PELARGONIUM, PEONIES 463 



standstill somewhere, you are likely to have a visit of the white fly 

 sooner or later. 



To kiU white fly there is nothing surer than fumigating with 

 cyanide of potassium. However, this is always more or less danger- 

 ous for the retail grower with a lot of different kinds of stock in one 

 house, and I am convinced that if you obtain a lot of rooted cuttings, 

 or, what is stiU better, 2- or 23^-in. stock, clean in every way, and 

 if you will make it a practice to spray these every week with a nicotine 

 solution and also make it a rule to reach every part of the underside 

 of the leaves as well as the center when you spray — then you won't 

 have white fly, unless your house is full of the pest when you bring 

 the Pelargoniums in. 



How TO Grow Good Pelargoniums 



No matter whether you have old plants which had a period of 

 rest during Summer, or rooted cuttings taken in late FaU from such 

 plants after they had been started into growth again, or young 

 stock rooted during Winter or Spring, it is during Winter, in a cool 

 but rather moist house that they will riiake their best growth. 

 You cannot grow them successfully in a dry house or one where the 

 temperature goes much over 50 deg. ; a little below that point is 

 even better. 



I would prefer a Fall-rooted cutting for growing into a large 

 specimen for April flowering. Such plants like a sandy loam with a 

 liberal dose of weU decomposed manure and, of course, plenty of 

 drainage. For small stock in 33^s or 4s by May, you can root cuttings 

 during the Winter months. 



PEONIES 



One might say that from time immemorial the Peony has . been a 

 univers^ favorite with all lovers of flowers. Today it is better known 

 and more highly thought of by the public than any other flower we have 

 in the hardy border. What is as remarkable as anjrthing, however, is 

 the fact that in the face of all the new and beautiful varieties coming 

 onto the stage from time to time, some of the old-timers, like festiva 

 maxima, that were novelties more than half a century ago, have re- 

 tained all their good qualties and are still among the most desirable 



sorts offered. 



T CAN not place Pseonia sinensis ahead of all other desirable 

 * hardy flowering florist's plants principally because of its short 

 flowering period. There is also the objection that when it is Peony 

 week or month the plants make no distinction; they are in bloom 

 with us and with every one of our patrons in the neighborhood 

 at the same time. It is true that with the help of cold storage 

 flowers may be had many weeks after your own have passed, 



