The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-02-24
Preparing FOR EASTER
Local Florists Cultivating Pretty
Plants and lessons.
A Trade That Grows Larger Year by
Near-ExPectatIOns of the Public.
and HydranEeas-Other Blooms i'm
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
O 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 embellishing 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 naJ-
urally and no artificial forcing will be re-
quired-unless the I.enten season happena
to be very wintry one. But though aru-
fetal forcing viii 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 10 Sc
cure this Is TO pinch of the new shoots
which form ar the base OF the flower stem,
and which viii absorb the vigor Of the
plant, preventing the towering, II allowed
/ 10 persist on the plant.
Hydrangeas are more difficult 10 cult
waite than azaleas and, as they must be
kept at high temperature during forcing,
icy collapse very quickly after removal
from the greenhouse. The feathcry white
sp'rea, which is so effective in church dec
Oratiuns, requires about twelve weeks
forcing. Roses-that is. the year-old
potted plants. which are sold at this time
require forcing for the same length Of
. time.
People want too much Tor their money. 80
said a florist while speaking Of roses and
similar plants which are sold at Easter,
and which are as 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 il is hardly natural 10 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 a theatre ticket
md 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 iow-
ers, and thev don't growl when they fade
but when they buy plants they expect them
% bloom on forever
Easter lilies. both the tall Bermuda va
riety and the dwarf japanese variety. are
among the plants which refuse 70 bloom
on indefinitely Bat In spite OF this. the
florists have their greenhouses fun 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 specially Of bedding plants
have in their propasating houses now thou
sands OF cuttings. and as many seedlings
that viii be used later In the spring in
public and private gardens
Gcraniums are among the most popular
Of the plants selected for bedding and the
plants selected for this purpose are Sc
I 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
most satisfactory for bedding purposes.
NldeleS
/ for moisture and present less attractive
I appearance than the semi doubIes.
Some interesting experiments have been
I made, and are still made, by the florists
/ in their cultivation OF geraniums In de-
/ veloping any particular species the expe-
! rlmenter selects some particularly fine
l and healthy specimen. He lavishes his
I 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
I flowers. either Of The same or Of different
I 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
I carried on under glass II the plants were
I left out Of doors for insect fertilization. in
all probability the pollen OF the single
I flowers would be carried to the double
/ blossoms. and the seeds produced by the
I plant would produce only single blossoms.
or 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
I 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 notified foliage plant; centaurea, better
known as Dusty Miller" saIria, alterna-
thera, the little foliage plant that is used
for edging borders; cannas echereria
which is used for the form Of bedding
( known as mosaic but which is out OF
favor with many gardeners: lautana. ce-
losia yerbeuas and petunias