16 



The Florists^ Review 



~Mxx 8, 1913. 



"It would take too long to educate 

 the gentleman," was Mr. Palmer's 

 answer. 



It was at first proposed to strike out 

 the reference to greenhouse plants in 

 the paragraph where thev with nurs- 

 ery stock were dutiable at fifteen per 

 cent, but Mr. Mann objected to raising 

 the duty to twenty-five per cent on 

 greenhouse stock. Mr. Palmer thought 

 it would prevent conflict at the custom 

 house, but Mr. Mann declared that it 

 would not, because there would be 

 conflict whether a plant should be ad- 

 mitted as a greenhouse ])lant or as 

 nursery stock. In the debate Mr. Mann 

 said that he raised many plants. 



Bulbs for Propagating Purposes. 



Representative Humphrey, of Wash- 

 ington, asked that when the free list 

 came up the committee should put in 

 an amendment admitting free of duty 

 Holland bulbs for ]>ropagating pur- 

 poses. He said that near Belli ngliam, 

 Wash., is the only place in the United 

 States where bulbs are grown. The 

 government has a bulb farm there and 

 those in charge of it expect to furnish 

 within the next few years all of the 

 l»ull)s necessary for tlistribution by 

 Congressmen. He said he had received 

 many communications from people in 

 that section declaring that if they 

 could get bulbs for jiropagating free 



from Holland tney could make bulb- 

 growing a profitable industry. 



Kepresentative Underwood said he 

 saw no reason why this amendment 

 should not be made, but the commit- 

 tee had not had opportunity to con- 

 sider it and determine the effect of 

 such an amendment. 



Representative Johnson, of Wash- 

 ington, read the following telegram 

 from the Bellingham Chamber of Com- 

 merce : 



"Desire tariff removed from bulbs 

 imported for jiropagating purposes 

 only; commercial bulbs to florists and 

 greenhouses to remain as now. Impos- 

 sible to start bulb-growing in Wash- 

 ington unless mother bulbs are admitted 

 free. Bulbs grow nowhere in the United 

 States except in Whatcom county, 

 Washington. Expansion of commercial 

 bulb industry here demands removal 

 of tariff because jjresent tariff pre- 

 cludes its possibility. Should not ob- 

 ject to tariff being replaced in five 

 years. We believe it is contrary to 

 l)olicy of government to impose tariff 

 which will hinder new enterprises. Ac- 

 ceding to our request would not disturl) 

 present bulb business. ' ' 



When the free list was up for ado]t- 

 tion May .") Representative Hum|)hrey 

 proposed a new i)aragraph to jdace on 

 the free list bullts for use exclusively 

 for the i>urpose of i)ropagation, but it 

 failed. 



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Canterbury Bells. 



A common mistalie is made by many 

 growers in sowing the seed of these 

 beautiful biennials, Canterbury bells, 

 too late. Every year we find growers 

 sowing toward the last of July or even 

 later, and expecting the plants to bloom 

 strongly the next season. A small pro- 

 portion will probably do so, but they 

 wilt never e(pml the earlier sown ones. 

 Canterbury bolls are handsome border 

 plants, but are even finer in pots, when 

 grown cool and gi\'en the necessary 

 space for their jiroper development. 

 Some are each year seen at Easter, but 

 never of the quality obtainable later in 

 the season. Nice ])lants may be had in 

 7-inch or 8-inch pots, but specimens in 

 12-inch and 14-incli pots or tubs, nicely 

 staked out, make all observers take 

 their hats off to the grower.s. Yet these 

 are not <iifticult to grow as comjmred 

 with many other plants. 



The grower who can hit Memorial 

 day with a batch of these Canterbury 

 bells will make money on them, as they 

 are splendid for bouquet work, as well 

 as valuable in pots. To get good i>Iants 

 for flowering next year, sow the seed 

 at once, then transi)lant into flats and 

 later ]>lant outdoors in well manured 

 ground, allowing twelve inches between 

 the plants and twenty-four inches be- 

 tween the rows. For i)ot culture, dig 

 up anil pot about the middle of Octo- 

 ber. The singles are better for ]»ot 

 culture, and also for cutting, than 

 either the double or hose-in-hose va- 

 rieties. 



Snapdragons. 



