August 25. 1917 



HORTICULTUEE 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDCCTBD BY 



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



by Mr. Farrell. Such communications shoald Invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICOLTDHK. 



"If Tsln mr toU, w« •osbt t* blam* the onltnre, not the >oU." — Popf. 



Amaryllis 



Hippeastrum \ittatum by tliis time can be given a 

 rest of five or six weeks, t]ie regular watering being dis- 

 continued so as to keep them quite dry, but not enough 

 so as to cause a shriveling of the roots. It can easily 

 be forced into flower by Christmas and would be a verxj 

 attractive plant for the holidays. A great number of 

 these bulbs will throw from two to three spikes which 

 will bear from four to six fine flowers. "When the sea- 

 son of rest is at an end which is generally marked by the 

 appearance of a new growth, they can be repotted in 

 any fairly rich sandy soil. Gi\"e them a steady tem- 

 perature of about 68 degrees. When starting into 

 growth give them a bench in a house that runs at 60 

 degrees at night and they will come along in good 

 shape. 



Care of Geraniums 



iS'ow is a good time to jjut in a batch of cuttings; 

 they will make first-class 4-inch pot geraniums by 

 Memorial Day. You can place them singly in 2-inch 

 pots of sandy loam, or, to economize space, use flats 

 tliree inches deep, with a good drainage and filled with 

 sharp sand. Water the sand well and then cut lines 

 with a piece of thin steel or a mason's trowel and place 

 the cuttings in at the rate of 1'25 to 150 to each flat 

 24x12x3. Trim the leaves ofl! the cuttings (juite 

 closely. If they are sappy let them lie and dry over 

 night before placing in the sand. Stand the flats on a 

 shelf. Give them the full sun and water moderately 

 after the first soaking, to prevent shriveling. These 

 cuttings will make a mass of filirous roots and can be 

 put in 3-inch pots in January and later shifted to 4-inch 

 pots. If you decide to place them singly in 2-inch pots 

 it is better to shift first to 3-inch and later to 4-inch. 

 Large shifts do not pay. 



Ferns 



Those who made a practice (if ]ilanting out their Bos- 

 ton ferns during the summer months on benches should 

 lose no time in getting the stock potted uj). The aver- 

 age florist retailing his stock has use for Boston fems 

 from 4-inch pots up to 12-inch pans and it is well to 

 make up what will be needed in the larger sizes when 

 lifting the plants. I'hey can stand a good deal of sun 

 and plants which have had a raliicr cool house and but 

 little shade will lie more satisfactory as house plants than 

 soft stock. When potted up kcej) the atmosphere moist 

 by damping down. There is no trouble in getting made- 

 up plants established in a very few days if they are kept 

 in a shady house. Don't let them remain there any 

 longer than necessary, or tb(>y will become soft in 

 growth. 



Next Week: — Care of Carnations; Chrysanthemums; P 



Home-Grown Shrubs for Forcing 



Those who planted their shrubs in good rich gi'ound, 

 with proper care afterwards, such a.s a good dressing of 

 manure in the fall and bone and wood ashes applied in 

 the spring will grow fine shrubs in two or three years 

 by using good size stock, so make a plantation now. 

 Flowering almonds, hawthorns, Pyrus japonica, deutz- 

 ras, exochordas, philadelphus, prunus, spiraeas, lilacs, 

 viburnum, etc., are all useful subjects. Where you 

 have been gi'owing this stock for forcing now is the 

 time to dig them up with all the roots i^ossible, and pot 

 firmly. This will give plenty of time to become estab- 

 lished liefore the cold weather sets in. They should be 

 stood in some place that is handy so they can be watered 

 when they want it, and an occasional spraying will put 

 them in condition for use. \Yhen done at this time they 

 will soon take hold of the new soil with a lot of new 

 roots. Before winter sets in they should be plunged in 

 some deep frame until wanted. 



Lilium candidum 



When received they should be immediately potted 

 U]). "Any good fibrous loam enriched to about one-fifth 

 of its bulk with some well rotted manure will grow 

 tliem. The best ])lace for these bulbs is a cool airy 

 frame until the foliage becomes green and firm. Leave 

 them out until thev get a good freezing. This Uly 

 should be potted as soon as the bulbs are procured, which 

 is about this time, in order to have the best success with 

 it. Bulbs that are kept as late as the end of September 

 make both roots and leaves, and while they will still 

 make fairly satisfactory flowering plants they cannot 

 equal tlie earlier potted ones. It forces better after 

 January 1.5 and if good results are expected it should 

 not be attempted before that date. The temperature 

 should run at night to aliout 50 to 55 degrees. Many 

 failures in the culture of this lily are due to the gi'owers 

 ]iersisting in treating it as they would Harrisii, which 

 is entirely wrong. See that they do not become di-y 

 while out in the frames. 



Reminders 



'i'akc advantage of cool evenings for fumigating or 

 sulphuring for mildew. 



Bouvardias for early flowering may now be left to 

 bloom, no further pinching being needed. 



In pruning pelargoniums cut back within a few eyes 

 of the old wood, but not quite to it as it does not break 

 freely. 



Eipen the growth of spring flowering dendrobiums 

 by exposure to sun and air, in a light cool house or 

 outside. 



When planting mignonette from the small pots see 

 that the balls arc previously moistened and avoid break- 

 ing them. 



ilargonlums ; Sowing Cyclamens; Violets; Reminders. 



