July 28, 1917 



HORTICULTURE 



89 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLC«USTS^ STOCK 



CONDUCTED BY 



^*^^%.9y^.Tay^xcZ^ 



Questions by our readers In line with any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially recelTed and promptly answered 



by Mr. Karrell. Such communications should Invariably l)e addressed to the office of HORTICIJLTORB. 



"If vHtn tiiir toll. \Tr euirbt to blame the oalture. not the aoU." — Pope. 



Calceolarias 



In sowing one must guard against scattering the 

 minute grains too thickly, which might result in a 

 wholesale damping off of the little seedlings, only too 

 inclined at all times to yield to decay. The seeds want 

 no covering and are merely pressed into the surface of 

 the soil, after wliich the trays are carefully watered with 

 a fine spray can. Place in a frame shaded and not 

 allowed to become dry, and the trays will soon be cov- 

 ered with a lusty green. Great care must be exercised 

 ill spraying and watering to avoid extremes either way. 

 '!'he danger of loss through damping off is lessened hy 

 timely transplanting from liox to box. Wben of good 

 size the plants are potted, but remain in the frame un- 

 til the latter part of the season, when plants are trans- 

 ferred to a safer place under glass. Transplanted 

 from time to time they will roach their last shift aliout 

 the fiTst week nf March. 



Care of Violets 



Be always very careful in watering, looking over the 

 beds first to detect the dry spots. Keep the soil open 

 and sweet by frequent and shallow cultivations. Give 

 a good syringing early in the morning on fine days so as 

 to allow the foliage to become dry before night. They 

 should Ije gone over every week and all diseased or de- ' 

 cayed leaves removed. If there is any crop that requires 

 to be kept strictly clean during every stage of their 

 growth it is the violet. About the first week in August 

 apply a mulch of cow manure and half soil about three- 

 quarters of an inch thick which will help to feed the 

 surface roots which start after this date. Give all the 

 ventilation day and night that you can put on with 

 safety and fiimigate every ten days wbicli will keep 

 green fly in check. 



Chrysanthemums 



rrfM[ucnt and copious spraying will keep the temper- 

 ature down to a reasonable point and if this is not done. 

 ])lants sutler very much under torrid conditions. .About 

 every two weeks use a sprayer that will get right under 

 ovary leaf. The top side of the foliage may be perfectly 

 clean while the underside may barlwr whole colonies of 

 insects. It pays- to examine the underside once in a 

 while. JIany a stray brood of catcrpillers can be 

 picked up in this way, and one can also see where red 

 spider l)egiiis. Clean olf any suckers that may be show- 

 ing as they help to take away the strength from tlie 

 tlowering .shoots. General work in the hou.ses is largely 

 niiitine; staking, tying, and keeping the beds sweet and 

 flee from weeds liy a weekly stirring ii|). (Jive lii.'bt 

 fumigation about every ten days. 



Next Week: — Carnations: rieanhi^. I';iiiitin;r :miiI Kcpair-iiiir ; Crnlo 



Freesias 



The liullis of these popular winter flowering plants 

 will so(m arrive and if an early cut is desired for Christ- 

 mas they should go into pans or flats right away. For 

 compost use three parts loam, one part rotted cow ma- 

 nure and plenty of shai-p sand. If the soil is moist, 

 water need not be given for a few days after planting. 

 The pans or flats do well if kept in a cold frame or pit, 

 covered with board shutters to p,revent dijing out until 

 leaves appear, when the plants can be gradually inured 

 to the light. They will do much better in cold frames 

 than a greenhouse until Octobei'. They can be stood 

 on .shelves and in a carnation temperature a fair pro- 

 portion can be had at Christmas. 



Pansies 



Get the seed bed into shape and order your wants in 

 seeds so as to have them on hand when ready. It would 

 not hurt to make two sowings — one at the last of July 

 and the other about August 15. They are among the 

 first plants to come into flower in spring and we always 

 find people who, when they see a cold frame of pansies 

 in bloom, or a basket of a dozen plants, will forget 

 all about how poorly they did last season and leave an 

 order. Those sown in August and wintered over will 

 give the least trouble and will flower in early April 

 or, as was the case this year, the middle of March. It 

 is too early to sow them now, for if the plants are too 

 large they do not stand a severe winter as well as the 

 small stock. The early sown stock can be used for 

 planting inside, where the temperature runs from 40 

 to 45 degrees. 



V Reminders 



Have you ordered bulbs needed for next fall? 



Keei) u]i the stock of yellow marguerites by striking 

 cuttings when these can be obtained from good growth 

 shoots. 



Do not allow too many growths to remain on dahlias. 

 One good shoot to eacb ])laiit is better than a dozen 

 weak ones. 



Show pelargoniums should all be on their sides rest- 

 ing and ciin be pruned back towards the end of the 

 month and restarted. 



I'oinsettia cuttings should not be put in after this 

 date. Keep rooted stock potted on, finish any bench 

 planting and get a goo<l sup])ly of serviceable sized pans 

 filled. Grow the jilants cool for some time yet. 



is: nrnviclini: (^)lnpost: Stock I'lants for Next Winter; Reminders. 



