September 1, 1917 



HORTICULTUEE 



249 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



CONDUCTED BY 



^^^^.Py^.T'ayi'^^^ 



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



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



"If Talu our toll, we onffht t« bUkme the coltare, not the soil." — Pope. 



Care of Carnations 



If a shading was used while doing the phmting, re- 

 move a little of it each day, so as to get it all off in 

 about ten days. By that time if everything is in good 

 ,-liape the plants can withstand the sun nicely. SjDray- 

 iug liglitly several times during a Iiot sunny day is a 

 good thing, but nothing could be worse than keeping 

 the soil of tlie benches soaking wet; rather keep it on 

 the dry side if anything. See that there is plenty of 

 ventilation day and night, and fumigate for greenfly 

 al)out every ten days. Wliere you have not finished up 

 planting- all your house, do not lose any time now. 



Chrysanthemums 



Give plenty of fresh air day and night, and keep 

 an abundance of moisture by watering and by syring- 

 ing several times daily and by wetting down the walks. 

 Keep up a diligent fight against the black aphis. 

 Plants that are destined to figure in the coming ex- 

 hibitions should have their last shift some time before 

 September 15. To one cart load of rose soil that con- 

 tains at least one-third of cow manure add from one to 

 two bushels of pulverized sheep manure, half a bushel of 

 soot and about sixty pounds of fine ground bone. In 

 potting be very careful to have the drainage perfect 

 for without it you can't have a good growth. 



Pelargoniums 



Lay the old plants on their sides for the ne.Kt two 

 or three weekes and keep them almost dust dry, to 

 harden the wood which is to be used for cutting. 

 It is time now to prepare for the propaga- 

 tion. If you wish to save the old plants cut all last 

 year's growth hard back, leaving about an inch or two 

 of the present year's growth and keep on drv side 

 until they show signs of breaking nicely. They can 

 then be turned out of the pots and all the soil shaken 

 off. Trim any straggling roots and place in as small 

 pots as possible, using a light compost. Cuttings can 

 be put in the cutting benches and given a slight shade 

 and kept in a moderate moist atmosphere. Wlicn 

 rooted they can be potted into 2i-inch pots, using good 

 soil. They should be given water sparingly at first 

 until the pots become filled with roots when they will 

 take more without harm. 



Sowing Cyclamens 



Seeds sown now will give I'lants for early winter 

 flowering and later dates will do for March. It takes 

 from twelve to fifteen months until they reach their 

 blooming period. Sow the seed in shallow pans or 



boxes, using a compost of good loam and well decayed 

 leaf mould in ecpial parts, with a dash of sand and give 

 good drainage. Keep shaded and moist and they will 

 germinate in from four to six weeks. Wlien they make 

 their appearance give them plenty of light and keep as 

 near the glass as possible and give uniform moisture at 

 the roots. Cyclamens can be sown from now until De- 

 cember. Exercise care in watering and syringing. When 

 the corms are about the size of small peas they can be 

 transferred into other pans or flats, using loam, sand 

 and leaf mold and in about seven to eight weeks they 

 will be ready for 3 or :^l-ineh pots. 



Violets 



If leaf spot appears jiinch off aU affected leaves and 

 then dust with dry Bordeaux mixture. Another good 

 remedy is to syringe the plants with a solution of 

 potassium sulphide made by one ounce of the sulphide 

 to a gallon of water. In applying water do not wet the 

 entire bed unless it is dry all over. Dry places only 

 should be watered and the remainder of the bed left un- 

 touched. The violet house should be fumigated eveiy 

 ten days or two weeks. Another precaution is to never 

 water violets under glass after 10 o'clock in the fore- 

 noon. The soil should be well drained and kept only 

 moist. During the day time even in cool weather 

 don't let the temperature run any higher than 65 to 70 

 degrees. It will be necessarj- to withhold artificial heat 

 and open all the ventilation possible. In a warm house 

 the leaves will push out very rapidly although scarcely 

 any flowers will appear. Continued warmth above the 

 danger line mentioned is fatal to the production of 

 flowers. The amount of heat, they should have is de- 

 jiendent on the weather. The main thing is that tem- 

 perature must not rise over 45 degrees with fire heat. 



Reminders 



Pruning the heads ol' transplanted trees is of great 

 assistance to the roots. 



Cuttings of nearly all perennial vines strike freely 

 now, especially the various ampelopsis. 



Eemove all decayed geranium cuttings from the prop- 

 agating bench frequently or damping will spread to 

 the healthy ones. 



Keep the seedling primulas growing freely and see 

 that none of the plants are loose at the collar, or damp- 

 ing is likely to result. 



Caladiums that have been used in the store or for 

 decoration must not be dried off at once but allowed to 

 finish their growth first. 



Next week— Arrtisias ; Araucarlas; Pandanus Veitchll; MasdevaUlas; Potting Azaleas; Remlmlers. 



