December 3, 1910 



HORTICULTURE 



767 



Seasonable Notes on Culture of 

 Florists^ Stock 



CALANTHES 



These orchids, blossoming as they do during Decem- 

 ber and January, produce their blooms when other iiow- 

 ers are not so profuse. Wlien the blooms begin to open 

 they should be kept as near the glass as possible, and in a 

 night temperature of from GO to 65 degrees with a rise 

 during the day, if the sun shines, to 70 or 75, but if the 

 day is dark or dull a rise of from 5 to 8 degrees will be 

 about right. Don't apply too much water when the 



Calantiie Veitchii at Julius Eoehrs Co. 

 plants are in flower — only just enough so as to keep the 

 soil from drying out too much. When the iiowers are 

 half expanded on the spikes they can be removed to the 

 cooler end of the warm house where their long sprays of 

 bloom will keep in perfection for some weeks. After 

 flowering tliey should be rested in about the same degree 

 of heat as they were grown in for a period of from eight 

 to ten weeks, during which time water should be with- 

 held. This is a good orchid for the commercial grower, 

 good for cut flower purposes and having good lasting 

 qualities. Calanthe Veitchii and C. vestita are good 

 ■sorts. 



FORCING DAHLIAS 



Wliere there is a vacant bencli I would suggest the 

 forcing of a few dahlias as they will come in about right 

 for Easter, giving abundance of bloom from that date 

 on. Now is the time to start the roots. Be sure when 

 planting that you give them plenty of head room, and 

 5 or 6 inches of good soil. They can be grown in any 

 house where a temperature of from 55 to 60 degrees can 

 be maintained. Give them abundance of water at the 

 roots when well started, not forgetting a good syringing 

 on all fine days, using a good pressure on the underside 

 of their foliage so as to hold red spider in check. Plant 

 them from 18 to 24 inches apart as they will need all of 

 this room. Stake and disbud the lateral growths as they 

 progress. Watch out for the green fly and on the first 

 appearance fumigate for this pest. The single, cactus, 

 and pompons yield well to forcing. 



GERANIUMS 



When the chrysanthemums are gone there will be room, 

 so don't neglect your geranium cuttings. You may have 

 to wait until after the holiday rush of work is over. Those 

 that were propagated in September should be potted into 

 8 or 3-inch pots. Use a good rich compost, with a lit- 

 tle sand added and with the next and last shift use a 

 heavier potting soil. Geraniums should not be allowed 

 to stand still in their growth from now on if you want 

 to have good plants by spring. Give water sparingly 

 after potting them, but when the new breaks show good 

 growth they will take as much as other stock. Don't 



pack them away in some out-of-the-way spot, but give 

 tliem a bench with all the light possible, where they can 

 have plenty of fresh air on all fine days. Sprinkle the 

 foliage on bright mornings as it makes them thriftier. 

 Overhead sprinkling should be omitted when they are 

 coming into bloom as it spoils the flowers. Those that 

 you are growing for winter flowering that are in 5 or 

 6-inch pots should have a drier and a more bouyant at- 

 mosphere than the cuttings that have only been newly 

 potted up. If you want these plants to grow and flower 

 freely they should be given a night temperature of from 

 55 to 58 degrees and from time to time they will need 

 overhauling, cleaning, pinching back, and to be given 

 more room by resetting on the bench. 



HYDRANGEAS 



A shed, pit or cellar that is moderately lighted and 

 dry and which can be kept just clear of frost, will make 

 an ideal storage place for hydrangeas that are intended 

 for Easter and spring flowering. Those that are wanted 

 for Easter can stay here until the first week in January 

 and the others longer. They should be looked over oc- 

 casionally and as the leaves fall these can be cleared 

 away. While they will need but very little water while 

 stored away, at the same time if the place is a dry one 

 some will get quite dry at the root. They never should 

 be allowed to get dry enough so that the wood will shrivel 

 and always guard against anything like hard freezing. 

 They will stand from 2 to 5 degi'ees below freezing if the 

 wood is well matured, but when exposed to a lower tem- 

 perature they are usually ruined, so far as the flowering 

 is concerned. If you have grown some in pots all sum- 

 mer these will be far superior to field grown stock for 

 Easter, but for late spring field grown plants will be 

 all right. 



PROPAGATING BEGONIA LORRAINE 



It is time now to propagate this fine begonia. They 

 like a constant bottom-heat of not less than 70 degrees 

 and a top-heat of about 65 degrees where a moderately 

 humid atmosphere can be maintained. A too muggy and 

 stagnant moisture is bound to result in the loss of a good 

 many cuttings. So never exclude fresh air entirely, but 

 it is well to have the bed covered with some sashes so 

 as to guard against excessive changes while the house is 

 being ventilated. This will be great aid in keeping the 

 required heat and moisture and if coupled with careful 

 attention, the percentage of loss will be small. Select 

 well-matured leaves of a healthy hue, that are taken 

 from the most vigorous plants. In about six or eight 

 weeks quite a number should be ready for potting. 



SWAINSONA 



These plants root easily from now on, so if cuttings 

 are put in now and grown along without check, they will 

 make nice flowering plants in 5 or 6-inch pots by next 

 spring. Wlien these plants are well-rooted they should 

 be potted up into 2 or 3-inch pots and kept shaded for 

 a few days until they get well established. They should 

 be shifted as occasion may require until the desired size 

 has been reached. Towards the last shifts use good rich 

 soil. Wlien these plants get pot-bound they will show 

 flower and keep on blooming with great persistency. At 

 this stage they should have some liquid manure about 

 once a week. Florists who have a lot of make-up work 

 can use these flowers well. The bloom should be cut 

 when all the flowers are nearly full out and placed in 

 water in some cool light place for 8 or 10 hours. 



Mr. Farrcll's next notes will be on Christmas Cultural Sug- 

 gestions — Azaleas, Berried Plants, Cyclamens and Polnsettlas, Flow- 

 ering Plante, Primulas and Lorraine Begonias. 



