October IS, 1913 



HORTICULTURE 



529 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



CONBCCTKD BT 



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

 by Mr. Farrcll. Such commuDlcatlons sliould lBT«rlably be addressed to the office ot HORTICULTDRE. 



Ardisia crenulata 



This iiiipnitaiit and Ijeaiitiful holiday plant is very 

 often l)niind to be neglected in the season of the busy 

 rush. All young seedlings should be kept growing right 

 along and any that have filled their pots with roots 

 sliould have a shift as they may require it. On the way 

 the compost is prepared depends much of success or fail- 

 ure in growing these plants. A compost of fibrous loam 

 three parts, fibrous peat and well rotted cow manure one 

 part each, with some leaf mold and sand will be to their 

 liking. Give them a temperature of about 55 degrees 

 at night. Allow room between the plants and place 

 them where they can have full sun to help color up 

 their fruit. Do not keep them too warm in the day 

 time; anywhere from G3 to 70 degrees will do all right. 

 Wlien kept too warm they are apt to force out a pre- 

 mature growth, which is not wanted. 



Care of Mignonette 



With the rush of other work do not neglect the 

 mignonette beds. We will now l}e coming into the cool 

 nights which is a great help to this plant. Give the 

 surface of the beds a good dusting of bone meal and this 

 can be followed by a light mulch of well rotted cow 

 manure and lf)am in equal parts. Do not let the plants 

 fall all over from the want of supports. See that this 

 has attention as soon as they may require it. Give a 

 spraying on all bright mornings and look the beds over 

 to find the dry spots to insure an even state of moisture. 

 Attend to disbudding from time to time and see that the 

 green worm is kept in check liy dusting with slug shot. 

 Give plenty of ventilatimi at all times. 



Care of Violets 



I siipjjose that everybody who planted a house of vio- 

 lets last spring for the coming season has been pains- 

 taking and thorough in the care of same. However do 

 not think tliat they are in such good shape that you can 

 alford to neglect them. The spraying overhead should 

 not lie overdone : it should not take the form of ver\' 

 heavy syringing now, and from now on should only be 

 done during forenoon hours on bright days, while the 

 wetting down of walks and dampening of approaches 

 should also be done only on sunny days. Violets are air- 

 loving plants, so see that they have plenty of ventilation. 

 Unless you have a demand for very early flowers, it is 

 jnuch better to keep the first early buds pinched off and 

 not let them come into bloom until you have a good de- 

 mand, and then, too, the first are so inferior in qualitv 

 that it is a detrivient to one's reputation as a first class 

 grower to let such go out from an establishment. Look 

 over and thoroughly clean everv crown, to make sure 



that no larvae of insects or black spot on leaves is carried 

 through the house and look out closely that no aphis of 

 any kind gets a foothold. 



Cannas 



Cannas should be correctly labeled before lifting. 

 Let them have a moderate freezing, and dig them on a 

 sunny day. Do not shake the soil from the roots. We 

 have never failed to winter canna roots with scarcely 

 any loss by putting them on boards beneath a carnation 

 bencli. If the ground is damp and no boards are put 

 down they will start to grow. From this tiine until 

 time to take them up to start them there should be no 

 need of watering the carnations so copiously that there 

 i~ any drip. Drip is very injurious to canna roots. 

 I'hat is why a place lieneath a plant bench will not do. 

 Shelves in a di-y shed with a minimum temperature of 

 -15 to 48 degrees will answer better than any other place. 

 Look them over occasionally during the winter and 

 wliere they show any signs of decaying remove the dis- 

 eased roots so it won't sjircad through the rest. 



Lorraine Begonias 



Begonia Gloire dc Tj(U'rrtine will ju.st now 4)e starting 

 to send up the growth that will make it such a charming 

 plant at Christmas, and now is a good time to do what 

 lying is necessary. Some use three or four small stakes 

 and surround the plants with a strand of silkaline. 

 Others prefer one stake in the center of the plant and the 

 liranches sujiportod by a tie of this material. This 

 should be done soon, so that the plant has time to assume 

 •A natural appearance. Some of these are now sufficient- 

 ly well bloomed to be quite salable. If they have been 

 grown along in a moderately warm house give them one 

 now where a minimum of 50 degrees is kept. Stand 

 tliem well up to the light. Sunlight will not hann them 

 in the least. It is a good plari to suspend a number over 

 the paths by wire hangers. Use care in watering and 

 give liquid stimulants occasionally. Ventilate carefully 

 trc running into the shorter and darker days 



as wi 

 now. 



Out Door Roses 



From now <m and up to tlie first week in November is 

 a good time to plant outside H. P. roses. Make the soil 

 rich, but do not place the manure so it comes directly 

 in contact with the roots. Do not plant too deep or too 

 shallow as one is as bad as the other. See that the soil 

 is worked well in and around the roots and left in a 

 firm state. On or about the SOtli of November give them 

 a liberal coating of course manure around the base of the 

 plant, so it forms a cone of about ten inches high. 



-Mr. KjirrelVs next notef. will he nii the following: 



Azaleas; Callas; Chrysanthemums; Cinerarias; Sweet Peas; 

 St. Patrick's Day. 



Shamroclis for 



