For December, 1921 



815 



■I f this idea is correct, it would seem that 

 the sulphate has a douhle advantage. How- 

 cxer, it is a c|uestioii worthy of future study. 

 But I am strougly of tlie opinion that we 

 are spending too much money for commer- 

 cial fertilizer We think that wc must use 

 an immense amount of nitrogen. And so 

 wc must ; hut we have it in the air. and 

 the growing of legumes will bring it to us 

 without costing a cent, not even for trans- 

 portation. We think that we must have 

 immense quantities of phosphorus and pot- 

 ash. True ; hut we have it in most soils, 

 though locked in various combinations. The ■ 

 growing of the buckwheats will set those 

 elements free and make them available for 

 gardening purposes. It is a little longer 

 way around the fertility question, but I am 

 fully of the opinion that the next generation 

 iif farmers will look to cover crops instead 

 nf commercial preparations as the main 

 source of fertility. — Market Grozvers' 

 Journal. 



THE CERIMAN 



Monstcra dcliciosa, commonly called ceri- 

 man, is a climber native of Mexico and 

 Guatemala. It attaches itself to trees by 

 inmierous tenacious roots, and as it climbs 

 sends out long, rope-like, aerial roots which 

 sometimes reach the ground. The stems 

 are thick, woody, and dark green in color. 

 In the young stage the leaves resemble those 

 of the genus PhUodcndron, being small, en- 

 tire, and pinnate, hut later they become con- 

 spicuously large and perforated. The flow- 

 ers are very striking, in shape suggesting 

 the calla lily, with spathe and spadix white. 

 After pollination the spathe changes from 

 white to green, then to brown, and eventu- 

 ally it drops oft, the edible seeds being de- 

 veloped in the cylindrical spadix. \\'hen 

 ripe the fruit resembles a pine cone and 

 often measures a foot in length. The outer 

 covering" is composed of a series of he.xago- 

 nal green plates which later fall off, expos- 

 ing the slightly albuminous yellow seeds. 

 These seeds are very delicious, with a flavor 

 resembling both pineapple and banana and 

 an odor strikingly like the pineapple. 

 Twelve months must elapse between the ex- 

 panding of the flower and the ripening of 

 the fruit. 



The ceriman .grows satisfactorily in both 

 cool and tropical greenhouses, and. due to 

 its ability to endure varied conditions of 

 temperature, young plants may be grown 

 as pot plants in the house. To obtain fruit- 

 ing specimens, however, the plants must be 

 grown in a tropical greenhouse and planted 

 directly in the ground adjacent to a wall 

 upon which they may attach themselves. 

 Like most araceous jilants they rctpiire an 

 abundance of moisture upon the leaves and 

 roots. Tile plants may be propagated from 

 the terminal growth or by cutting up the old 

 stem, each node possessing a dormant eye. 

 The cuttings are placed in moss with bottom 

 heat and when new roots appear from the 

 under portion of the stem they should he 

 potted into small pots in a sandy loam soil. 



Fruiting specimens of the ceriman in 

 various stages may he seen at the (iarden. 

 the older plants attracting much attention on 

 account of the size and perforations of the 

 leaves. Several plants showing both aerial 

 and supporting roots may he observed 

 climbing upon the concrete wall on the north 

 side of the aroid house. In the fern hou.sc 

 a specimen is growing from the grotto ad- 

 jacent to the waterfall, an excellent view of 

 combined foliage, flowers, and fruit being 

 obtained upon entering the south door. In 

 the palm house specimens are planted at the 

 base of the large iron girders ui)on which 

 the plants are climbing. — Missouri Botanical 

 Cardi'n Bulletin. 



WHITE ANTS IN GREENHOUSES 



.\ I'moklyn subscrilier recontly sent 

 us some small insects which proved to 

 he termites or white ants. These insects 

 were causing much trouble by boring into 

 and destroying Poinsettias. 



