October 21, 1916 



HOETICULTUEE 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



CONDCOTKD BT 



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QueaUon* by our reader* In line wltli an/ of the toplca presented on tbla page will be cordlallT recelred and promptlj aBawtredl 



by Ur. Farrell. Bacb commonlcadona abonld InTarlably be addreaaed to the office o{ HOBTICIJLTUKB. 



**If vala onr toll, we oorbt to blame the emltnre, not the aolL." — Pope, 



Allamandas 



If these plants are required for early flowering tliey 

 should now be kept drier at the roots so as to harden 

 and ripen up their wood. They will rest well in a 

 temperature of 50 to 55 degrees, but when starting 

 them into bloom keep them at 65 and give an abun- 

 dance of water as soon as they get into active growth. 

 Water may be withheld till they flag but do not allow^ 

 the wood to shrivel. In fact allamandas can be so 

 managed as to have them bloom at any time of the 

 year by first resting the plants, then pruning them back 

 and encouraging root action. Tliese plants are well 

 worth growing where yellow flowers are wanted ; they 

 adapt tliemselves beautifully to various forms of decora- 

 tions. Plants that were pruned last spring to within 

 a Joint or two and tliese when they had made two or 

 three whorls of leaves pinched again, and so on during 

 the summer, will have made fiiii' stock by this time. 



Carnations 



A plant with eight or ten stocky shoots about (i 

 inches long, is far better than one with five shoots of 

 which three are in flower now. Short shoots with 

 buds on the end of theta remove at once and give the 

 other shoots at the base a chance to send up long, flow- 

 ering stems. A carnation can stand more cold than 

 heat, especially when planted in a few inches of soil 

 indoors, and while getting established 48 to 50 degrees 

 at niglit is better than 55. Don't worry because the 

 plants are as yet slow to send up flowering shoots, as 

 long as they are full of good foliage and plenty of 

 strong shoots coming from tlie bottom. Give light 

 fumigations once every ten days. 



Young Cinerarias 



Cinerarias sown in July should now be nice strong 

 plants in flats. Just as soon as they have onade enough 

 growth for a three-inch pot they can be potted off. 

 They like a light and sandy mixture, say three parts 

 fibrous loam, two of not too old leaf mold, and a little 

 sand. They can be kept rather close and shaded for a 

 few days, after which they can be placed well up to the 

 glass in a cool house. Be careful in watering that they 

 do not become dry, and on the other hand that they 

 are not kept soaked all the time. Never let them ap- 

 proach a pot-bound condition until they are in their 

 flowering size. Wlieii they have fdled their pots with 

 roots, shift thorn along. They gain vigor and tone in 

 a temperature of about 45 degrees at niglit. 



Planting Shrubs 



Every florist who has the ground to -spare should 

 make a planting of shrubs and by a plan of careful 

 selection he can have flowers from April until Septem- 

 ber. The choice of varieties is perplexing because there 

 are hundreds of lovely shrubs, but these embrace some 

 of the best for April and May flowering: Forsythia, 

 Comus florida, spireas, deutzias, alanonds, Calycanthus 

 floridus. For June and July, halesia, lilacs, loiiicera, 

 Azalea nudiflora, weigelas, hawthorns, syringas, labur- 

 num, viburnums. For August and September althaea, 

 hydrangea, De.'Smodium pendulifolium and clethra. All 

 that is necessary is to plow or dig the soil to a depth 

 of 1'2 or 14 inches and give them a square deal in the 

 way of plenty of manure mixed through it. Give each 

 shrub plenty of room to grow and set them just as deeji 

 as they were before. Put high shrubs at the back and 

 the low ones to the front. 



Primulas for Christmas 



They will stand sowie feeding now in weak doses 

 once a week. There is nothing better than cow manure 

 and a little soot; this will give them that dark green 

 foliage one loves to see. They should be placed on .1 

 light, airy bench well up to the glass. Go over them 

 often and give a little room where required. Thev 

 should be given a nice equalized temperature of from 

 48 to 50 degrees at night. The frequency that they 

 will require water can only be determined by going 

 over them three or four times a day. Everv' florist will 

 have his hands "full trying to get his different crops 

 in right shape for the holidays and one of these is pri- 

 mulas. The sanall stock can be potted up now and 

 grown on. These will make fine stock for mid-winter 

 and spring sales. Give them a rich compost of cow 

 manure,* leaf mold and fibrous loam. 



Reminders 



The more slowly bulbs are forced, the better sub- 

 stance the flowers will have. 



"Wliere possible sterilize all soil for seed sowing, to 

 kill weeds and fungus spores. 



Keep all young stock of crotons and similar jilants 

 well up to the light to ensure good color in the foliage. 



Be careful and do not allow green flies to get a 

 foothold on cinerarias, calceolarias or primulas. Give 

 light fumigations every ten days. 



Next Wi 



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