November 27, 1009 



HORTICULTURE 



745 



in tiic ^liddle West and the horticultural disadvantages 

 which the people of the latter have to contend with. He 

 might go farther and find a still greater variation on the 

 Pacific Coast. It is probably a wise and beneficent pro- 

 vision of Nature which gives us these dissimilar condi- 

 tions in rain fall, temperature and other factors which 

 so largely control vegetation but we cannot resist the 

 conviction that the acts of man, wise or unwise, have 

 much to do with some of these phenomena. Certain 

 parts of Florida, once regarded as immune against in- 

 jurious frosts, are no longer immune since her vast for- 

 est protection has been destroyed. On the other hand 

 is it not likely that the gigantic irrigation operations 

 which are turning the western deserts into a verdant and 

 fruitful empire may, in conjunction with the new bal- 

 ance of verdure and forest growth, so modify in due 

 time the severities of the weather of the prairie coun- 

 tries that things now impossible may yet become prac- 

 ticable? Man cannot change the order of the seasons, 

 nor latitude, nor gulf stream, but he can preserve and 

 extend forest growth and, outside of fLxed physical con- 

 ditions, there is no one factor which has so much to do 

 primarily in modifying climatic extremes and conserv- 

 ing the comfort and well-being of humanity as the for- 

 ests have. Mr. Harrison's articles will be continued in 

 later issues. 



Codiaeum 



These well known hothouse evergreen shrubs are pop- 

 ularly known as Crotons. Botanists, however, tell us 

 that they are quite distinct from that genus, belonging 

 to a difEerent section of Euphorbiacefe. About three or 

 four species are known to exist, notable among which 

 is C. pictum, from which many of the garden forms 

 have originated. Codiaeums, as decorative plants, have 

 few equals. Mixed with a few graceful palms, and 

 ferns, a very imposing group can be made and a well 

 grown specimen also looks well alone. As table plants 

 they are among the best we have, especially the narrow 

 leafed varieties, if grown about a foot high, in a five or 

 six-inch pot. 



Codiseums are of easy culture and, after being estab- 

 lished in pots from the cutting bed, there is no need of 

 the humid high temperature they are so often subjected 

 to. These, along with many other tropical plants, have 

 been made unpopular by the sweatbox mode of cultiva- 

 tion. I have heard an employer more than once say, 

 "Oh, yes, they are beautiful, but they are grown in too 

 uncomfortable an atmosphere to be enjoyed." 



Cuttings can be rooted, in three to four weeks, in a 

 case, with a top and bottom temperature of seventy. 

 Let them get dry at the roots before transferring to 

 pots. ' This treatment firms up the young roots, mak- 

 ing them loss liable to damp off when put in soil, which. 

 for a first potting, should be about equal parts of loam, 

 leafmold. and sand with some charcoal added to keep it 

 sweet. If a large specimen is desired quickly take an 

 old plant, with a top that has a good few breaks on it 

 and girdle the stem close to the lower breaks, and put a 

 three-and-a-half-inch paper pot on it, covering the gir- 

 dled part about nn inch in a mixture of loam, sand and 

 sphagnum moss. It will be well rooted in about a 

 month and, before removing from the old plants, it is 

 better to have it well established in a five-inch pot, using 



plenty of loam in the mixture for this shift. WTien 

 well rooted in this pot, dry off the old plant quite severe- 

 ly, allowing all the moisture for the top to be derived 

 from the pot around the girdle. By this mode of treat- 

 ment no leaves need be lost when it is severed from the 

 old plant. If this method of propagation is used it is 

 astonishing how large a specimen can be had in a very 

 small pot. 



Each year, as the plant increases in size, it is better to 

 prune the shoots back an inch or two, care being taken, 

 however, to keep the plant evenly balanced. We find 

 the end of January a good time to do this. After they 

 break well repotting is in order, and we use a good 

 fibery loam, to which has been added about a fifth part 

 of manure, and to every shovelful of loam a handful 

 of bonemeal. It is a good plan to sterilize the soil as 

 this kills all the eggs of scale and mealy bug — two pests 

 that are very fond of Coditeums. Red spider, another 

 pest, that comes in mostly through the ventilators from 

 outdoor trees, can be kept down by frequent use of the 

 "Stott nozzle" on the end of the hose on bright morn- 

 ings. I don't believe in having the foliage wet over 

 night, as one is apt to loose a good many leaves by doing 

 so. We find tliat sixty to sixty-five is a good winter 

 night temperature, putting on air in the morning as 

 soon as the glass reaches seventy. We give no fire heat 

 from June until about the middle of September and on 

 bright days have the ventilators full open and during 

 that period do not close them tight at night. By this 

 treatment one gets a nice firm short-jointed growth, 

 and when used for decorative work they stand it a great 

 deal better. When in vigorous growth Codiseums enjoy 

 frequent waterings with liquid manure; some varieties 

 will stand more than others and one has to be careful 

 with the one he is acquainted with. 



Shading, enough to break the direct rays of the sun, 

 is necessary from March until the end of September. It 

 is a good plan also, to stop giving stimulants at this time 

 of the year, giving plenty of air, and allowing the plants 

 to get a little drier at the roots before watering. This 

 treatment helps to finish up the season's growth, and 

 has a tendency to bring out the brilliant red colorings 

 on these varieties that are popular with the florists 

 around Christmas. 



Good large-leaved varieties to grow are Andreanum, 

 Baron Eothschild, Challenger, Czar Alexander III, 

 Dayspring, Edwin Lonsdale, Evansianum, Earl Derby, 

 Heroicus, Queen A^ictoria, Reidii, Stewartii, Thom- 

 sonii, Undulatum. Veitchii. Farrow leaved varieties: 

 Angustifoliuni, Chelsonii, Dodgsonee, Golden Ring, In- 

 terruptum, Johannis. Lancifolium, Majesticum, Mrs. 

 Dorman, Prince of Wales, Warrenii, Weismanii. 



^e^n^ 



Viest Medford, Mass. 



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