July S, 1916 



HOETIOULTURE 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



CONDCCTKD BY 



/#*^i?^. ;?W^^ 



loeadona by our readers In line with any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially received and promptly anawcredl 

 by Mr. Farrell. Such communications should Invariably be addressed to the office of HOKTICULTUKE 

 "If vain oar toil, we ouffbt to blame the culture^ not the aoll." — Pope, 



Aerides 



From iinw until the fall thfse should be treated 

 liberally with water. Apply sparingly at first, and 

 gradually increase to a generous supply. Where the 

 compost is still in good condition a top dressing of live 

 sphagnum is all that will be required. Kemove the old 

 material to the depth of an inch or so and replac-e with 

 fresh sphagntini. Where the comiiost lias l)econie de- 

 caj^ed or sour, it must be shaken out entirely and the 

 roots cleaned by gently spraying and repotted in ba.s- 

 kets. Fi'equent spraying or syringing is highly bene- 

 ficial. The fresh roots absorb a great quantity of inois- 

 turi' from the atmosphere, and to grow them success- 

 fully one must give them lots of moisture. 



Bulb Compost 



Bulbs like a light and rather rich soil. One-third of 

 the whole should be decayed manure. If you have any 

 sj)ent hotbed manure or such as lias been used in the 

 luake-u]) of a mushroom bed, either of these is excellent 

 for bulbs. A few shovels of soot and some sharp sand 

 should also be added. Turn the soil over twice or thric; 

 to thoroughly mix it. It will lie some time before the 

 French or Dutch bulbs arrive, but it is better to prejiare 

 a pile of compost for them now rather than when thev 

 are on the place. It is much better to leave out lione 

 and all chemical fertilizers. These are more likely to 

 be harmful than helpful. If you stacked np a pile of 

 sod and cow manure last fall chop this down and throw 

 it in a hea]). With the pressure of other duties thei-e 

 is a likelihood of the compost heap being somewhat 

 neglected in that they are allowed to become overgrown 

 with rank weeds. 



Chrysanthemums 



During the hot weather, daniiiing down will lie neces- 

 sary two or three times a day on the walks or ]iaths. 

 Go over the beds every day and water the dry places. 

 Do not let the plants get overrun with fly liefore using 

 effective means to kee]) them under control. It should 

 always be remembered that these plants will never stand 

 humid or stagnant atmosphere. So first of all see that 

 they have plenty of fresh air. and a good syringing early 

 every afternoon, wliich will allow the foliage time to dry 

 out before night, but durino; dark weather keep the 

 plants as dry as possible. Watch for other insects lie- 

 sides fly. There are quite a I'ew that make the chrysan- 

 themums a host plant, such as caterpillars, grasshop]iers, 

 red spider and thrips. Hand iiicking for the two f(u-mer 

 and plenty of syringing for the two latter. 



Eucharis amazonica 



Eucharis can be cultivatc^l in lieds, benches or pots. 

 Pot-.gi'own plants are best ^here only a few are to be 

 grown. For compost use fiVious loam, lumpv dried cow 

 manure, broken brick, char- oal and coarse sand. It is 



best to shake out the finer soil as what is needed is a 

 porous soil through which water will pass readily. 

 Established plants, started in midwinter and now com- 

 ing out of 3 or 4-inch pots, are to be preferred. In sum- 

 mer the pots do well plunged in frames. They make 

 much finer growth here than in the greenhouses. The 

 plants must be shaded during summer and except in the 

 coldest winter weather, a light shade should be used, 

 as liright sun turns the leaves a pale color. , Any grower 

 who has not grown Eucharis amazonica should try a 

 few of them. 



Smilax 



Vigorous plants coming out of either :i or t-iiicii pots 

 make ideal stock. In selecting a place for a bed of 

 smilax it should be always home in mind that smilax 

 will want at least 60 degrees of heat in the winter and 

 at least ten feet for head room, .\llow a foot between 

 the rows and about nine inches between the plants in 

 the rows. Keen a well ventilated and moist growinor 

 temperature. SvriiiOT twice a dav to prevent red 

 siiider and help the plant to sustain it.self while develop- 

 \\\<X its foliase. Don"t allow the yomi'.;- trailing shoots to 

 ranilile and .become twisted bef(U-e vo\i string them, but 

 run the string ujt for the youna: plants soon after they 

 are planted. Give water around the ball for some time 

 yet. but when thev becin to tnisb their roots into the 

 middle of the rows water all the bed. 



Time to Think of Christmas 



Give attention t<i all the I'lants most likely to be in 

 general demand for tliis date. If you are short of any 

 plants now is a awid time to place your order throush 

 the medium of HoRTTcrt/rruK. Xothing like keeping 

 the place well stocked u]i. 



Xext Week :— -ichinienes : Asparaprus Sprensreri : Hnusinsr Carn.i- 

 tions: Lorraine Bej-'onias: Mignonette for Winter: Reminders. 



Lilium Willmottae 



Our cover illustration this week is that of a new 

 Chinese lily, discovereil. named and introduced to this 

 country and to England by E. H. Wilson. Its name 

 was given in honor of ^liss Ellen Wilhnott. an enthu- 

 siastic English amateui'. 



This lily grows about 3 feet in height, with wiry stem 

 clothed with narrow oblong leaves. 1'lie flowers are 

 apricot yellow, spotle<l with brown. :> inches or more 

 across and strongly recurved. It is perfectly hardy and 

 flowers outside in late .lune or early July. It was shown 

 for the first time in this country at Horticultural Hall, 

 Boston, on May 27. lOIH. by William Anderson, gar- 

 dener for Bayard Thayer of Lancaster, Mass., and there 

 received the award of a silver medal by the Massachu- 

 setts Horticultural Society. 



