February 5, 1910 



HORTICULTURi: 



185 



SEASONABLE NOTES ON CUL- 

 TURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK. 

 Cyclamens. 



There are few plants that surpass 

 the cyclamen for blooming and the 

 florist should be well supplied with a 

 desirable stock. Seedlings that were 

 sown last fall should not be neglected 

 at any time. They will now be ready 

 for a shift into 214 or 3-lnch pots. A 

 compost of fibry loam and some well- 

 decayed leaf mould in equal parts, 

 with a dash of sharp sand added and 

 also a quantity of finely crushed char- 

 coal to keep the whole porous and 

 sweet, with good drainage in the bot- 

 tom of the pots. Give them a tem- 

 perature of .50 to 55 degrees at night, 

 keep them well up to the light, syringe 

 on all bright days, and be careful 

 about watering and they will come 

 along nicely. 



Gloxinias. 



Gloxinias that were started in flats 

 will now begin to make considerable 

 roots, and when the young growth 

 has made one or two inches across 

 they should be potted up before they 

 get crowded. A mixture of equal parts 

 of loam, cow manure and leaf mould, 

 with some fine charcoal and sharp, 

 clean sand, is what they like. Pots 

 of 5 or 6-inch are sufficiently large 

 ^that is, it the tubers are of or- 

 dinary size. Drain the pots well and 

 in potting press the soil moderately 

 firm, leaving the tops of the tubers 

 just level with the surface. Immedi- 

 ately the tubers are potted, put them 

 in heat; a temperature of about 60 

 degrees at night will answer. Keep on 

 the dry side until well rooted. As 

 soon as they begin to move, stand the 

 plants where they will be near the 

 glass, otherwise the shoots will be too 

 long and weak to produce flowers of 

 the requisite substance. Do not spray 

 the leaves, and shade from the direct 

 sunshine; and a good many will be 

 In bloom for Memorial Day, when they 

 should be found extremely useful. 



Fuchsias. 

 It you have any plants of old fuchsias 

 still at rest be sure and get them out, 

 shake the old soil off, repot in good 

 fresh soil, cut back the unripe tops, 

 place them in from 50 to 55 degrees 

 by night, syringe overhead frequently 

 and water moderately, and they will 

 break and give you strong succulent 

 cuttings which will make stronger 

 plants than those started earlier. 

 Plants that were propagated early In 

 December should now be in 3-inch pots. 

 They should be kept growing by shift- 

 ing as they require it. A suitable com- 

 post is one part good loam to one- 

 quarter of well decomposed cow ma- 

 nure. By paying attention to all these 

 points, a growth of astonishing mag- 

 nitude may be had in a few months. 



Marguerites. 

 Be sure not to pinch any more on 

 plants that will be wanted for Easter. 

 They make very nice, serviceable plants 

 for church or house decoration, both 

 the white and yellow varieties. They 

 do well in a light sunny house, with 

 a temperature of about 50 degrees at 

 night. When the roots get well matted 

 in the pots feed liberally with liquid 

 manure, and see that they do not suf- 

 fer for want of water. Cuttings of 

 marguerites put In now and grown 



NEW CARNATION, MRS. WALTER W. COLES. 



This is a bright scarlet crimson; 

 good, stiff, wiry stem. Average flower 

 over o inches in diameter. Calyx ab- 

 solutely perfect. The only variety on 



our place that never splits, and 

 the most wonderfully free, continuous 

 bloomer. W. W. COLES. 



Kokomo, Ind. 



along in pots are sure to make fine 

 plants for flowering next Christmas. 



Sweet Alyssum. 

 This is a very indispensable plant 

 for vases, especially the double-flow- 

 ered variety. If your stock is short, 

 now is a good time to work up a sup- 

 ply by putting in cuttings and these 

 will give you plants later on. 



Azaleas for Easter. 

 As Mad. Van der Cruyssen and Niobe 

 require a little longer time than ordi- 

 nary varieties do, it will be necessary 

 to put these and any others that re- 

 quire a longer time into a warmer 

 temperature now. But such varieties 

 as Vervaeneana, Deutsche Perle, etc., 

 will require only about four or five 

 weeks to bring them in about right. 

 A warm moist house suits them best, 

 and a night temperature of from 55 to 

 60 degrees is about right. Syringe 

 them two to four times a day when 

 the weather is bright. When growth 

 starts ahead of the flowers see that It 

 is removed; as the flowers show color 

 stop syringing. Give the plants a few 

 days to harden off before Easter, as it 

 promotes the lasting qualities of the 

 flowers. 



Sweet Peas. 



Where there is plenty of room, and 

 all other conditions are favorable, there 

 is plenty of money in this crop. By 

 sowing at this time there will be less 

 difHculty than with the early crops. 

 Those who have the room can secure 

 an immense crop of fine flowers tor 

 spring and early summer. They will 

 last for picking from four to six weeks 



and will find a good market. A good 

 compost for sweet peas should consist 

 of about three parts loam to one of 

 manure. They should have a tempera- 

 ture of 45 to 50 degrees at night with 

 a rise to 60 to 70 degrees with sun- 

 shine. To grow sweet peas success- 

 fully, ventilation is one of the most 

 import int factors. If the space on the 

 benches is not ready, sow from four to 

 si.x seeils in a 4-inch jwt; they can be 

 planted in the benches in about four 

 weeks. Keep the leading shoots faith- 

 fully tied up to the strings so as not 

 to have crooked stems. 



Violets. 



Now when the days are lengthening 

 and becoming brighter, an abundance 

 of side growth is put forth by violets 

 which makes fine thrifty material for 

 propagation. This is the very best 

 time for the rooting of violet cuttings, 

 and the boxing of rooted runners. 

 None but the healthiest and sturd- 

 iest cuttings should be taken for the 

 future stock. The cuttings can be 

 rooted in the coolest end of the propa- 

 gation bench and they can be boxed 

 up when rooted. They can also he 

 pricked out into flats about 3 inches 

 deep. A sandy soil, fairly rich and 

 put through a sieve Is used instead of 

 pure sand. Be sure and water care- 

 fully and guard against sunshine, until 

 root formation has taken place, when 

 they will bear the full sun and a good 

 supply of fresh air. When well rooted 

 place close up to the glass and in a 

 cool, airy house, and you will have fine 

 stock. JOHN J. M. FARRELL. 



South Norwalk, Conn. 



