102 



HORTICULTURE 



January 28, 1911 



house, this appetizing vegetable will pay for its melusioii, 

 yielding solid fruits long before they are obtainable from 

 the 'harden. A rich soil, moderately moist, and an ab- 

 sence of insect pests are its chief requirements. 



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Mr. Fenson'g next notes will be on the following: Bud Drop- 

 ping on I'l-mlc ; Mr. I Nectarines; Care of Pot Vines; Melons; 

 Care of Strawberrlef ; Onions and Leeljs. 



Seasonable Notes on Culture of 

 Florists' Stock 



ASPARAGUS 



While Asparagus plumosus will grow well without re- 

 planting for a few years when rightly managed, the 

 wise grower will have young stock coming along so as 

 to renew the beds before exhaustion tends to lower the 

 quality. Now is the time to sow for the renewal of old 

 or the planting of new beds in June or July. Good 

 plants will grow from seed sown now into potting size in 

 from six to eight weeks. Use a well-enriched, friable, 

 sandy soil and keep a temperature steadily as near G5 

 degrees .as possible. See that a congenially humid at- 

 mosphere is also maintained. For the first potting use 

 two-inch pots with well-enriched loam and grow on 

 avoiding any check and stock will be ready for 3-ineh 

 pots in April. During all this time they should have 

 plenty of light and moisture. Asparagus Sprengeri will 

 take the same treatment. 



CATTLEYAS AND LAELIAS 



All these that have been potted or top dressed should 

 be frequently syringed, but it must be borne in mind that 

 over-watering at this season when the roots are inactive 

 is very injurious. When new breaks appear and are 

 fairly showing they should be encouraged by having that 

 abundance of moisture about the house and benches, 

 which is necessary to make a healthy growth that will 

 produce fine flowers. Shading from the middle of Feb- 

 ruary onward until fall should not be neglected. Use 

 slat roller blind for shading, which gives the plants a 

 certain amount of direct sunlight without damaging the 

 foliage. This is better than a complete shade on the 

 glass as when there is a long spell of dull weather the 

 plants can then be exposed to full light. At this time 

 and as tlie season advances such Cattleyas as Schrcederse, 

 Mendclii, Mossia3 and gigas as well as Lfelia purpurata, 

 majalis, and crispa, will require attention in the way of 

 ventilation which should be very carefully regulated. 

 Although they are fond of plenty of air, all cold draughts 

 or sudden changes should be avoided. Remove all thrips 

 and scale by frequent sponging. 



PRIMULAS 



From now until the first of May several sowings 

 should be made to supply the demand for next season. 

 Use finely sifted loam, leaf mold, and sand in equal 

 parts. The seeds should only be covered very lightly and 

 set the pans where the temperature stands near 70 de- 

 grees. Cover with a pane of glass and keep them moist 

 and shady. In three or four weeks the seedlings will 

 need to be pricked out. When they have three or four 



leaves they should be potted ofE. Primulas when large 

 enough do better and throw larger and finer flowers if 

 potted in a rather stiff but fibrous soil, to which has been 

 added some old manure, so the soil should be made heav- 

 ier at each potting. 



SEEDS TO sow 



For spring use and sales it is time now to sow such 

 varieties as Centaurea, Vinca rosea, Impatiens, snap- 

 dragon. Begonia semperflorens, the trailing and upright 

 Lobelias, Salvia, Torenia, single and double Petunia, 

 Marguerites, Phlox nana campacta. Mignonette, Cannas, 

 Musa ensete, Grevillea, Gerbera and Verbena. Where 

 much stock of this sort has to be raised it is a good 

 plan to select for tliis particular purpose a bench M'ith 

 bottom heat to set the flats on. For the sowing of these 

 seeds use a well decomposed soil with about one-fourth 

 of thoroughly rotted manure and enough sand to make it 

 a little light, sifted for the top layer. After sowing press 

 all down firmly and water with a fine rose. For a top 

 covering, after the boxes are placed side by side, paper 

 will answer very well. Given a temperature of about 

 60 degrees, with bottom heat a few degrees higlier and 

 enough of atmospheric moisture with a reasonable 

 amount of moisture in the soil they will germinate 

 promptly. 



SOWING PALM SEED 



As the fresh imported seed of palms that are used in 

 commercial places arrive, if you have room and con- 

 template growing some young stock, just select at about 

 65 degrees with a good bottom heat. See that perfect 

 drainage is provided for as it is very essential in starting 

 palm seed. After covering the bottom of the bench with 

 potsherds, put a layer of sphagnum over all, and then 

 fill with about three inches of a compost of equal propor- 

 tion of soil, peat and leaf mold. The seeds should be 

 covered from a half inch to one inch according to 

 their size. It is well to employ some sashes to cover 

 the bench as it helps to regulate the atmospheric mois- 

 ture while controling the temperature, thereby keeping 

 them in a comparatively uniform state. Palm seed is 

 very irregular in germination. While some will germi- 

 nate in three or four weeks others may not show for 

 nearly a year. When the first leaf has expanded they 

 should be potted into small pots and grown on. 



SWEET PEA3 



The benches of sweet peas that are flowering should 

 be encouraged by some feeding as the days are beginning 

 to lengthen now and root action will be more vigorous. 

 Give them a mulch of partly decomposed cow manure 

 mixed with a little soil. This can be applied just before 

 a watering, then there will not be any danger of the 

 foliage becoming injured. This mulch will help to pro- 

 tect the roots that are coming to the surface, and at the 

 same time encourage better growth and bloom. Green 

 fly from now on will prove more troublesome, so heroic 

 measures must be taken to keep the plants clean. Fumi- 

 gate as soon as they appear. Look after the ventilation 

 closely, giving air on all favorable occasions. If you 

 want a continuous crop of good flowers from early until 

 late spring sow from now until the middle of February. 

 If the bench is occupied sow in 4-inch pots. 



Mr. Farrell's next notes will be on the following: Adlantnms; 

 Calceolarias; Forcing Shrnbs; Geraniums; Bambiers for E.nster; 

 Violets. 



