- 

 rarias, cyclamens, geraniums, calceola- 

 rias, etc. Strong growing ferns, like 

 cibotiums and nephrolepis, are benefited 

 by Clay 's fertilizer, but use it half as 

 strong as for the flowering plants, and 

 in liquid form. C. W. 



