August 21, 1915 



HOKTICULTUEE 



231 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDCCTKD BY 



^^^%.9^.T-a4A.U/' 



Qnestlons by our readers In Hue witb aoy of the topics presented on this page will be cordlaKy reiplveil and promptly answircd 



by Ur. Farrell. Such commnDlcatlons should Invariably be addressed to the ofHie "X Holt rini.TUKK. 



"It Talm our toll, we ouKbt to blame the culture, not the ■oil." — Popi. 



Cyclamen 



Now is the time to think of next year's cyclamen. 

 First of all procure the best strains as they pay the 

 best in the end. Do not take mixtures ; they will prob- 

 ably contain some good colors but others will be in- 

 cluded which no one will want. .\t the holidays the 

 red shades are always in keen demand and while whites 

 and pinks do not then move so quickly they ai'e salable 

 if grown cool until Ea.ster. Do not omit the salmon 

 pinks ; they do not carry as large flowers as some other 

 varieties, but the color is decidedly taking. The first 

 half of September is the best time to make a sowing of 

 cyclamen seeds. If given proper treatment plants 

 started now will prove one of the best investments for 

 the Christmas trade of 1916. Either pans or flats may 

 be used for the soil, but be sure the drainage is good. 

 Cyclamen should always be grown as near the glass as 

 possible, for if the least di-awn they lose mneb of their 

 beauty. 



Bouvardias 



Many kinds of florist's stock can only be grown to 

 perfection during the wanner season in open field rows. 

 Bouvardias are such, but they are equally as sensitive 

 as other plants to untoward weather conditions such sis 

 may now be expected. All bouvardias should be lifted 

 before the nights become too cold. These plants do well 

 in five inches of soil. A good, compost is three parts 

 fibrous loam to one of well decayed cow manure. 

 Bouvardias recover slowly after being lifted from the 

 field, unless the job is assigned to careful hands. 

 Though (juite resentful in this respect they are in no 

 way particular as to the grade of soil used in potting 

 and in any fair sample of good florists' compost they 

 will do nicely. If this work is attended to ]iroperly the 

 plants will show no bad effects. A foot apart is little 

 enoligh for any of them. It is easy with almost any 

 temperature to get the firet crop of bouvardias but not 

 so easy to get them to make a growth and a ]irofitable 

 crop of flowers in midwinter. 



Mignonette 



It i."! now time to sow the main crop of mignonette. 

 To flower well after the new year the seed should be 

 planted before the first of September. Wlien planted 

 later than this they do not move along very fast. They 

 can be sown in i\ or .3-inch pots. Any house that can 

 be kept at about 45 degrees during the cold weather will 

 suit mignonette. New soil three parts, leaf mold one 



Next Week— bulb Stork for Winter; Carnations; Chrysan 



part and some sand will be a good compost. Place in a 

 frame and keep shaded until they show signs of coming 

 up, when they should have full sun. They should be 

 kept moist at all times as they will not stand to be al- 

 lowed to dry out too often. Keep a lookout for the 

 greenwoiTiis and fly. 



Paper White Narcissus 



"Any (lid soil"' for these bulb« is wrong. Use good, 

 sweet soil, have |)roper drainage in flats and don't plant 

 too closely. The more space between the bulbs the bet- 

 ter, for only by so doing can you expect to produce 

 flowers on stiff stems. A deep cold frame is a good 

 place for the bulbs after being planted. Cover the 

 frame with boards or other material tx) prevent the sun 

 from drying out the flats. By the middle of October 

 the first batch can be brought to the violet house, or 

 anywhere that there is plenty of sunshine and the tem- 

 perature can be kept down; for the cooler you grow 

 the paj)erwhites the better for tliem. Keep them always 

 moist at tlio roots, for when allowed to dry out they re- 

 ceive a ciieck which will show in the blo(mis. 



Propagating Geraniums 



A good plan I'nr gi-dwi'is wh(i have any large stock 

 plants to cut from is making a clean sweep at this time, 

 putting in all the cuttings needed for the coming sea- 

 .son's sto(k, and tiien done with it. Those having at 

 their disjwsal but a limited space in greenhouse or gar- 

 den save a reasonable number of good stock plants from 

 spring sales. Take well-ripened tiiis, three or four 

 inches long, as short-jointed as possible, cut or break off 

 at or below a node or joint, trim off the lower leaves 

 firmly, insert into sand. It will do no harm to let them 

 wilt. Give one good watering after insertion and keep 

 them a little on the dry side ever afterward. Some 

 growers root their geraniums in two-iiuh pot«, using any 

 kind of good sandy earth, but I have found the regular 

 propagating bed to be the better place for them. If 

 you are short of stock plants you had better start now 

 as you will then be able to get another hatch of cuttings 

 in September. 



Housing Tender Stock 



We are soon coming to the end of .Vugiist and what- 

 ever tender stock you may have out sliould be in the 

 greenhouse by that lime for after the end of this month 

 the nights become too cool fur hot-bhioilcd plants. So 

 start early with this work. 



theniums; Decorative Plniit Stock; Marguerites; Stcvln. 



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