January 27, 1917 



HORTICULTURE 



101 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



COMDUCTKD BT 



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Questions by our readers in Hoe with any of tbe topics presented on tbls page will be cordially received and promptly answered 



by Mr. B'arrell. Such communications should Invariably be addressed to the odlce of HORTICULTURE. ||||| ^ 



"If rain our toll, we onstit to bl»Bi« the enltttre, not the toil." — Pope. I N^ 



Rooting Begonias 



Mr. J. J. M. Farrell 



Dear Sir: — Your illustration of growing Begonia Gloire 

 de Lorraine from leaf I have tried for several years and 

 have not had any success, so I have gone according to your 

 instructions in Hokticultuke of Oct. 28, 1916, and I have a 

 few hundred well rooted. What I would like to know is if 

 it is proper to pot them up now or wait until they show 

 the growth above the sand bed. 1 think it would be good 

 to let them remain in the sand bed, and then again they 

 have nothing to live on, so what can you advise me to do 

 as soon as possible. Gloire de Lorraine roots good; Turn- 

 ford Hall roots bad; Cincinnati roots fairly good; Mrs. J. 

 Peterson roots not so good. J. M. B. 



The Semi-Tuberous, or Socotrana section include.^ ail 

 tlie best of the flowering begonias. Gloire de Lorraine 

 and Cincinnati hold first place from the end of October 

 until the end of January and the same culture will do 

 the rest to perfection also. They ean be increased from 

 seedj top growth and leaves as cuttings, but are gener- 

 ally increased from leaf cuttings. Tlie best time to take 

 leaf cuttings is during Xoveml)er. The most important 

 jioint is to have a propagating l:ied, with an even bottom 

 heat of from 80 to 85 degrees, and atmospheric heat of 

 10 to 15 degrees lower. Use '2\ to 3-inch of clean sharp 

 sand over perfect drainage and cover with sash. Select 

 only the cleanest, best ripened, and healthy leaves. In- 

 sert, including the leaf stallc, about one-half its length, 

 an<l make firm. See that the leaves do not rest flat on 

 the sand as it will cause them to damp' off easily. Keep 

 the sand in even moisture, but do not try daily watei'- 

 ings, or you will lose a large ])art by rot. Give shade 

 for about 3 to 1 weeks when a little sun will help to dry 

 up the bench and prevent the spread of fungus. In 8 

 to 10 weeks they should be sufScientlj' rooted to be 

 jiotted into 2-inch pots, using a compost of new loam, 

 leaf mold, peat and well decayed cow manure in equal 

 parts, with enough of sand to make it porous, (iive 

 temperature from 60 to 65 degrees at night and ten 

 degrees higher by day, placing them well up to the glass. 

 They require a moderately humid atmosphere with a 

 gentle spraying in the morning on bright days. When 

 fairly pot-bound they should be shifted into 3-inch pots. 

 By the end of January give shade for a few hours at 

 mid-day. In prolonged rainy weather keep the atmos- 

 ])here in a dry state. During February is a good time 

 to put in some more cuttings for smaller stock for the 

 filling of pans, etc., for Christmas. 'WHien they ar" 

 rooted treat as directed above. Fresh air must never be 

 entirely excluded in good weather. Judicious pinching 

 should be done once in a while. Don't wait until 

 green-fly or other insects pay you a visit, but use li.ght 

 fumigations and weak solutions of nicotine about every 

 ten days regularly. During March and April they will 

 need some more sliade to keep the foliage from burn- 

 ing. From tliis out any sort of cultural encouragement 

 before the lieat of the summer mnnths will tell plainly 

 on tlie stock in the early autumn and whatever degree 

 of size and vigor is no^\- imparted by special good treat- 

 ment is a pennanent gain, while any neglect at this 



seasojt is a certain loss which cannot be made good at 

 any time later on. Summer culture will be taken up 

 later on. 



Amaryllis 

 Amaryllis bulbs will now show signs of being ripened 

 and some probably starting to push their flower spikes. 

 To provide a succession it would be advisable to bring 

 some in every ten clays. It is not necessary to repot 

 all the bulbs but they should be examined to see that the 

 drainage is efficient. Where the roots are active and 

 sound and the pots of sufficient size for tbe bulbs, they 

 wiU require only a liberal top dressing of rich mulch. 

 It ean be made equal parts of loam and well rotted 

 manure and sand. Give them a good syringing two or 

 three times a day on bright days and keep the compost 

 moist. Give enough vontilatio.n to, keep the tempera- 

 ture during the day at from 70 to 78 degrees. After 

 top dressing or potting the plants should have a tem- 

 perature of at least 60 degrees at night. As the flower 

 spikes advance they will stand liquid manure twice a 

 week. 



Flowering Shrubs for Easter 



All hard forcing of shrubs is better to be done before 

 they start to open their flower buds. A temperature of 

 about 60 degrees at night is better than a higher one, 

 and when they are fairly well out about 50 degrees will 

 give substance as weU as better keeping qualities. Place 

 them where they will receive plenty of sunshine. Give 

 them a spray overhead two or three times a day to help 

 the eyes to swell, and continue it daily for tbe next 

 month or until they show signs of opening up their 

 flowers. It takes from seven to ten weeks for different 

 shrubs to bloom. 



Foliage Plants 



The bulk of these need an annual potting or surface 

 dressings. Frequently plants can be shaken out of the 

 pots, the balls picked over, fresh drainage given and 

 some new surface soil and the same pots will do for 

 another year. Nearly aU do well in a compost contain- 

 ing some fern fibre "or peat in addition to loam, but 

 thFs is not really necessary. The end of January and up 

 to the end of February is an excellent time in which 

 to do any necessary overhauling among these plants. 

 Marantas like some peat, as do Anthuriums, such as 

 Andreanum and colored varieties like Veitchii, but 

 crotons and dracaenas do well in pure loam with a little 

 old manure and sand added. Yonng stock rooted during 

 the present winter should have the benefit of some bot- 

 tom heat and be kept freely syringed on all good days. 

 Keep the house where these newly potted plants are 

 rather close and nioi.st 



Odontoglossums 



During winter odontoglossums should get as much of 

 old Sol'." rays as possible. It is utterly wrong to give 

 them a dark north space where in mid-winter no sun 

 will strike them for weeks. Odontoglossums are again 



