October 26, 19H 



HOETICULTUEE 



661 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCX 



CONDUCTED B¥ 



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Qvestlona br ••' 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. 



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A NIC A 



< AKUEN, 



Azaleas 



Instead of plunging the newly arrived azaleas in 

 frames sometimes as closely packed as they were in their 

 cases, as is so often done, they would better be potted 

 up as soon as unpacked and assorted. Leaf mold and 

 friable loam in equal parts, with a little bone meal and 

 sand added is the soil usually employed. The best varie- 

 ties for earlj forcing, to be had in bloom easily by 

 Christmas, are Simon Mardner, Apollo, Duetsche Perle, 

 Pauline Mardner and Vervaeneana. Before the azaleas 

 go into their pots a thorough soaking of the root balls is 

 necessary. Even if they should not seem to be overdry, 

 no chances on this score must be taken. The failure of 

 plants to do well may, in nearly all instances be traced 

 to dry roots. The inner core of the ball, once dried out, 

 remains in that condition ever afterward, no matter how 

 regularly and thoroughly the plants are watered. Im- 

 mersion in a pail or tub of water is the way to reach the 

 spot. The plants after being potted,' should not be ex- 

 posed to sunshine for eight or ten days, nor to frosty 

 weather at any time although a very cool and aii'y place 

 suits them. All of the later kinds intended for spring 

 sales may be kept for the greater part of winter in a tem- 

 perature not much below or above 40 degrees. 

 Callas 

 Callas will, under anything like proper treatment, as- 

 sure fair returns to the wholesale cut flower grower. 

 While a rose house temperature is about right for a 

 bench stocked with callas, both crops seldom do well 

 under tlie same roof. To grow good callas the first im- 

 portance is direct and strong sunlight. From this time 

 on they will require some fire heat to maintain a tem- 

 perature of from 58 to GO degrees at night. When in 

 growth they are moisture loving plants; they want soil 

 and air, well and constantly charged with humidity of 

 tlie life-giving, non-stagnant kind. When these plants 

 are kept on growing without intermission and with 

 ceaseless pushing of bud and bloom, the foothold a 

 mass of fleshy white roots that will eagerly absorb large 

 quantities of liquid food if dealt out to them regularly 

 twice a week, there will be no let-up in the cutting of fine 

 spotless flowers. Damping down will be necessary at 

 least twice a day and ventilation should be given Ju- 

 diciously whenever possible. 



Chrysanthemums 

 At this date all varieties have set their buds save ex- 

 ceptionally backward lots, and extremely late sorts. A 

 helpful habit that deserves to be cultivated by everybody 

 engaged in mass-cultures of this kind is the jotting down 

 on the pages of a handy memorandum book anything 

 worthy to be remembered of what the present season's 

 experience has taught. Self-acquired knowledge thus 

 preserved in readily accessible form, is of greater value 

 P as a guide in the Uying of plans for another season than 

 ~ the sayings of others. Chrysanthemums now require 

 -' close attention to prevent crookedness of stem by careful 

 tying, mutilation by a constant outlook for insects and 

 - r-'i'T^wed upper foliage by properly adjusted tempera- 



' — «.i. Karrell's next notes will be on the following; Dnt«h Balbs for Outside; 

 \ "^ Geraniums; Wintering Fuchsias. 



ture and judicious application of air, moisture and feed- 

 ing. In feeding and syringing it is much easier at this 

 time of the year, and a mistake more often made and 

 more disastrous in its effects on the stock, to do too much 

 than too little. 



Cinerarias 



It is not easy to discard these beautiful plants, for they 

 are so showy and the strains now offered are grand. 

 These plants will now be making very rapid growth and 

 should have every attention to keep them in full vigor. 

 Seeds sown in August for Easter plants will now be in 

 5 in. pots and will soon want a 4-in. in which they will 

 pass the winter, and in February be shifted into their 

 flowering pots, 5 in. or 6 in. Give a cool and airy house, 

 where tlie temperature can be kept from 40 to 45 

 degrees at night, with a rise of 10 degrees during the 

 day with sun heat. In fact the fullest light and a low 

 temperature and constant fumigation are the three es- 

 sentials to make stout, healthy cinerarias. Particular 

 care should be taken to ventilate well during warm and 

 dull weather so that the plants will not grow soft. The 

 green aphis is likely to be troublesome from this out so 

 fumigate once a week and thus hold them down. Do not 

 let the plants get pot-bound before giving them a shift, 

 with a compost of two-thirds of chopped sods and one- 

 third of well-decayed cow manure. 

 Sweet Peas 



Sweet peas that were planted the end of July will soon 

 be coming into flower. While the demand for sweet 

 peas is not especially vigorous until after the chrys- 

 anthemum season has passed, there are customers who 

 want them the year around and they are now counted 

 among the indispensablcs in the wholesale markets. As 

 the days grow shorter more and more attention should be 

 paidi-to the watering of the benches. An overwatering 

 once in a while might not show bad effects, but a con- 

 tinuation of it will ruin the constitution of the stock in 

 a few days. Go over the benches carefully before water- 

 ing, and if the soil is in need of water give it good and 

 ]denty. On the other hand, don't water soil which is 

 not really in need of it. I^ook over the early plants every 

 five or six days and give them the necessary ties. The 

 night temperature for flowering peas should be kept 

 about 50 degrees and a couple of degrees lower is better 

 as winter progresses. Fire heat is now a necessity, but 

 the plants must have free ventilation. Avoid, however, 

 cold draughts, which may result in an attack of mildew. 

 Shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day 



The last of October and up to the first half of Novem- 

 ber is a good (iiiTie to make a liberal sowing of shamrock 

 ■ seeds. Use shallow flats or pans and fill with a com- 

 post of soil and leaf mold in equal parts with some sand. 

 Give them a place well up to the glass in a house where 

 the night temperature averages from 48 to 52 degrees. 

 When they are well started a few degrees cooler will do. 

 When they are large enough to handle prick out into 

 other flats and grow on. Sometime after the new year 

 they will be ready for small pots. 



Ericas; Primulas; Orchids; Wlnter-FIowerlng 



