September 15, 1906 



HORTICU LTU RC 



2S5 



Musa sapientum 



The banana of commerce, Musa sapientum, as a pot 

 plant, is perhaps scarcely worthy of a place in the list 

 of usefuls or ornamentals; but nevertheless in the vari- 

 ous stages of growth, flowering and fruiting, it is an 

 extremely interesting plant and may well repay the 

 interest taken in it by any one who has the facilities 

 for growing it. 



Upon several occasions a banana plant grown by Wm. 

 Keith, gardener to T.. M. Stetson of New Bedford, 

 Mass., has been an interesting feature of the flower 

 shows held by the New Bedford Horticultural Society. 

 For several years Mr. Keith has never had his tropical 

 house without a banana plant in some interesting stage 

 of growi:h. 



The banana may without much discourtesy, be called 

 a stalk ; bearing upon its apex a few leaves and a bunch 

 of flowers and fruit. When the fruit has ripened the 

 stalk dies; but in the meantime several suckers have 

 sprung from the base of the stem; and as the plant 

 bears no seed it is by means of these suckers that it is 

 propagated. The plan adopted by Mr. Keith is about 

 as follows : After the fruit has been gathered, take the 

 plant from the tub in which it has been grown and take 

 off the suckers which are already rooted ; these are put 

 into twelve-inch pots and subsequently moved on into 

 16 to 24 in. and finally into a 30-in. tub— the larger the 

 tub the better the friiit. A rich soil is used and the 

 plants are fed with liquid manure. The temperature 

 must not be lower than 60 at night and may reach 70 

 or so in the day time. 



The time from the planting of the sucker to the 

 gathering of the fruit is from two to three years. The 

 time from the first appearance of the flower bud to the 

 gathering of the fruit is usually nine to ten months 

 and during the whole of that time the changes of form 

 and color of flowers and fruit are a source of much 

 interest. 



I may add that the fruit ilius grown is edible and of 

 fine flavor. 



Eii-erside Cemetery, Fairhaven, Mass. 



Chrysanthemums 



Wo have now e»\w lu the season of the year when all 

 buds of chrysantlieinunis intended for exhibition .lioiild 

 be secured and a careful observation kept for our future 

 guidance. Septemher is the principal niontii for feed- 

 ing and so soon as the l)uds begin to swell wc ought to 

 assist tliciu from now on all we can. On all bright 

 days they sliould be sprayed over head; the spraying 

 lielps the bud to swell and keeps tlie tomperature of the 

 house cooler. 'I'ho ventilators should be kept wide open, 

 day and niglit, botii top- and sides, so that a free circu- 

 lation of air can pass tluough the house at all times. 



Whatever fertilizer is applied, it should be something 

 in which the feeding elements are immediately available 

 for the plants' use, and preferaidy in a liquid form. 

 Sheep, cow or horse manure should be the basis, alter- 

 nating witli cliemical fertilizers such as sulphate of am- 

 monia, nitrate of soda or,uitrate of jwtash, with a water- 

 ing of clear water between the two. In using the 

 animal manures a convenient way is to put some of the 

 manure in a rough bag and steep in a barrel for three or 

 four days before using and dilute with clear water until 

 the desired strength is attained — which must be left to 

 individual judgment. A safe way to begin would be to 

 have the water like weak tea and the strength of the 

 liquid increased as conditions warrant. Hen and pigeon 

 manure is something procurable but it must be handled 

 with great care or otherwise injury is sure to be the 

 result. A safe way to use it would be to mix it with 

 seven or eight times its itulk with soil and then i-pread 

 very lightly on the bench. 



For chemical fertilizers one pound of sulphate of 

 ammonia or soda — whichever is to be used — to fifty gal- 

 lons of water is quite safe. There is no fixed rule or 

 formula that can be laid down and adhered to; the 

 condition of the plants must be our guide and a change 

 of diet is very beneficial. Feeding should be discon- 

 tinued, as a rule, wiien the outside petals begin to show 

 color. Pink varieties do not stand so much feeding as 

 other colors and with these it should be discontinued 

 sooner. One thing that is well to bear in mind when 

 using chemical fertilizers is never to water the plants 

 when the soil is so dry that the plants arc in immediate 

 need of water or serious disaster will be the result. 

 Chemical fertilizers should be applied when the soil is 

 in a fairly moist condition, neither wet nor dry. 



One of the first requisites after getting the buds set 

 is to see that the plants are thorouglily clean and free 

 from insect pests. Our most troul)lcsome pests are 

 greenflv, red spider and thrips. If the buds are not 

 Thoroughly free from them before the petals begin to 

 expand all the fumigating that can be done afterwards 

 will not dislodge them, and the flower by cutting lime is 

 practically ruined. 



By the" time the huds show color the days will be 

 shorter and the nights cooler; the plants will not dry out 

 so quick. The aim should be to keep the plants fairly 

 moist without getting them too di7 or too wet. While 

 the flowers are finishing, spraying now must cease or the 

 water will lod-e in the centre of the bud and tha bud 

 will soon rot. On bright sunny days the paths may be 

 damped down but all moisture should- be dried up before 

 night, when a dry atmosphere should l>e maintained. 



Tpmi>eratiire is sometliing we cannot control but when 



