May 15, 1915 



HORTICULTUEE 



649 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDUCTBD BT 



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QuMtions by our readers In line wltb any of tbe topics presented on tbls page will be cordially received and promptly answered 



by Mr. Farrell. Sucb communications should Invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTURE. 



"If vain our toil* we ouffht to blame tbe culture, not tbe soil.*' — Pope. 



Asters 



Aster growers should not be in too great haste to 

 plant out. Eaw cold winds, I believe, are the principal 

 cause of turning vigorous little asters into a lot of 

 yellow, blighted or stunted plants. Indoor-grown plants 

 should first be well weaned to open-air conditions. 

 Potted plants or those once transplanted may be set out 

 on the sunniest day, but for the planting of those 

 coming directly from the seed bed a warm but some- 

 what cloudy day should be chosen. There is no doubt 

 that the finest asters are raised on light, sandy soils, 

 deeply plowed or dug and quite heavily fertilized with 

 rough barnyard manure the year previous. I like to 

 have the land well plowed, manured and thoroughly pre- 

 pared in October or November. A certain amount of 

 plant food can be added by a good sprinkling of bone 

 dust and wood ashes which should be thoroughly in- 

 corporated with the soil. It will always be more profit- 

 able to fertilize one piece of ground well than a larger 

 piece imperfectly. 



Young Primulas 



All primulas like a cool place and are l)enefited by a 

 little shade. A cold frame is the ideal location for 

 them. During tlie summer and until the first of Sep- 

 tember they are better when grown under shade made 

 of ordinary building laths, which can be put on as the 

 sun begins to get strong in the morning, and taken off 

 late in the afternoon when it is on the wane. Where 

 they are in 3-inch pots and fairly well rooted they 

 should have a shift into 3-iach pots. Give them a com- 

 post of fibrous loam four parts, leaf mold that is not 

 too old one part, well rotted cow manure one part, and 

 a little sand. Keep shifting into larger pots until they 

 are in their flowering sizes which will be all the way 

 from 4-inch up to 6-inch. Use fibrous loam three parts, 

 cow manure and leaf mold one part each. 



Hardy Stock for Late Spring Sales 



We sliould not overlook the ordering and potting up 

 of a good number of vines, such as Ampelopsis Vcitchii, 

 or Boston ivy. Clematis Jackmanni and paniculata, 

 honeysuckles and climbing roses. While these head the 

 list there are quite a numlwr of others for which there 

 is often a call. Most of us have a demand for hardy 

 plants, and they are as profitable as anything we could 

 possibly handle. An assortment of hardy roses, herba- 

 ceus perennials, shrubs, trees and other nursery stock 

 in pots for planting work late in the season is always 



Next Week: — Bay Trees, Box, etc.; Chrysanthemums; Ericas; F 



advisable. There is no better time than the present 

 to sow hardy perennials. Seeds can be sown in a cold 

 frame or in the open ground on a well prepared and 

 mellow surface. Make rows three or four inches apart 

 and cover the seed about three times their size with soil. 



Orchids 



As the season advances this department will require 

 more air. Consequently syringings overhead once or 

 t\vice a day will be necessary. Air should be left on 

 during damp weather to prevent the young growths 

 from rotting. Ventilation must be carefully regulated, 

 avoiding cold droughts and sudden changes. Varieties 

 such as C'attleya Trianae, Percivaliana and others start- 

 ing action in poor material, should be repotted. Coe- 

 log}ue cristata will now have finished blooming and 

 will soon start into new growth and root action. A 

 free, cool atmosphere with spraying overhead once or 

 twice a day and all the sun during winter is necessary 

 to ensure good flowers. During their growing season 

 a high degree of moisture must be maintained, the 

 amount and frequency of the watering and sprinkling 

 of the floors, etc., will depend largely upon the weather. 



Ramblers for Memorial Day 



It is a good plan to force these roses so they will be 

 out four or five days ahead, which will allow them to 

 be moved into cooler quarters to harden them up. Roses 

 that have been held back for this date should be brought 

 into heat now. First allow from 60 to 65 degrees at 

 night and every morning if the weather is at all clear 

 .give a good syringing to thoroughly dampen the foliage. 

 They will want plenty of water at the roots. As soon 

 as it is seen that the buds are breaking lower the tem- 

 perature to 58 degrees at night, and this may be main- 

 tained until the flower buds appear. When they be- 

 come covered with plenty of foliage and the buds just 

 peeping out you can improve them by giving weekly 

 doses of manure water. Elevate good specimens on pots. 

 Do not allow the plants to stand too close together. It 

 should be home in mind that attacks from mildew or 

 green fly are likely to happen and careful attention to 

 details with regard to fumigating and ventilating will 

 have to be given. 



Watering 



At this time of the year stock, especially that in 



pots, is very liable to suffer from the want of water. 



This should be guarded against as it is sure to put the 



stock in bad condition if allowed to happen too often. 



lowers for Memorial Day; Forcing Lily of the Valley ; Ventilation. 



