March 18, 1916 



HORTICULTURE 



367 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



CONULCTKU UV 



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Questions by our renders in line witli nny of (lie topics prcsciitpd on this pnse will lie cordially received nnd prnniptly auswereil 



by Sir. Farrell. Such comnaiuicMllons should invarlibly he adilressed to the office of UOUTICULTUUE". 



"If \ain our tiiil, we ouKlit t«i Illume the i-uUitre. not the (*oil." — Hope. 



Chrysanthemums 



For medium and late varieties, of course, good stock 

 can be propagated as late as the middle of May, but to 

 have first class stock get all the propagating done as 

 soon after IMarch as possible. Long and lanky growth 

 should be discarded and only stout, straight cuttings, 

 coming direct from the root of the clumps should be 

 taken. A temperature of from 45 to 50 degrees is about 

 right to root in. When the cuttings have made roots 

 half an inch long, pot them. They are permanently 

 weakened by being left in the sand too long. Early 

 varieties and those that are intended for exhibition 

 should not be allowed to get root-bound. It is very im- 

 portant to look to soil fertility if you mean to produce 

 fine plants and bloom. Sod that was piled up last fall 

 and mixed at the rate of one part of well-decomposed 

 manure to three of chopped sod is good for shifts up 

 to May. 



Care of Seedlings 



The earliest seedlings will now need pricking out into 

 other flats. LTse for all seedlings a compost with a good 

 proportion of leaf mold in it. If some well broken-up 

 cow manure or the manure from a spent hot-bed or 

 mushroom bed is added the seedlings will gi'ow all the 

 better. Shade all newly pricked off seedlings for a few 

 days. A neglect to do this may mean a loss of many of 

 the little plants. As the days lengthen and the sun in- 

 creases it will be necessary to watch them. See that 

 all seedlings are kept as near the glass as possible, as it 

 insures a stocky and robust growth. Careful and 

 thorough watering and a moderately close and moist 

 atmosphere for the first few days will reduce losses to 

 a minimum. In addition to seedlings, there are many 

 small cuttings which are just as well, or better, in shal- 

 low flats then in pots. Never leave them in the cutting 

 bench to become hard. 



Fancy Leaved Caladiums 



A good way to start caladiuni tubers is to place them 

 in a flat with some moss on the bottom. On this they 

 can be arranged close together. Fill in and cov- 

 er them all over with about an inch of moss. The 

 flats can be placed in a temperature of from 65 to 

 70 degrees at night' and on some bench vs^here they 

 can have a vigorous bottom heat, to start well. When 

 they have made a fair amount of roots they can be pot- 

 ted into 3 or 4-inch pots, using plenty of drainage. For 

 a compost mix turfy loam three parts, leaf mold two 

 parts and well decomposed cow manure one part, and 

 some sand. For good-sized plants keep shifting until 

 they are in 5 or G-inch pots. Give a large amount of 

 atmospheric moisture and a damping down at least 

 three times a day. Be very careful about ventilation at 

 this season. 



Tuberous-Rooted Begonias 



'l"he little seedlings tliat cume lioiii ^o^vings made 

 during January will soon be ready to go into small pots. 

 Use good soil and loaf mold in equal quantities and one- 

 third sand. If seedlings can be given a warm place for 



Next Week : — Care of Fleus ; Easter Trade Suggestions 



the first three moutlis little trouble will be experienced. 

 Conns started by the middle or end of March will grow 

 into salable blooming plants by June. Use 3-inch flats. 

 Put on the bottom of these boxes some moss and make 

 a light sandy porous mixture to fill the flats within one 

 inch of the top. Plant the bulbs a few inches apart 

 half their depth in it and then spread some moss over 

 all. When they have three or four leaves they can go 

 into 4-inch pots. As the sun becomes stronger they will 

 need some shade during mid-day. 



Odontoglossums 



Plants that have not been repotted yet should be at- 

 tended to without delay. There is no question that 

 autumn potting is the best. A very satisfactory com- 

 post is chopped live sphagoium, fibrous peat and char- 

 coal. Give plenty of air, but using care to avoid cold 

 draughts. Of course a good deal of judgment will have 

 to be used as to outside conditions. Give judicious 

 light syringing on all bright days, taking care in dull 

 or wet weather not to have the amosphere overcharged 

 with moisture. Better keep a little more fire heat so as 

 not to entirely cut off ventilation, or induce a stagnant 

 atmosphere. The temperature through the spring 

 months should range about 55 degrees at night and 

 from GO to 65 degrees with sunshine. They will stand 

 as low as 50 degrees without, injury, but less water and 

 syringing should be given under such circumstances. 

 You will have to increase shading as the sun becomes 

 powerful, but do not overdo it. 



Starting Bulbous Stock 



In order to keep up the supply of spring flowering 

 bulbous plants you will need to bring in a batch about 

 every three weeks into heat. See that they do not suf- 

 fer for the want of water as they fairly live upon it. 

 A good temperature for most bulbous plants is from 

 GO to 65 degrees at night, with the usual rise during the 

 day. When they are over half out give them about 10 

 degrees lower.' Also they will need some shade to hold 

 the cdIot of the flowers. 



Formaldehyde; Hydrangea paniculata 



.JOHN J. M. FARRELL; 



Dear Sir — Please tell me the best way to sterilize with 

 formaldehyde. Would you also tell me how to prune 

 Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora bush plants bedded out 

 last October, and oblige 



Massachusetts. A SUBSCRIBER. 



In answer to A Subscriber, I would say to sterilize 

 with Formaldehyde the best way is the drench system; 

 that is to every" 50 gallons of water add 3 or 34 pints 

 of Formaldehyde. Wliere the soil is in a bench or about 

 G inches in depth you would need about one gallon of 

 the mixture to every square foot, so as to penetrate 

 tiirough. If a foot deep then two gallons will be neces- 

 sary. After treating with Formaldehyde do not use the 

 soil for at least a week or ten days. 



Hydrangea paniculata should be pruned back to 2 

 or 3 buds of last year's growth. The harder back they 

 are i)runed the larger tlio flower heads will be. 



Palms; Pandanus Veltchll; Smllax; Outside Work. 



