September 18, 1915 



HORTICULTURE 



373 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



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QnMtlcBi br oar rcaderi In Ud« with any of the topic* preacntcd on tbU page will b« cordial:; rec«lTed and promptly answered Hi I 

 -- ~ 11 snch commnBlcatloni •hoold Invariably be addreaaed to tbe office of HORTICULTURE. |{|||| 



"U Tsla our toU, we oorht to blune tbe cnltore, not tbe (sU." — r«pr. 



Canterbury Bells 



Now is the proper time to lift and pot plants from 

 the field. As a rule 7-inch and 8-ineh pots will suffice, 

 but extra large plants will need 8-inch and 10-ineh pots. 

 Give these plants a generous compost, stand them out 

 doors in an open sunny spot and leave them there until 

 sharp frost endangers the pots when they should be 

 placed" on a bed of coal ashes in a cold frame. Leave 

 them exposed to the weather for some weeks yet. A 

 few degrees of frost will do them no harm but cover 

 with sashes when cold becomes keener. Tliey can be 

 buried in perfectly dry leaves and kept over winter in 

 frames if desired. They can be started in gentle heat 

 for spring flowering any time after the middle of 

 December. There are no finer spring flowering plants 

 tor the country florist than Campanula Medium. 



Chrysanthemums 



What feeding is needed must be done during the next 

 few weeks as it is impossible to continue feeding much 

 after the buds show color. The question of feeding 

 chrysanthemums is an especially important one and 

 many otlierwise good growers seem to be all at sea as 

 to wliat and when and how much to feed their plants. 

 I prefer a natural fertilizer such as cow or sheep manure. 

 The proportion of natural fertilizer is at a rate of about 

 a bushel to a barrel. This information is more for the 

 small grower or beginner, as the big grower, with his 

 large tanks and pumping supply, is able to figure out 

 his o\ra. fonnula. This fertilizer can be allowed to stand 

 in the barrel for a couple of days and after the water 

 has been drawn off the barrel can be filled again. Where 

 you use chemicals such as nitrate of soda, sulphate of 

 ammonia and nitrate of potash, a safe proportion of 

 any of these fertilizers is at the rate of a 4-inch pot to 

 a 50 gallon barrel of water making sure that the crystals 

 are all dissolved before applying to the plants. Give 

 weekly fumigations for fly. 



Gardenias 



If the plants show any white roots on the surface 

 give them a thin mulch of old decayed cow or horse 

 manure but do not apply any liquid manure or chemi- 

 cals; these may produce plants of great vigor but it will 

 be only at the expense of buds. It is unwise to rush 

 the plants in any way. From 60 to 65 degrees at night 



Next Week :— AllBmandaa ; Palms; Ferns; 



will suffice now and ventilation can be freely given. 

 When watering soak the benches thoroughly but be sure 

 to allow them to dry out tolerably well before applying 

 any more. With a soil sufficiently porous so that water 

 will pass away freely and with some bottom heat and a 

 nice genial atmosphere there will not be any considerable 

 number of buds dropping. One good syringing a week 

 with the spray nozzle will take care of mealy bug but 

 do it on clear warm days. The foliage should be allowed 

 to dry before nightfall. 



Lorraine Begonias 



Probably you will have noticed how much faster the 

 Lorraine begonnias are now growing. They do not move 

 much during the hottest summer weather but as soon 

 as the nights are cooler they, in common with many 

 other plants, make much more rapid headway. Give 

 attention to ventilation now as the weather is more 

 uneven both in sunshine and temperature. After the 

 middle or 20th of September they will want to be in a 

 house where they can have fire heat at night. The 

 strongest plants should now be well established in 6-inch 

 pots or pans and it is to be hoped that the necessary 

 staking has not been forgotten. Be sure to use stakes 

 which are light, painted green and as inconspicuous as 

 possible. Keep the growths nicely tied up to them. 



Violets 



Scratch over the surface soil occasionally. Remove 

 all weeds, runners and spotted or decaying foliage. If 

 the plants are growing in raised benches do not allow 

 rubbish to accumulate below them. Neatness, cleanli- 

 ness, careful watering and ventilating and the keeping 

 of a sweet atmosphere are what violets need. Double 

 violets should have been all planted indoors some weeks 

 ago and bv this time will be well established. Ventilat- 

 ors can usually be kept wide open all the time until 

 the middle of October and no fire heat should be nec- 

 essary before that time. Violets do not, like artificial 

 beat' and were it possible to have' a sufficient warmOi 

 without using it tliey would do all the better and be less 

 suscejitible to insect attacks. To know how and when 

 to water denotes the experienced grower. It is just as 

 great a fault in treaLnitnl to stint fast-growing plants 

 in the needful amount of water as to keep the soil in a 

 constantly saturated condition. 



Orchids; Polnsettlas; Necessary Repairing. 



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Horticulture 



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