November 29, 1913 



HORTICULTUEE 



729 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



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



Care of Carnations 



Houses that were planted early will soon be coming 

 into flower. By this time the young feeding roots will 

 be coming nearer the surface and will welcome a light 

 mulch of well-rotted cow manure and loam in equal 

 parts. Before mulching give the surface a fair 

 sprinkling of bone meal. Apply the mulch about half 

 an inch deep. Syringing should now be done only in 

 the morning and on bright days so they will have a 

 chance to dry oS before night fall. Plenty of ventila- 

 tion on all clear days is especially necessary to keep the 

 growth from becoming soft and weak. When the plants 

 show a fair crop of flowers give liquid manure feeding 

 about once a week. As a sure preventive for fly fumi- 

 gate once a week. Follow up disbudding closely. 



Poinsettias 



Avoid wide fluctuations in night temperatures; 58 

 degrees to 60 degrees at night should be maintained, 

 and in order to do this fire heat is necessary. No plants 

 are more easily and speedily ruined by an excess of 

 moisture at the roots than poinsettias. We have ar- 

 rived at the critical time for poinsettias. Careful at- 

 tention is required as to ventilaton, firing, etc., and 

 watering carefully from now on is of great importance. 

 It cannot be good policy to apply water which is near 

 the freezing point. Some plants may not be as par- 

 ticular in this respect as others, but poinsettias will 

 not stand for sudden changes in temperature or for 

 water much below the temperature of the house they are 

 in. Do not feed at all until the bracts are forming. Then 

 give it twice a week in moderately weak doses. Some 

 soot with the manure helps to keep the leaves dark 

 green. 



Gardenias 

 There is no reason why gardenias should not prove 

 a paying crop if the plants are properly grown. We are 

 arriving at a critical time with gardenias, more especial- 

 ly those intended for midwinter flowering, and of course 

 most gi'owers will want to get a good number of 

 flowers in the cold months, while prices are high. The 

 roots of gardenias love to be warm. The soil dries out 

 better and the percentage of dropped buds will be ma- 

 terially less when a nice heat is kept in your pipes from 

 this out. When water is supplied let it soak the soil 

 thoroughly and let it dry out well before giving any 

 more. If the 'soil is porous, as it should be, there will 

 be no trouble with surface scum. After a time and 

 when the roots have penetrated all the soil in the bench, 

 in the event of the plants showing signs of exhaustion, 



the benches should be top-dressed with good loam and 

 manure. Gardenias require a night temperature not 

 much less than 70 degrees and a humid atmosphere con- 

 tinually. 



Schizanthos 



While schizanthus are tender and easily injured by 

 frost, they, on the other hand cannot tolerate a warm 

 greenhouse and flowers grown in a high temperature are 

 vastly inferior. So see that they are kept in a cool 

 house of about 45 degrees. But in order to forward 

 plants a few of the more advanced can be given a 

 sunny, airy house with a minimum temperature of 50 

 degrees. Any batch coming on for later flowering 

 should not be allowed to become pot-bound. These are 

 quite thirsty subjects and, once their receptacles are full 

 of roots, want as much water as chrysanthemums, with 

 weak liquid manure, in addition, every third or fourth 

 watering. This is a suitalile time to make an additional 

 sowing for early spring flowering. Sow thinly in pans 

 or flats and transplant just as soon as they can be 

 handled. Always grow as near glass as possible, or they 

 will get badly drawn. 



Veranda Boxes ior Winter 



There is no doubt but what the larger cities are more 

 in need of something green during the winter months. 

 Yet even in the suburbs and smaller towns there are oc- 

 casional calls for stock of this kind, and in most cases 

 it will require but little pushing on the part of the local 

 tiorists to do a most profitable business in this line. Bay 

 trees, hollies, aucubas, boxwood, junipers, spruce, pine, 

 arborvitae and biota, which are most attractive, all can 

 be supplied at reasonable prices from our nurseries at 

 home. Now is a good time to get these fixed up into 

 shape. Give the boxes good drainage so that when the 

 ground is not frozen hard the water can run off. A 

 somewhat heavy soil rather than a sandy mixture, and 

 one but sparingly enriched, should be used for this kind 

 of work. In order to show these plants up to their best 

 thev are better done early so the soil can have a chance 

 to berorae somewhat settled before the real cold weather 

 sets in. 



Verbenas 



Propagation of verbenas should start in earnest now 

 so as to work up a good lot of stock, this being the only 

 means of increasing named varieties or special colors. 

 Trim the foliage so as to obviate crowding in the sand 

 and as well to let the air circulate among the cuttings. 

 They will root in a cool end of the propagating bed and 

 should be kept moist and shaded until rooted. 



Mr. Farrell's next notes will be on the following: Christmas Azaleas; Lilies for Cliiisduas; Manure for Florists' Crops: Prop- 



agating Carnations; Soils for Winter; Freeslas for Easter. 



