January 18, 1913 



HORTICULTUEE 



69 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDUCTED BY 



jh^%pi ■ Pa/^'ie^ 





Questions by our readers in line with any nf the topics presented on this page will be cordially received and promtply answered 

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



IVEW YORt 



•sotanjcai 



Care of Carnations 



From now on as the season advances carnations will 

 need ventilation on all favorable occasions. It pays to 

 look after the airing very closely. If neglected for any 

 length of time, they will soon show it. To support and 

 encourage a vigorous growth with fine flowers, they 

 should from now on get some extra stimulant in the 

 way of liquid feeding and light mulches. First give 

 the beds a good cleaning to remove all foreign matter, 

 and then apply a nice coat of bone dust, say at the 

 rate of one peck for every 250 square feet of bench sur- 

 face. This can be followed by a light mulch of loam 

 and cow manure in equal parts put on about half an inch 

 deep which will be plenty. These light mulches every 

 month with liquid manure about once a week will help 

 to give a fine crop of flowers of the best quality. Ex- 

 amine the benches evei7 day for the dry places which can 

 be watered. Where red spider is present give some vig- 

 orous syringing early in the morning. Fumigate every 

 week to keep down green fly. 



Tuberous Rooted Begonias 



It is time now to make a sowing of tuberous-rooted 

 begonias. Few plants are better adapted for summer 

 and fall decoration of the window garden, veranda, or 

 conservatory. They can be sown in pans that have been 

 well drained. For a compost use new loam and leaf 

 mold in equal parts, with a fair dash of sand to make it 

 porous. Fill the pans to within half an inch of the 

 top and on this place a little of finely sifted compost and 

 press moderately firm and water. When they have 

 drained sow the seed evenly over the surface ; they do not 

 need to be covered. Place a pane of glass over each 

 pan. Place these pans in a house where they can have a 

 high temperature; anywhere around 65 to 70 degrees 

 will help them to germinate better. When the young 

 seedlings begin to appear they should be placed up 

 near the glass and as the sun becomes stronger they wiU 

 need to be shaded from the noon-day sun. They can be 

 pricked out when they are large enough to handle and 

 given good care they will soon grow into a nice size to 

 pot into 2 or 21^ inch pots. 



Bedding Plants 



The florist who has to grow a large number of bed- 

 ding plants should have this department now well under 

 way. Give your stock plants all attention to keep them 

 growing well. The proper temperature for most bed- 

 ding plants is from 55 to 60 degrees at night with about 

 15 degrees higher during bright weather. Stock plants 

 that are pot bound should be given a shift using a good 

 rich soil. The atmosphere should be kept moist by wet- 

 ting down walks and under the benches twice a day with 

 a good syringing overhead on good days. When taking 

 cutttngs off always leave a couple of eyes at the base of 

 the new wood to produce a new batch of cuttings later 

 on. Keep all such stock as abutilons, fuchsias, achy- 



ranthes, alternantheras, heliotrope, petunias, verbenas, 

 vincas, salvias, ageratum, coleus, geraniums, etc., grow- 

 ing along by potting as they may need it, giving them 

 more room between the plants and never let them lack 

 for moisture at the roots. Fumigate at least once a 

 week. 



Easter Flowering Shrubs 



Bring in all flowering shrubs intended for Easter and 

 give them a house where the temperature stands about 

 50 degrees at night. In order to have them break away 

 freely they should be sprayed well overhead at least 

 three times a day. This syringing can continue daily 

 until they show the opening of their heads. The tem- 

 perature can be raised five degrees every ten days until 

 you have them at about 65 degrees night temperature. 

 All shrubs will be better every way if they have all their 

 hard forcing a week before they open flower buds. When 

 they start to open their flower buds a temperature of 

 about 60 degrees at night will be high enough. Keep 

 them in a house where they can have full sunshine and 

 give ventilation whenever the outside conditions of the 

 weather are favorable. When root action becomes more 

 active they will take a copious supply of water at the 

 roots. When your shrubs are fairly well in flower they 

 should be given a house that stands about 50 degrees at 

 night which will add to their keeping qualities as well as 

 give substance to their flowers. Good subjects to force 

 are virburnum, weigela, spiraea, magnolia, forsythia, 

 judas, almond, peach, cherry, pyrus, rhododendron and 

 kalmia. 



Orchids 



Now that we are bound to have our coldest weather 

 keep all orchids at their minimum temperature in their 

 several departments, as many plants will now be rest- 

 ing and should not be excited by too high a temperature. 

 Particular care should be given in watering. In order 

 to counteract the drying influence of the strong fire heat 

 required at this time of the year damp down the floor 

 between the plants and below the benches thoroughly 

 two or three times a day. Utilize any spare time in 

 cleaning or sponging the plants so as to keep them rid 

 of scale or thrips. Always try to keep a constant 

 supply of fresh air by careful ventilation. Make it a 

 point to frequently freshen the atmosphere by allowing 

 some ventilation for at least an hour at a time. 



Vincas 



Large vincas in 5 or 6-inch pots can now be divided 

 up and potted into 3 and 4-inch pots using a rich com- 

 post. These can be grown on and will make fine plants 

 by the time they are needed. Where you want to work a 

 good batch for a year hence put in cuttings now. These 

 can be potted up and kept until they can be planted out 

 in the open ground where they will make fine stock by 

 next fall. 



Mr. Farrell's next notes will be on the fnllowlng; Aspidistra; Candytuft and Stocks; Forcing New Crop Lily of the Valley; 



Gloxinia Bulbs; Jerusalem Cherries; Order Seeds Now. 



