Evening journal., 1900-02-26

pOStS lOI lnt CnuItutos dS many uOIt 1
are cultivated to supply the demand,
which seems to increase each season,
for both cut flowers and blooming and
foliage plants for Easter gifts. The |
custom of the banking of memorial |
windows in the churches with cut flow
ers on Easter Day and that of decorat- |
ing the graves in cemeteries furnish |
other sources which must be supplied
by the florists.
AZALEAS AND HYDRANGEAS.
Azaleas are among the most popular |
Of the blooming plants used at Easter. |
Nearly all of these plants are import |
ed from Belgium and are received some
time in October, says a writer in the
Baltipore Sun. They are kept at freez- |
ing temperature until the forcing pro-
cess is begun. This year. as Easter
comes so late, the plants will be al
lowed to develop naturally. and no ar
tificlal forcing will be required-un-
less the Lenten season happens to bel
a very Wintry one. But though artif-
cial forcing will probably be unneces-
sary 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 secure this is to pinch
off the new shoots which form at IL
base Of the flower stem, and which
will absorb the vigor of the plant, pre-
venting the Towering, if allowed to
persist on the plant.
Hydrangeas are more difficult to cul-
tivate than azaleas, and, as they must
be kept at high temperature during
forcing, they collapse very quickly
after removal from the greenhouse.
| Tho !,
effective in church decorations, re-
quires 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 EXPECT TO MUCH"
People want too much for their
money a florist said recently while
speaking of roses and similar plants
which are sold at Easter, and which
} are, as a rule, intended by their pur-
chasers 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
I when they are taken out OF the green
houses and away from all Of the con-
Q ditions which have made them what
!, they are. People spend their money on
a box Of candy or a theatre ticket, and
/. are content with the recollection Of
v the pleasure they got out of them. They
don't expect them to last always. They
= are willing to spend their money on
!. cut flowers and they don't growl when
they fade, but when they buy plants
81 fhpU fhnrsa 70. 60.
Easter lilies, both the tall Bermuda
d variety and the dwarf japanese variety.
: are among the plants which refuse to
q bloom on indefinitely. But, in spite of
/ this, the florists have their greenhouses
full of these plants.
: GERANIUMS VERY POPULAR.
Geraniums are among the most popu-
lar of the plants selected for bedding,
;. and the plants selected for this pur-
! pose are selected for their strong.
sturdy habit of growth and their fiorif-
ferousness. 1t is also essential that the
LEAKAGE should not be too heavy and
g that the flowers should be we'll elevat-
q ed above it. The semidouble blossoms
n have been found to be the most salts
a factory for bedding purposes
q The double blossoms serve as
: receptacles for moisture and
' present a less attractive appearance
than the semidoubles.
Some interesting experiments have
e been made, and are still made, by the
q florists in their cultivation of geran-
l. iums. In developing any particular
species the experimenter selects some
Is particularly fine and healthy specimen
h He lavishes his attention on this and
"a on the successive generations of this
m plant Double flowers are produced b,
HI fertilizing the selected blossoms with
+ the pollen from double flowers, either
OF the same or Of different species
When cross-fertilization is restored e
- new varieties are produced. In both
instances the pollen is applied by hand
:. by means Of camel's hair brush. o.
= course, all OF the experimental worl
~ is carried on under glass. If the planti
y we're left out Of doors for insect fer
~ tilization, in all probability the poller
n Of the single flowers would be carrie,
- to the double blossoms, and the seedl
~ produced by the plant would producl
~ only single blossoms.
GROWING PLANTS FOR CUTTING
OF course the plants that are use,
ed for bedding purposes are not raised il
lg this way, but are prcpagated by cut
he tings, cuttings being taken from Sep
he tember TO March. Then, in May, tn
or cuttings are ready to be set out Tn
. majority of the plants used for bed
g ding are raised in the same way
from cuttings. The number Of differ
g. ent kinds used has narrowed down t
only those plants that can stand tn
m. heat OF the summer, and that ca
rs keep up a good appearance throughou
the entire season. Among these, /
ty. addition to the many varieties OF gel
'n, aniums, are colias vincas, acalypha,
mottled foliage plant; centaurea, be-
ter known as Dusty Miller" salri
alter nanthera, the little foliage plaI
that is used for edging borders; car
mas, echereria, which is used for n
IL form Of bedding known as mosaic
but which Is out of favor with mar
rs, gardeners; lantana, celosia, verbena
and petunias.
. Advartiaa x,ottr xuaufa An tina E,,reufr