January 25, 1913 



HORTICULTURE 



105 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDUCTED BT 



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Questions by our readers In line with any of the topios presented on this page will be cordially received and promtply answered 

 by Mr. Farrell. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTURE. 



Aspidistra 



It is well to think now about increasing your stock 

 of this very useful decorative plant. To have a good 

 batch on hand will never go amiss. You can break up 

 any large plants and pot them up singly into small pots. 

 Do not divide plants to the single crown as it takes them 

 a long time to make a useful plant, but leave them large 

 enough to insure their growing by next winter into nice 

 specimens. Wliere you want them to make plants of 

 good size 4-inch pots will be the best. Give each pot 

 good drainage to insure the soil against becoming sour. 

 They like a good rich compost of fibrous loam three 

 parts and well rotten maniire one part. When potting 

 up these divided clumps work the material well in 

 through the roots. They will start off better if given a 

 temperature of about 60 degrees at night with a rise of 

 10 to 15 degrees, with sunsliine. Be very careful in 

 giving them water until they begin to make roots. They 

 should not be kept too dry or too wet — just nice and 

 moist and they will soon start off into growth. 



Candytuft and Stocks 



For Memorial Day use sow seed from now and up to 

 the 10th of February. They can be sown in flats, using 

 a mixture of loam, leaf mold and a good dash of sand. 

 Keep shaded and moist until they begin to come up, 

 when they should be given a place well up to the glass. 

 Give attention to watering so they will not be allowed 

 to dry out. It is always better to transplant them be- 

 fore they become too large as their fine roots soon make 

 their way quite deep into the soil. Candytuft and 

 stock are always considered a side-line but, just the 

 same, such flowers are always in demand for quite a few 

 customers so it is well to make several sowings for a suc- 

 cession. To grow these plants well they like a house 

 where they can have penty of ventilation and cool tem- 

 perature at night. They should never be grown any 

 higher than 48 degrees at night. Keep an outlook for 

 green fly as these often become troublesome, so fumi- 

 gate often so they will not get a foothold. 



Forcing New Lily of the Valley 



It is safe to start to force new imported pips now. 

 Give them a house where the atmospheric temperature 

 will run from 55 to 58 degrees at night but be sure to 

 place them where they can have at least 80 degrees bot- 

 tom heat and another 5 or 8 degrees would still be bet- 

 ter. Plant the pips quite close together in deep flats. 

 The best material to use is clean sand as it retains the 

 moisture and heat as good as anything else. Keep the 

 flats heavily shaded, which will draw the flower spikes 

 up. After they are well up give them a little light 



Mr. P'arrell's next notes will be on the following: Care of Sweet 



Pans 



gradually which will help them to harden up and be of 

 better substance. Give them plenty of water until the 

 flowers begin to open when it should be given with great 

 care or damping of the bells will ensue. When water- 

 ing give water that is about 8 degrees warmer than the 

 sand. Give ventilation with care so no cold air will 

 strike the plants. 



Gloxinia Bulbs 



Now is a good time to start a batch of these bulbs for 

 Decoration Day blooming. Get some flats and place 

 some crocks or rough material in the bottom for drain- 

 age and fill with half sand and half leaf mold. Bury 

 the bulbs just so the crowns show aliove tiie mixture. 

 They can set about half an inch apart. Place these flats 

 in a warm house as they will take anywhere from 65 to 

 70 degrees at night. Be very careful in giving water; 

 the compost should be kept just moist but not overwet. 

 WTien they have made a bunch of fine roots with a little 

 top growth they can be potted into 3-inch pots, using a 

 mixture of fibrous loam three parts, leaf mold and very 

 old cow manure one part each, and a little sand. Place 

 them well up to the glass and as the season advances 

 they will require a light shade during mid-day. 



Jerusalem Cherries 



Where you intend to grow this stock from- seed, lose 

 no time in sowing it now and they will produce nice 

 bushy plants for next Christmas. Fill well-drained 

 pans with a light mixture of loam, leaf mold and sand 

 and on this sow the seeds and cover. Press the surface 

 firmly and place in a temperature of from 60 to 65 de- 

 grees. Wlien they have attained sufficient size to han- 

 dle pot into small pots and grow on, and shift as they 

 may require it. Give them a bench where they can have 

 plenty of light and a good syringing on all bright days. 

 Continue this treatment until the end of May when they 

 can go outside. After they are potted do not keep them 

 too warm. A temperature of from 50 to 55 degrees at 

 night will suffice. ^AHiere you have saved some stock 

 plants you can start and propagate in a couple of weeks 

 which will make fine plants also. 



Order Seeds Now 



This is the season of catalogues, so it is up to the 

 florist to select from them what he thinks best. In 

 order to get projier attention and give tlie liusy seedsman 

 a chance, early orders will be appreciated before the 

 volume of trade becomes almost overwhelming. When 

 ordering seeds always get the best as they are the cheap- 

 est in the end. Include a few novelties that appear 

 worthy so as to keep up to date by having something 

 nut of the ordinary run. 



Peas; Cinerarias; Fi<ns ; Cardenias; Lobelia Katlileen Mallard; 

 les. . I I . 



