The evening times., 1900-02-24
PREPARING FOR EASTER
Local Florists Cultivaiing Pretty
Plants and lessons.
A Trade That Grows Larger Year by
Hear-ExpcctatiOns of the Public.
Popularity of Geraniums-Azaleas
and Hydra Blooms in
Demand for Church Decoration.

Demand for Church Decoration
Local and vicinity florists have for some
time been preparing for Easter. At the
close Of the Lenten season the dealers 10
blossoms and plants expect the usual
heavy demand for flowers of all sorts. They
are now cultivating plants for decorative
purposes and cultivating those from which
cut flowers will be sold when the season
arrives. Each year there seems to be an
increased call for towering plants, both
for gifts and for embellshing church aud
itoriums. Florists say that they expect
many thousands of dollars worth Of sales
this year.
AZaleas are among the most popular Of
the blooming plants used at Easter. Near
ly all of these plants are imported from
Belgium and are received some time in
October. They are kept at freezing tenn
perature until the forcing process is be-
gun. This year, as Easter comes so late,
the plants will be allowed to develop nat-
urally and no artificial forcing will be re-
quired-unless the Lenten season happens
TO be very wintry one But though artI-
fetal forcing will probably be unnecessary
this season as great care as usual will be
/ taken-of the plants to bring the flowers to
perfection One Of the means taken to
cure this is to pinch off the new shoots
which form at the base of the flower stem,
and which will absorb the vigor of the
! plant, preventing the towering if allowed
TO persist OH the plant
Hydrangeas are more difficult TO culti-
vate than aZaleas, and, as they must be
kept at high temperature during forcing.
( they collapse very quickly after removal
from the greenhouse. The feathcry white
spirea, which is so effective in church dec
Orations, requires about twelve weeks
forcing ROses-that is, the two year-old
potted plants which are sold at this time
require forcing for the same length OF
time.
People want too much for their money
said a florist. while speaking of roses and
similar plants which are sold at Easter
and which are, a rule, intended by their
purchasers to be planted out OF doors later
in the season. They forget" he said,
THE conditions under which the plants
were raised. The plants are forced into
bloom, and it is hardly natural to expect
them to keep on growing when they are
taken out OF the greenhouses and away
from all the conditions which have made
them what they are. People spend their
money on a box of candy or theatre ticket
and are content with the recollection of
the pleasure they got out of them. They
don't expect them to last always They are
willing TO spend their money on cut fow-
ers. and they don't growl when they fade,
but when they buy plants they expect them
TO bloom on forever
hnfb bg oil 10
riety and the dwarf japanese variety. are
among the plants which refuse to bloom
on indefinitely. But, in spite of this. the
florists have their greenhouses full Of these
plants.
Other branches of their work are not be-
ing neglected while the florists are making
their preparations for Easter. Growers
who make a speciality of bedding plants
have in their propagating houses now thou
sands of cuttings, and as many seedlings
that will be used later in the spring in
public and private gardens.
Geraniums are among the most popular
of the plants selected for bedding and the
plants selected for this purpose are Sc
lected for their strong sturdy habit OF
growth and their Righteousness Ii is |
also essential that the LEAKAGE should not
be too heavy. and that the flowers should |
be well elevated above il. The semi-dou- |
bic blossoms have been found TO be the I
most satisfactory for bedding purposes. |
The double blossoms serve as receptaeles !
for moisture and present a less attractive |
appearance than the semi doubles.
Some interesting experiments have been |
made, and are still made, by the florists |
in their cultivation Of geranums. In de- |
veloping any particular species the expe- |
rimenter selects some particularly fine |
and healthy specimen. He layishes his |
attention on this and on the successive |
generations of this plant. Double flowers /
are produced by fertilizing the selected |
blossoms with the pollen from double |
flowers, either of the same or of different |
species. When cross fertilization is re-
sorted to the new varieties are produced |
In both instances the pollen is applied by |
hand by means of a camel's hair brush.
OF course, all the experimental work is |
carried on under glass. II the plants were |
left out of doors for insect fertilization in
all probability the pollen OF the single |
flowers would be carried to the double
blossoms, and the seeds produced by the
plant would produce only single blossoms
OF course the plants that are used for |
bedding purposes are not raised in this
way, but are propagated by cuttings taken
from September 10 March. Then in May
the cuttings are ready to be set out The
majority of the plants used for bedding
are raised in the same way-frOm cut
tings The number Of different kinds used
has narrowed down to only those plants
that can stand the heat of the summer
and that can keep up a good appearance
throughout the entire season. Among
these, in addition TO the many varieties
Of geraniums, are cOlias, vincas acalypha |
a mottled foliage plant; centaurea better
known as Dusty Miller salria alterna-
Lhera, the little foliage plant that is used
'or edging borders: cannas echereria,
which is used for the form of bedding |
known as mosaic but which is out of
avor with many gardeners; lautana, ce-
osia, verbenas, and petunias. 4