CYCAS, CYCLAMEN 337 



enough South or Southwest, you will find this Gycas planted out 

 on the front lawn, all the way from small plants on up to specimens 

 with stems six feet tall and over. Today the florist in parts of the 

 country where they don't grow outdoors is most interested in them 

 because of their leaves, which are used in a smaU state for wreaths 

 or other floral designs and, when two feet long and over, in sprays. 

 However these consist mainly of the prepared article. 



Once in awhfle we have a customer come in and demand the 

 real freshly cut article. If you happen to have a large plant on hand 

 in the psdm house it comes in handy at such a time. The fact 

 is that these Cycas are most dignified plants for the palm house 

 and it isn't a bad idea at all to have just a few on hand. 



When starting the stems you will get better results and obtain 

 finer leaves if you can provide a little bottom heat for the pots they 

 are in. Of course you wiU want a warm house and a little shade to 

 protect the leaves which come out all at one time. 



CYCLAMEN 



Cyclamens are better grown today than ever before. They have always 

 been great pot plants, but it is only during the past twenty years that 

 American florists have made up their minds to grow tiiem better. 

 Since the World War their popularity around Christmas has put them 

 at the head of almost everything else, partly, perhaps, because of a 

 lack of Azaleas and other stock from Europe, but to a far greater ex- 

 tent because of the wonderful specimens grown, loaded down with 

 greatly improved flowers. 



TT IS strange that twenty-five years ago although there were some 

 *■ mighty fine greenhouse estabhshments and aU kinds of good 

 growers in this country, and while Cyclamens were grown in enor- 

 mous quantities all over Europe, with us their culture was in 

 the hands of a very few men. Those who could do Cyclamens 

 well were considered past masters in the art of gardening, but even 

 then we had but few plants in flower for Christmas; a plant with 

 six blossoms open in December was a good one. 



Today we find the plants being successfully grown from coast 

 to coast. Everywhere we find successful growers and those who 

 cannot grow the plants have no trouble in obtaining all they want of 

 plants in fuU flower from November on. And, what is just as re- 

 markable, we see good plants grown in all kinds of soil, from a finely 

 sifted and carefuUy prepared mixture of leafmold, sand and a little 

 manure, to a heavy loam. 



We are no longer so particular in regard to having the corm 

 half way above the soU, as the writer was taught to plant it. For 

 the past four years the biggest plants I have seen have had their 

 corms buried fully one inch below the surface of the soil; this would 



