March 20, 1915 



H K T I C U L T U E E 



371 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS* STOCK 



CONDUCTED BY 



^^^^%9^.r}tAA.cu 



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



by Mr. Farrell. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the ntfice of HORTICULTURE. 



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



Crotons 



Crotons will now want plenty of water and syringing. 

 Examine each pot at least once a day. On all good days 

 use the syringe freely as it helps to keep down mealy 

 bug and red spider. These plants like to he close to 

 the glass; it maJces them grow stocky and helps their 

 coloring. Crotons like pleiit}' of light so long as it does 

 not bum the foliage. Do not fail in damping down 

 under the benches and walks at least every morning and 

 afternoon. Wake it a point to freshen the air once a 

 day even if for only a short time. 



Dracaenas 



Retail growers in whose line business decorating 

 with planis^plays a prominent part, generally make free 

 use of dracaanas. All plants pressed every now and 

 then into service of this kind, soon' lose their individual 

 beauty, become shabby and useless even for this sort of 

 work. So now is the time to rejuvenate our stock in 

 dractenas. Cut into pieces of from one to two inches 

 long, the thickest to be sjiilit lengthwise of the stems, 

 the heaviest of the roots to be treated in the same way, 

 and all these pieces to be strewn thinly over a bottom- 

 warmed layer of pure sand. A hot-house propagating 

 case answers best, though a pretty warm comer of the 

 common propagating bench covered with spare sashes, 

 will also do. If kept moderately but constantly moist 

 and bottom heat does not give out before that time 

 little plants of half a fingePs length will in 20 to 30 

 days work their way up through the top covering. 



Final Preparations for Easter 



Easter being early this year it is not likely that 

 much of the stock intended for that holiday is greatly 

 ahead of time. For the preservation of any such, cool 

 and somewhat darkened quarters must be chosen. The 

 remaining days of March have yet so much of chilly 

 winter in them that any holding back of too forward 

 stock, or its keeping in acceptable condition, should not 

 prove difficult. A day or two could now be devoted to 



Next Week: — Cannas; Foliage Plants; Primulas; Preparing 



the filling of pans, fancy dishes and baskets, even jgoing 

 to the extent of filling a lew indoor window boxes of 

 attractive exterior and convenient size, such as last year 

 found ready sales at good prices. Whatever is done in 

 this line of work should give proof of artistic taste in 

 the arrangement of tlie jilants used and care in their 

 makeup. 



Propagating Bougainvilleas 



These plants will root from lialf-ripened wood that 

 has two or three joints. They will want plenty of bottom 

 heat — anywhere from 75 to 80 degrees. See that each 

 cutting is set firm. They will need shading, and fre- 

 (|uent sprinkling or light syringing. When they show 

 a root growth of about half an inch they should be 

 potted in a rich compost — something like turfy loam 

 three parts, well decayed cow manure one part, and 

 enough sand to hold the compost open. These plants 

 are rapid growers so will want frequent shifts until in 

 (5 or 7 inch pots. Keep them well up to the glass so that 

 they will grow stocky and short jointed. 



Seedling Tuberous Begonias 



Seedlings sown early in January iind pricked out 

 later should now^ be large enough to go into small pots. 

 The one aim in growing this class of begonias is to push 

 them along quick without any clieck. Screened fibrous 

 loam and leaf mold in equal parts, with some sand will 

 suit them, ^\^len they are potted place them well up to 

 the glass and in a temperature of about GO degrees. 

 They will need shading during mid-day but are better 

 for full light early in the morning and late in the after- 

 noon. Shift as they may require until they reach a 

 5-inch pot. They like a moist atmosphere but not humid 

 close air. 



Propagating Double Pyrethrums 



These w ill soon root in a cool propagating bed. W.ltfflQ 

 rooted they can be potted off and gi-own on and by the 

 first of May they can be planted out. These are fine, to 

 cut for "made-up" work. .; :>;' 



(Jround for Carnations; Sweet Peas; Keeping a Diary. 



reaches its destination and t^ikes its brief proud station 

 in milady's window on Easter morning. While never 

 favoring exorbitant prices or undue profits on the wiixes 

 of the florist we arc always sorry when conditions force 

 the disposal of plants or flowers at prices which mani- 

 festly do not yield a legitimate profit over the cost of 

 their production, in money, skill and labor. Among the 

 unforeseen contingencies in the matter of lily bulb im- 

 portations for the present season was the interning of a 

 number of steamers early in the course of tlie great 



European war — boats earning large cargoes of lily bulbs 

 shipped minus war insurance and, so far as we can leam, 

 many hundreds of these cases still on the boats, uh- 

 touclied since last July. Every bulb thus wasted misuis 

 a definite loss to somebody which, in the prevailing oon- 

 ditions of close competition and price cutting, cannot 

 be retrieved. We hope, for the interests of all concerned, 

 that the Easter lily market may steady itself nicely and 

 malvc a good record, yielding an adequate return for 

 those to whom the occasion means so much. 



