December 27, 1919 



HORTICULTURE 



553 



Watch out for the orchid house at 

 this season of the year when the 

 weather is likely to be lowery and dull. 

 If they get too damp you will pretty 

 certainly have trouble. During bright 

 weather, however, you can damp down 

 two or three times a day. Do all your 

 work such as changing and sponging 

 the orchids on a bright day. Remem- 

 ber that orchids, like the cattleyas, 

 miltonias, odontoglossums and laelias, 

 require plenty of fresh air. Give them 

 a little ventilation every day when pos- 

 sible, even though it be for only thirty 

 or forty minutes. The orchid grower 

 must know his individual plants in or- 

 der to have the greatest success, espe- 

 cially at this season of the year, when 

 one plant may require considerable 

 more water than another. Of course 

 no shade will be necessary for the 

 next month or two. 



It is time to begin propagating, 

 which means that you will need an 

 abundance of bottom heat. It often 

 pays to board in the sides all around 

 so as to get the heat close up to the 

 bottom of the benches. Get every- 

 thing cleaned by a thorough washing 

 down and apply hot lime and white- 

 wash to the sides and bottoms of the 

 benches on the inside. There is no 

 better way to prepare the benches 

 than by placing coarse material on the 

 bottom, perhaps an inch altogether, to 

 make sure of proper drainage. Moss 

 on top of this, and then three to five 

 inches of clean sharp sand will give 

 you an Weal propagating bench. After 

 the sand has been put in and evenly 

 spread, firm it in good shape and then 

 give it a thorough watering. You can 

 start in with your bedding plants any 

 time from now on. 



It is high time to be considering the 

 lilies for Easter, and some of the 

 space obtained by cleaning out holiday- 

 stock will make room for them. Fifty- 

 five degrees is about the right tem- 

 perature for Easter lilies for the next 

 three or four weeks. Don't forget that 

 a higher temperature is certain to re- 

 sult in making a soft growth. When 

 the plants have made heavy root 

 growth they can stand a little higher 

 temperature. Giganteums and Multi- 

 florums can be gradually increased to 

 sixty-five at night. 



FANCY & DAGGER FERNS 



$2.50 Per 1000 



All Seasonable Cut Flowers Always on 



Hand. New Crop Bronze and Green 



Galaz Leaves. 



Henry M. Robinson & Co. 



WHOLESALE FLORISTS 



2 WINTHROP SQ. AND 34 OTIS ST., 

 BOSTON, MASS. 



Telephones, Mnin 3439, 2016, 2617, 2618, 52144 



This is a good time to begin making 

 rose cuttings. Use wood which is not 

 too old, and a knife sharp enough to 

 make a smooth, even cut. Beauties 

 and some other kinds are better with 

 only two eyes. In fact, with Beauties 

 especially best plants will come from 

 cuttings that have two eyes only. It 

 is a common mistake to have too much 

 leaf with each cutting. The first two 

 leaflets are enough unless they are 

 pretty small, in which case half the 

 next two may be allowed to remain 

 also. Too much leaf surface increases 

 the amount of work given the cutting 

 to do. Moreover it crowds the propa- 

 gating bench and gives an opportunity 

 for black spot to set in. 



lowed not many years ago. Of course 

 the cuttings must never be allowed 

 even to wilt, as that would ruin them, 

 but they can be kept in proper condi- 

 tion by repeated sprinklings. The 

 right thing to do, though, is to get 

 them in the sand as soon as possible 

 with an abundance of bottom heat. It 

 is all too common a mistake to first 

 put in the cuttings and then put the 

 heat on. This is wrong. Have the 

 benches all ready before the work is 

 begun. Then give a good watering 

 daily, preferably in the morning, and 

 take care to see that no water re- 

 mains on the leaves at night, for there 

 is nothing that will bring black spot 

 quicker. 



When you make your cuttings, cut 

 close to the eye but have the knife 

 slant away from it. This does not 

 mean making cuttings close enough to 

 weaken the eye itself. When the wood 

 has been cut, give it a good sprinkling, 

 but avoid the plan of putting it in a 

 tub of water, which used to be fol- 



It is not too late to sow seed of 

 Sweet Alyssum and winter flowering 

 Forget-me-nots. Many florists grow 

 them along the carnation benches and 

 thus save space. Both these flowers 

 will be found very useful for late win- 

 ter work, and should never be over- 

 looked by retail florists who do much 

 of their own growing. 



Carnation Morning Glow Has Been Sold in 



the Boston Market for 4 Years 



It is there considered a bread and butter Carnation. The 

 Grower likes it, because it is free and has no tricks. The 

 Seller likes it, because it ships and keeps splendid — and 

 what is best of all — 



THE LADIES ADMIRE, AND ALWAYS BUY IT 



for its fresh, rosy color, just like morning glow. Morning 

 Glow is early, free, has a good habit, fine stem and for 

 blooming during the Summer, cannot be beat. While not 

 one of the largest Carnations, it is considered 



THE MOST PROFITABLE OF ALL 



Cuttings sold by the originator, $7 per 100, $65 per 1000 



EDWARD WINKLER, Wakefield, Mass. 



