April 26, 1913 



HORTICULTURE 



629 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDCOTED BT 



l*A^%P . Po^aO/ 



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

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



in a condition to need it for, even whilst growing, they 

 should not be kept in a saturated condition. Keep up an 

 abundance of moisture in the atmosphere as it is well- 

 nigh impossible to use too much water about for evap- 

 oration at this season. It is not too late to root a good 

 batch. Requirements are a warm, stuffy house and lots 

 of moisture, and a frame to keep them close. 



Gloxinias 



Gloxinias that were started early and have been kept 

 growing, should by this time have reached their flower- 

 ing size with a fine spread of foliage and well-developed 

 flower trusses. They will require a well-shaded house 

 to keep the foliage right and to hold the color of the 

 flowers. Keep them as near the glass as possible and 

 do not let the temperature drop below 60 degrees at 

 night. Keep the plants watered, but be careful not to 

 wet the foliage any more than is absolutely necessary. 

 Give ventilation when the temperature reaches 70 de- 

 grees and give enough to keep the house at 75 to 80 

 degrees. When well in bloom they can be placed where 

 they can be kept cooler, which will harden them up and 

 give more substance to their flowers. Seedlings that 

 were started in January should by this time be large 

 enough to go into 21/2 or 3-inch pots using a moderately 

 light and rich compost. 



Phalaenopsis 



Give these orchids every attention from this out. They 

 enjoy a warm moist house, where the temperature never 

 goes below 65 at night and 70 degrees would be better. 

 Keep the paths, walls and benches damped down three 

 or four times a day to produce plenty of atmospheric 

 moisture. Give ventilation in greater or less degree so 

 as to keep the day temperature with sunshine at from 

 80 to 85 ; on dull or rainy days about 75 degrees will do. 

 Keep the shading just sufficiently heavy to moderate the 

 direct solar influence, for when kept too dark they 

 will make a soft growth which usually prevents flower- 

 ing well. Give careful attention in watering looking 

 them over every day and watering only those that may 

 need it. 



Shading 



Shading will be necessary for a good many plants 

 grown inside during the summer such as palms, ferns, 

 orchids, etc. Do not wait until the foliage becomes dis- 

 colored from the effects of the sun. Do not, however, 

 place a dense shade on any of your houses as it will make 

 the stock very soft in growth. All plants require as 

 much light as can be given to them exclusive of scorch- 

 ing sun rays. There are lots of growers who use only 

 temporary lath shading which can be removed at will, 

 Ijut where this cannot be done whiting and kerosene will 

 be the best. 



Mr. Farrell's next notes will be on the following: Care of Carnations; Dieffenbachlas ; Lily of the Valley for June; Growing Palms 



from Seed : Nephrolepis ; Sowing Annuals. 



Alocasias 



Alocasias in their tropical luxuriance of growth are 

 almost indispensable where a large and varied collection 

 of plants are under cultivation. Alocasias are propa- 

 gated by suckers or cuttings of the rhizomes. These 

 may be placed in small pots filled with peat and sand 

 in equal proportions and the pots plunged in a close 

 frame over bottom heat in a temperature of 70 degrees. 

 It is very important to put drainage material in the 

 pots to at least one-third of the pot room. The soil 

 should consist of fibrous peat, with a little light fibry 

 loam, in large lumps; to this add a good proportion of 

 sphagnum and lumps of charcoal with plenty of silver 

 sand. Keep the bulbs and soil raised well above the 

 rim of the pot and finish off with a surfacing of either 

 sphagnum or eocoanut fibre. Shade at all times when 

 the sun is bright, but let the plants be kept well up to 

 the light. Syringe overhead freely once a day, and keep 

 a temperature from 70 to 75 degrees at night and from 

 80 to 85 in the day, giving water so as to keep the soil 

 always moist. 



Begonia Gloire de Lorraine 



The early propagated portion of the ensuing season's 

 stock should now be far enough advanced to require 4- 

 inch pots. For compost use three parts turfy loam, two 

 parts sand and one part very old manure. Place in a 

 temperature of from 55 to 60 degrees at night and venti- 

 late freely. They will need some shade from this out 

 to keep the leaves from burning. Thrifty little plants 

 derived from leaf sets and still in their first pots, should 

 be transplanted before they become root-bound. Any 

 sort of cultural encouragement now before the heat of 

 summer interferes will tell plainly on the stock in the 

 early autumn and whatever degree of size and vigor is 

 now imparted by special good treatment is a permanent 

 gain, while any neglect at this season is a certain loss 

 which cannot be made good at any time later on. Give 

 careful watering, avoiding any too much or too little. 

 Pinch out the points so as to cause them to break back 

 good. 



Gardenias 



To attain success with gardenias atmospheric con- 

 ditions play a most important part. Keep the stock ' 

 growing by giving them a house where they can have 

 a temperature of 65 io 70 degrees at night with about 

 10 or 15 degrees higher with sunshine. Stock that was 

 propagated in January should now have a shift into 4- 

 incli pots, which will hold them until planting-out time 

 in June. A good compost is fibrous loam three parts, 

 very old cow manure and leaf mold one part each and 

 sand enough to keep it open. Damping down will now 

 be necessary, morning, noon and night; and the plants 

 must be examined each day and watered only if they are 



