June 10, 1916 



HOETICULTUEE 



785 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



COMDCCTKD BT 



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gunUons by oar readers In line wltb any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially recetred and promptly answered | 



by llr. Farrell. Sncli commnnlcatlons snonld InTarlably be addressed to tbe office of HOBTICUI/IDBB. 



"It vain cor toll, we onstat to bbune the cnltnre, not the soil." — Pof. 



Miltonias 



Miltonias are vei'v subject to thrips so tlioy should be 

 dipped or sponged with fir tree oil or aphine alxmt 

 every two weeks. Give plenty of ventilation both day 

 and night until fall. Keep them well syringed over- 

 head during bright weather. Where you can, use re- 

 movable blinds or lath shadings; they are the best, but 

 where you have not tiicse do not make the shading 

 too dense. When through flowering the plants should 

 have any necessary repotting. They do well in pans 

 or pots, which should be half-filled with broken crocks 

 and lumpy charcoal. A good compost is osmunda fern 

 fiber mixed with a little live sphagnum. They can be 

 kept rather close for three or four weeks after potting, 

 but after that place them in as cool a house as possible 

 during the summer months. 



Preparing Compost for Carnations 



All good growers know that without a congenial 

 compost from which to draw the necessan- food supply 

 returns from the plants will be very unsatisfactory. 

 Much success or failure is dependent on the soil used. 

 In reality there is no dull season for the carnation 

 grower, for there is always something to be looked after. 

 Sod that was piled up last fall and exposed throughout 

 the winter is the soil to use. Wliere this was mixed 

 with manure at the rate of three of soil to one of ma- 

 nure it will not require anything else outside of a 

 good turning over so as to have it thoroughly mixed. 

 Always keep the pile clear of weeds and it mil be time 

 well invested. 



Propagating Begonias 



If you want fai work up a good lot of flowering and 

 ornamental leaved begonias now is a good time to start. 

 Tlie new side growths including such as come directly 

 from the base of the plant make the most satisfacton" 

 cuttings. All flowering begonias will root now witli 

 the greatest of ea.se. An ideal place is a shaded lunise 

 where the ventilators can be adjusted to avoid sweeping 

 air currents, with an atmosphere that is charged with 

 a reasonable amount of humidity. The floors and 

 benches should be kept cool by frequent wettings, during 

 the hot weather. For shading the hoiise. a thin mixture 

 of naphtha and white lead will do. When rooted they 

 should be pottwl into '1\ or 3-incli pots in sandy loam. 

 leaf mold and sand. Tn the shifts after this use a 



turf like, cnunbly sofl three ])arts well dec^iyed cow 

 manure one pai-t, and enough of leaf mold and sand 

 to lighten it. 



Poinsettias 



Poinsettia-^ that were started eai'ly should now furnish 

 some fine material for propagating. Such as are rooted 

 now will produce bracts a foot or more in diameter and 

 be suitable either for benching or making up later into 

 large pans. Don't i)reak them ofl" the wooded stem but 

 use the knife and let one or two eyes of the soft wood 

 remain on the plants to give more cuttings in about four 

 weeks. A common error is to leave cuttings too long 

 in the sand after being rooted. Pot into stiff loain 

 mixed with about one-third of well rotted cow manure. 

 Pot just as soon as the roots have formed. By keeping 

 thetn covered with glass and not giving t(xi much venti- 

 lation, they will come along in good shape. If con- 

 venient and suitable greenhouse bench .space is not at 

 disposal, spread a coating of coal ashes in a cold frame 

 and grow them there. 



Stocks for Winter Flowering 



The best place to care for these jilants through the 

 summer is m a frame w'here the sashes are elevated 6 to 

 8 inches, which will afford at all times a free circulation 

 of air. In this abode they will do fine until very lat« 

 in the fall. It is better to pot them when quite small. 

 A 2 or 24-inch pot is a good size to use and as these be- 

 come filled with roots shift into 4 or .5-inch pots. Give 

 them a rich compost, say three ]>arts titi-fy loam to one 

 of well-decayed manure. Ventilation is one of the most 

 important points in growing stock successfully so give 

 them plenty of it. Give regular fumigation to keep 

 down the oreen fly. It is a good i)lan to wait until the 

 buds can be distinguished before they are planted out, 

 for you can tell the double flowered ones by tlieir stubby 

 buds. 



Planting Out Stevias 



Stevias sould be planted out in the field. I prefer 10 

 give them a piece of poor ground as they will then make 

 nice bushy plants. "Wlien given a rich soil they make 

 entirely too rampant a growth. They should have about 

 two feet of space between the plants. Keep pinching 

 until the last of August when they can be lift«d and 

 potted or benched. 



Next wifk : Aspar.igus plumosus ; Decmative Plunts: GladioU : Ramblor Koses : i-owiiiii reroniilala. 



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