March 11, 1911 



HORTICULTURi: 



319 



Seasonable Notes on Culture of 

 Florists^ Stock 



BULBS 



It is not always easy to time the various species under 

 this head so as to be just right for Easter. There is 

 not much trouble in forcing bulbs, especially if you 

 know your stock is furnished with an abundance of 

 active roots. Daffodils, hyacinths, tulips and others 

 belonging to this class that are buried outdoors or 

 under the protection of some frame, should be brought 

 into a cool house not later than the 20th of this month, 

 if intended for Easter trade. In forcing these bulbs at 

 this season it is well to figure on from three to five 

 weeks. Tulips need about 70 degrees until the bloom 

 is developed and should then be gradually hardened 

 off in a cool house. Always select a cool bottom to 

 place them on, but a warm atmospheric temperature 

 overhead. To bring about an exquisite blending of their 

 delicate tints which enhances tlieir value when fully 

 developed they should be placed on a cool bench in a 

 semi-dark place. This is also good for single hyacinths, 

 while, on the other hand, narcissi and hyacinths are 

 better when grown slowly on in a temperature of from 

 i>~y to 60 degrees, with a moderate bottom heat. 



CARE OF YOUNG ROSES 



Roses that have been potted for some time and are 

 pretty well filled with roots will now require a shift. 

 When repotting provide good drainage by placing some 

 potsherds in the bottom of the pots, and on this use the 

 rough pieces of sod that are left when the soil is 

 screened. Use the same soil that is employed in the 

 benches, adding about a 5-inch potful of bone meal to 

 a wheelbarrow load of .soil. Pot firmly and give a good 

 watering — enough so that the whole ball is made moist, 

 but not mushy. Give them a front bench where they 

 will get plenty of light and keep a temperature as near 

 56 degrees at night as possible, with a day temperature 

 of from 70 to 75 degrees. See that a good syringing 

 is not neglected on all good days or red spider will 

 soon begin to assert itself. Fumigate lightly at least 

 once a week. Go ever the plants often and allow them 

 a little more room from time to time. See if the ties 

 are all right on grafted plants. Some may be too 

 tight or too loose. 



DIEFl'ENBACHIAS 



These tropical foliaged plants are exceedingly useful 

 for various purposes. Old plants that have grown lanky 

 can have the tops taken off and inserted in the warm 

 end of a propagating bed, and the succulent stems can 

 be cut into pieces of two eyes each and allowed about 

 four days for ends to dry and then placed in sand 

 where there is a brisk bottom heat ; but see that they 

 are not kept too moist, for they are liable to rot. Pot 

 up into small pots when they have made a few small 

 leaves in a mixture of leaf mold, chopped sphagnum 

 and sand, and keep in a temperature of 65 to 70 degrees 

 at night, with a proportionate rise in the day time. 

 They should be protected from the sun's rays with a 

 thin shade on the glass, or the plants will lose their 

 fine color. They like a daily syringing overhead 

 through their growing season. If it is desired to have 

 perfect specimens they should be shifted, using good, 

 rich soil, as the condition of their roots may require. 

 Wlien the desired size pot is reached they can be kept 

 in good condition by the use of manure-water once a 

 week. 



SPIRAEAS 



These plants can hardly ever be given too much water 



as they are very thirsty subjects. They will require 

 close attention for the next four weeks in order to 

 produce nice flowers with good substance. When they 

 have started to open their flowers they are better for 

 a week's stay in a cool house. It is always better to 

 have them a little early than the reverse. Give them 

 some manure water twice a week until they show color, 

 and keep the plants well spread out so as to let the 

 light reach all around them. If far enough in ad- 

 vancement of flower, a temperature of 50 degrees will 

 do, but for plants that are backward 60 degrees can 

 be applied now and the last week before Easter grad- 

 ually harden them ofi" or they will wilt very soon after 

 they have been cut, or when used for decoration. Be 

 very careful about fumigation, as they don't like it. 



SWEET PEAS 



Early sowing of this crop outside is of great im- 

 portance if a fine supply of flowers is expected. They 

 should be planted as soon as the ground is in a working 

 condition. The best place for sweet peas is in a posi- 

 tion that is fully exposed to sun and air, which would 

 be for the rows to run north anS south. A good, deep 

 loam that has been well enriched with plenty of well- 

 rotted manure and plowed deep, with a surface dressing 

 of bone meal and hardwood ashes, makes an ideal place 

 for the production of plenty of fine blooms. Make a 

 furrow or trench from 6 to 8 inches deep. Sow the 

 seed thickly in the bottom of these trenches and cover 

 with two inches of soil, pressing the soil down firmly. 

 Wlien they come up above the ground thin out to about 

 two inches apart, for if plants are too close they wiU 

 not attain their proper development. The balance of 

 the soil should be filled into the trench as they grow. 

 To keep the crop in a flowering state as long as possible 

 they should be watered thoroughly and frequently dur- 

 ing dry weather, also a mulch of manure or grass in 

 hot weather will be found very beneficial. If possible 

 give liquid manure once a week. This will help them to 

 continue in bloom longer. 



VAN DAS 



It is well to pick out some of the old sphagnum and 

 resurface with chopped live sphagnum moss. Press in 

 rather firmly around the roots. The aerial roots should 

 be coiled around and pegged down on the top of the 

 compost, where they will be induced by the extra 

 amount of moisture to branch out and insert themselves 

 in the sphagnum. Give shading just heavy enough to 

 break the direct solar rays from the plants. A high 

 degree of moisture should be maintained from this out. 

 Give a sufiicient quantity of fresh air daily, avoiding 

 cold draughts which would tend to check the growth 

 and produce other evils. Where they have had a winter 

 temperature of from 60 to 65 degrees give them a 

 gradual increase of ten degrees during the summer 

 months, with gradually decreased temperature towards 

 fall until by late in November they will be down to 

 tlieir normal winter temperature. With but a few ex- 

 ceptions all vandas will do satisfactorily under this 

 treatment. Vanda coerulea, V. Amesiana, and V. Kim- 

 lialliana, with some other Alpine species, like a tem- 

 ])erature of about ten degrees cooler. At all seasons 

 during bright days vandas should have a certain amount 

 of water at the roots, with syringing over the plants. 



Mr. Farrell's next notes wiU be on tlie following: Achlmenes; 

 Pannas; Chrysanthemums; Double Pyrethrum; The Perennial Bor- 

 der; The Propagation of DahltaB. 



