May 7, 1910 



HORTICULTURE, 



701 



CULTIVATION OF THE POIN- 

 SETTIA. 



Abstract of a paper lead by Harold B. 



V.Tse, before the Morris Co. Gardeners' 



and Florists' Society. 



Poinsettia pulcherrima is almost in- 

 dispensiblp fer Christmas decoration, 

 and in niy opinion every gardener 

 should grow a few for that purpose. I 

 will take this subject up from the 

 resting period, and will endeavor to 

 give you a brief outline of my method 

 of cultivation, although it may differ, 

 perhaps, from the usual pursued by 

 some growers. I may say I have 

 never resorted to the planting out sys- 

 tem in benches, although I believe a 

 good many are grown that way for 

 cut purposes. 



The resting period begins about the 

 first week in January, lasting until the 

 early part of May. The plants are 

 cut back to within about 2 ft. from 

 the pots, and then are turned over on 

 their sides, water being withheld all 

 the time, I place them under the 

 carnation benches aad there they re- 

 main until I start them in May. Then 

 I usually place them under the rose 

 benches, as near the w-alk as possible, 

 so that they can get light, giving them 

 a good soaking with water, and 

 syringing them two or three times a 

 day. 



In two or three weeks the first batch 

 of cuttings can be procured. I prefer 

 cuttings about 2^4 inches long, taken 

 with a little old wood, or a "heel," as 

 the term is often used by gardeners. 

 There are other methods that can be 

 resorted to if the stock of old plants 

 is limited: that is by cutting up the 

 old stems in the manner in which you 

 would make vine eyes; and yet an- 

 other method is to cut up the stems 

 so that one eye is above the sand. 



It is advisable, when taking cut- 

 tings, to have close at hand a little 

 powdered charcoal and dry sand to in- 

 sert the cuttings into as soon as they 

 are taken off, to stop the sap from 

 flowing. Get the cuttings into the 

 sand as soon as possible so as to avoid 

 flagging. Give a good watering and 

 shade with papers. I find the Poin- 

 settias very easy to root, and by mak- 

 ing a succession of strikings, one can 

 have plants ranging from 1 ft. to 6 ft. 

 in height. 



Under favorable circumstances, cut- 

 tings will be rooted in about three 

 weeks. Do not leave the cuttings in 

 the sand so long that the roots get 

 over an inch long, otherwise they will 

 In all probability get damaged while 

 being potted. For the first potting, 

 prepare a fairly light compost, using 

 sand, leaf-soil, and loam well-mixed. 

 Place the young plants in a shaded 

 part of the house. As soon as they 

 are rooted sufficiently to stand the sun, 

 place them in the full sunlight, and 

 when readj give them a shift into 

 larger pots, making the compost 

 heavier with loam, using a little sand 

 to keep the soil open. Pot firmly. By 

 the early part of August the plants 

 will take their final shift into S or 

 6-inch pots. I use all loam, with a 

 small quantity of bone meal and 

 Scotch soot well incorporated in the 

 soil. 



When potting use the rammer free- 

 ly and pot firm, for in my opinion 

 that has a tendency towards helping 

 the plants to hold their foliage longer 

 than when loosely potted. 

 Always be very careful to insure 



iV BrvUE> I^OSE 



The Greatest 

 Rose Novelty 

 of the Century 



It flowered with us this sea- 

 son and was greatly admired. 



The New Rambler (Violet Blue), hailed by 

 the German rose growers as the forerunner 

 of a genuinely cornflower blue rose, is a 

 seedling of Crimson Rambler, very vigor- 

 ous and hardy, and free blooming. 



Send for Description 

 and Price 



BIvl^X^'^.A.IVCiER «& BA.I«I«^" 



:Moi,»rTLt Hope Wftirs^ri^s 



FeocMESTEi*, 3V. ir. 



WE ARE NOW BOOKING ORDERS FOR 



BEGONIA LORRAINE 



BEGONIA LORRAINE LONSDALE 



BEGONIA AGATHA 



June Delivery 



Our Btock will be of the very highest quality, and we wish to Impress 

 upon our customers that all our Begonias will be twice shifted. Orders 

 filled in rotation, 2Mi-ln. potB, JJLS.OO per 100; $140.00 per 1000. 

 Special price on lots of 5000 or 10,000 plants. 



ROBERT CRAIG CO., 4900 Market street, Philadelphia, Pa. 



PEACOCK'S PEERLESS DAHLIAS 



PI PI n DnOT^ J"ck Rose, Fringed 20th Century, 

 riUL,L» K.WW 1 O, Rose Pink Century, Virginia Haule, 



Big Clllef. $3.50 per doz., $25.00 per loo. Best cut flower sorts, 

 $1.00 per doz., $5.00 per too. 



PEACOCK DAHLIA FARMS, 



WfLtlAWSTOWN, 

 JUNCTION, N. J. 



Vi»iyyt0V¥¥*/yt0yym0»0t0yytm t^ 0ttttt0tii^ * 0»i*f>t»itt»0t0uttytt*it/tn0t0»0ym0¥*M*is 



that they have a plentiful supply of 

 water, for if left to get dry and flag 

 in the hot sun, the result will be a 

 crop of scorched foliage. Spray the 

 plants overhead several times a day 

 in bright weather. Some have the 

 idea that the Poinsettia needs high 

 feeding: that, I find, is a mistake. Two 

 applications of Clay's fertilizer at in- 

 tervals of two weeks is ample to finish 

 off good bracts, say from 14 to 19 

 inches across, in 5 or 6-inch pots. 



The Poinsettia Is not very suscept- 

 ible to the ravages of insects, mealy 

 bug being its worst enemy. Even this 

 can be warded off if a careful watch 

 is kept, never allowing the pests to 

 gain headway. An occasional spraying 

 of X L All or some other good in- 

 secticide will keep them clean. 



Little Ads Bring 

 Big Returns 



Little ads in our Classified Columns 

 bring big returns to both advertiser 

 and purchaser. 



Anything that can be sold to florists, 

 gardeners, park and cemetery superin- 

 tendents, etc., can be sold through thip 

 medium in this department, and at 

 very small cost. 



Don't fail to read them each Issue, for 

 you will find one or more that will 

 prove profitable to you. 



I They Cost Only One 

 Cent a Word Undisplayed 



