File:The American florist - a weekly journal for the trade (1903) (17951293410).jpg

Title: The American florist : a weekly journal for the trade
Identifier: americanfloristw26amer (find matches)
Year: 1885 (1880s)
Authors: American Florists Company
Subjects: Floriculture; Florists
Publisher: Chicago : American Florist Company
Contributing Library: UMass Amherst Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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716 The American Florist. June 6y Florists' Plant Notes. The bedding season is now at its height but it will be time well and profitably spent, to plant into the garden such plants as may be used to cut from during the summer, as well as stock plants for next season before everything is sold out. Young plants of heliotrope, lemon verbena, sweet alyssum, asters and antirrhium, especially the virhite of the latter, which will be found useful for design work, should be planted in the garden within reach of the hose for sum- mer flowering. It is a good plan to prepare the land so as to make irrigation possible in dry weather. To do this properly it is neces- sary to grade the land until it is perfectly level with a gradual slope from the highest to lowest point which will permit an easy flow of water between the rows. It is possible, of course, to irrigate undulating land as well, although this is necessarily a more expensive and complicated process, the object being to conduct the water by means of pipes to the highest pointin the land and running the ditches between the rows of plants which are made in the direction of the slope of the land. When the science of irrigation is more universally understood it will doubtless be practiced all over the country, for when valuable crops are at stake the fickle weather cannot be depended upon to insure a harvest. STOCK PLANTS. Small plants of Snowcrest and Long- _ fellow daisies, divided in early spring, should be planted in the border or elsewhere in good soil for dividing again in the fall. In planting out the stock plants of geraniums, see that the varieties are These are cut back late in summer and furnish an abundance of cuttings which are used as stock from vrhich to propa- gate during the winter. A sufficient number of plants of the many varieties of coleus, especially of Golden Bedder and Vershaffelti, had better be secured and planted out for stock purposes before they are all sold, as it is sometimes quite difficult to secure enough plants of the leading sorts in the fall from which to propagate in the spring. Alternantheras, too, should be planted out in good soil. Paronychioides major is propagated in August in flats of half sand and half soil, but the other varieties are best handled by lifting and boxing the old plants in the fall, placing them on a warm shelf for the winter and propagating in March. Vines, such as lobelia, German ivy and Japanese honeysuckle must also be pre- served in order to furnish stock in the fall. Lobelia, of course, can be raised from seed, but cuttings are more satis- factory. In fall we box a number of old plants which give us all the cuttings we need. Young plants of bouvardia in small pots should be planted out in good soil as soon as possible. These will require two or three toppings during the sum- mer so as to form bushy plants by early fall, when they are lifted and benched in rich but not too heavy soil, and given a night temperature of 60°. G. An Atlanta Establishment. We present herewith four halftone engravings illustrating some design work and the store of the C. A. Dahl Company, Atlanta, Ga. Two of the illustrations
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VIEW IN STORE OF C. A. DAHL CO., ATLANTA, GA. properly marked with large 12-inch labels. The difierent varieties of cannas had better be selected and planted out before they are all disposed of, for while many of the clumps can be secured again in fall they are usually mixed, and being so are practically useless. A few plants of the difierent varieties of verbenas should also be selected and planted about two feet apart each way. show a general view of the store and a window decoration respectively as they appeared last Easter. Another picture shows a large arch with a bible. The arch is made of pink roses, carnations and Easter lilies, with peonies and calla lilies in the center. The bible is made solid in white carnations, while the base is made of Easter and calla lilies with a few pink roses in the center. This design was five feet high, and is said to have been one of the largest ever made up in the city. The remaining illustration shows a group of funeral designs which were recently made by the company, the prices of which ranged from $15 up. The fore- going were designed by R. I. Gresham, who handles all the decorative work for the concern. The company is at present engaged in making some extensive improvements In its greenhouses. CARNATIONS. IRRIGATION. Whatever may be said against irriga- tion for carnations in the fieW, a parched soil and flagging plants are a powerful argument in favor of seeking speedy relief In exceptionally dry seasons, such as the present is in some sections, culti- vation is not sufficient to keep up a reasonably thrifty growth, and if we seek to supply the needed moisture by artificial means we will not be going far astray. Irrigation in our eastern states IS still far from being a science, mainly because the rainfall is usually sufficient to supply the moisture needed by ordinary crops, and for this reason a protracted drought often finds the horticulturist unprepared to offset its harmful efiect. I believe that the time is not far distant when a general knowledge will be diffused among growers in allparts of the country as to how to overcome at small expense any evils arising out of a deficient rain- fall. There is certainly room for much experimenting along this line. For the benefit of those situated in drought-^ stricken sections thefoUowing remarks are given for what good they may do. ' The first thing to be considered iti planning to water a carnation field is ail adequate water supply, for unless there IS a possibility of keeping up the irrigation work there is no use in beginning it. To force during periods of soft growth by spasmodic waterings will only render the plants less fit to endure dryness when water is withheld. A method of irriga- tion, followed by the writer for several seasons with good success, is the use of lawn sprinklers. While this may be slow work where large fields are to be con- sidered, for comparatively small lots of plants and on ground more or less undulated there is probably no better way, and when the water supply is limited a great saving is effected The ground is laid out in beds' about 100 feet in length and six feet in width. This affords an ample amount of space for walks and gives the operator a chance to work fi-eely in the patch without treading down the soil between the plants. Lengthwise with the field is laid a l-mch pipe fitted with a faucet about every thirty-two feet to which the hose IS connected. A 25-foot length of hose and a lawn sprinkler complete the outfit which, however, need not be limited to a single length of hose and one sprinkler The number of sprinklers will, of course depend on the water supply. A thought- ful person in attendance, who may do other work at the same time, moves the sprinklers as soon as enough water has been supplied to the area within their reach. As soon as a section of beds is watered and the surface sufficiently dried the ground is thoroughly cul tivated and this is kept up at regular intervals until another soaking is needed. In the fall the pipes are taken apart and stored until their services are again required

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