January 1, 1916 



HORTICULTURE 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDUCTED BY 



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



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



"If vain our toil, we onght to blame the caltnre, not the BOiL" — /V/,-. 



Compost for Winter 



On any jihui' uIicmc jilants are grown eomniorcially 

 there shoiild Vie at all time:? a supply of soils ready for 

 immediate use tor wliatever purpose needed. Aim to 

 have a good pile of jioil liauled and placed under cover 

 where it can be kept dry. Now is a good time to look 

 into this very inipintant matter, and at the earliest 

 possible date get soil and manure together and work 

 them over at the rate of three of soil to one of manure. 

 Success with any kind of plants depends much on the 

 kind and conditimi <it' soil in which they are growing. 



Orchids 



At this time of the year it will be advisable to modify 

 the temperature in the various departments as growth 

 and root action are not very active from now on. The 

 cool house should be given a night temperature of about 

 50 to 55 degrees, day with sun about 65 degrees, with- 

 out sun anywhere from 58 to 60 degrees. The inter- 

 mediate house can be kept about 55 to 60 degrees at 

 night, with a rise to 70 degrees with sun, but without 

 sun around ^h degrees will do. In the warm house 60 to 

 65 degrees at night will be high enough with a rise to 

 about 75 degrees during bright days, but during dull 

 days 70 degrees will fill the bill. Now that the shortest 

 days are with us, with less sunshine, more fire heat will 

 again be necessary for all cool orchids. It is better to 

 have a gentle warmth running through the pipes with 

 ventilation than to try to bottle up some heat by shut- 

 ting down the houses early. Such treatment often pro- 

 duces the right condition for the spread of fungus or 

 spot. By the middle of February the temperature can 

 be increased. 



Freesias 



From now and up to the middle of Januar}- will be 

 in good time to start Easter crop of freesias. Fill 

 6-inch pans with a rich com])ost of fibrous loam three 

 parts, and one part of cow or stable manure. Place 

 from 16 to 18 bulbs in each pan and hold at about 50 de- 

 grees at night. Water with care until they become well- 

 rooted when they .should have plenty. Later on. they 

 will stand a temperature of 55 to 58 degrees. Kecj) 

 them well iiji to the glass and on all good days give a 

 spraying overhead. As tlicy hecoiue tall give some sup- 

 port to keep them upright. When they have filled the 

 pans with roots they can have liquid manure once a 



week. Move them into more heat or retard with a cooler 

 house as needed to strike the Easter date. 



Sweet Peas 



LmKAH 

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**<>I"ANIC, 



During these short days feeding must bo done with Uakueo 

 extreme caution or the plants may drop their buds. Cow 

 manure water well diluted is a safe stimulant, and a 

 light top-dressing of fine bone, pulverized sheep manure 

 or cow manure, not too fresh, can be applied. The sur- 

 face soil should be loosened after applying the manure, 

 before watering is done. There are several possible 

 causes for the sweet peas dropping their buds. Fumiga- 

 tion with toliacco stems if overdone will cause it, so will 

 the use of nitrate of soda, dried blood, sulphate of am- 

 monia and other fertilizers high in nitrogen. Dryness 

 at the roots would also cause it as would cold draughts. 

 Do not let the temperature go below 48 degrees at night 

 and 50 degrees is better. On dull days let the tempera- 

 ture run up to 58 or 60 degrees, and 5 degrees higher on 

 sunny days will Iw to their liking. 



Winter Protection 



Beds and borders containing hardy herbaceous peren- 

 nials will need a winter mulch, not so much for protec- 

 tion as to prevent the plants from being lifted or loos- 

 ened by alternating freezing and thawing. Let the soil 

 freeze and cover the surface first sufficiently to keep 

 it in a frozen state for the next two months and a half. 

 This holds good not only with Imlb stock but with most 

 of our perennials. This mulch may consist of leaves, 

 straw, coarse manure, hay or any other suitable material 

 which must be kept in position by boards, brush, corn- 

 stalks or some other light covering. Most of the bulbs 

 we make use of for outdoor planting can stand quite a 

 little winter weather but when planted a few inches 

 deep and the soil freezes one week and thaws out the 

 next, only to freeze again, stock suffers and frefjuently 

 perishes if this happens often enough. 



Placing Seed Order 



Whenever the liUd cairildgucs come tu band, make up 

 your li.sts and send them in without delay. This will 

 give the seedsman a chance to deliver your order early. 

 There are plenty of seedsmen saying they can fill orders 

 the same or next day after receipt of order, but this 

 does not hold good during the rush .season from now on. 

 The seedsmen advertising their business in Hoimcui.- 

 TURE are the leaders in the trade and they can supply 

 everything you will require. 



Next Week:— Asparagus; Fuchsias; Gardenias; Geraniums; Primulas for Next Christmas; Starting a Dlaty. 



Those of our subscribers who bind their volumes of Horticulture or who for any other .^ 



II reason may wish to have the index to the contents of Vol. XXII — July 1 to December 31, te 



1915, will be supplied on application. THEY ARE NOW READY. If 



