September, 1905 



THE GAR D E N MAGAZIN E 



65 



off. This dropping of the foliage continued 

 until December 3d, when the plant began to 

 grow like a miracle. The flower buds, that 

 had been nestling in the tips of the branches, 

 swelled and doffed the russet caps that cover 

 their pink glory. December 13th found the 

 first blossom fully open. By Christmas time 

 the plant was a thing to marvel at. The 

 flowers were large and perfect, crowding each 

 other in the shape of an old-fashioned bou- 

 quet, and the plant was beautiful all through 

 January, when it was cut back, to make a 

 new growth for next season. 



After it had been upstairs a day or so, 

 azalea Simon Mardner waked up and straight- 

 ened out its folded leaves and many of them 

 fell off. The flower buds showed color on 

 December 15th, and after that the plant took 

 up a great pace, and by Christmas time most 

 of the flowers were fully open. They are 

 just the color of the American Beauty rose, 

 having a richness of tone that Verva;niana 

 lacks ; but, for all of that, we prefer the pale 

 pink of the latter. Vervacniana rather likes 

 sunshine, and will live comfortably in a warm 

 room. Simon Mardner, on the other hand, 

 hates sunshine even more than artificial heat. 

 In spite of being too warm sometimes, it 

 kept its good looks through January, but 

 by the middle of February was dead. Dead 

 from overwork and rush no doubt. 



Our most delightful success was with the 

 Marie le Gray lilac. In four days the leaf 

 buds began to swell. The first week in 

 December the white flowers began to unfold; 

 by the 10th of the month the flowers were 

 full blown, and hung there, unchanging, to 

 the last day of the month. 



We have different things to say of Charles 

 X. The person who christened it must 

 have known what the history books say of 

 that French Charles X.: "His policy was 

 bigoted and reactionary. It excited much 



74. Azaleas for Christmas were forced at a total 

 cost of ninety cents each. Vervaeniana was suc- 

 cessful with one treatment. Simon Mardner needed 

 two. The soil must be dry before etherizing is begun 



discontent." Of no Charles X. was this 

 remark ever more true than of the one who 

 occupied our sunny window after November 

 12th. It came into leaf, but the flowers 

 never developed. 



The deutzias remained unpromising until 

 about December 3d, when a faint show of 

 green could be detected along the branches 

 of the plant that had had two treatments. 

 The other remained dormant. By Christ- 

 mas Day all the lower flowers were in full 

 bloom, while those at the tips of the branches 

 were still tiny buds. The leaves did not 

 grow much until the flowers were out. The 

 photographs were taken at Christmas time 

 to show the relative condition. 



All the plants had the same treatment 

 from the time the dopes ended. They were 

 taken to the third floor, where the hall widens 

 out into what we call the sun parlor. Here 

 the windows face south and east and west. 

 The light is diffused and there are no drafts. 

 At night the temperature would often go 

 down to 35 or 40 . On a few very cold 

 nights we huddled our patients about the 

 radiator, with a screen around them to keep 

 off the cold air which might come up the stair- 

 way. In the daytime the temperature averaged 

 about 65 , sometimes climbing up to 70 . 



When the plants were beginning to bloom 

 they were watered every four or five days 

 with weak manure water. There was a 

 great difference in the thirst of the various 

 plants. Water them when the soil on top 

 gets dry, not before, though there is a great 

 temptation so to do when the plant in the 

 next crock needs a drink. The deutzias 

 were only watered about once a week; but 

 the lilacs and azaleas needed water every 

 day. The plants that were not doped did 

 not take as much water, for they were not 

 growing as fast. 



If we had been working in a hothouse, and 

 could have started early enough, it would 

 have been possible to get the same results. 

 The use of anesthetics shortens the time of 

 forcing twenty to thirty days. 



THE ITEMS OF COST AND PROFIT 



2 azaleas (12-inch plants), named 



varieties $1 . 50 



2 lilacs (Marie le Gray and Charles X.) 2 .00 



2 Deutzia Lemoinei 1 . 50 



Ether (average 15 cents per plant) . .go 



$5.90 



For less than $6 and practically no work 



we had flowering plants at Christmas worth 



$15 to $20. Ether sells at 75 cents a pound. 



75. Two treatments forced Deutzia Lemoinet 

 into flower. Growth began on December 3d, and by 

 Christmas time the lower flowers were fully opened 



76. One dose of ether for seventy -two hours 

 failed to start the deutzia into growth. Not till Feb- 

 ruary did it produce one small flower at end of shoot 



77. The most satisfactory plant was lilac Marie 

 le Grav. It had one dose. From December 10th till 

 New Year's Eve it was in full flower all the time 



