February 22, 1913 



HORTI CULTURE 



249 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDCCTED BY 



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Questions by our readers In line with any of the topics 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. 



Crotons 



Young crotons propagated from cuttings during the 

 winter months will make very nice specimen plants in 

 5 or 6-inch pots by early fall if they are looked after 

 carefully. A frequent moving and turning around of 

 the plants is very beneficial in keeping them uniformly 

 furnished. A good compost for this potting is turfy 

 loam three parts, leaf mold two parts, and one part of 

 well-decomposed cow manure, with a good sprinkling of 

 sand. With these plants thorough drainage is abso- 

 lutely necessary. Give them a stove temperature of 

 from 65 to 70 degrees at night. Keep on shifting as 

 they may require until 5 or 6-inch pots are reached. 

 For good-sized specimens larger pots will be needed. 

 Keep well up to the glass but shade when the sun is pow- 

 erful so that they may suffer no injury to their leaves. 

 Wlien they have filled the pots in their last shift, give 

 manure water once or twice a week for the development 

 of the foliage. Do not overwater the plants and on the 

 other hand see that they do not become too dry. Syring- 

 ing should be given on all bright days for this is the 

 only way to keep down red spider. Give care to ventilat- 

 ing so as to ensure a circulation of fresh air without 

 cooling the temperature of the house too much. 



Care ot Violets 



Conditions are just right for the propagation of violets 

 now. In a violet house, where the stock is up to date, 

 it will not be hard to find good stock for propagation. 

 It pays to examine them somewhat closely so as not to 

 let any slip in that show the least trace of mites, weak- 

 ness or spot disease. Do not allow the cuttings to wilt 

 at any time either before they are inserted or after they 

 are placed in the sand. Put them into sand in the cool- 

 est part of the propagating bench, or in well-drained 

 boxes filled with sweet sandy soil and keep moist and 

 shaded. The cuttings with frequent sprinkling will soon 

 supply themselves with ample, energetic action for a 

 transplanting into other boxes, when a much richer soil 

 can be used, and when the roots have taken to the soil 

 and the plants become firmly established shading will 

 only be necessary on extremely bright days. To keep 

 the stock in a sturdy condition you should keep a well- 

 ventilated house as they do not like a stagnant, muggy 

 atmosphere. Do not let the temperature go above 45 

 degrees at night, and 10 to 15 degrees higher with sun 

 heat will be right. 



Decorative Foliage Plants 



Now before the hustle and bustle of spring starts every 

 florist who carries a line of decorative foliage plants 

 should give them a thorough going over, such as clean- 

 ing, repotting and resetting. They all will be greatly 

 benefited by a sponging with some good insecticide such 

 as Fir Tree Oil, Aphine, or Lemon Oil. This can be 

 followed by a good syringing which will put them in a 

 fine clean shape. After they have had this thorough 

 cleaning each and every plant should be given a repot- 



Mr, Farrell'g next notes will lie on the followinsr: Aquntii-s: C: 

 Lily of the Valley in Cold Storage; Stimula 



ting or some new soil, removing as much of the old soil 

 down to their active roots. This should be done very 

 carefully with a dull piece of wood, thus removing all 

 the old soil that is clogged with stagnant moisture and 

 rotting root fiber. For a compost they will want a well- 

 enriched soil according to their different likes. Give 

 pots or tubs plenty of drainage to let the water pass off 

 freely. Now when the sun has more power to raise the 

 temperature you will be able to give more air from ten 

 o'clock in the morning until two in the afternoon. While 

 all foliage plants should have a full measure of light 

 they will need some shade from this out. 



Fancy-Leaved Caladiums 



It is time now to put in a good batch of these gorgeous 

 foliaged plants. A good way to start the tubers is to 

 place them in a flat with some moss on the bottom. On 

 this they can be arranged close together. Fill in and 

 cover them all over with about an inch of moss. The 

 flats can be placed in a house where the temperature 

 runs from 65 to 70 degrees at night and on some bench 

 where they can have a vigorous bottom heat as they like a 

 brisk top and bottom heat to start well. Be very careful 

 in watering until they are well started ; they should only 

 be kept in a moderately moist state. When they have 

 made a fair amount of roots they can be potted into 

 3 or 4-inch pots, using plenty of drainage. For a com- 

 post mix turfy loam three parts, leaf mold two parts, and 

 well decomposed cow manure one part, and sand 

 enough to make it porous. For good-sized plants 

 keep shifting until they are in 5 or 6-inch pots. Place 

 them well up to the glass and as the sun gets strong they 

 will need some shade from nine o'clock in the morning 

 until three in the afternoon. Give care as to watering 

 through all their stage of growth. 



Primulas 



From the middle of this month until the end of April 

 sowings of primulas should be made at intervals of about 

 four weeks. It is better to supply the demand, which is 

 good from early in the fall until spring, with stock reared 

 in successive batches, than to rely on the outcome of one 

 or two sowings. The first lot, to be sown now, should 

 be seeds of such kinds as Kermesina Spendens, rubra, 

 Chiswick Red and Rosy ilorn; also, at least one flat of 

 the best strain of Primula obconiea; this latter to be 

 followed, by another sowing of the same in April. Pre- 

 pare flats or pans with a mixture of equal parts of new 

 loam, leaf mold and some sand. For the top, sift finely 

 and on this sow the seed and cover very lightly and press 

 firmly. Place in a close moist place at about 60 degrees 

 at night and cover with a pane of glass and keep shaded 

 with paper until the seeds start to germinate, which 

 should be in two or three weeks. Wlien sufficiently large 

 to handle prick out in flats and keep well up to the 

 glass in a temperature of about 50 degrees at night. 

 When they begin to crowd in the flats they should be 

 potted up into small pots, using a good rich compost. 



U'c of Young Carnations; Lemon Verbenas; Cyclamen for Easter; 

 nts for Plants; Sihading Palms and Ferns. 