The grower who wants a fall crop 

 of snapdragons must lose no time in 

 rooting some cuttings, or if he has 

 no stock of such varieties as the gen- 

 eral buying jiublic wants, he should 

 get some of a taking color from one 

 of the specialists in these charming 

 and increasingly popular plants. Uut- 

 lings rooted now and set out in straw- 

 berry boxes, as one good grower ad- 

 vises, sinking these overhead in the 

 rows, can be lifted with a good ball 

 in August when the time for ])lanting 

 imloors arrives. Of course, they can 

 be successfully lifted without any ball, 

 but a great deal more care is neces- 

 sary. Another good plan is to set the 

 plants in 4-inch ]iai)er pots, sinking 

 these in tiie soil. The j)ots will be 

 jiretty well dei-ayetl at lifting time, 

 i)ut will permit the snapdragons to be 

 taken up with a better ball. 



Lorraine and Cincinnati Begonias. 



There is still time in which to take 

 cuttings of Lorraine an<l Cincinnati 

 begonias and secure nice, salable stock 

 in 4-iiich and .l-inch pots or pans next 

 fall. The old stock plants are now 

 starting to grow freely and some good, 

 succulent cuttings are obtainable. 

 There is usually a surplus of the larger 

 sizes of these begonias at Thanks- 

 giving and Christmas and a deficiency 

 in the supply of the smaller plants. 

 The cuttings will root quite easily now, 

 where they can have some bottom 

 heat. 



The earlier })ropagated plants from 

 leaf cuttings should not be neglected, 

 but be given a shift before the roots 

 get matted around the sides of the 

 pots. Do not give them too heavy a 

 soil. They thrive best in a compost 

 containing considerable flaky leaf -mold. 

 As much of this as of loam should bo 

 used and a good dash of sand should 

 be added to help keep it porous. It 

 is evident that Lorraines are going to 

 be much less grown this season, the 

 large s])ecialists growing Cincinnati 

 much more heavily than a year ago. 

 This is }iot surprising, as the retailers 

 practically tabooed the old variety 

 last season and wanted nothing but 

 Cincinnati. 



Bambler Boses. 



The finest rambler roses for early 

 forcing are those which are pot-grown 

 through the summer. If these have 

 been overlooked, it is not yet too late 

 to secure some jdants which have been 

 hell! in cold storage. Pot them up and 

 get stout canes for forcing next win- 

 ter. Ram the soil in the pots firmly 

 and cut down the shoots to within two 

 or three inches of the pot. Quite a 

 crop of new shoots will start from the 

 base, especially in the case of the pink 

 varieties, such as Lady Gay and Dor- 

 othy Perkins. Some of these should 

 be rubbed out, leaving five or six to 

 each plant as a maximum, but three or 

 four will suflice. Keep these roses un- 

 der glass for some time. When placed 

 outdoors, plunge them to the brims in 

 rich soil. Let them root through the 

 pots all they want. Keep them well 

 watered and they will make some splen- 

 did canes before fall. 



Poinsettias. 



If ])oin.settias have not yet been 

 started, it is time to do so. Cut back 

 the canes somewhat, as the plants will 

 then break more vigorously. Do not 

 water too freely, or some of the plants 

 are likely to rot. It is better not to 

 place the poinsettias in too warm a 

 house, as this nmkes the shoots soft. 

 In a moderately cool house^ nice, stocky 

 cuttings are produced, and these, taken 

 off while quite short, with a heel, will 

 root without much trouble. Shoots, 

 however, which have boon allowed to 

 get too long and have to be cut below 

 a leaf are more liable to damp off un- 

 less great care is exercised in water- 

 ing and shading. 



Primula Obconica. 



It is too late now to sow seeds of this 

 jtojiular ])rimrose. Primula obconica, 

 and have it in (5-inch to S-inch pots, as 

 is easily ])ossible with the early sown 

 seeds, but nice, usable jtlants in •')- 

 inch pots can be had by making a 

 sowing right away. After all, there is 

 fidly as much money in these smaller 

 jdants as in the big fellows. Small 

 plants can be easily made up into pans, 

 selecting plants of the same shade of 

 color. Keep the pans containing the 

 seed well shaded, to prevent drying 

 out. At this season, when the tempera- 

 ture from solar heat is steadily increas- 

 ing, there is more probability of fail- 

 ures in germination of primulas than 

 when cooler climatic conditions exist. 



Port Clinton, O. — Shirly Woner is 

 building an addition to his greenhouses 

 and will use the new space for the 

 growing of tomato plants. He will 

 grow these on a large scale for the 

 ' Gypsum Canning Co. 



