April 9, 1910 



H ORTI CULTURE 



551 



SEASONABLE NOTES ON CU LTU RE 



OF FLORISTS' STOCK. 



Dendrobiums. 



This genus includes many very hand- 

 some species as well as some of the 

 most useful orchids for the florist to 

 grow for the cut flower trade. At this 

 season of the year and after a long 

 period of rest many fine species should 

 ije bursting into bloom, while others 

 that have finished flowering will be 

 starting their new season's growth. 

 When they have finished blooming is 

 the best time to repot and top-dress. 

 A good compost is made of equal parts 

 of fibrous peat and live sphagnum, 

 with some broken charcoal mixed 

 among it. Be sure that they have 

 plenty of drainage. They can be 

 grown in either baskets or pots. I pre- 

 fer baskets for the pendulous varieties, 

 such as Devonianum, lituiflorum, Pier- 

 ardii, superbum, chrysanthum, Ward- 

 ianum, and kindred sorts. They will 

 require more frequent syringing than 

 those grown in pots, but you will find 

 them less subject to attacks from slugs 

 and wood lice when grown in this man- 

 ner. Cold water is highly injurious. 

 The water for syringing and dipping 

 should be warmed to the same tem- 

 perature as the house. When in flower 

 if hung in a cooler and shaded house 

 they will last a much longer time. 



Ericas. 



Now is the time to start in order to 

 have well-balanced plants for next 

 year. Those that are unsold and past 

 their bloom should be cut in just 

 enough to give them a good shape. 

 Ericas that are perfectly healthy can 

 go into a pot one size larger, ' while 

 doubtful specimens that look sickly 

 will be improved and frequently re- 

 stored to vigor by repotting into a 

 pot of the same size as the one pre- 

 viously occupied. The ball of earth in 

 such a case should be loosened with a 

 piece of pointed wood, and the outer 

 soil shaken off. Should the inner part 

 of the ball be dry, which is very often 

 found to be the case, they should be 

 dipped for some time into a tub before 

 repotting. The soil for potting should 

 be a fibrous peat and some good loam 

 with about one-third of silver sand. 

 All heaths like plenty of drainage. 

 They will stand nothing like a sodden 

 soil. In potting care should be taken 

 to set them rather a little too high 

 than too deep. Be sure that the soil 

 is well firmed around their roots. Fre- 

 quent syringing is essential, but in 

 watering great care must be taken not 

 to overdo it. At the same time the 

 plants must never be allowed to be- 

 come dry. When put out of doors in 

 the summer the pots should be sunk to 

 their rims into some loose material 

 such as hay or leaves — anything that 

 will allow the air to pass through. 

 They prefer a place that is benefited 

 by "the shifting shade of some large 

 trees during the hottest hours of the 

 day. Some of the best ericas for the 

 florists are regerminans, persoluta, 

 caffra. and gracilis. 



Palm Seed. 



It is a good plan where you have the 

 room to spare to sow some palm seed 

 every year so as to have them in any 

 size needed. All our leading palms 

 grow quite easily from seed. Leaf- 

 mold, sand and loam in equal parts 



A FIELD OF BODDINGTON "QUALITY" TRUE HARRISII, BERMUDA. 



make a good mixture for any variety. 

 The seeus can he sown in a bench, flats 

 or pans where they can have a bottom 

 heat of 75 to SO degrees. As the hot 

 weather comes on a mild hot-bed 

 makes an ideal place. During the sum- 

 mer they may not need watering of- 

 tener than once a week. A light shade 

 on the glass will save them from dry- 

 ing out loo much. Palm seed germi- 

 nates very irregularly. While some 

 will come in two months' time, there 

 are many others that will not show 

 for many months, and for that reason 

 I prefer flats or pans to sow in. When 

 they show one or two leaves, pot oft 

 singly into 2-inch or 2%-inch pots. 

 They should be kept close and warm 

 until they have started. They will 

 grow slowly the first year, but after 

 that it is astonishing how soon they 

 grow into salable plants. 



Pansies. 



When your violets give out, espe- 

 cially the single ones, they can be re- 

 placed by pansies that have been grown 

 in flats. Just lift the plants from out 

 of the flats with sufficient soil attached 

 to insure their taking hold. A few 

 weeks will suflice to put them in fine 

 condition for spring sales. As the 

 pansy thrives best in a low tempera- 

 ture and only needs a bare protection 

 from frost, so at all times now keep 

 the air pure by ventilation on all pos- 

 sible opportunities. They can be made 

 up in pans or pots of eight or ten 

 plants, and placed somewhere in view 

 of passersby. They are a favorite with 

 most people. 



Planting Out Carnations. 



Preparation for planting out carna- 

 tions should be staited as soon as the 

 ground is in condition and danger of 

 frost is over. As to the time for begin- 

 ning to plant out, that will depend on 

 your climate. Caution should be used 

 against planting too early. While a 

 slight frost may do no damage, if the 

 plants are in good condition I don't 

 think it does tliem any good. How far 

 apart to plant will depend largely on 



how much ground you have to spare 

 and how you wish to cultivate them. 

 Those who have plenty of land and 

 intend to cultivate with a horse must 

 have their rows 2i^ to 3 feet apart. 

 There are several ways of planting, 

 and each has its advocates. I like to 

 plant in rows 15 inches apart and 12 

 inches in the row. This will allow you 

 to use a Planet Junior cultivator both 

 ways, but be sure the rows are straight 

 both ways. An acre planted this way 

 will hold 34,.S4S plants. See that the 

 plants are clear of insects before plant- 

 ing. Pests such as red spider or aphis 

 are harder to fight in the field than 

 in the house. See that the plants are 

 kept moist at the root during planting. 

 Don't lay out too many ahead of the 

 planters, as they will dry out very 

 rapidly while exposed to the sun and 

 air. 



Ramblers for Next Easter. 



Those intended for next Easter 

 should be one year old now. They 

 can be potted into 6-inch pots at once, 

 and cut back quite hard. Give them 

 the coolest house you have and grow 

 them under glass until August. Leave 

 five or six strong canes; all other 

 growth should be rubbed off. Set them 

 outside in July and in about a month 

 withhold water so as to ripen up the 

 wood. Careful attention to details 

 with regard to ventilating and fumigat- 

 ing is necessary during their growth 

 in order to avoid mildew or green fly, 

 or anything that is liable to give them 

 a check. 



JOHN J. JVI. FARRELL. 



Mr. Farrell's next notes will be on An- 

 tirrhinums. Cosmos, Cyclamens, Gladioli, 

 Lilies for Decoration Day, Lily of the 

 Volley. 



Elizabeth, N. J.— Police officers were 

 called upon last week to preserve 

 order among a lot of Sicillians, em- 

 ployes of the Hiram T. Jones nurseries 

 who were on strike and were disposed 

 to maul some of their fellows who had 

 declined to join the strike. 



