May lo, 1916 



nOBTICULTURE 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDUCTED BY 



Z*'^^. ;?)^^l^^ 



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 olBce of HORTICULTURE. 



"If vain oar toil, we ouKht to blame the cnltare, not the soil." — Pafie. 



Allamandas 



AllaiiiaiKlas are ea-sily lu-opagated from cuttings of 

 grc-fii wood. Plare tlie.S(' where they can have a little 

 bottom heat in a propagating bench, or use some small 

 pots filled with equal parts of sand and leaf mold and 

 phmge in the cutting bench and keep shaded until they 

 are rooted. These young plant,< can be shifted into larger 

 pots whenever the condition of the roots may require it. 

 Increase the sub.stance of the soil in later shifts to good 

 fibrous loam with about a fourth well-rotted cow manure 

 and add a modei-ate sprinkling of sand. They should 

 be grown on and pinched at least twice during their 

 first season's growth. Keep them in fuJl sun and as 

 the pots fill with roots give liquid manure once or twice 

 a week. Continue the u.se of the syringe every clear 

 day and give more air as summer advances. These 

 plants are favorites for flowering in pots during the 

 summer months and when well grown make good sub- 

 jects for table center-pieces. 



Cycas Stems 



At about this season and' until mid-summer Japan 

 sends us its cycas stems a weighty item indeed in the 

 long list of florists' decorative plants. These dormant 

 eycads are sold by the pound and most profitable for 

 the average planstman to handle are the small and 

 medium sized stems. It is not easy to tell a good stem 

 fi'oin a poor one when they arrive,- they being devoid of 

 foliage and the greater part or all of their roots. And 

 yet there is a great difference among stems as regards 

 breadth, length and number of leaves or fronds and the 

 time it takes to start them. A bulging upper or top 

 end of a stem thicker than the low'er portion terTuinal- 

 ing in the stumpy roots is generally taken a.^ an indi- 

 cation that the stem is a rapid and tireless producer of 

 good crowns. The nude stems as they come from the 

 far east are placed in pots very little larger than is 

 just necessary for straight planting. The soil is 

 rammed down with a flat stick all ai'ound the scant space 

 between pot and stem, (iive them a house where they 

 can have a temperature of 60 to 65 degrees at night. 

 During its development a shading is necessary. 



Dendrobiums 



This genus includes many very handsome species as 

 well as some of the most u.seful orchids for the cut 

 flower trade. When in flower if hung in a cooler and 

 shaded house they will last a much longer time. At 

 this season of the year and after a long period of rest 

 many fine species should l)e bursting into bloom while 

 others that have finished flowering will be starting their 

 new season's growth. Wiien tliey have finislied blooming 

 is the best time to i-epot and top-dress. A good coiii])ost 

 is made of equal pai'ts of fern fibre and live si)hagniim 

 with some broken chai'coal. Be sure that tbev have 

 plenty of drainage, 'i'hey can be grown in either ba.*- 

 kets or pots. I' prefer i)askcts for the pendulous va- 



Ncxt Wcpk ; — i'N^rns: I-'Inwcrs fur Memorial Day; Lycast 



rieties. such as Devonianiiui, lituiflonini. Pierardii 

 superbuni, ehi'ysanthum, Wardianum and kindred soiis. 

 They will require more frequent syringing than those 

 grown ill puts, liut you find them less subject to at- 

 tacks from ^'l^lgs and wood lice when grown in this 

 manner. 



Forcing Lily of the Valley 

 For June cutting when the demand is quite heavy 

 a frame should be prepared at once. See that they are 

 kept nice and moist at the roots. It takes about three 

 to four weeks to flower lily of the valley provided the 

 proper bottom heat and top temperature can be given. 

 Lily of the valley will do fine after' May in frames. All 

 that is necessary is a well built close frame. Put six 

 inches of sand over the manure and plant the pips as 

 you would in the green house. The frame can be parti- 

 tioned so that two or more batches can be kept coming 

 on. Keep close and dark until the stalks are half grown. 

 Then grad'ually increase the light. Don't overdo the 

 heat or you will get leggy stalks. Use no water over- 

 head after the flowers are expanding for fear of spot- 

 ting them. At this season there is no less danger from 

 this cause than in winter. As the flowers become about 

 half out,. start to get them hardened up by giving more 

 ventilation and light. See that they are kept moist at 

 the roots. 



Plants for Vases and Window Boxes 



Usually a window or veranda box is hardly ever 

 wider than about 10 inches, and when you get plants 

 out of 4-inch pots it doesn't take very many to use up 

 this space and there is not much gained by removing a 

 considerable amount of soil from the roots of any plant. 

 It is far better to grow them in small pots and do a 

 little feeding with doses of weak liquid cow manure. 

 Plants intended for the filling of vases and window 

 boxes should consist of heavy stock in comparatively 

 small pots for while you want to have tlie plants make 

 as much showing as is [lossible they should take u|) but 

 little space as far as tlie roots are cimcorned. The cus- 

 tomer doesn't want to wait for weeks as is often the 

 case with a flower bed. An immediate effect is what is 

 wanted and the heavier the ])lants the better. (Jive all 

 this stock plenty of attention from this out .^o they 

 will bo in good condition wlieii plaiiting-out time ciunes 

 See that they are clean of green fly and kept in a grow- 

 ing condition. 



Propagate Winter Flowering Marguerites 



You should lo.<e no time in putting in a liatch of exul- 

 ting of winter flowering marguerites. Tliey will ro>it 

 if ke])t shaded and moist for about three or four weeks. 

 When rooted |X)t into any good mixture and grow in 

 full sun. They can be grown under field or pot culture 

 during the summer. When gi'own in the field they 

 should be lifted by the first week in September and 

 potted' into very rich compost. 



''s : T*riTnnl.i*i : SiiiL'l<' Stfiii riirvHuntlicinnins : Stt.fk I'lauts. 



