September 9, 1916 



HORTICULTURE 



343 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



ONDUCTED BY 



(J lestlons by our readers In line wltb any of tbe topics presented on tbls page will be cordially recelTed and promptly answered 



by Mr. Farrell. Snch commanlcatlons sbonld Inrarlebly be addressed to the office of HOBTICUI/TUBR. , 



"If vain our toll, we onrbt to bluns the culture, not the solL" — Pope. I 



Euphorbia jacquiniaeflora 



This is one of the most effective of our muter flow- 

 ering plants. Its intense scarlet flowered, wreath-like 

 shoots are unsurpassed. It is a free grower, and equally 

 free in blooming ; the flowers last well either on the plant 

 or when cut and placed in water. It gives a succession 

 of bloom from a second growth when the plants have 

 been cut. We have arrived at the critical time in culture. 

 Avoid wide fluctuations in night temperature; 60 to 65 

 degrees at night should be maintained, and in order to 

 do this fire heat is necessary. No plants are more 

 easily and speedily ruined by an excess of moisture at 

 the roots than this plant. Careful attention is required 

 as to ventilation, firing, etc., and watering carefully 

 from now on is of great importance. It cannot be good 

 policy to apply water which is near the freezing point. 

 Wlien the flowers become apparent at tlie axils of the 

 leaves the plants will be benefited by manure water, 

 which will not only assist the firet bloom they make but 

 enable them to push the second growth strong. 



Lilium multifloruin 



Every florist should include this very fine lily in his 

 trade. While it is quite possible to pot these lilies con- 

 siderably later and still have them for Easter, the earlier 

 they are potted the better they will be. Do not stand 

 lily pots under the benches. This is a convenient but 

 often a reprehensible practice. A frame, shed, cellar 

 or other frost proof place will be all right for some 

 weeks yet. Do not let the sun shine on them. A soak- 

 ing after potting should carrv' them until the bulbs are 

 well rooted. Lilies do better kept on the dry side until 

 the pots are full of roots and top growth nicely started. 

 If kept wet, the roots will rot and the plants speedily 

 show traces of the ever present "disease" which is often 

 caused by wrong culture. Use any good soil and well 

 rotted manure. One of manure and three of soil makes 

 a good compost. 



Mignonette 



Now that the cool nights are with us mignonette will 

 soon show some growth. Give them plenty of ventila- 

 tion. Look the beds over often for the di^ spots and 

 water them. Give light fumigation every week. Keep 

 all unnecessary side gi-owths removed. See that the 

 plants are well supported to keep the stems upright. 

 Where the plants have been started early the bench in 

 most eases will be filled with roots, so now is a good 

 time to give them a mulch of equal parts of soil and well 

 rotted cow manure about half an inch deep and follow 



Xext Week— Canterbury Bells; Dutch Bulbs; Flowering 



with another mulcli in five or six weeks. On bright 

 mornings they can be syringed. 



Orchids 



Cattleyas and Laelias above aU enjoy plenty of fresh 

 air. There are really but few days in the year when 

 neither top nor bottom ventilators can be open. In the 

 case of strong winds, enough will get between the laps 

 of glass to satisfy them. Watering should be done fairly 

 early in the morning, so that the moisture dropped on 

 foliage and benches will dry up before night. Syring- 

 ing overhead should l)e gradually discontinued. \Vhen 

 done at all, let it be on the mornings of clear days. Do 

 not play the hose directly on the plants but always use 

 a fine niisty spray. It is safer to imderwater than over- 

 water. A decreased water supply all around will be 

 necessary now. The question of ventilation is not half 

 considered. It is the rock on which many would-be 

 orchid gi'owers fail— too hot and stuffy conditions. Out- 

 side of the purely East Indian tropical kinds, all like air 

 in abundance. See that some of the shading is removed 

 from time to time, so the growth will not become too soft. 



Phlox 



"When phloxes are grown commercially it is essential 

 that the soil be spaded deep, or, still better, trenched. 

 It pays to trench the ground well for this perennial and 

 have plenty of well decomposed manure thoroughly in- 

 corporated with the soil. Any extra labor and fertilizer 

 put into the preparation of the border will be repaid 

 for some vears afterward in results. From now on up 

 to the end of October is the best time to make new 

 borders or divide and replant old ones. Good varieties 

 to plant are R. P. Struthers, salmon pink, Independ- 

 ence, Le Cvgne, Albatre, Jeanne D'Arc, all pure white; 

 Le Soleil " rose, Coquelicot, orange scarlet; General 

 Chanzy, scariet ; Nettie Stuart, white shaded pink, Wliite 

 Swan, pure white, and Eosy Gem, clear rose. etc. Where 

 old clumps are to be divided, it does not pay to cut 

 them in too smaU pieces. Dinde the clumps so each 

 piece will be of good size. Eariy fall planting will re- 

 establish the plants sufficiently to produce fairiy good 

 flowers the following summer. 



Reminders 



Watch the mignonette for green caterpillars. It is 

 a good plan to dust them with Slug Shot and leave it on. 



Wliere there is ground to spare plant some Hydrangea 

 arborescens sterilis this fall. They are flue on account 

 of their great freedom of flowering. 



As the nights grow cooler house any poinsettias that 

 have been standing outside, to prevent the loss of foliage. 



Keep antirrhinums cool and well aired, so as to make 

 them sturdy. Pinch out the tops of any showing flower. 



Bulbs ; Lifting Shrubs for Forcing ; l.Uy Bed ; Reminders. 



