June 9, 1917 



HORTICULTURE 



729 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



CONDUCTED BY 



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<» lestions by our readers in line with any of the topics presented on this page will he I'ordlally received and promptly answerod 

 by Mr. Farrell. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the office of HOKTICULTDRE. 

 "If vsId snr toll, vre oacht to blame the onltnre, not the »<Ai."—Pofr. 



Eucharis Amazonica 



Potted ciR'lmi'is plants tliat liave finislied tlicir crop 

 (if flowers can lie given a top dressing of cow manure 

 and loam, removing- some of the old soil on to|) and re- 

 placing it with new compost. Where they have made 

 lots of roots and are becoming too big for their pots 

 they will be lietter for a shift, but it should be always 

 remembered that they flower best when well potbonnd. 

 Place the jiots in a cool frame, plunged to their brims 

 in a mixture of strawy manure and leaves which will 

 provide a gentle bottom heat. Place shaded sashes 

 over the plants: spray and .shut them up sufficiently 

 early in the afternoon to bottle up a brisk heat. By the 

 end of September they can be placed in a house where 

 the tem]5erature is about 50 degrees at night and with 

 a few weeks' rest they will be ready to force for Christ- 

 mas. 



Gardenias 



After removing all the plants and old soil make sure 

 to wash eveiw comer of the benches well, then give a 

 heavy coating of hot lime. Tt is essential to make use 

 of a good porous soil. A little straw should then be 

 spread to keep the soil from going thronjrh the drain- 

 age. A good compost can he made of th.ree parts of 

 very fibrous loam with one part of well rotted cow ma- 

 nure and some clean .sand. The plants should be set 

 about 15 or Ifi inches apart. With this space between 

 the plants a .32 to .36-inch bench should only have three 

 rows of plants. After plantinsr soak the whole bench, 

 after which water only the ball of the plants as neces- 

 sary. N'ever set out a dry plant. The ball should al- 

 ways be moist, and do not allow the plants to be out 

 of the pots before planting. Fi.rm the soil well all 

 around the ball. Syrintre freely on all good days both 

 over and under the foliage. 



Lilies 



(rive them an abundance of air at all times as thev 

 resent coddling. Examine the pots two or three times 

 a day so thev -uill not suffer from want of water, and 

 also go over them as the flowers begin to open and re- 

 move the pollen before it discolors the petals. Kee]i the 

 air moist by frequent damping. Some of the tallest 

 lilies should he staked to keep the stems erect and the 

 flowers in good shape. When they are fairly well out 

 they can be moved to a cool cellar. Keep them all well 

 syringed until the flowers begin to open. Do not neg- 



NVxt Week :— Care of Violrls: riiryaiiiitlicniuuis : Clnerarl 



lect fumigation. Diue gi-een fly gets a good foothold 

 it will deform oi- niin a great part of the flowers. Mil- 

 ium speciosiii I longiflonmi for siiinm(>.r flowering 



should have a. house without much shade until they 

 begin to o|ien up when they will be better for a little 

 shade. 



Restmg Callas 



Callas ill pots ciii he placed on their sides, after 

 thev have ripeneil a little, in some place where thev can 

 bake in the sun. Those that are planted in benches 

 should be done very gradually at first until the foliage 

 begins to tuni yellow, when thev can be lifted and the 

 soil well shaken out. Callas will not flower well if they 

 do not have eight or nine weeks of a rest. Those that 

 were grown in benches will have a few offsets which 

 can be broken off and planted out in rich .around and 

 can be lifted in September and potted. The tubers 

 should be stored in dn- sand in a cool d,ry place until 

 wanted for planting. 



Sweet Peas 



Keep them well cultivated and lioi'd. with thorough 

 watering once or twice a week which sliould be followed 

 bv a cultivation the next day. This will place them 

 in a good condition to receive a mulcbinir between the 

 rows later on which helps to keeii the soil cool and bet- 

 ter able to retain moisture. Keep the seed nods picked 

 off as fast as they mav appear, which will heln con- 

 siderably in extendiuir the floweriniT season. Should 

 there come a spell of dn- weather ffive them water at 

 the roots whenever nossilile so thev will not receive a 

 check in their orowth. "Refore waterino: them yon can 

 sow some nitrate of soda and wood ashes or other good 

 fertilizer between the rows. 



Reminders 



Give all plants a new stand frerpientlv now tliat 

 growth is active. 



Keep the voung fuchsias regularly pinched that arc 

 wanted for flowering later. 



Pot up the runners of Post on ferns re.tnilarly and 

 keep them well on the move. 



Repot youna palm stock giving a light .shift and a 

 good soil and'makc up kcntias and ericas 'in pots as 

 needed. 



Cissus discolor requires a high temperature and ample 

 atmo.spheric moisture to bring out to the fullest the 

 beautiful tints in the foliage. 



;,s fnr riiristmas: Bonvarrtin.'" : Outdoor Roses; T?cminrters. 



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