March 11, 1916 



HORTICULTURE 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDUCTED BY 



^^^^^.9>^.T-a-,Az^ 



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



by Mr. Farrell. Such communications should Invariably be addressed to the offlce of HORTICULTURE. 



"If vain oar toil, we onglit to blame the caltare, not the Boil." — Pope. 



Achimenes 



These are fiiif linK' plniits. Place the tubers (iiiitc 

 thickly in pans filled with i>-oo(l drainage material fin- 

 ished off with sand fill thiee-(niarters full. Cover the 

 tubers with sand and keep moist but not too wet or 

 the tubers will be ruined, in a temperature of 65 de- 

 grees young growth should appear in about three 

 weeks and when the plants have grown an inch or 

 two they should be potted, using 6 to 8 in either a 

 .") or (i-ineh pan or pot. Give ample draiiiage and 

 iin this place some turfy material or sjjhagimin moss. 

 Use a compost of two parts fibrous loam, two of 

 leaf mold and one of sand. Set the plants an equal 

 distance apart, and firm the soil around the roots. 

 Achimenes while growing like a good supply of water. 

 When flowering begins they will take liipiid maiiui-e 

 twice a week. 



Bedding Plants 



Verbenas, salvias, marguerite carnations, snapdragons, 

 ]3etunias, lobelias, bedding begonias, celosias, hybrid 

 impatiens, etc., should be started now. Of less 

 importance, but also to be sown now if wanted in salable 

 size at the right time, are dianthus, ageratum, canna, 

 torrenia, nicotiana, centaurea and vincas. Sow thinly 

 in seed trays or pans, in fresh porous soil of a kind as 

 used for rooted cuttings. Firm well, water thoroughly, 

 place over mild bottom heat and cover with boards or 

 paper, soil covering only being used on the large kei"- 

 nelcd kinds and then only in a very thin layer. Take 

 off the paper for a short time every day and lift out 

 those trays showing the first green of the germinating 

 seeds, placing them where they can have light and air. 

 When the seedlings are large enough they should be 

 pricked off into other trays and fresh soil. Use great 

 care in watering. 



Gardenias 



In order to make a good start for next winter no time 



should be lost in starting a good batch of cuttings. 



Cuttings should have a bottom heat of 75 to 85 degrees 



with top heat 10 degrees lower. Keep the sand moist 



and warm and give them a s])ray every morning. Keep 



shaded and rather close unfil they are rooted. The 



propagation of gardenias is only successful wiiere a 



somewhat high degree of heat combined with a rather 



close moist atmosphere can be steadily maintained. 



When their roots are about half an inch long pot them 



up. Good soil for these is one-half leal" mold, one-fmirtli 



Next Week: — Chrysanthemums; Care of Seedlings; Fancy Leaved 



Bulbous 



good soddy Iimui. and thi' rcinainilei- sharp sand. Keep 

 shaded until tliey will stand the sun, when they should 

 be grown on the sunniest bench and in a temperature 65 

 to 70 degi'ces at night. 



Phalaenopsis 



If there is any (jrchid lluU requires guod care at all 

 seasons it is the phalaenopsis. Phalaenopsis amabilis, 

 Schilleriana and Rimestadtiana are good kinds to grow. 

 As these orchids pass out of fiower they are always bet- 

 ter for a short rest. They should be kept comparatively 

 dry but should not remain dry for any length of time as 

 they have no pseudo bulbs in which to store up nourish- 

 ment. When the compost assumes a slight crispness to 

 the touch it is time to give them some water. The best 

 time to overhaul these orchids is just before they send 

 forth their new roots when they should be repotted or 

 fresh material given. Wiere the compost is good it is 

 not necessary to remove it all evei'y year. Just pick 

 out some of the old compost and renew with chopped 

 live sphagnum and fern fibre in equal parts. They 

 should be shaded from now until November. They 

 grow very well in a night temperature of 62 to 68 de- 

 grees and from 70 to 75 by day. 



Sowing Fern Spores 



In sowing spores it should be borne in mind that the 

 most desirable commercial varieties will take from 10 

 to 12 months before they are fit to sell in pots. A great 

 deal of what is known as damping off has its origin in 

 a minute fungus. Where you do not have a better 

 means the soil can be baked in the furnace or soaked 

 with boiling water. This compost should consist of 

 loam, leaf mold, peat and sand in equal parts. Fill the 

 pans about one-third with crocks, larger ones in the 

 bottom and those on the top finely broken and over this 

 place a layer of moss, then fill to within an inch of the 

 top with sterilized compost. The surface soil should be 

 pressed down and made as smooth as possible. A good 

 soaking of water should lie given and allowed to drain 

 off before sowing the spoi'es. 



Propagating Stevia 



Stevia will root in any inotlerafely wanii propagating 



bed if kept moist and shaded for a short time. When 



I'ooted i)ot into 2-inch ])ots and place in a temperature 



not over 50 degi-ecs at night. Keep |)inc,hed back and 



they will grow into nice bushy plants. They can be 



planted out in May or grown under constant pot culfure 



through the summer. 



Onl.Tdlums; Tuberous-Rooted Begonias; Odontoglossums; Startlnf 

 Stock. 



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