406 



GARDENERS CHRONICLE 



The Resting Period of Plants 



XT O matter hnw successfully summer flowering 

 ■^ ^ bulbous and tuberous-rooted plants maj- have 

 been grown, or \\hat their appearance during summer 

 may be, this is no criterion of the grower's ability to 

 grow them to perfection, unless he is capable of doing 

 this every year. It is a more difficult matter to success- 

 ftilly store away the bulbs and tubers and to care for 

 them over winter than to grow them. This may be 

 proven by the large numbers that die during the 

 winter resting period. Therefore to successfully bring 

 them through the winter is really the criterion of 

 ability in the culture of these subjects. 



Many forget that bulbs and tubers live during the 

 resting period as during summer. The difference is 

 that they are not visibly growing, though actually they 

 are. Even in dormancy certain essential changes take 

 place, the only difference being that vitality is reduced. 

 This resting may be likened to the sleep of a person. 

 Surely by no stretch of. the imagination can we regard 

 a person in this state as dead. Once the grower of 

 bulbous and tuberous-rooted plants becomes impressed 

 with the idea that he is not handling dead, worthless 

 things, he will give them proper living conditions even 

 during winter, when it is necessary for them to rest or 

 "sleep." 



Another important thing we are apt to forget is that 

 the summer flowering bulbous and tuberous-rooted 

 plants we store away during winter are all, or nearly 

 all, tender exotics, and, therefore, not being hardy they 

 cannot stand the low winter temperatures, as clo our 

 native plants. 



The two important things then to bear in mind are, 

 that bulbs and tubers during their winter's rest are 

 alive, though dormant, and that the reason we store 

 them away is that they are too tender to withstand low 

 temperatures, or that other outside conditions are un- 

 favorable for their preservation over winter. 



Bulbous and tuberous-rooted plants vary greatly in 

 their requirements even during their "sleeping" period. 

 They must have a certain temperature, a certain con- 

 dition of atmospheric humidity, and in some cases a 

 certain condition of the soil or other medium in which 

 o{ necessity they must be stored. It is not sufficient 

 merely to throw the subjects into a box or shed. 



A certain temperature is necessary for all plants to 

 live. Tropical or sub-tropical plants require a greater 

 degree of heat during their growing and resting periods 

 than do temperate plants at these respective times. 

 As the temperature falls below normal during the rest- 

 ing period vitality is correspondingly reduced, and if, 

 in the case of tender subjects, the temperature falls very 

 low (even if it does not freeze) and remains so for a 

 considerable time, death may ensue. Perhaps you have 

 known of tubers of cannas, dahlias and elephant's ears 

 (Caladiums), tuberous begonias, gloxinias and a host 

 of others which in spring, on removal from storage, 

 were found to be dead, although the temperature did 

 not fall to the freezing mark. All other conditions be- 

 ing right, the tubers died because the temperature was 

 too low over a prolonged period to allow the plants 

 to live. The metabolic process, that, briefly, being the 

 chemical change necessary to the life of the plant, 

 could not take place at the low temperature. 



Just as the temperature may be too low, so it may 

 be too high for l)ulbous and tuberous rooted plants dm-- 

 ing the winter resting period. A person cannot sleep 

 or rest in a temperature which approaches tlie heat of 

 his blood. This unnatural condition excites and pro- 

 duces a state of restlessness which cannot be overcome 



until the temperature is lowered ; so it is w itli the 

 cannas and other bulbous and tuberous plants. A high 

 temperature will excite the metabolism and growth 

 will commence at an unnatural time, with consequent 

 injury to the subjects. From these remarks, it will be 

 seen that somewhere between the extremes of heat and 

 cold there is a temperature just right for the welfare 

 of our subjects when they are in a state of rest. 



Some bulbous and tuberous rooted plants require a 

 dry atmosphere in their storage place, others a normal 

 one. Bulbs or tubers of a firm texture like the gladioli 

 and tuberous begonia require the former, while tubers 

 of a succulent nature like the dahlia, canna, elephant's 

 ear, and gloxinia require the latter. Were the iast 

 mentioned subjects stored away in a room with a very 

 dry atmosphere, their cells would quickly lose their 

 moisture, the cell walls would collapse, and the tubers 

 would shrivel and become useless. Such is a very 

 Common occurrence, though easy to obviate. 



Were is possible to have the atmosphere just right, 

 and just sufficient moisture therein, it would not be neces- 

 sary to store many subjects in soil, sand, or other 

 material. In all cases, howe\er, where the atmosphere 

 is very drj-, it is the safest practice to cover the bulbs 

 or ttibers w4th some material to prevent the excessive 

 escape of moisture from their cells. Generally sand 

 will be found excellent for the purpose, but in no case 

 should the crowns of the tubers be buried, or bulbs be 

 covered to a great depth. It should not be forgotten 

 that it may be necessary to occasionall}- water cannas, 

 caladiums and dahlias in a dry position, even when 

 covered with sand, and if the crowns are below the 

 surface water will penetrate and cause the tubers to 

 rot. ^Vatering should not be done in any case as long 

 as the tubers are plump and hard, but as soon as the, 

 first signs of shrixelling occtu", delay in this respect 

 will be dangerous. — Tlie Canadiatt Florist. 



PLEASURE PLUS PROFIT IN PLANTING 



IN the furnishing of our homes we are guided by at 

 least three main aims : Beauty, comfort and material 

 utility. Each is as important as the other in the per- 

 fect enjoyment of the home life. 



The same objects should guide us in the planting of 

 the home grounds. Not often enough is there found a 

 perfect balance of these three, for in the ftirnishing of the 

 garden the question of space and individual likes and dis- 

 likes play an important part. Sentiment and the love of 

 the beautiful are, perhaps, the strongest motives that urge 

 most people to plant the things which, from a purely 

 economic viewpoint, are more lovely than useful. This 

 is indeed fortunate and perhaps a wise provision after 

 all, for the garden thus is enabled to exert a powerful 

 uplifting influence. Moreover, if we were to strip horti- 

 culture of sentiment, our business would soon go to the 

 bow-wows. We need never fear, however, that such 

 a thing will ever happen, since it is an inherent quality of 

 the human race to take a keen delight in all things thai 

 grow out of the earth. 



There is another class of people who spend lavishly on 

 ornamental planting, not alone for the love they have for 

 flowers and jjlants, but for the pleasure it afTords them to 

 know that they have the best furnished grounds in their 

 immediate circle. To receive the praise of the visitor or 

 guest is a sweeter reward than the pleasure they derive 

 from the plantings on which they have spent almost 

 fabulous sums. 



