36o 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[December, 



Greenhouse and House Gardening, 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



What are known as Dutch bulbs, need no re- 

 commendation from us as being plants particu- 

 larly adapted to window culture. These are 

 Hyacinths, Tulips, and Crocuses chiefly. But 

 the class of Cape bulbs are no less desirable, 

 though seldom seen. The Amaryllis especially, is 

 a good window plant, and there are now so many 

 species and varieties, that some may be had in 

 flower all the winter through. 



A few years ago a good lady, fond of plants, 

 and a good gardener besides, called the writer in- 

 to her very successful little greenhouse, and some 

 what in this wise did she lecture him : " I don't 

 know that you have so written it, but all the books 

 I get hold of tell me never to keep saucers of 

 water standing under the pots — now what do you 

 think of these plants ?" They certainly were 

 charming specimens of robust health, rivaling the 

 lady herself in this respect — and the writer re- 

 ceived a smiling acknowledgment of the compli- 

 ment offered. " Now, you see, 1 keep a saucer 

 under each pot, and I always have water in the 

 saucer. In the winter when 1 want the plants to 

 look fresh and green, I put a little guano, or some 

 other rich food, in the saucers, and sometimes 1 

 put water quite hot. And yet you — pardon me — 

 your writing class positively condemn the prac- 

 tice." And when we come to think of it, why 

 should we condemn saucers under pot plants, and 

 water in the saucers ? As the lady says, authors 

 do condemn the practice, but, after all, why ? A 

 plant with all its roots in water will not thrive un- 

 less it is an aquatic plant. Hence water must run 

 rapidly away from the upper portion of the roots. 

 What is called the drainage is to accomplish this, 

 and so long as the water runs rapidly through the 

 earth into the saucer, it is all good culture re- 

 quires. 



Plant growers have much tiojble from insects, 

 the little diminutive red spiderespecially, the work 

 of which is often not known until the injury is 

 done. It can readily be detected by a small 

 pocket lens, which every plant grower ought to 

 have. For a few plants in a window an occasional 

 sponging of the leaves with water in which a 

 little tobacco has been decocted is about the best 

 thing. In a plant cabinet, tobacco dujt — snuff — 



scattered over damp leaves, is very good, but it 

 does not reach the under surface of leaves. 

 Water heated to 130° is very effectual, and an oc- 

 casional syringing at this temperature will keep 

 down all insects, and is much preferable to the 

 filthy smoke and horrible compounds so often 

 recommended. 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



CARNATION, PRES. DEGRAW — ITS FAULT, 

 —THE REMEDY. 



BY ERNEST WALKER. 



It is well-known that the tendency of the Pres. 

 Degraw carnation to split the calyx in opening — 

 thus spoiling the form of the flower — greatly de- 

 tracts from its value for winter forcing. For 

 some time we have been inquisitive as to the 

 nature of the trouble, and whether or not any pe- 

 culiar treatment would remedy the evil. 



Last winter we had among other carnations, 

 planted on the benches in the greenhouses, several 

 hundred Pres. Degraw. While the buds were 

 forming, and until they commenced opening, the 

 soil on the bench had been kept properly moist, 

 and the plants urged to the production of 

 as many buds as possible. They budded and 

 bloomed bountifully, but the flowers, as usual, 

 manifested their old fault— splitting the calyx 

 as they opened ; evidently resulting from the 

 thinness of the calyx and its crispness, for 

 which reason they are unable to withstand 

 the pressure of the crowded corolla as it 

 expands. At this stage — for the purpose of re- 

 ducing vegetative vigor, and to toughen the calyx 

 1 — we kept the soil in which about half of them 

 j grew, dry ; and withheld water from the roots as 

 I long as possible, though the tops were frequently 

 ! syringed. The other plants were treated as usual. 

 Then we awaited the result of the experiment, 

 which was: The flowers on those plants which 

 had been watered as usual while opening, kept 

 bursting the calyx. Those growing on the plants 

 in the soil that had been kept dry as the flowers 

 bloomed out, were symmetrical, and their form no 

 longer marred by the ruptured calyx. 



A'fui Albany. Ind.. Oct. 12II1. 1S85. 

 [We may add to this excellent communication, 



