January 30, 1915 



HORTICULTURE 



137 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



CONDUCTED BY 



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Questions by our readers In liue with any of tbe topics presented on this page will be cordially received and promptly an 

 by Mr. Furrell. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the office of HOKTICULTUKE. 

 "If vain our toil, we ought to blame the culture, not the soil." — Pope. 



swered 



Care of Carnations 



At tliis time of the year do not do too much stirring 

 of the surface of the soil or of the old mulch either, as 

 ^'ou will find them full of feeding roots and they don't 

 want to be disturbed. Ijots of young weeds will be 

 starting up and. as soon as they are large enougli to 

 pull, they should be pulled. Most weeds are gross feed- 

 ers and will rapidly impoverish the soil. Instead of 

 leaning toward the dry side, step over and lean toward 

 the moist side from now on, except of course, in case 

 of a spell of cloudy weather. There are many reasons 

 for this. In the first place, the plants are thoroughly 

 established; then again, the soil is filled witli jilenty of 

 working roots and will dry out quicker, thus eliminat- 

 ing the danger of souring. Look over the south edges 

 of the beds cai'efully on the bright mornings and Avater 

 wherever the soil is not quite moist. In fact, the whole 

 beds will enjoy more liberal watering than during the 

 past three months. 



Early Asters 



To have asters for Memorial Day they should be sown 

 from the first to loth of February. Sow in any light 

 mixture and keep moist until they genninate. Wlu' 

 they are up they will want a place well up to the glass. 

 where they will grow into nice sturdy stock. AVlien 

 large enough they should be pricked out into other flats 

 and grown on. They will need a temperature of from 

 50 to 55 degrees at night. Wlien tliey are large enough 

 they can be planted out in a bench and kept at the same 

 temperature mentioned above. Give plenty of fresh 

 air and on bright days a good syringing to keep down 

 red spider. The best to grow is Queen of the Market. 



Euphorbia Jacquinaeflora 



After the flowers are cut keep the plants somewhat. 

 drier, but do not dr}' off as severely as you would 

 poinsettias. To secure really fine sprays for cutting, 

 planfci set out in a box or bench, where they can be 

 rested, are the best, or old plants after blooming can be 

 packed dose together in lioxes and ke]it on the dry side 

 until the end of April. Do not place them in too cool a "" 

 house; they should have a temperature of not less than 

 about 55 degrees at night. By the end of April they can 

 be potted and placed in a temperature of about 60 to 

 62 degrees and they will soon make some nice cuttings. 

 Soft-wood cuttings rubbed oft' with a heel will root 

 readily in May and June, treated similarly to poinset- 

 tias. Pot off singly when rooted and if salable plants 

 are desired, put five to seven in a 6-inch pot or pan. 



Next Week:— Care of Siuilax Beds; Cyclamen; Chry 



They will want one or more — possibly three — pinchings. 

 If wanted for cutting, of course no pinching is needed. 



Geraniums 



While increasing the stock of zonal bedding varieties, 

 do not overlook the popular scented-leaved kinds. Every 

 j)urchaser each year wants a few of these, and the old 

 rose, apple, lemon, nutmeg and similar sorts are useful. 

 Propagation of geraniums should now be pushed right 

 :;head. The sand in the cutting bench is steadily warm 

 at this season and the percentage of loss from damping 

 oir should be small. If the cuttings are inserted singly 

 in \\ and 2-inch pots, using sandy loam, and stood on 

 ■A bench in the full sun where they can also have some 

 bottom heat, they should be making roots Avitliin a 

 month. It will be necessarj' now to keep a sharp watch 

 on the plants in pots. It is easy to spoil them by 

 neglecting needed potting. I do not believe in large 

 shifts. A plant put into a 4-inch pot from a 2-inch or 

 2|-inch size may do well if carefully watered, but it 

 \\(uUd be more certain to thrive if first potted into 

 o-inch size. A common error is to give generous sliifts 

 of too lai-ge a nature. Give plenty of ventilation on all 

 good days. 



Sow Candytuft and Stocks 



Both these plants are becoming great favorites for 

 s|.)ring use as cut flowers and also as pot plants around 

 Jlemorial Day. It is a good plan to make several sow- 

 ings from now up to the middle of March. Sow in 

 ihits in a compost of leaf mold, soil and sand in equal 

 parts. Place them where they can be shaded and kept 

 moist, in a temperature of 60 degrees until they start 

 1o come up. When they are well up they should be 

 ]ilaeed in a house where the temperature does not stand 

 over 55 degrees at night. Just as soon as they are big 

 enough to handle they should be pricked out into other 

 flats and out of these tliey can be potted into 2i-inch. 

 Kpep shifting until yon have them in 4 or 5-inch pots, 

 u.sing a rich compost for the last shifts. 



Pansies, Myosotis, Pinks, Etc. ^ 



Frames containing all this kind of stock, should be 

 held in a frozen state for a while ,yet. If imcovered 

 and started too early they will make some growth which 

 is liable to perish by the next onrush of severe frost. 

 It should bo made a point in frame culture of all this 

 kind of stock, not to expose hard frozen stock to pre- 

 maturely warm weather too quick. Pansies for late 

 sales sown now mil make nice sturdy plants by the end 

 of April, 

 santhemums; Jerusalem Cherries; Orchids; Watering. 



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