January 9, 1915 



HORTICULTURE 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS* STOCK 



CONDUCTED BY 



^^■^%9^.T'ayyu^ 



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



by Mr. Furrell. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICUI^TURE. 



"If Tain our toil, we ouglit to blame the culture, not the soil." — Pope. 



Amaryllis 



Amaryllis Inilb.-; will now show signs of being ripened 

 and some pi'obably starting to push their flower spikes. 

 To provide a succession it would be advisable to bring 

 some in every ten days. It is not necessan' to repot all 

 the bulbs, but they should be examined to see that the 

 drainage is efficient. Where the roots are active and 

 sound and the pots of sufficient size for the hulbs, they 

 will ]-equire only a liberal top dressing of rich mulch. 

 It can be made ecpial parts of loam and well rotted 

 manure and sand. After top dressing or potting the 

 plants should ha\e a temperature of at least 60 degrees 

 at night. Give them a good syringing two or three 

 times a day on bright days and keep the compost moist. 

 Give enough ventilation to keep the temperature during 

 the day at from TO to 78 degrees. 



Gloxinias 



Gloxinias make one of the best show plants we have, 

 as well as being a good seller. Start the bulbs in flats, 

 crocked and filled to within an inch of the top with 

 equal parts loam, leaf mold and sand. An inch between 

 the bulbs will be enough. Cover with soil and place in 

 a house about 60 degrees at night. Keep the compost 

 moist, but not wet until they have made topgrowth. 

 Wlien the}" have made roots they can be lifted and potted 

 in a mixture of fibrous soil four parts, leaf mold two 

 parts, well pulverized cow manure two parts, and some 

 sand, and placed well up to the glass. 



and, given this night temperature and plenty of sun. it 

 is really astonishing how much progress they will make. 



The leaves should take on a bronzy hue. This makes 

 them harder and better fitted to stand our hot and 

 severe summers. Do not keep the houses too damp dur- 

 ing dull murkv weather, but during bright weather you 

 can damp down two or three times a day. Use any 

 spare time now in cleaning and sponging the orchids. 

 These orchids will not stand a stagnate or humid at- 

 mosphere and do well. Of course, there will be plenty 

 of days when we cannot ventUate, but when the weather 

 permits always .give ventilation. 



Vincas 



Strong, salable stock cannot well be had from cut- 

 tings in good time for next spring if put in the sand 

 as late as this, but fine stock for another seasons trade 

 to be grown into size under field culture next summer 

 may thus be obtained. It is available to pot divisions 

 for the present in a.s small pots as possible so that at 

 about the beginning of :\rarch the last shift into four- 

 inch pots provides them with large amounts of fresh 

 soil and nutriment to which they will tlien more readily 

 take than now. Thrifty plants in 3-jnch pots with 

 three or four hangers and more coming also sell good 

 and are to be preferred to overgrown roots. In order 

 to keep these young vincas growing right along they 

 should have a temperature of from 55 to 60 degrees at 

 nisrht. 



Orchids 



Odontoglossuiiis are ;igaiu picking u]> and will, 

 barring unforeseen contingencies, give a line crop of 

 flowers the coming spring. 'J'hey should, during win- 

 ter months, get as much of old Sol's rays as possible. It 

 is utteidy wrong to give them a dark north space where 

 in midwinter no sun will strike them for months. It 

 is also a mistake to give them too low a nigiit tempera- 

 ture. We can educate them to 50 or even 55 degrees. 



Unsold Azaleas 



By giving these plants a little care they can be had 

 in good flowering shape by next Christma-s. Give them 

 a cool house. Anything above the freezing point will 

 do. Forty degrees or thereabouts till after Easter, when 

 there will be more to join their ranks, the treatment of 

 which I will deal with in the proper season. Do not 

 let these azaleas dr\' out at the roots as it is sure to 

 injure them. 



Next Week:— Bulbous Stock; Beddiug Plants; Forcing Lilacs; Seeds to be Sown; Sowing- Smilax; Stock Polusettlas. 



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