336 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



The Greenhouse, Month to Month 



GEORGE F. STEWART 



THIS part of the year, late December, and early Jan- 

 uary, is on the whole better for greenhouse work 

 than that covered by last month's notes. Although, 

 as a rule, the weather is much colder and the wind more 

 cutting, we have clearer atmospheric conditions and by 

 the end of the first week in January, the daylight is easily 

 seen to be lengthening. The ancients, who used lunar 

 time, called this period their tenth month, hence the name 

 December. The more devout and thankful among them 

 called this "The good and excellent month," because at 

 this period after the long drought the "latter rains'' fell, 

 and filled the cisterns and pools and watered the dry and 

 parched ground. In this great western country of ours, 

 we gardeners would be very thankful f(jr "latter rains" 

 falling here during December, filling emr evergreens with 

 plenty of moisture before Winter sets in. I am wander- 

 ing into Air. Golding's department, so 1 had lietter get 

 back to the greenhouse. 



At this season the greenhouse looks quite gay with 

 color. The Lorraine type of begonia is at its best : so also 

 the tuberous rooted Socotraiia hybrids. We have noticed 

 that several of the varieties of these can be kept flowering 

 over quite a long period, if kept in a cool airy atmosphere 

 and carefully watered. The Lorraine type I have kept 

 well through March. .Mr. Peterson of Cincinnati claims 

 begonias can be kept in bud for a long time in a light 

 cool house, and when wanted to open their flowers if taken 

 into a similar house a few degrees warmer, will open 

 out beautifully, and with a much better color than around 

 Christmas. Begonias with Socotrana blood in them are 

 certainly the finest hybrid plants I have seen since 188.?, 

 and no honor too great can be bestowed on such men as 

 Lemoine and Heal for their pioneer efforts among the 

 two distinct types of begonias referred to. 



While we are speaking of valuable plants introduced 

 for greenhouse purposes. .'lspara};iis Sprengcri deserves. 

 to be also ])laced in the front rank, both for cutting and 

 as a pot plant. I remember .some years ago talking with 

 a one time gardener, he was then in the greenhouse busi- 

 ness- and also interested in quite a large nursery, who 

 told me that while traveling in Italy, he saw the first of 

 A. Sproigeri that came to Europe. It was in full fruit 

 when he saw it. and could have been purchased for quite 

 a small sum of money. If I remember rightly he could 

 have secured the plant for twenty-five (hjliars. I asked 

 him why he did not buy it. "I never thought it would 

 take the market the way it has done," he said. As you 

 may guess, he was Scotch, and you know, we are blamed 

 for being cautious on the 'aroiti; side. 



Sow fresh .seeds of ./. Sprcnt^cri now; keep them well 

 soaked with water until they germinate, and keep tlicni in 

 the warmest corner of the tropical house. Cover the 

 receptacle they are sown in with a pane of glass until the 

 first shoot appears, and then allow them to dry out con- 

 siderable before watering again. I'resh seeds will ger- 

 minate quite freely, but old seed will straggle along for 

 two years, not coming even at all. A good plant grown 

 in a basket in the full sunshine will .give a jirivate place 

 all the seeds it requires, and besides, it is a ])lant of beauty 

 grown in this manner. Small [)Iants in six-inch pans are 

 very effective for edging a group of plants, and are not as 

 stiff IfKiking as any of the Kcphrolcpis varieties of ferns 



we often see used for that purpose. A good strong rich 

 loam is all they need to grow in. 



Any of the begonia leaf cuttings is better if potted in a 

 suit;d)le size of pot, when they throw up a shoot from the 

 base of the leaf. Equal parts of flaky leaves (preferably 

 beech or oak) and good fibrous loam with charcoal broken 

 quite small we have found makes a good first potting. 

 Personally I don't like sand in a potting compost for 

 begonias, although others use it and grow fine plants. 

 Any sand I have ever used in begonia growing has had 

 a tendency to develop rust-like spots on the leaves. 



Cyclamen seeds sown in August should now be ready 

 for small pots. To good fibre of loam chopped small, and 

 half decayed leaves that will break small when rubbed 

 between the hands, add a little sand, and charcoal in a 

 convenient size for small pots, also about a fourth of a 

 spent mushroom bed. I'lace them close to the glass when 

 potted and water carefully until they get established. 

 Shade them for a few days until they stiffen u]>. that is, 

 if the weather is bright. 



This is a good time to root carnatiim cuttings. Sev- 

 eral years ago we experimented with carnation cuttings 

 taken from various parts of the jilant. We found the 

 following season that those taken well up the flower stem, 

 even though they were rather short when taken oft', pro- 

 duced during the whole season, and did not come in crops 

 at intervals. These tests were made in an old-fashioned 

 greenhouse which carnation enthusiasfs of today would 

 class as unfit to grow good plants in. I would not blame 

 them very much, as it is uphill work to grow good plants 

 of any kind in an old-fashioned greenhouse, especially 

 in a poor location. 



Roses may be also rooted now as well as any time. I 

 believe better roses, and freer flowering, can be produced 

 from flower stems of a medium thickness than by blind 

 wood. The only drawback is the loss of the flowers. The 

 same may be said of Ijudding or grafting. Many plants 

 can be improved, in fact. I am safe to .say. all. 1)\' careful 

 selection of the wood for propagation. The study of IJfe, 

 whether animal or ])lant. the wisest of men are very much 

 in the dark about. Let us pass around whatever we know 

 or discover about plant life or growth. Life here is .short. 

 Eternity, do we grasp its meaning? .\ftcr all. wh;it have 

 \\e. but what we have received? 



Those who want to grow a few large chry.santhcmum 

 pot i)lants. put in cuttings in late December or early Jan- 

 uary. If rooted and shifted along as soon as the roots 

 break through the soil, in the first potting and all later 

 necessary shifts, very large plants in twelve-inch ]:)ots may 

 be harl in one season. In years gone by. we have had 

 under our care ]>latits with over one thousand flowers, 

 from a cutting rooted about Jamiarv first. 



I wonder whv one seldom sees a Lapai^crui now? In 

 these days when there is so nuich floral decoration done 

 on festive occasions, there is no plant that I know of 

 whose sprays are more effective for mantle decorations. 

 Thev are not at all harrl to .grow. .\ shaded cool house, or 

 corridor, with a suitable bench, say fifteen indies deep and 

 well drained : a compost, composed of Osnimida fern root, 

 and fibre loam in equal parts, sand and charco.-d to keep 

 it sweet and porous: a liberal amount of moisture at the 

 roots, and fre(|uent light sprayings overhead ; a temjK^r- 



