June 3, 1916 



HORTICULTURE 



753 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



CONUUCTED BY 



^*^y-^%9^.T-a^yu^ 



Questions by our readers In line with any of the topics presented on this pnge will be cordlolly received and promptly answered 



by Mr. Farrell. Suih couimunlcatlous should InvarlaMIy be addressed to the otHie of UORTICULTUKE. 



"If vain our tull, we ought to blame th« culture, not the tioll." — Pope, 



Bouvardias 



There is certainly an increasing demand for these old 

 favorites. There- was a time when they were to be found 

 in almost every greenhouse. Bouvardias should now be 

 planted out. Give them a mellow soil; a sandy loam is 

 ideal. Do not crowd the plants. They should have at 

 least 15 inches between the rows and a foot in the rows. 

 See that they get a good watering after being planted 

 and wlien the hot and dry weather comes don't neglect 

 watering. To make the plants husky they should he 

 pinched back two or three times during their stay in the 

 field. If wanted in flower for the liolidays don't pinch 

 any after the middle of August and lift by the first week 

 in September. Cultivating should be done evei^ week to 

 keep the soil mellow and especially during dry weather 

 to keep the moisture in the soil. 



Care of Young Primulas 



Never give them a chance to get a check by, being pot 

 bound but keep' shifting on into larger pots until their 

 flowering size is reached. From a four-inch pot up tliey 

 like a rich soil, and there is nothing better than good 

 fibrous loam three parts, cow manure and leaf mold one 

 part each. They should always have a cool bottom to 

 stand on; there is nothing better than ashes for this 

 purpose which can always be kept damp and cool. Grow 

 them as cool as possible during the summer. From the 

 first of June until the last of August they are better 

 under a shade of building laths which can be put on as 

 the sun begins to get strong in the morning and taken 

 off late in the afternoon. Go over the frames two or 

 three times a day, giving attention to watering and 

 syringing. Give plenty of room between tlie plants. 



Ericas 



Most of the species have now done flowering and the 

 next move is a severe cutting back of the plants. This 

 should be done before the new growth starts too much. 

 All the long canes and the old wood are cut away, 

 merely leaving short stumps of one or two inches in 

 length. Some of the soil is taken off and the plant* go 

 into new pots, which should be more wide than deeji. like 

 azalea pots. Plenty of drainage material should be 

 placed in tlie bottoms. T have found well-fibroil turf-like 

 sandy soil, six months old, roughly broken up and mixed 

 with a goodly quantity of spent liot-lx'd manure to be 

 the best soil. C'limatie eoiiditicms in most, sections nf 



this country make erica culture difficult and risky. We 

 have neither the soil nor the humid atmosphere in which 

 they delight. Frequent syringing is essential, but in 

 watering great care should be taken not to overdo it, or 

 to let tliem become too dry at the roots as both have 

 their bad points. 



Feeding Orchids 



Terrestrial orchids such as sjanbidiums, cypriiiediuius 

 calanthes, pleiones, phaius, etc., will benefit in foliage 

 and flower from an application of weak liquid manure 

 water — that is, where they have plenty of working roots. 

 It has now become well known that Judicious feeding 

 from now on will give these plants renewed vigor. For 

 epiphytal orchids the Cookson formula would be better. 

 This can lie made with potassium nitrate three ouncen 

 and ammonia j)hosphate two ounces. Mix well togethei' 

 and place in a three gallon jar of water. When apply- 

 ing use one ounce of this mixture to a gallon of water 

 about every ten days. All orchids will want plenty of 

 moisture in the air from this out. Give them a spraying 

 overhead in tlie mornings and right after dinner. Keep 

 them clean by sponging occasionally. 



Hydrangeas for Next Year 



If hydrangeas have not been already propagated this 

 should be done without delay. They -ivill require twice 

 the care as those that were done early. Take strong cut- 

 tings, leaving two or three joints to each one and trim 

 the foliage np somewhat. Keep well shaded and moist 

 for about four weeks and they should root without any 

 trouble. Wlien they have made roots about half an inch 

 long get them out of the sand and pot them in 3-inch 

 pots using fibrous loam three parts and well-decayed 

 cow manure one part. Pot firmly and place outside in a 

 frame and sliade for three or foiir days, when tliey 

 should stand full sun. Shift next into o-inch pots, 

 using a rich mixture. Keep well watered and svringed 

 until the fall. 



Start Cultivation 



From this out keep the cultivator agoing once a week, 

 if not twice a week. It will save a whole lot of labor 

 later on, as well as being good for every crop grown out- 

 side. Putting off this work until crops are choked with 

 weeds and also the .surface of the ground all baked up 

 makes it V(M'y hard to grow good crops, so cultivate now 

 and often. 



Next Week :- 



■Mlltonlas; Preparing Compost for Carnations: Propairnfinc Begonias; Polnsettlas; 



Planting out Stevlas. 



Stock for Winter Flowering; 



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