May 6, 1911 



HORTICULTURE 



667 



Seasonable Notes on Culture of 

 Florists' Stock 



ACACIAS 



All these plants that were unsold at Easter should 

 be pruned into shape by cutting them back to about 

 half of the previous summers growth. Where they are 

 pot-bound they should be shifted into larger pots. A 

 good compost to use is turfy loam four parts, leaf mold 

 two parts, peat one part, and enough sand to keep the 

 whole open, as these plants are thirsty subjects. After 

 potting give them a genial temperature of about 55 

 degrees at night with plenty of syringing and abundance 

 of air which will encourage the new growth to break 

 away. By the end of May they can be plunged out- 

 doors. Choose a place where the water will not stand, 

 for the copious watering and syringing that acacias need 

 daily would soon ruin them if not given a place of 

 good drainage. Don't plunge them too closely together 

 for they will make good growth during the summer. 

 Each plant should be allowed enough space so that the 

 light and sunshine will get between. Give them a good 

 syringing every day during the summer. 



BEDDING PLANTS 



Where you have room to spare in your propagating 

 bench put in cuttings of ageratums, begonias, achyran- 

 thus, coleus, heliotropes, petunias, double sweet alys- 

 sum, verbenas, etc. as there is a call for this class of 

 stock away into June. By this time you will find your- 

 self crowded for bench room, so this is where your 

 hotbeds will come into play. There is no better place 

 for all such stock as alternantheras, eannas, coleus, 

 geraniums, begonias, etc., than a mild hotbed and with 

 a little care as to watering and ventilation they will 

 be better off here than indoors. All half-hardy stock 

 can now be removed to frames to make room inside 

 for other stock yet to be pricked or potted up from 

 flats. There is no better place for this class of stock 

 as they will become hardened up before they go out into 

 the open air. The more important kinds of bedding 

 plants are now beyond their last shift, such as are in 

 3 or 4-inch pots. On all bright days they will dry out 

 remarkably fast, so will need constant watching so as 

 not to let them sufEer for want of water. All subtropi- 

 cal plants used for beds should have a house where 

 abundance of air can be given them so as to make them 

 hardier by planting out time. 



CARNATION STOCK 



The nature of the soil and weather will control plant- 

 ing in different localities. Very little is gained by too 

 early planting, but now when the weather is more favor- 

 able, planting should go on with haste so as to get the 

 stock into the field as quickly as possible. When plant- 

 ing out from pots see that liall is thoroughly soaked. 

 Each plant should have at least eight inches from the 

 center of the plant all around, for proper development, 

 and then whatever extra room you wish to allow for 

 cultivation. See that each plant is pressed firmly 

 around and then a good watering should be given. 

 Plant varieties in batches by themselves and label each 

 plainly; it will save you troiible later on. The more 

 care and attention they get in every detail the better 

 foundation you will be laying for future success. Dur- 

 ing their stay in the field they should be assiduously 

 cultivated, as it serves the purpose in dry weather of 

 checking evaporation to a certain extent, and after 

 heavy rains of keeping the ground mellow and open. 



See that your plants have never-failing attention in the 

 way of stopping the leading growths. 



CARE OF ORCHIDS 



Now as the season advances the Cattleya department 

 will need more air, thus necessitating more thorough 

 and frequent damping of the walks and under the 

 benches, witli a syringing overhead once or twice a day. 

 When there is a spell of damp weather don't do much 

 damping, and it will be necessary to kept on air with 

 a little fire heat so as to keep, them in good shape. All 

 such eattleyas as Mossife, Mendelii, Warneri, etc., that 

 are through flowering should be given new material, 

 and when in poor condition repot, using osmunda fibre 

 and sphagnum moss with a liberal drainage. Give them 

 a good sponging to remove any scale, thrips, or other 

 insects before the young growths start up. Give phalae- 

 nopsis now a house where the air can be kept continual- 

 ly laden with moisture, as it is essential for their well- 

 doing, but keep the atmosphere active by admitting air 

 in greater or less quantities, but preventing any direct 

 drafts from striking them. During now and through 

 the summer see that they don't suffer for the want of 

 water. These orchids require every encouragement in 

 the way of heat, light without direct sunlight, and mois- 

 ture, for they have baffled quite a few who have tried to 

 grow them. 



DAHLIAS 



The popularity of dahlias for cut flower purposes has 

 increased from year to year. Any time from the middle 

 of May up to June will do for planting as they require 

 some warmth in the ground. To attain the best results 

 dahlias should receive no check from start to finish. 

 They will grow in any fertile soil, but their preference 

 seems to be for a rich, deep, moist, and sandy loam. 

 The ground should have a liberal amount of suitable 

 plant food well incorporated. Well-decayed stable ma- 

 nure will be found the most satisfactory, but when this 

 cannot be procured, sheep manure, or any chemical fer- 

 tilizer rich in ammonia and phosphoric acid will answer 

 as a substitute. Plant so as to permit of easy passage 

 between the plants — say about 2 feet in the rows with 

 at least 4 to 5 feet between the rows. Give frequent 

 and shallow cultivation during their growth. When 

 they are about a foot high, they should be secured to 

 stout stakes so as to assist in holding the shoots in an 

 upright position. 



STEVIA 



This plant can be grown either in the open ground 

 or under pot culture during the summer. When grown 

 in the field don't make the ground too rich for they 

 make a very rampant growth. Give them a space of at 

 least two feet apart, and give frequent cultivation and 

 pinchings. Where it can be done I think pot grown 

 stock is preferable to those grown in the field. When 

 grown under pot culture they should be shifted into 

 larger pots before the roots get too matted, using any 

 good carnation soil for these shifts. They should be 

 transferred before the middle of August into 8 or 9-inch 

 pots or boxes and given their last pinching in Septem- 

 ber. If you are short of stock you can propagate now 

 and these will give nice material for 6-inch pots. 



Mr. Fai'reU's next notes wiu be on the foUowing: Aqtiatlca ; 

 BouTardias ; Chrysantliemunis ; Ericas; Stock for Vases and Boxes; 

 Vincas. 



