548 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



conservative enough to discriminate against fads and fan- 

 cies. 



Let us now summarize the essentials of countr}- estate 

 management : An employer desires personal comfort, 

 relief from details and satisfactory results. To meet 

 these demands and execute work economically and effi- 

 ciently through systematic business methods, science and 

 practical common sense. An executive so qualified and 

 possessing- honesty and personal integrity can command 

 a salarv commensurate with the service he renders. 



*Paper read before the convention of the National .Association of Gar 

 deners. Horticultural Mail, Hoston. Mass.. December 9. 



CULTURAL NOTES ON THE GARDENIA. 



l!v \\ . 1\. F(i\\Ki:s, Xkw \'iirk. 



The beautiful fragrant ];)early white blooms of this 

 charming exotic plant, tlie Gardenia, truly accords 

 it a place in the first rank of high class greenhouse 

 plants ; yet, how seldom do we see a healthy grown 

 batch of plants in the private gardens of the rich. 



One is accustomed usually to find, even on large 

 places with the general rnn of plants in superb con- 

 dition, the Gardenia frowned upon, because batch after 

 batch has been tried with tlie usual resulting yellow- 

 sickly leaves and buds continually falling ofif, so that 

 discouragement has caused many gardeners to dispel 

 forever the idea of giving any more space to their 

 cultivation. 



These flowers present a charming ap]jearance when 

 properly grown and cared for as they deserve, and 

 are worthy of the best attention any gardener can 

 bestow on them. There is no possible reason what- 

 ever why they should not be given the prominence 

 they occupied a score or more years ago. 



Their culture is simple if one or two important 

 points are observed. To begin with, it is essential to 

 get hold of good healthy vigorous stock of young- 

 cuttings, which can be inserted in the sand much the 

 same way as roses are propagated. The time for this 

 operation is in December in order to obtain good 

 plants by June 1. Before placing in the sand give them 

 all a dip in a good insecticide solution. You all have 

 your particular kind to use. Water the sand twice 

 a week and keep the bottom heat heady and continu- 

 ous. In three or four weeks the}- will be rooted and 

 require potting into 2J-4-inch pots. Place a crock in 

 the bottom and then a rough jiiece of leaf soil to pre- 

 vent clogging of the drainage. This is a very im- 

 portant matter throughout their period of growth, as 

 on this very particular point of drainage the health of 

 the plants depend. 



The first compost should be half leaf si_)il, one-fourth 

 sand, some charcoal dust, and the remainder good 

 loam. Pot fairly firm as they are hard wooded plants. 



At this stage of their growth the plants require a 

 light place and sunny bench in a house which never 

 goes below 70 degrees Fahrenheit at night. They 

 must be watered when necessary with the chill taken 

 off the water and sy-ringed each morning, but never 

 have them wet at night, and let the atmosphere of the 

 house be constantly charged with moisture or the red 

 spider will attack them. 



Keep potted on until they are in 4-inch pots, and 

 take the point out with the thumb and finger of the 

 leading shoot in order to induce the plants to break. 



Gardenias can be successfully grown either in the 

 benches or in pots. I prefer the former, although if 

 a few are grown in pots — 6-inch can be used — and 

 they are very serviceable for occasional house decora- 

 tion. If grown in benches on a large scale it will 



repay to replace the tile or wooden bottoms with 

 wire netting one-half inch because more perfect drain- 

 age is assured and perfection will never be attained 

 without it. 



The compost should now be composed of two parts 

 good fiberous loam, one part rotted cow manure, one 

 part leaf soil, the flaky- kind from the leaves of the 

 oak or beech if possible — four inches is sufficient 

 depth — and when the bench is filled a goi:)d sjirinkling 

 of fine charcoal can be mixed in. 



The plants can bet set fifteen inches apart and the 

 soil made firm arovmd each plant and given a good 

 watering from now on with a minimum temperature 

 of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. They will grow rapidlv and 

 must be given careful attention as regards to ventila- 

 tion, because a chill will retard any other eflfort put 

 forth in their culture. 



Dam]i the floors with manure and soot water tw-ice 

 a week when closing the house at night, and you will 

 notice the advance the plants will make in a short 

 time. 



The Gardenia requires a large amount of water 

 during- hot weather, also constant daily- sy-ringing, oc- 

 casionally the plants will get too wet, or angle worms 

 infest the soil preventing the surplus water being 

 carried away, and to counteract this, having tried 

 ever}' known remedy, the one I now^ prefer is "Ver- 

 mine.'' It is a highly concentrated compound and used 

 as directed, one part to four hundred parts of water, 

 it is cheap and can be safely applied once a week. It 

 will rid benches or pots, no matter what they contain, 

 of all worms or maggots so destructive to the roots 

 of many valuable plants. 



Plants set in June will produce flowers in October 

 and dislnidding must be resorted to obtain good-sized 

 flowers. As before stated, they are seldom troubled 

 with insects and the mealy bug is the most trouble- 

 some one, but it can be kept at bay during the grow- 

 ing season by- spraying regularly- once a week with a 

 solution of "Aphine," the best remedy I know. 



When pots or benches are well filled with roots they 

 need feeding. Use liquid cow manure once a week and 

 an occasional top dressing of Clay's fertilizer in equal 

 parts of fine loam. Always see that the plants are 

 dried oil' when in bud before closing down the house. 



The variety best suited for early winter blooms is 

 the Ca]5e Jasmine, or Gardenia Veitchii. Gardenia 

 Florida pniduces laro-er flowers but does not com- 

 mence til bloom until the siiring;. 



THE 1916 BOSTON FLOWER SHOWS. 



The Massachusetts Horticultural Society will hold 

 an increased mimber of exhibitions in Horticultural 

 Hall, Boston, Mass., during the year 1916. Through- 

 out the summer two shows will be held each month. 

 Four thousand dollars w-ill be awarded in premiums 

 at an exhibition in May, while in November next a 

 very large show- is being arranged for. In order that 

 the'flower show schedules can be prepared well in ad- 

 vance, the trustees of the society have secured the 

 pow-er to appropriate the necessary funds for prizes 

 three years in advance. 



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