April 29, 1911 



HORTICULTURE 



631 



plunp^ecl and grown under lath framef? during the sum- 



mer. 



COMPOST 



It is time now to prepare compost for all cut flower 

 stock. Those who had their sod piled up last fall and 

 exposed to severe freezing should have soil of a fine fri- 

 able nature by this time. The preparation of all com- 

 post should be done in a thorough going manner. To 

 be right it should be turned several times before it is 

 used. For all such crops as roses, carnations and chry- 

 santhemums, there is plenty of time during May or 

 June to have it in good shape for these crops. A turn- 

 ing over during May will suffice to render it in good 

 condition for nearly all bench crops. If manure was 

 added to it last fall in the proportion of one load of 

 manure to three loads of sod, it will have changed the 

 proportion by this time to one iifth by the gradual de- 

 composition that takes place with the manure. So all 

 such soil would be better to have a load or two of barn- 

 yard manure added to every four of soil during these 

 turnings, but the application of additional fertilizing 

 matter should be deferred until later in the form of 

 mulches or liquid stinuilants, as the plants may actually 

 require it. 



HYDRANGEAS 



These plants are very useful and fast selling around 

 Memorial Day. Plants intended for that date should 

 have their flower heads well forward by this time, and 

 by the lOtli of May should show their color well. If 

 any are backward they can be forced by applying a tem- 

 perature anywhere from 60 to 6-5 degrees at night. 

 Give them frequent sprayings overhead, and grant 

 plenty of room for each plant if you want nice speci- 

 mens. From now on until the trusses show good color 

 give them manure water two or three times a week, and 

 he sure to give them needful quantities of clear water 

 so that they may not recei\e any check. For the last 

 ten days in May give them a cooler temperature in a 

 well ventilated house, which will give intensity of color 

 in the bloom and a deeper color of the foliage. Put in a 

 batch of cuttings now for next year and grow on. 



FEKNS 



At this season all ferns require shade in a greater or 

 less degree, but if the shade is too heavy, in many cases 

 it will spoil the fronds by producing a weakly growth. 

 Just apply enough of shade to prevent the strong sun 

 from burning or taking the color from the fronds. 

 Now when there is not so much fire heat needed, the 

 atmosphere of the house naturally becomes charged with 

 moisture, so it is important to give more air during 

 the day, and later to keep air on both night and day 

 in order to prevent condensation, especially dangerous 

 to the younger and more tender ones. Where it is in- 

 tended to grow large specimens they should be kept 

 moving as fast as possible now. Most of this class of 

 ferns can be materially assisted by the careful use of 

 liquid manure, but the pots should be well filled with 

 roots before applying any stimulants. From now on 

 sow successional batches of spores, as it takes from 6 to 

 8 months from the time of sowing to give useful sized 

 plants. All the soil used for sowing spores should be 

 sterilized so as to kill any weeds or fungi. Use pans 

 and fill half full of good drainage material. Then fill 

 the pans to within half an inch of the rim with a sifted 

 mixture of soil, leaf mold, peat and sand in equal pro- 

 portions. Give these pans a good watering and allow 

 them sufficient time to drain, then sow the spores thinly 

 over the surface and plunge up to the rim in a propa- 

 gating frame where there is a temperature of at least 



65 degrees night, and see that they are protected from 

 the sun. Seedlings should be pricked out in small 

 clumps when they show signs of making a leaf. 



POINSETTIAS 



It is time now that we began to think of poinsettias 

 for next holidays. Removi' all stock plants to a well- 

 lighted bench where there is a temperature of about 65 

 degrees at night. When cutting in, you can use the 

 old-wood cuttings by placing in a warm frame and 

 keeping the temperature from 65 to 70 degrees and in 

 about 3 or i weeks they will be rooted. Pot them into 

 3-inch pots, using a good loam to which has been added 

 one-fourth of rotten manure. To prevent flagging see 

 that they are shaded from the sun. These will need 

 several shifts during the summer. The best stock is 

 those taken from the new growth of old plants; they 

 produce the largest heads of bracts. When taking these 

 cuttings otf leave one eye, so that you will have another 

 batch of cuttings later on. See that the sand is kept 

 wet and spray them twice a day, and in about three or 

 four weeks they will be rooted. Lift and pot into either 

 •21/, or 3-inch pots. Keep moist and shaded until they 

 take hold of the soil, when they can be given the fullest 

 sunshine. 



SMILAX 



T)ie beds that were cut down for the Easter trade 

 will begin to show new growth now and will be greatly 

 benefited by a top dressing of about an inch of cow 

 manure and loam in equal parts with a sprinkling of 

 bone dust, as they are very strong feeders, and give 

 them abundance of water at the roots with a good 

 syringing twice a day. As the plants throw up their 

 shoots be sure to keep the strings in position so that the 

 new growth will not become entangled. Give the young 

 plants a shift into 3-incli pots before they become too 

 pot-bound using a good loam with about one-fourth of 

 cow manure. Keep them in a. temperature of 60 degrees 

 at night. 



Mr. FarreU's next notes will be on the following: Acacias: 

 Bedding Plants; Carnation Stock; Orchids; Dahlias; Stevia. 



A Pointer for Local Florists 



ISMENE CALATHINA 



Plant the bulbs in succession from the middle of 

 April to July. This item does not force well and is 

 best planted outside when conditions warrant. Gives 

 two, three or four lovely white flowers to the stalk, and 

 is a grand thing for funeral work. It is a poor shipper 

 and that is the reason why it is not a standard 

 item in the commercial markets of the country. Local 

 florists have to raise it for themselves from the bulbs. 

 An excellent keeper. Won't stand rain. In brief, these 

 are its merits and its faults; but its merits far out- 

 weigh, and we feel we are doing a favor^ to the retail 

 interests of the country in giving them this pointer. 

 The botanists have now got this plant named Hymeno- 

 callis calantliina, but the old name is retained here for 

 popular reasons. Pan-ratium maritimum is another 

 good subject in this connection, and it also has been 

 drawn under the Hynioiiocallis umbrella. Plenty of 

 good bulbs to be had cheap. 



GEORGE C. WATSON. 



