May 22, 1913. 



I 



The Florists^ Review 



21 



WABENDORPP BESTS. 



Bermuda, where the Easter lily 

 grows, is a favorite resting place for 

 tho New York florists — at the close 

 of a hard season, or before a busy one, 

 the nerve-racked retailer or the care- 

 burdened grower will slip away for a 

 few days' quiet ocean trip to the 

 islands where it is always summer. 

 There isn't much seclusion about it, for 

 one is almost sure to meet business 

 acquaintances. For instance, when the 

 camera man was there a few weeks 

 ago, there, too, was Victor Warendorff, 

 manager of the Warendorflf store in 

 the Ansonia hotel. New York. You see 

 the result. Mr. Warendorff 's trip was 

 rather longer than usual this season, 

 including the Panama canal, Cuba and 

 the Isle of Pines. 



CURLED LEAVES ON BAY TBEES. 



Can you tell me what -causes the 

 leaves of bay trees to curl like the en- 

 closed sample? The trees have been 

 kept in a temperature of 40 to 42 de- 

 grees. They are in fine condition with 

 the exception of this one defect. 



E. A. C. 



The cause of this trouble is not 

 exactly clear, but the specimens en- 

 closed look as though the plants had 

 suffered from lack of water at some 

 previous time. W. H. T. 



ASPABAOUS FOB FORCING. 



I have some 9-year-old asparagus 

 roots that I bedded ten inches deep in 

 well rotted compost under the benches 

 of my greenhouse, February 7. I want 

 to crop them next year. What would 

 be the best way to handle them? 



W. F. G. 



Asparagus for forcing should be dug 

 as near to the time it has to be forced 

 as possible. The roots should not be 

 exposed to the air any more than is nec- 

 essary. Nine-year-old roots should be 

 first-class for forcing. You say you 

 covered them ten inches deep with 



Victor Warendorff, of New York, at Hotel Hamilton, Bermuda. 



compost. You could have had a fine 

 crop a week or two later had you barely 

 covered the roots. You put too heavy 

 a covering on them, and while you may 

 get a late picking, these roots will be 

 of no value whatever for forcing next 

 winter. Dig fresh roots and get them 

 into the greenhouse without delay. Just 

 cover the roots, water well and then 

 leave them alone. In a warm house 

 stalks can be cut in ten to fourteen 

 days; it will take longer in a cool 

 house. The roots should have had a 

 good freezing before lifting. C. W. 



i 



&> 



^ SEASONABLE 



i ^ SUGGESTIONS j 



i 



3C 



3C 



Gardenias. 



Where an early winter crop of gar- 

 denias is wished for, and where the 

 plants are to be grown in benches, 

 planting should, if possible, be done 

 by the early part of June. Of course, 

 good gardenias can be had from much 

 later plantings, but early plantings, 

 which allow the plants to send their 

 roots through all the soil, are far less 

 liable than the later ones to get cold 

 feet and drop their buds. 



In the way of compost use one which 

 •s fairly coarse and through which 

 water will pass freely. \t is best to 

 »k|pi> out the finer particles of soil. 

 Add to this some cow manure and leaf- 

 mold, not too much decayed, and some 

 coarse sand and the plants will 

 rievel in it. Better leave out bone 

 and other fertilizers until the gar- 

 denias need some stimulants in the 



way of top-dressings. Plants can be 

 set 12 X 18. Leave a little saucer-like 

 depression around each plant, and 

 when watering soak each plant indi- 

 vidually rather than wet the whole 

 bed. Let the plants dry out fairly well 

 between waterings. An excess of 

 moisture is likely to bring along the 

 yellows later in the season. Play the 

 spray nozzle on the hose among the 

 plants to keep the mealy bug in check. 



Cyclamens. 



Keep the young cyclamens potted 

 along carefully. jljL.jfpu can get these 

 in .nice flower fo^S^pwlR^ksgiving and 

 Christmas there will be no trouble in 

 disposing^of them. No matter whether 

 you are planning to grow your plants 

 in the greenhouse or in coldframes 

 through the summer, it will pay to at 

 least partially plunge them in fine coal 



ashes. Give them suf^cient space so 

 that they will not crowd too soon. If 

 you have good plants now in 3-inch 

 pots you are all right, but just as soon 

 as they need a shift, give it to them. 

 Be sure that thrips and aphis are not 

 allowed to cripple and disfigure the 

 plants. If you do not care to smoke, 

 give them a spraying once a week with 

 Aphine or some of the nicotine extracts. 



Tuberous-rooted Begonias. 



Tuberous-rooted begonias are perhaps 

 the most useful of all summer-flowering 

 plants of a moderate size and as they 

 are persistent bloomers, no florist can 

 go far wrong in growing a good batch 

 of them. As bedding plants their sphere 

 is somewhat limited unless partial 

 shade can be given them, although 

 they succeed well in the open at sea- 

 side resorts where the nights are cooler 

 and the atmosphere softer than inland, 

 but for piazza boxes or window boxes 

 where shade can be given, for hanging 

 baskets and for standing in groups on 

 piazzas they are among the most valu- 

 able of all flowering plants. 



Tubers are inexpensive and it is not 

 too late even now to start a batch. 

 These plants will start to bloom within 

 a couple of months and will be found 

 useful. Tuberous begonias want a cool, 

 airy greenhouse and the shade must 

 not be too heavy or it will make the 

 plants drawn and soft. They are liable 

 to be attacked by thrips in the early 

 stages of growth and either a weekly 

 fumigation or spraying must be given 

 to keep it in check. When in active 

 growth and well potbound, liquid ma- 

 nure can be given twice a week with 

 benefit. 



Sedalia, Mo.— The Archias Floral Co. 

 reports an unusually busy season and 

 the force under C. H. Gleason, the fore- 

 man, is constantly at work filling or- 

 ders. 



