February 1, 1913 



HORTICULTUEE 



145 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDCCTED BY 



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

 by Mr. FarrcU. Such commnnlcations should invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTDHE. 



Care of Sweet Peas 



Sweet peas will now welcome some liquid mauure as a 

 stimulant — either l-ow or sheep manure; a bushel of the 

 former or a peck and half of the latter to about 50 gal- 

 Ions of water. Start by using once a week and in two 

 or three weeks you can give them some twice a week as 

 the roots will become more active. The beds can also 

 have a light mulch of either cow or sheep manure mixed 

 with an equal amount of soil and spread on about half 

 an inch thick of the cow manure and about half that 

 quantity when using sheep manure, followed with an- 

 other application in about three or four weeks and so on. 

 Keep the soil at an uniform degree of moisture at the 

 roots and preserve a genial moisture in the atmosphere, 

 but always give plenty of ventilation whenevei- pos- 

 sible without causing cold draughts. Keep them as 

 near 50 degrees at night as you can, with a rise of about 

 15 degrees during bright days. 



Cinerarias 



To bring these in for Easter they will likely want a 

 temperature of from 48 to 50 degrees at night with 

 about 70 degrees on all bright days. During dark or 

 dtill weather let them run up to 55 degrees. Always 

 remember never to force these plants as then they will 

 prove a sure failure. Give them a bench well up to the 

 glass to keep fhem from drawing. They should be gone 

 over every week or ten days and spaced so they will have 

 plenty of room. Cinerarias are air-loving plants so 

 give them ventilation at every opportunity as the weather 

 will permit. Keep a watch as to watering as the roots 

 should never be allowed to become dry. Give them ma- 

 nure water once or twice a week and keep it up until the 

 flower trusses begin to show color, which will improve 

 the plants both in substance and color of foliage and 

 bloom. To keep them free of aphis they should have 

 frequent but mild fumigation. 



Ficus 



Xow is a good time to repot any of these plants that 

 may need it. When repotting these plants pick away as 

 much of the old soil as you can get without injury to 

 the roots. For a suitable compost mix fibrous loam 

 three parts, well rotten cow manure one part, with a 

 sprinkle of bone meal, and pot them firm. It is well to 

 think of increasing stock now as the right conditions of 

 heat and moisture can be maintained. A very good way 

 to propagate ficus is to insert two or three joints in a 

 two-inch pot of sand and loam mixed in equal parts and 

 tie up the leaves so as to stand them close together. 



Mr. FnrrcU's next notes will be on the following:: 



These pots can be plunged in a warm propagating bed 

 which can be covered with a frame to keep a humid at- 

 mosphere, and with a bottom heat of from 80 to 85 

 degrees they will root very nicely. They can also be 

 mossed and by keeping the plants rather dry at the roots 

 and the fop where the moss is constantly moist, they will 

 make roots into the moss in about five or six weeks, when 

 they can be cut off and potted up. 



Gardenias 



Gardenias that were rooted in December and early 

 January will make the best stock for planting out during 

 May and June. These plants will need plenty of atten- 

 tion right along as they never should be allowed to re- 

 ceive a check in any part of their growth. Keep well np 

 to the glass where the temperature runs from 65 to 68 

 degrees at night and in bright weather they can run up 

 to 80 degrees. Ventilate at every possible chance, but in 

 such a way as to avoid chilling draughts. The best 

 compost for this young stock is a very turfy loam that 

 has the fibrous parts broken into small pieces, with one- 

 fourth of well rotten cow manure and some sand. Wlien 

 potting see that you pot each and every plant firm. Keep 

 the atmosphere moist by damping down the walk two or 

 three times a day and give them a good syringing on all 

 bright days. 



Lobelia Kathleen Mallard 



This lobelia is very serviceable and the most reliable 

 of all the lobelias to grow. Where you have stock plants 

 give them every care and attention from this out. Place 

 them well up to the glass where they can have plenty of 

 light and they will soon respond. With about 50 degrees 

 at night they will soon give you plenty of fine cuttings 

 which will propagate very rapidly. The best way is to 

 grow them on in flats as they spread over the soil emit- 

 ting roots from nearly every shoot, and can be divided 

 up and potted, making fine stock by next May. If you 

 have none of this lobelia you should procure some imme- 

 diately as you will find them very useful. 

 Pansies 



Pansies from seed sown aiiout the first of Decem- 

 Ijer in flats and kept in a cool house will now be ready 

 to be transplanted into other flats and grown on until 

 about the first of March when they can be transplanted 

 again and can be planted out into frames about the mid- 

 dle of April where they will give a good account of them- 

 selves. Where you have failed to sow there is plenty of 

 time yet to make a sowing which will produce nice plants 

 by late spring. 



ChryKMntliemnms: Easter Lilies: Palms: Orchids; Seeds to Be Sown: Secure 

 E:istcr Stock Now. 



hot for some hours longer. Stop the fires early and 

 allow the pipes to cnol off gradually as the sun increases, 

 which is far better than stopping the pipes right off in 

 any one or several of the houses. Likewise open tliem 

 up at once when a ^torm is sighted. 



Globe Artichokes 



Make provision for filling any "gaps" that may occur 

 through the winter months by sowing now. At the time 

 of writing we are experiencing summer-like weather 



which, I am afraid, will be disastrous to globe artichokes 



and subjects of a similar constitution. There is time 

 yet to see the thermometer go away below zero. What 

 chance have sensitive roots against such conditions? It 

 is a well-known fact that bees winter much better 

 through a good cold winter than a mild one. Many 

 plants are the same way. Give the seedlings a tempera- 

 ture of 55 F. If potted on into sixes good stock will be 

 ready for planting out and in some localities small 

 heads can be gathered from these before fall. 



