July 10, 1915 



HORTICULTUEE 



33 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDUCTED BY 



9^. I^^xu/ 



^KW YOt 



Questions by our readers In line with any of the topics presented on this page will be cordlnl'.y received and promptly answered (toTANICi 

 by Mr. Farrell. Such communications should Invariably be addressed to the otlice of HOKTICULTUUE. I 



"If Tsln our toil, ne ought to blame the culture, not the soil." — Pope, •ARUfilf 



Carnations 



jMost carnation growers are now busy planting. Some 

 may have planted a house or two earlier but this is the 

 beginning of the real liousing period. As soon as the 

 benches are emptied clean them and give a good coating 

 of whitewash. After applying the whitewash fill the 

 lienches at once. Do not leave thein exposed to the 

 sun and air for a week or two if you want them to 

 last. Give the plants six inches of rich soil. I cannot 

 see where anything is gained by planting carnations in 

 three or four inches of soil. See that the plants are 

 not set too deep. Deep planting is the cause of a great 

 deal of stem rot. Water at tlie base of each plant and 

 give frequent spravings until the plants take hold. 

 Keep the soil moist on top by heav7 sprayings but 

 continue to water at the base of the plants for a few 

 weeks to prevent the soil becoming sour, and to en- 

 courage root action. 



Calceolarias 



Calceolaria hybrida makes a very imposing plant 

 when grown right. The seed can be sown from now 

 up to the first week in August for nest season's trade. 

 Get a very sandy mixture of soil and some clean leaf 

 mold. Give the pans a good watering so as to have 

 them wet through then scatter the seeds thinly over 

 the surface. Press the seed gently into the soil with 

 brick or piece of board. They require no covering of 

 soil. Lay a pane of glass over the pans and place in 

 a frame where the shade sliould be heavy at first and 

 towards fall it should become lighter. Avoid extremes 

 either way in watering as these young plants are very 

 susceptible to damp. The loss through damping off is 

 lessened by timely shifting from box to box. "Wlien 

 they have made from four to six leaves they should be 

 potted into small pots still using a light sandy mixture. 

 They should have a fine syringing overhead several times 

 a day in bright hot weather. 



Easter Lilies 



Much of the plant groweis attention now centers in 

 the stock to be had in readiness for next Easter. With- 

 out question lilies hold the foremost place. Get good 

 strong bulbs which are the l)est in the end. For winter 

 flowering the bulbs should be jiotted and started just as 

 soon as they can be proaired. There is a good demand 

 for lilies all through the winter and a few dozens a 

 week are acceptalile to every country florist who has 

 ilosign orders to fill. The bulbs generally used for early 



Next Week:— Chrysanthemums: r.ni-ralne Begonias; Rambler Ro 



Lupines and 



forcing will do a\ ell in five-iuch pots singly, or larger ones 

 to a six-inch pot. I'm- good fibrous loam and some well 

 rotted cow manure. The potting soil sliould be rich but 

 without green manui-e. In potting tlie tops of the bulb 

 ought to be just level with the surface of the soil. 



Mignonette 



Those who want to cut good mignonette should not 

 delay in sowing the seed. One very successful grower 

 of mignonette sows the seed in three-inch pots,, a few 

 seeds in three little groups in each pot. It is safer, 

 however, to sow a pinch of seed on the bench or bed 

 where they are to remain and flower. One foot of space 

 each way is not too much room to give the plants. As 

 is well known the mi.sjiionette is a difficult plant to 

 transplant and if the soil drops off the roots the little 

 plants are a long time in making a start. A dozen 

 plants may come up where you sowed your pinch of 

 seed and will not harm anything till the little seedlings 

 are an inch high: then you must pull up all but the 

 strongest plant." The chief enemy of the young mig- 

 nonette is the larva of the sulphur-colored cabbage 

 butterfly which lays its eggs in August and September. 

 As soon as you see that the butterfly is abroad spray the 

 plants lightly and tlien dust them with powdered helle- 

 bore. 



Cypripediums 



Cypripediums are now in active growth and as the 

 roots fill the pots and pans nicely a little weak liquid 

 manure once a week should be applied. Avoid the use 

 of all chemicals. A little later as the roots become more 

 matted the stren.gth can be slightly increased. Ventilate 

 freely on even- favorable opportunity. Keep the plants 

 free from thrips by siionging occasionally with a weak 

 solution of tobacc'n water and give light fumigating 

 once or twice every fortnight to keep off the pests. 

 Watch the plants so tlicy do not suffer for water but 

 do not keep them wet all the time as the compost will 

 become sour. A moist atmosphere during all seasoiis 

 is essential to their well being. In wet weather admit 

 air freely, otherwise the fleshy leaves are very liable to 

 rot or become spotted. 



Repairing Boilers and Piping 



Xow is the time lo look over the boilers and piping 

 and do whatever rejniiring is needed. Tlie season of 

 cold weather may seem far off but it will slip around 

 before we know it. With leaky boilers or pipes it will 

 be impossible to keep up the right temperature. 



ses; Prunins Flowerin? Shrubs; Starting Frceslas; Perennial 

 Larkspurs. 



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