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HORTICULTURE 



October 15, 1910 



Seasonable Notes on Culture of 

 Florists^ Stock 



ALLAMANDAS 



There are in cultivation very few plants that produce 

 flowers of yellow color serviceable to the florists, and at 

 the same time so well adapted for various forms of dec- 

 oration as allamandas. Plants that were pruned last 

 spring to within a joint or two, and these when they 

 had made two or three whorls of leaves pinched again, 

 and so on during the summer, will by this time have 

 formed nice bushy specimens. If these plants are re- 

 quired for early flowering, they should now be kept 

 drier at the roots, so as to harden and ripen up their 

 wood. Water may be withheld till they flag, but do 

 not allow the wood to shrivel. In fact allamandas can 

 be so managed as to have them bloom at any time of the 

 year, by first resting the plants, then pruning them back, 

 and then encouraging root action. They will rest well 

 in a temperature of 50 to 55 degrees, but when starting 

 them into bloom keep them at 65 degrees, and give 

 an abundance of water as soon as they get into active 

 growth. \Yhen potting use a good rich light soil. The 

 species best for pot culture are Williamsii, Henderson! 

 and Neriifolia. 



COREOPSIS GRANDIFLORA 



This plant is of special value to the florist owing to its 

 free-blooming qualities and usefulness for cutting. 

 When Easter does not come too early it can be had in 

 bloom then. Next Easter is not early, being on the 16th 

 of April, so they can be had in bloom on that date. This 

 plant is particularly useful for Memorial Day trade. So 

 now is the time to pot up some of the strongest clumps. 

 A good rich soil should be used. The best size pots to 

 use is from 8 to 10 inches. Keep in a cool pit until Jan- 

 uary when they can be brought in and given a tempera- 

 ture of 48 to 52 degrees at night. When the flower 

 spikes begin to show use a stake in each pot so as to 

 keep them straight and also feed freely. A batch of 

 these plants for Memorial Day will be found very useful. 



LOMABIAS 



These graceful ferns in their young state make good 

 center pieces for table decoration. They can be grown 

 under proper treatment into miniature tree ferns, which 

 can be used for general house decoration. When the 

 plants get large and pot-bound they can be root pruned 

 and the soil reduced, and put back into the same size 

 pots. They will soon make a new set of roots and a new 

 erown if given a gentle bottom heat. This useful species 

 can be readily raised from spores. The material to 

 sow on should consist of some fine peaty soil or leaf 

 mold with a good portion of silver sand. Sow in shal- 

 low pans or boxes and keep in a temperature 70 to 75 

 degrees in a close atmosphere, well shaded from the 

 sun. Transfer into fresh soil when large enough to 

 handle. When tliey have produced two or three upright 

 fronds they can bo put into thumb pots, using a soil of 

 one-half Inam and one-lialf peat or leaf mold with some 

 sharp sand. Keep in a temperature of 60 to 65 at night. 

 Lbmaria gililia and intermedia are the best. 



OXALIS 



These are admirable pot planti^. For winter flower- 

 ing the main batch should be potted up now. Use a 3- 

 inch pot to start with. Place a single bulb in each pot, 

 and as, they fill these pots with roots shift them as they 

 may need it until a 5 or 6-inch pot is reached, which 

 should be their bloom size. A good turfy loam, three 

 part.< to nboiit one part of good manure with a little 



sand will suit them. The crowns should be kept near 

 the surface as the plants are liable to lift themselves 

 out. During their growing season they will require an 

 abundance of water. When they start to bloom liquid 

 stimulant will help them. Allow a temperature of from 

 50 to 55 degrees at night. The best kinds are Oxalis 

 cernua, 0. Bowiei, 0. gigantea, and 0. herta-rosacae. 



RHODODENDRONS 



If you have a root house or cold pit you can plunge 

 the ball of roots of these plants in soil and keep same 

 moderately moist. If you have not these conveniences 

 a deep frame will do. They can stay here until wanted 

 for forcing, which should not be attempted before Feb- 

 ruary. They can then stand a minimum temperature of 

 60 degrees at night. At this stage they like a moist at- 

 mosphere and should be freely syringed, but must be re- 

 moved to a more airy and a cooler house when their flow- 

 ers begin to open. When potting rhododendrons use a 

 porous soil. A good compost is two parts fibrous loam, 

 one part leaf-mold and some sand. When ordering see 

 that you get the varieties that are suitable for forcing 

 as there are countless varieties and some of the hand- 

 somest do not force well. The varieties of Rhododen- 

 dron ponticum are very good for forcing. 



.STORING ROOTS AND TUBERS 



Clumps of canna roots lifted from the ground with 

 most of the soil left clinging to them, the stalks being 

 sharply cut down to stumps of six or eight inches, 

 may at once go to their winter quarters. Any frost-free, 

 cool place with a dry earth underneath but not too dry 

 an atmosphere will do. Most varieties keep well under 

 a bencli in any cool greenhouse, where the stock growing 

 therein requires but little sprinkling during the winter. 

 Dahlia roots, dug up and freed of top growth and adher- 

 ing soil, are first dried off in an airy but shady place, 

 then stored away with finely sifted earth imder, be- 

 tween and over thein. They may thus be packed in 

 boxes, tubs or barrels, these to be placed where the roots 

 will not be injured by frost or too great heat, or by an 

 excess in either dryness or moisture. Any place where 

 potatoes winter well is also a good place for dahlia roots. 

 Gladioli, tigridias and such like corms, as also those of 

 Caladium esculentum, may be treated as advised for 

 dahlias, with this difference that they should not be 

 cleaned of top growth and roots before being thoroughly 

 dried and cured. Sawdust instead of sifted earth may 

 tlien he used in packing them away. 



Mr. Farrel's next uotes will be uu tlie foUowiiig: Begonias 

 and Fancy Caladiums ; Forfiiij; Gladiuliis; Lilies for Christmas; 

 I'oin.settias in Pans; Smilax ; Vandas. 



New Roses of the Year 



The Natinnal Ko?e Society had a capital exhibition at 

 the Uoyal Horticultural Society's hall, Sept. 15. Fol- 

 lowing is a list of new roses that obtained honors of 

 fome kind. The best things in roses seem to come now 

 from Ireland and Scotland. The Irish are the more 

 lucky in new varieties. The slower development of the 

 blooms under the cooler conditions, and this year the 

 lack of the heavy downpourings of rain we have had in 

 the Soutli. may have told. 



LIST OF PRIZE WINNING NOVELTIES. 



Shown by S. McGreedy & Son, nurserymen, Porta- 

 (lowii, Ireland — Mrs. Herbert Stevens, a white tea va- 



