March 25, 1916 



HORTICULTURE 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



COMDOCTED BT 



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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 answer 

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

 "It vain onr toil, we ongrht to blame the culture, not the soil." — Pope. 



Care of Ficus 



}\o\v is a good time to put in a batc-li of cuttings. 

 Insert in a ^-inch pot of .sand and loam, tie up the leaves 

 so that they can .stand close together and plunge tlie pots 

 in a propagating frame with a bottom heat of 80 degrees 

 and keejv moderately moist until they are rooted. They 

 van also he increased by the mossing system. If kept 

 constantly moist, in four or five weeks they will be fit 

 to be cut off and potted. Keep them in a frame where 

 they will have a close heat until well established, 

 when they can be given a temperature of about 65 at 

 night. Fi-om this time on pot or shift any of these 

 plants that may require it. A suitable compost is three 

 parts fibrous loam and one part of well-decayed cow 

 manure with a light sprinkling of bone meal. Wlien 

 shifting pick away the drainage and as much of the old 

 soil as possible and pot firmly. Those that you don't 

 shift and are well filled with roots can be grown along 

 without BO much root space by giving them weekly doses 

 of manure water. 



Easter Trade Suggestions 



Good stock, plenty of it and temptingly displayed 

 never fail.s to attract custom. To be well prepared for 

 a run of good business is very often all sufficient to 

 assure its coming. The buds of lilies should be well for- 

 ward now. We shall have to do some figuring during 

 tho ne.xt ten days in moving them around so as to time 

 the blooms to a nicety. The most advanced ones should 

 be removed to cooler quarters while those that are back- 

 ward should be given some high forcing unless too far 

 behind. The filling of pans, baskets and other recep- 

 tables with plants other than bulbous stock should be 

 done ten days before Easter so as to have them in shape. 

 See that the |)lants are well watered or thoroughly 

 dipped before being made up. A week or ten days be- 

 fore Easter we should have our stock far •enough ad- 

 vanced so ftii'\ ran be hardened before they are delivered 

 fir shipped. 



Keep Palms Growing 



Don't keep the glass too densely shaded and guard 

 against an over-stagnant humidity which is only likely 

 to occur at tliis season of the year and is bound to pro- 

 duce a soft and flabby growth. This is the .sea.son when 

 palms make their best growtli. By frequent spreading 

 out at intervals from now up to the fall you will help 

 to keep them in good condition. They should not be 

 crowded into closely packed quarters now, while vegeta- 

 tion is so active. 



Pandanus Veitchii 



Some days (juite a brisk fire will be needed to keep 

 the temperature from 65 to 70 degrees at night, where- 

 as other days will need only a little warmth in the 

 pipes. Ventilation to prevent sudden rising or fall- 

 ing of the temperature is important. They will now 

 need some shade during mid-day. Where the plants are 

 pot-hound they would be better for a shift now than 

 later. Oive them a compost of three parts turfy loam 



.Neit week — Aialeao; Antirrhinums; Baeter Preparations: 



to one of well rotted manure. These plants will not 

 do well unless they have plenty of drainage. Give them 

 room from time to time so they will not become crowd- 

 ed. They like some bottom heat as long as outside con- 

 dition will allow. Where plants are showing a lot of 

 suckers put a batch in small pots with a sandy mixture 

 and plunge in a warm propagating bed to root. 

 Smilax 



Smilax will take lots of feeding now both in liquid 

 manure and mulches. About once every month they 

 should have a top-dressing of about an inch of cow ma- 

 nure and new soil in equal parts. Before putting on 

 this mulch give the surface a good sprinkling of bone 

 dust. These plants are very strong feeders. On all 

 • good days see that they have a thorough syringing, 

 reaching every part of the foliage, as red spider will 

 be on the rampage from this out. Look the beds over 

 every day for dry places as this is a good starting place 

 for red spider to spread. Give more ventilation now a.s 

 outside conditions improve. 



Outside Work 



This has been such a late spring we should let no 

 good day go by without doing the most important work 

 outside, such as pruning and getting frames in order 

 so that in a few weeks we shall be able to give some 

 room in our crowded houses. Making up more hot beds 

 for warm blooded stock, hauling manure to beds and 

 borders, etc, etc., are all in order now. 



Carnation Matchless 



MR. FARRELL: 



Dear Sir — Will you kindly advise me what to do with 

 my carnations Matchless? I planted in July in the ordi- 

 nary manner, and a bench adjoining of White Wonder are 

 excellent. Matchless refuses to flower profusely up to the 

 present. What flowers mature are fearfully small. The 

 plants are hardy and very green. Does this variety require 

 higher temperature than the other kind? What is the 

 reason of their l)ackwardnes8? I feed once a week with 

 weak liquid horse manure. Any advice I certainly shall 

 appreciate, as I have seen it in some localities so proliflc. 



Yours very truly. 



New York. W. D. 



In answer to the above it is very hard to say what 

 the matter is. It may be that you propagated rather 

 late and the plants have not had time to grow into full 

 strength. The best growers regard a night temperature 

 of 50 to 52, 10 to 15 degrees higher during sunshine, 

 and during dark or cloudy days 55 to 57 degi-ees as high 

 enough. Liquid cow or sheep manure are better than 

 that made from horse manure. Give plenty of ventila- 

 tion as there is nothing better than fresh air to keep the 

 atmosphere of the houses sweet. It may be that your 

 plants are attacked by aphis, thrips or red spider; look 

 them over carefully. There are also quitea few diseases 

 which would retard growth and flowering. The con- 

 trol and prevention of insects and carnation disease de- 

 pends a whole lot upon ideal cultural conditions from 

 first to last. The successful passing over of the critical 

 periods of the carnation depends largely on correct tem- 

 perature, ventilation and watering. 



Perennial Border; Rwalnnonas; .^stllbe for Memorial Day. 



