April 7, 1917 



HOKTICULTURE 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



COMOCOTKD BT 



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itloDS by our readers In line with any of the topics presented on thU page will be cordially received and promptly answered 

 by Mr. Farrell. Such communications should Invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICDLTUBE. 

 "If vain oar toil, we ouKht to blame the culture, not the soil." — Pope. 



Gardenias 



Keep young stock growing right along. The plants 

 do better when plunged in ashes on some bench well up 

 to the glass where somewhat high degrees of heat 

 combined with a rather close moist atmosphere can be 

 steadily maintained. On all bright days syringe twice 

 a day, in the morning and right after dinner. Keep 

 the soil in the pots moist, but not soaked. You can 

 keep shifting until they are in 4 or 5-inch pots which 

 makes a good size to be planted out on the benches. A 

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

 and cow manure one part each and a good dash of sharp 

 sand. Give ventilation to keep the atmosphere right. 

 They do best in a temperature of from 65 to 70 degrees 

 at night and from 15 to "20 degrees more with sunshine. 



Nephrolepis 



There are few ferns so easy of propagation as the 

 nephrolepis, and they still enjoy a marked popularity. 

 Those who are thinking of raising a stock of young 

 nephrolepis for next year can from now up to July start 

 to propagate. First, see that they have the drainage 

 perfect so that the bench will let the water through 

 freely. Then put in some light, sandy soil and plant 

 the ferns out and you will get an abundance of runners 

 that will i-oot and lift without losing a single frond. A 

 light shading and frequent sprinkling and a moderate 

 degree of mixture at their roots is about all that is 

 needed in the way of care through the summer. As 

 they become large enough pot off and plunge pots in 

 another bencli. 



Odontoglossums 



Give the odontoglossums a judicious syringing over- 

 head once a day and always allow a free ventilation. 

 The crispum section requires quite a supply of water 

 during all seasons, but the grande section does not need 

 so much water at the roots, but should be allowed to dry 

 out frequently. Xow that the hot weather will soon 

 l)e with us culture becomes veiT difficult. In their na- 

 tive habitation a maximum of 65 degrees is very rarely 

 exceeded, but, cultivators are now having much better 

 success than a decade ago for they have broken away 

 from the old way of keeping them in a north house from 

 start to finish. They should lie moved before the ar- 

 rival of wann nights to a house of northern exposure 

 that has rolling shades elevated about 20 inches above 

 the glass as this admits an aliundance of air. wliir-h lieljis 

 to keep the liouse cool. 



Poinsettias 



Do not wait too long before overhauling the poin- 

 settias. Old plants that have been resting since the 

 new year can now be started, the stems shortened bade 

 and repotted in as small pots as the roots will permit. 

 Remove all stock plants to a well-lighted bench where 

 there is a temperature of about 65 degrees at night. 



Next Week; — Begonias for the Holidays; Carnations; Ca 



When cutting in, you can use the old wood cuttings, 

 by placing in a warm frame and keeping the tempera- 

 ture from 65 to 70 degrees. In about three or four 

 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. Those propagated in July and 

 August are fine for making up pans but the earlier ones 

 will give the finest cuttings. Cuttings can be rooted at 

 any time from now until the middle of August. 



Ramblers for Easter 1918 



Now is the riglit time to start some two-year-old 

 plants. They can be potted in 6, 7 or 8-inch pots. Use 

 fibrous soil three parts, and one part well-decayed cow 

 manure, adding about an 8-inch potful of bone meal 

 to each wheelbarrow load. Pot firmly and give a good 

 watering. They should be cut back quite hard, which 

 will make them break into five or six strong growths. 

 Give them a cool bench where they can have plenty of 

 light and ventilation. Wien tliey have made enough 

 of growth to indicate tlie strongest canes, leave five or 

 six of the best, rubbing oft' all the other ones. Syringe 

 on all good days, for if this is neglected red spider will 

 very soon assert itself. Keep them under glass until 

 July during which time they will want careful watering, 

 syringing, ventilating and fumigation. 



Primulas 



These plants love plenty of fresh air, so whenever it 

 is possible see that they have it. In six or eight weeks 

 they can be potted into 2-inch pots using fibrous loam 

 four parts, well rotted cow manure and leaf-mold one 

 part each. Give them a light shelf or bench where the 

 temperature will not run over 50 degrees at night, allow- 

 ing it to rise witli sunshine about 15 degrees more. It 

 is still seasonable to make sowing of primulas up to the 

 first of May. These will develop into nice sized plants 

 from December on. When the earliest sown primulas are 

 big enough they should not be kept in flats but potted 

 up before they begin to gi-ow. A good compost is equal 

 parts of new soil and leaf-mold with a little well de- 

 cayed cow manure mixed through it. They will want 

 some shade during the middle of the day. They should 

 have a light syringing twice a day on all bright days. 



Reminders 



Keep young ferns moving and never let them get 

 hard in the flats or pots. 



Watch the seedling begonias closely and give them 

 more room directly as they need it. 



Fumigate at the first sign of green fly on the pelar- 

 goniums or the plants will soon be overnm. 



Leave a little air on at night for a short time after 

 mulching rose or carnation benches with fresh manure. 



Watch the firing very carefully. Overheating the 

 pipes in the morning not only wastes fuel but is pro- 

 ductive of weak growth and insects. 



re of Seedlings; Chrysanthemums; Cyclamen; Reminders. 



