February 26, 1910 



HORTICULTURE 



297 



SEASONABLE NOTES ON CUL- 

 TURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK. 

 Cattleyas and Cypripediums. 



It" you have any Cattleyas that have 

 done flowering, now or just before 

 they begin to grow, is the best time 

 for potting or top dressing. The ma- 

 terial should consist of fibrous peat 

 and live sphagnum moss, with char- 

 coal and broken pots for drainage. 

 The plants should be firmly potted 

 and stalved until they have become 

 established. I think pots or hanging 

 pans better than baskets. With pots 

 there is not so much danger from 

 fungus; and it is a much easier mat- 

 ter to remove the plants from pots 

 than baskets, and they also last much 

 longer. Be sure and let the plants 

 rest upon the top of the soil, elevated 

 above the rim so as to carry the 

 water away quickly. Cattleyas like a 

 moist atmosphere during their grow- 

 ing season. It is necessary to main- 

 tain a genial growing temperature at 

 all times. 



Cypripedium insigne and its varie- 

 ties will likewise now need overhaul- 

 ing. In potting cypripediums, an im- 

 portant point is drainage, for as they 

 have no peseudo-bulbs to support 

 them, you cannot dry them off as 

 other orchids, so If the drainage is 

 not good the roots are sure to decay. 

 A good compost is fibrous loam from 

 which all the fine particles have been 

 screened, some chopped sphagnum, 

 lumpy charcoal and a portion of 

 sharp silver sand. The pots should 

 be half-filled with clean crocks, and 

 when potting, slightly elevate the 

 plants above the rims. After orchids 

 have been potted they should be fre- 

 quently syringed and have abundance 

 of moisture about the house and 

 benches, but it must be borne in 

 mind that over-watering at the root 

 Is very injurious to nearly all species 

 of orchids under cultivation. 



Bouvardias. 



A MODERN DELIVERY VEHICLE. 



This is an automobile for business 

 uses and it belongs to the Pennock- 

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 we do not illustrate it because of either 

 one of these facts alone. Our object 

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 to something in the line of advance- 

 ment—an equipment which will soon 



be looked upon as an indispensable ad- 

 junct in any branch of the business 

 requiring improved facilities for the 

 transportation and delivery of goods. 

 The picture will tell its own story to 

 the man who is out to attain and 

 maintain a position among the leaders 

 In the ceaseless struggle for business 

 pre-eminence. 



If you grow or intend to grow 

 bouvardias, now is the most favorable 

 time to start propagation. Old plants 

 can be shaken out and the thicker 

 roots cut into pieces half an inch in 

 length. Placed in sand with the bed 

 about 70 degrees, will do very well. 

 In about four weeks the little plants 

 will be starting through the sand. 

 When about an inch high lift out and 

 pot off into small pots. They should 

 be kept in a warm house until well 

 established. They can also be in- 

 creased by cuttings of soft wood; 

 these make faster-growing plants 

 than those obtained by root cuttings. 



Dahlias. 

 The old roots can be started any 

 time from now up to April. The roots 

 should be started on a bench or in 

 boxes, planting them quite close to- 

 g'ether in rich loam. Give them a 

 light situation near the glass and a 

 temperature of from 55 to 60 degrees. 

 When they put forth sturdy and thick- 

 stemmed growth of about 2 or 3 in- 

 ches long they are fit for the cutting 

 bed. Place them In well firmed sand 

 with very little bottom heat. With 

 good care as to shading, spraying and 

 ventilating, in about 2 or 3 weeks 

 the cuttings will be ready for potting. 

 When once well established in small 

 pots, they should be transferred to a 



cool, light and well ventilated house 

 and grown on. giving plenty of room 

 between the plants as they require it. 

 Lorraine Begonias. 

 The leaf cuttings that were put in 

 sand some six weeks ago will now be 

 showing young growth and should be 

 nicely rooted by this time. In potting 

 use a light sandy compost and be sure 

 to keep a little on the dry side until 

 the roots are running well through the 

 soil. The cut back plants which have 

 been brought into heat and syringed 

 well will give some fine cuttings. Put 

 them in clean, sharp sand, where there 

 is a bottom heat of 70 to 75 degrees, 

 and if managed well they are bound to 

 root. After they are established they 

 will want a good deal of attention 

 such as pinching off all the flowers and 

 by stopping the original cutting, which 

 will strengthen the root and will en- 

 courage the vigorous growth which is 

 necessary to good plants for next 

 Christmas. Keep in about 50 to 55 de- 

 grees at night. 



Genistas. 

 Those that are intended for Easter 

 should have the flower buds quite 

 prominent by this time, in which case 

 they will be all right. If they are pot- 

 bound some manure water will do them 

 good about once a week. Put in a 

 batch of cuttings now in a cool house 

 and they will root well. By potting 

 ana growing them along they v/ill 

 make nice plants for next Easter. Do 

 not allow them to become stunted dur- 

 ing their growing season. 

 Verbenas. ' 

 Propagation for bedding should go on 

 until you think you have enough. It 

 may be done at any time from now 

 until April. The advantage of cuttings 

 over seedlings is that named varieties 

 can be maintained pure beyond a doubt 



from year to year. It Is not yet too 

 late to sow seed; they will come along 

 fast and make nice plants by planting- 

 out time. Grow them along in a cool 

 house, say about 45 to 50 degrees at 

 night. 



Smilax. 

 Be sure not to let your smilax bed 

 go without strings. It is negligence 

 that will show itself very soon. Keep 

 on the dry side until growth starts 

 anew. When the crop is cut and the 

 new crop well started, a good mulch 

 of manure will help the bed. Give 

 daily admission of air to harden the 

 foliage, so it will stand after cutting. 

 Syringe daily except on unfavorable 

 days. Keep near 60 degrees at night. 

 For stringing smilax no material is 

 equal to Meyer's green silkaline. 



JOHN J. M. FARRELL. 



STRAWS. 



Merely stf-aws— but they "show the 

 way the wind blows." For the three 

 months ending February 19, 1910— the 

 deadest period in the year for any 

 building operations — we have received 

 news of greenhouses building or con- 

 templated in New England territory as 

 follows: Conn. 7, Maine 6, Mass 36 

 N. H. 2, R. I. 3, Vt. 1 ; 55 in all. Worth 

 noting, is it not? 



New subscribers for HORTICUL- 

 TURE coming in ordinary run of busi- 

 ness in past 15 days, 42; distributed 

 as follows: 1 each for Ala., Belgium. 

 Canada, Ga., la., Ky., La., Md., Mich., 

 N. J., Okla.; 2 each for HI,, O., Pa., 

 R. I., Wash,; 3 for Conn.; S for N. Y.; 

 10 for Mass. 



Wm. Elliott and Sons, New York, 

 are in receipt of their first consign- 

 ment of roses and conifers for auction. 

 Their first sale will take place on 

 March 15th. 



