February 18, 1911 



HORTICULTURE 



207 



Seasonable Notes on Culture of 

 Florists^ Stock 



CARNATIONS 



Now that we are emerging from the darl\ and short 

 days, feeding material can be applied in stronger doses 

 and with more frequency. Wlien using a mulch it is 

 better to apply it thinly and often than to take any risks 

 in heavy application. A mulch of pulverized cow ma- 

 nure is a very assimilable element to reach the feeding 

 roots. It is better to give a top dressing of bone meal 

 and stir the surface before applying the mulch. When 

 the weather is clear an application of liquid manure 

 will now be of great benefit as it is immediate in its 

 action. Examine your beds carefully and see that the 

 soil is kept evenly moist. Disbudding, keeping the 

 plants within their wire space and fumigation require 

 constant attention. Give ventilation when po.=sible, if 

 only for a short time every day. Pot or flat up young 

 stock as soon as the roots are about three-quarters of an 

 inch long and keep in the same temperature as they were 

 rooted in for about ten days, when they can be removed 

 to a cool light house with an abundance of air. Give 

 careful watering and light and frequent syringing. 



CAKE OF ARDISIAS 



These plants that were left over from Cliristmas 

 should be looked over and if any require repotting, do it 

 now. Shift into a size larger pot, using a compost of 

 perfectly fresh loam three parts, well decomposed cow 

 manure one part, adding just a little sand to make the 

 soil rather porous. Good drainage is of utmost impor- 

 tance. Grow in a temperature anywhere from 50 to 55 

 degrees with plenty of air during any mild weather. 

 Keep the plants from now on where they can be syringed 

 at least once on all bright days, but discontinue when 

 they are in flower and until the fruit has set. The foli- 

 age at all times should be kept clean from scale which is 

 so prevalent on these plants. Give frequent syringings 

 with some scale remedy. 



Plants that lose their bottom foliage or any that have 

 a naked or leggy appearance can be propagated by top 

 working. Make an incision in the stem, place a little 

 moss in the cut to keep it open, then cover with moss 

 and keep moist. In about four or five weeks there will 

 be sufficient roots in the moss to allow them to be cut ofE 

 and potted. 



Seed can be sown now in pans in a temperature of 

 about 60 degrees. Shade from the sun and keep the soil 

 moderately moist. Pot off when large enough to handle 

 into 3-inch pots and then keep them moving right along. 



FICOS ELASTICA ■ 



Where you want to work a stock of nibbers fill some 

 21/2-inch pots with sand and chopped sphagnum, take the 

 cuttings from your old plants, placing one in each pot. 

 Tie up the leaves and then plunge the pots up to the 

 brim in sand or other material with a bottom heat of 

 from 75 to 80 degrees. Xo sun should be allowed to 

 strike them while rooting. The "mossing" system is 

 to be preferred after the middle of March and can be 

 continued up to and through May with success. The 

 operation is briefly as follows : Make an incision about 

 four or five leaves from the top, cutting with upward 

 slant half way through; place something in the cut to 

 keep it open, then bind a lump of moss about two inches 

 in diameter around the incision. With a temperature 

 of 60 to 65 degrees, in four to six weeks they should 

 be well enough rooted to sever from the parent plant. 

 Pot in soil three parts and sand one part. Keep rather 

 humid and shaded from the sun until they take hold. 



when they should be given a bench in a light house and 

 kept at 60 degrees. Spray overhead once a day and see 

 that they don't become di-y at the roots. Shift into 

 larger pots before they become matted with roots. 



GLADIOLUS 



From now until the end of the month will be right 

 to plant a batch of some large-bulbed gladioli so as to 

 be in for Memorial Day. As a rule they sell well at that 

 date. Augusta, May, America and Blanche make a good 

 variety. Where there is a good trade for these flowers 

 plant once a week for the next fifteen weeks. They can 

 be grown in flats and are not exacting as to soil ; any 

 good soil enriched with some well-rotted manure will 

 grow them. Give them plenty of light with ventilation 

 on all good days. Use water sparingly until they start 

 to grow, when they will take water at frequent intervals. 

 For a succession use Colvillei, The Bride, Blushing 

 Bride, and some of the Nanus section. The best tem- 

 jjerature is about 50 degrees at night, as they don't like 

 any hard forcing. 



HYBRID PERPETUAL ROSES 



Roses that were started in a cool house in January 

 and are now making a good start will easily bear a tem- 

 perature of 55 to 58 degrees and a little higher later on, 

 should you entertain any doubts as to their being in 

 time for Easter. These roses can stand a deal of heat 

 as they fill their pots with active roots and begin to 

 make headway in new growth and will willingly respond 

 to a considerable amount of forcing. As the pots get 

 filled with roots they will stand some feed in the way of 

 liquid manure. Give them a place where they will be 

 fully exposed to the sun and give a daily syringe to make 

 the wood finn and the foliage leathery. Use care in 

 ventilation to prevent too humid atmosphere which is 

 conducive to mildew. Attacks from green fly are likely 

 to happen so give careful attention to fumigating. 



LILY OF THE VALLEY IN POTS AND PANS FOR EASTER 



Lily of the valley that is needed for Easter should be 

 put in pans or pots within the next three weeks. They 

 can be potted in either sand, moss or loam. It takes 

 from four to five weeks to bring them into flower. Find 

 some place which you can inclose so as to keep it up to 

 65 to 70 degrees. Anywhere over the hot water pipes 

 will do. From 15 to 20 pips can be put into a 6-inch 

 pan. Plunge these in sand or other material, cover 

 with heavy paper and keep dark until the stems are well 

 up. Then they should be gradually exposed to the 

 light. When they are in flower give full light, but keep 

 away from direct sun. When grown in pans or pots the 

 foliage should be good. Some growers start them in 

 full light and hold the temperature from 55 to 58 

 degrees. While these will be somewhat dwarfer than 

 case-grown stock they have better foliage and more sub- 

 stance. By this method five to seven weeks are required 

 to have them in flower. Be very careful when the bells 

 show white that they do not get wet. 



Mr. FarreU's next notes win be on the following: Aspidistras; 

 Ferns; Jerusalem Cherries; Palms, Phalaenopsis; Young Lorraine 

 Begonias. 



We have in type a number of very interesting papers 

 delivered before various societies and clubs by E. G. Hill, 

 Irwin Bertemaann, H. B. Domer, W. H. Taplin and 

 others, all of which will appear in these columns from 

 time to time and will be found well-filled with valuable 

 experience and suggestion. 



