January 20, 1917 



HORTICULTURE 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



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"If vBln onr toU, we ouKht to blame the cnltnre. not the toS.\."—Pope. 



Canterbury Bells 



It is now timf to arouse these plants into activity if 

 wanted for Easter. Start in about 45 degrees at night, 

 and wlien new growth starts increase the temperature 

 slowlv until the minimum of 50 degrees is reached. 

 They" make beautiful objects in pots for Easter decora- 

 tion. When they have filled the pots with roots, feed- 

 ing will help them materially, and more than repay for 

 the trouble. Admit fresh air on every favorable oc- 

 casion. By the end of Februarv- they wall stand a night 

 temperature of from 60 to 05 degi'ees and will need 

 lots of water at the roots and a good syringing overhead 

 on all bright days. Give light fumigation every ten days. 



Violets 



In a violet house where the stock is up to date, it 

 ^\ill not be hard to find good stock for propagation. 

 Conditions are just right for the propagation of violets 

 now. It pavs to examine them somewhat closely so as 

 not to let any slip in that show the least trace of mite.s, 

 weakness or spot disease. Put them into sand inthe 

 coolest part of the propagating bench or in well-drained 

 boxes filled with sweet, sandy soil ^nd keep moist and 

 shaded. Do not allow the cuttings to wilt at any time 

 either before or after they are placed in the sand. With 

 frequent sprinkling they will soon he ready for trans- 

 planting into other boxes, when a much richer soil can 

 lie used, and when the roots have taken to the soil 

 and the plants become finnly established shading will 

 onlv be necessary on extremely bright days. Do not 

 let the temperature go above 45 degrees night, and 10 to 

 15 degrees higher with sun. 



Pennisetums 



There is always plenty of demand for ornamental 

 grasses for the trade. There are several varieties of pen- 

 nisetums, and all are decorative and make splendid 

 edges for beds containing cannas or large subtropical 

 jilants. r. Euppelianuni. cnmmouly called the inirple 

 fountain grass, has graceful foliage and purplish plumes. 

 r. longistylum. carrying greenish white plumes, is the 

 varietf most in evidence. Then there is the newer P. 

 japonicum, which makes a splendid bed by itself or i^ 

 effective if used as an individual specimen. This var- 

 iety will make fine plants the first season. They can 

 be sown in a sandy mixture and placed in a house with a 

 temperature of 65 degrees at night. Wlien large enough 

 prick out in fiats. With all the pennisetums it is nec- 

 essary to pot off seedlings single and, as they grow quite 

 rapidlv, a shift into 3 or 4-iiich pots may be necessaiy 



Next Week ;— Amaryllis ; Plowerlng Shrubs f"r Kaster ; Foli 



before planting-out time. When they come up keep well 

 up to the glass and do not keep too wet. 

 Propagating Ficus 

 The cuttings, usually from six to eight inches long, 

 and with several leaves attached, should be taken from 

 the latest growth and should be cut just below a joint. 

 They may be inserted in small pots of sand and loam, 

 and the pots plunged in a bench which has a bottom 

 heat of about 80 degrees. It is well to fasten the leaves 

 up to a small stake so as to save room and facilitate 

 watering. After the first watering the soil should be 

 kept only moderately moist. " In propagation by moss- 

 ing, the tops of young plants can be used. Nine or ten 

 inches from the "tip of the shoot sphagnum moss is in- 

 serted to keep the cut open, and more moss is wrapped 

 around the stem. When young roots show through the 

 moss the new plants can be taken off and potted up. 

 Vincas 

 Thrifty plants in 3-inch pots with tliree or four 

 hangers and more coming sell good and are to be pre- 

 ferred to overgrown roots. They should have a temper- 

 ature of from 55 to GO degrees at night. It is ad- 

 visable to pot divisions for the present in as small pots 

 as possible so that at about the beginning of March the 

 last shift into four-inch pots will provide them with 

 large amounts of fresh soil and nutriment to which they 

 wilt then more readily take than now. Strong, salable 

 stock cannot well lie liad from cuttings in good time for 

 the next spring, if put in the sand as late as this, but 

 fine stock for another season's trade to be grown into 

 size under field culture next summer may thus be ob- 

 tained. They can be put into flats of sand quite close 

 together, in "a night temperature of about 60 degrees. 

 Keep shaded and moist and they will root in four or 

 five weeks. 



Reminders 



Be careful of your sand. Clean sand is one of the 

 most important aids to successful propagation. 



Give everything in frames out of doors as much light 

 and air as "possible, when the weather is at all favor- 

 able. 



Several odd things in seeds may now be sown to ad- 

 vantage, sucli as antirrhinums, hollyhocks, begonias, as- 

 paragus, etc. 



There is no better time in the whole year for the 

 piopagation of a great number of indespensable plants 

 than now, when without sacrifice or inconvenience the 

 necessary conditions exist. 



Hire Plants: Orlontofrlnssuni : Rowins Palm S.ed : Reminders. 



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