To us they were something new in the 

 greenhouse pest line, hut from a bulletin 

 published by the Deiiartment of .\griculture 

 we learn that the white ant is not at all 

 particular where it locates itself, so long 

 as wood and moisture are available. It is 

 essentially a wood pest and where wood 

 benches or wood in any form is used in 

 the greenhouse it may take up quarters and 

 prove a general nuisance. 



The foundations of houses are most liable 

 to attack, but when the timbers are kept dry 

 and well saturated with creosote, it is more 

 or less immune to attack. 



The white ant colonizes like the true ant, 

 but lives in wood which is in contact with 

 or closely adjacent to moist soil. 



.At times the pests will attack live trees 

 and orchards, while greenhouses containing 

 beds or benches of heavily manured soil are 

 always liable to attract the termites. To 

 fight the pest after it establishes itself in 

 a greenhouse, is no easy task, especially 

 if they get into the woodwork of benches. 

 Their main location must be sought out and 

 lioiling water, kerosene or carbolic acid must 

 be used. 



Bisulphide of carbon is also recommended 

 for impregnating soil around infestea 

 centers. Where stone or concrete walls ad- 

 join woodv.'ork, one must always look out 

 for the shelter tubes which the ants build 

 over impenetrable surfaces to make a con- 

 nection. The white ant dislikes the open 

 light and th.erefore builds peculiar dirt 

 tunnels on the surface of stonework, through 

 which it travels from point to point. 



Colonies in woodwork, if shut oft' from 

 moisture supplies, will die out, that is to 

 say, posts containing termites if severed 

 from contact with the ground will cease to 

 support the colony, as the pests cannot live 

 without moisture. The fact that some of 

 the ants have wings make it essential for 

 a close watch being kept, as these flying 

 swarms start new colonies elsewhere.— 

 Florists' Exchange. 



TRAOf l5 Kri IN D MARK — 



PULVERIZED 



THE CYMBIDIUMS 



There are al'out .^0 species included in 

 the genus Cymhidinin. Most of the 

 varieties in cultivation come from tropical 

 Asia, a few from .\frica and Australia. 

 The plants have beautiful foliage and con- 

 trary to most orchids are quite decorative 

 even when out of flower. The flowers are 

 borne on long upright stems numbering from 

 5 to 30 according to variety. One of the 

 most remarkable tilings about this wonderful 

 .genus is the length of time the flowers will 

 remain fresh either on the plant or cut, 

 thus they make an ideal florists' flower. The 

 hybrids that have been derived through arli- 

 licial hybridization mmiber some 30 or 40 

 varieties and contain some of the most 

 beautiful combinations both in form and 

 colors. Cymbidium iiisiiinc Sandcra, the 

 beautiful pink variety introduced hy Sander 

 and Sons of St. .\lbans. England, some 

 fourteen years ago and found by their col- 

 lector growing at an elevation of 5,000 feet 

 above sea level, in the mountain ranges in 

 northern India, has been used extensively 

 as a parent in hybridizing, the hybrids de- 

 rived from this particular species are 

 among the finest in cultivation. 



The cultivation of this unusual species is 

 very ca.sy compared to some other varieties 

 of Orchids, providing a few fundamentals 

 arc observed. The plants shoidd never be 



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 fohajire and clear, clean, brigllt rlcwrrs. 



For best results use Stim-U- 

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PLANT NAMES 



AND THEIR MEANINGS is the title oi 



a series of articles now appearing in The 

 American Botanist where a multitude of 

 other things of interest to the plant lover 

 are also discussed. Quarterly, $1.50 a year; 



specimen copy, 25 cents. 



THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 

 Joliet, III. 



THE FLOWER GROWER 



Published Montlily for both Amataur mni 

 Prolenianal Flower Growerm 



GARDENERS: You should grow flowcri 

 in quantii.v and help beautify your surround- 

 ings and brighten the lives of those who 

 visit your gardens. 



The subscription price of THE FLOW- 

 ER GROWER is $1.50 per year, three yearj 

 for $^^.50. Sample copy 15c. 



Madison Cooper, Publisha-, Calciuii^ H. Y. 



