July 5, 1913 



HOBTIOTJLTURJ 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDUCTED BY 



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Questions by oar readers In line with any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially received and promptly answered 

 by Mr. Farrell. Such communications should Invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTURE. 



Getting Ready for Carnations 



Cleaning out and refilling benches and beds, with the 

 accompanying hard labor, fortunately do not come un- 

 der the heading of every-day work. It does not pay to 

 put off the start until the last minute. There is sure to 

 be some repairing of beds or benches needed, and usually 

 we find more than we expected. Clean up thoroughly 

 under the benches, in the walks, in fact from end to end. 

 If the house is entirely empty it is a good plan to fumi- 

 gate it thoroughly with sulphur before replanting, but 

 be sure there are no plants in the house which you 

 want to keep. This is perhaps the strongest point in 

 favor of detached houses. You can fumigate one house 

 without doing the same to the whole place. When re- 

 filling the beds put a layer of haK-rotted cow manure 

 on the bottom about one inch thick. Some growers ob- 

 ject to this, but we have always found it a good prac- 

 tice. On top of this fill in the soil. Level the soil as 

 you fill the beds and see that the beds are well filled 

 along the edge. If leveled, the soil dries out better over 

 the whole bed and can be watered evenly when wanted 

 for planting. 



Greenhouse Building 



Whenever the demand for any commodity exceeds the 

 supply thereof, it naturally follows that producers will 

 strive to equalize conditions by providing additional 

 facilities to bring forth a more ample output in the 

 future. Now is the time to get building figures and 

 estimates from the different greenhouse construction 

 firms advertised in Horticulture. To build new 

 greenhouses nowadays is not at all a laborious under- 

 taking. The greatest part of the most particular work 

 is done by the mill. It is easily and quickly framed 

 and set up. It is real fun to build a new greenhouse, 

 and a delight to conduct gardening operations in a new, 

 well-planned house. My advice is to build large enough, 

 while you are at it-; to build plain and simple but sub- 

 stantial; to avoid all frills and imnecessary ornamenta- 

 tion ; to have your plans well and thoroughly thought out 

 in every detail before you order the material and to let 

 this be of the best and most durable that can be had. 



Miltonia vexillaria 



When this summer-flowering orchid is through flower- 

 ing the plants should have any necessary repotting done. 

 They do well in pans or pots, which should be half-filled 

 with broken crocks and lumpy charcoal. A good com- 

 post is osmunda fern fiber mixed with a little live sphag- 

 num. Place them in as cool a house as you may have; 

 there is no better place for them than a north house. 

 After repotting you will need to use extreme caution in 

 watering at the roots ; only just keep the plants moder- 



ately damp until they have formed plenty of new roots. 

 Where you can, use blinds or lath shadings that can be 

 removed when the powerful sun has gone. These or- 

 chids like plenty of ventilation both day and night up to 

 the fall. Keep them well syringed overhead during all 

 bright weather. Miltonias are very partial to thrips so 

 to keep the plants absolutely clean they should be 

 sponged or dipped with fir tree oil or Aphine about 

 every two weeks. 



Pansies for Next Winter 



There is quite a good demand for pansy flowers dur- 

 ing the winter months. To have nice large plants by 

 next fall, it is not a bit too early to sow some of the best 

 varieties now. Sow broadcast in a cold frame where the 

 soil has been worked and raked until it is fine and mel- 

 low. Sow not too thickly, cover with fine soil and press 

 firmly all over with a board, then water gently with a 

 fine rose. Keep shaded until they begin to come up. 

 Pansies will grow and do much better when planted 

 early if kept shaded with cheese cloth until the over- 

 drying and powerful mid-day sunshine passes, when it 

 can be taken off. When the seedlings have made enough 

 growth so they can be nicely handled they can be trans- 

 planted into other frames. The soil should be made 

 rich and quite a bit of leaf mold mixed in. They can be 

 planted from 6 to 8 inches apart each way and with 

 timely waterings and attention they will make large 

 clumps by October. 



Young Ferns for Dishes 



Young ferns that are of good size and are in flats can 

 now be potted into 2-inch pots and will make fine stock 

 by October. Give a liberal and rich compost, say three 

 parts of fibrous soil, one part each of leaf mold and well 

 decayed cow manure and enough of sand to make it 

 porous. To keep them from dr}'ing out the pots should 

 be plunged to the rims in a couple of inches of fine coal 

 ashes or sand spread on the benches. Give only enough 

 shade to break the direct rays of the sun. Give plenty 

 of ventilation to keep the atmosphere as cool and moist 

 as possible. Look over your plants morning and after- 

 noon so they will not become dry at the roots. To en- 

 courage a good stocky growth they should have an occa- 

 sional spreading out as the plants begin to crowd one 

 another. 



Sowing Late Annuals 



Now is a good time to make a sowing of annuals which 

 will flower during the early fall. Of course there is some 

 risk but it pays sometimes where we do not have an 

 early frost. Make a sowing of all such annuals as candy- 

 tuft, clarkias, coreopsis, calendulas, Shirley poppies, 

 larkspurs, lupines, etc. Sow where they have water 

 handy so they can be kept moist during their growing 

 period. With good cultivation and plenty of water it is 

 surprising what rapid growth they will make. 



Mr. Farrell's next notes will be on the following: Violets; Begonia Glolre de Lorraine and Cincinnati; Rambler Roses; 



from Spores ; Mignonette ; Propagating Ivies, 



Ferns 



