806 



HORTICULTURE 



December 10, 1910 



with no bottom heat under them. They rooted in about 

 six weeks, then they were potted in small pots in a 

 rough sandy loam with about a third of leaves in it and 

 placed them in a corner of the croton house. These 

 plants like a moist atmosphere and treated in the above 

 manner make nice little plants for making-up in the 

 fall. The old plants after they were cut back, started 

 into two growths, when we repotted them and made a 

 growth about eighteen inches with beautiful crimson 

 bracts on them at Thanksgiving. 



A. punicea makes strong roots and while it is growing 

 enjoys frequent applications of manure water. I have 

 never seen any insects on these plants, but the reason for 

 that may be that every two weeks we syringe our codiae- 

 ums with a mixture of kerosene and water — a two-inch 

 potful to an ordinary pail of water kept well agitated 

 while it is being applied. We select a dull day for this 

 operation and next morning syringe with clean water 

 before the sun gets high. The Amasonias received their 

 dose along with the codiseums, and I never saw it do 

 them any harm. 



West Medford, Mass. 



Seasonable Notes on Culture of 

 Florists' Stock 



CHRISTMAS CULTURAL SUGGESTIONS 



With Christmas only two weeks away the florist's 

 thoughts are now concentrated in preparing his stock, 

 in order to be in the very best condition for that occa- 

 sion. The buds of lilies should be well forward now. 

 You will have to do some figuring during the next ten 

 days in moving around these lilies so as to time them 

 to a nicety. The most advanced ones should be re- 

 moved to cooler quarters while those that are backward 

 should be given some high forcing unless too far behind. 

 Some five or six days before they are wanted lilies that 

 are showing two or three open blooms and other buds 

 that are turning white should go into cooler quarters. 

 Eemove the anthers from the flowers before they are 

 fully expanded. The filling of pans, baskets and other 

 receptacles with plants other than bulbous stock or 

 poinsettias should be done now or as soon as possible. 

 See that the plants are well watered or thoroughly 

 dipped before being made up. All foliage plants 

 should have a good sponging off. Have a good supply 

 of holly, mistletoe, laurel, lycopodium and boxwood for 

 use in decorations. Wreaths and crosses of these ma- 

 terials are all closely associated with the Yuletime 

 festival. 



AZALEAS 



Those that are showing color now will need very little 

 in the way of forcing to be in good condition by Christ- 

 mas. If these plants are coming into bloom too soon 

 they should be given a cooler place, but the transfer 

 from tropical heat to a considerably colder temperature 

 should be gradual — say a reduction of from 5 to 8 

 degrees a day, by which method you can reduce to with- 

 in a few degrees of the freezing point without harm. 

 A too sudden change into colder quarters is liable to 

 cause the opening flowers to stick and never fully ex- 

 pand. Giving an abundance of water when needed, 

 guarding against cold piercing draughts, and bringing 

 into cooler quarters by slow stages will tend to brighten 



the luster of their flowers and to lengthen the blooming 

 period for some little time. 



BERRIED PLANTS 



Ardisias, Jerusalem cherries, hollies and oranges that 

 are well fruited are all very appropriate for the holiday 

 plant trade. The care of these plants at this time of 

 the year differs but little. Be very careful not to over- 

 look proper watering. There is nothing worse as a 

 dispoiler of their beauty than allowing them to dry out 

 at the roots. They should never suffer for want of 

 water. Other causes that produce a like effect are over- 

 watering, cold draughts and sun scorching. The care- 

 ful grower will not be slow in tracing any like cause 

 and remedy the evil. A cool house is necessary for all 

 these plants. A night temperature of about 50 degrees 

 will suit them very well. 



CYCLAMENS 



Plants which have a number of well-developed buds 

 but not quite out should be put into a warmer house of 

 about from 55 to 58 degrees at night, giving them a 

 place where they will be as near the glass as possible and 

 in full sun. It is not good to apply too much heat to 

 these plants, as it will cause them to "draw up." We 

 are all very impetuous in trying to have as many flow- 

 ering plants as possible for this date, quite forgetting 

 that any extreme in forcing cyclamens will only result 

 in an unevenness in color and a faded appearance of 

 the flowers which lowers their value as a marketable 

 product. They can be grown to perfection in a night 

 temperature of about 50 degrees. 



POINSETTIAS 



Failure with poinsettias can usually be traced to in- 

 sufficient heat. Grown in a low temperature, the 

 leaves will turn yellow and drop. The best poinsettia 

 bracts with their stems leafless lose the greater part of 

 their value. The loss of foliage is often caused by the 

 exhaustion of the soil. If they have had some liquid 

 manure occasionally up to now it will help them -ma- 

 terially. Keep your pans and pots from drying out too 

 much by giving water whenever necessary. By this 

 time most poinsettias should be well advanced and if so 

 a temperature of about 55 degrees will be sufBcient" to 

 hold them in good condition. Those that are coming 

 along not so fast can be held at from 60 to 65 degrees 

 at night. 



PRIMULAS AND LORRAINE BEGONIAS 



These should be transferred to a very light bench 

 near the glass. The atmosphere should be kept rather 

 dry for primulas. Give them air on all possible occa- 

 sion, but cold currents should not blow over the plants. 

 Avoid dryness at the roots or any excess in the way of 

 watering. Lorraine begonias are very sensitive to any 

 sudden changes of temperature. They should be as 

 near 60 degrees as possible. Where large specimen 

 plants are grown— say, in 6 to 8-inch pots, they should 

 have plenty of room now. Eaise them up close to the 

 glass on inverted pots and far enough apart so as to 

 have every one fully exposed to light. It will give you 

 a better chance to water them, according to the individ- 

 ual wants of each. Any pans or baskets that are to 

 be filled can be done now before the hurly-burly of the 

 Christmas trade is with us. 



Mr. Farrell's next notes will lie on the following: Antlrrhl- 

 nnms; Begonias; Dendrobiums; Manetti Stock; Propagatlnf 

 Bench; Seed Sowing. 



