October 31, 1914 



HORTICULTUBB 



613 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDUCTED BY 



yyr.%pf. r^tA^^u 



QneatloDi by our readers In line with any of the tupicB presented on this page will be cordially recelred and promptly answered 



by Mr. Farrell. Such communlcatlouB should Invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTURE. 



"If vain our toil, we ought to blame the culture, not the soil." — Pope. 



Asparagus plomosus nanus 



Good strings of this asparagus can only be raised by 

 constant and careful attention to their culture. A 

 steady temperature of about 60 degrees and ventilation 

 without cold draughts are important in growing fine 

 Asparagus plumosus. Extremes either way in watering 

 should be guarded against. Before asparagus shows any 

 signs of exhaustion through the want of nourishment, 

 tliey should have a top dressing of loam and well-rotted 

 cow manure in equal parts. Liquid feeding can also be 

 given once a week as these plants are rank feeders. 



Begonia incarnata 



Begonia incarnata is a useful winter flowering variety. 

 It cannot be grown into a really salable plant, however, 

 in one season and for this reason is unlikely ever to be a 

 serious rival of Gloire de Lorraine or Glory of Cincin- 

 nati. By propagating now you would be able to work 

 up a good stock for a year from this winter. It is not 

 in good flower for Christmas, but in January and Feb- 

 ruary it far outclasses Lorraine. Well grown plants 

 would easily command a fancy price, for, as a house 

 plant, it is away ahead of Lorraine. Plants carried over 

 from last year, if they were cut back and kept on the 

 dry side for a few weeks, will now be producing plenty 

 of nice, succulent cuttings. Place in bench such as you 

 would root roses in. Eooted cuttings should be potted 

 off before they become hard. It is a great mistake to 

 leave cuttings of any kind too long in the sand, as they 

 soon become hard and stunted. IJse a light compost: 

 one which contains plenty of flaky leaf-mold is what they 

 revel on. Give them a bench well up to the light in a 

 house where they can have a temperature of 60 degrees at 

 night 



Carnations 



We must harden up the growth a little for the time 

 when there will not be so much root action, so apply 

 water with judgment. If you are in doubt as to whether 

 the plants need it, better put ofE the watering until the 

 next day at this time of the year. If the stems of some of 

 the varieties are a little weak, give them a light dressing 

 of wood ashes. In fact it will be quite beneficial to all 

 of them, about this time. It serves to tone up the plant 

 system and sweetens the soil. If the soil is not too full 

 of roots stir it about a half inch deep with your hands, 

 then sprinkle over it about a 3-inch pot of ashes to each 

 row half way across a 5-foot bed and water thoroughly. 

 Syringe only on bright days and early in the day to the 

 end that the foliage may dry out before night. Of course 

 you are keeping the plants disbudded right along now. 

 so that by this time you should be picking some very nice 

 blooms. Give strict attention to ventilation as this will 

 play a big jjart in putting the phiiits in a good condition 

 before the winter sets in. 



Mr Farrell's next notes will be on the following: Forcing of 



Young Cyclamen ; Storin 



Gladioli for Forcing NEW vowk 



Every florist who has a local trade should force a good ***^f"A,N!CAL 

 batch of gladiolus; they will come in many ways handy. *^^VMi£,ti, 



There are many beautiful varieties in the smaller-flow- 

 ered or Colvillei section and for later forcing we have 

 in addition to these the large-flowered sorts such as 

 America, Augusta, May, Silver Trophy, Shakespeare and 

 others. The Colvillei corms can be planted in flats or 

 beds, while the large flowered kinds will need a bench or 

 bed in order to do well. They will flower in from four- 

 teen to sixteen weeks after planting. When planting in 

 benches allow about 5 inches between the rows and 3 or 4 

 inches in the rows. The corms should be placed about 

 tliree inches deep. Give them a temperature of from 50 

 to 55 degrees at night. When they have made fairly 

 good roots and top growth they will be greatly bene- 

 fited by weekly doses of liquid manure. Keep them 

 nice and moist at the roots, as they like it. 



Marguerites 



If you are going to prepare for Easter at all, a good 

 stock of marguerites should be gotten into shape, for 

 that is the great day for the sale of them. Whether you 

 have the old-fashioned Paris daisy or the latest, — by 

 many of us considered the best of all,— Mrs. F. Sander— 

 when well in flower they all sell, and that grand yellow 

 sort, Etuile d'Or, also makes a splendid pot plant. If 

 you have a lot of 2i-inch stock on hand let them come 

 along on a sunny bench. If at all shapely they should be 

 allowed to grow along from now on, and if kept in a car- 

 nation house temperature they should progress in good 

 shape. A batch can be started by propagation now if 

 not already started. All marguerites, whether white 

 or yellow, single or double, flower well in spring and 

 early summer, and a good many of them can be sold for 

 Ijedding out and the filling of window boxes and vases. 

 All will make good sized plants by the end of May. 

 Bring your plants along so they will not have to stand 

 the high pressure of extreme forcing. Be very careful 

 as to watering, giving all the plants a required amount 

 so as to keep them in unimpaired health. 



Sowing Ccntaurea gymnocarpa 



For filling vases, baskets and veranda boxes next 

 spring Centaurca avmnocarpa will be of great use. To 

 insure having a plant in 3^ inch pot with ten or twelve 

 perfect leaves the seed should be sown within the next 

 three or four weeks. Wien they are up you can grow 

 them along in a cool house. Give tliem a good rich 

 compost at each shift. 



Ixlas; Fuchsias; Lilium multlflorum and giganteum; Orchids; 

 Can'nas and Dahilas. 



