December 2, 1916 



HORTICULTURE 



725 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



CONDUCTED BY 



^^^>^%9f^.Tk^vi^^ 



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



by Mr. Farrell. Such communications should lUTarlably be addressed to the office of HOHTICCLTUBB. 



"If vain our toll, we ons:bt to blame the culture, not the solL" — Fope. 



Holiday Suggestions 



It will be time well speut to give each plant a per- 

 fect cleaning which will show to full advantage all the 

 markings and shades which go to make foliage plants 

 beautiful. A week or ten days before Christmas see 

 that foliage and pots get a good cleaning as the least 

 bit of dirt detracts from their beauty. Tlie average 

 florist can not grow all his own plants and now is the 

 time to buy. Take a look through the advertising col- 

 umns of Horticulture for offers of anything you may 

 want. Look over your stock of supplies now to see if 

 anything is wanting such as heavy wrapping material, 

 tissue, waxed and waterproof crepe paper, in white, 

 red, and green, sheet moss, ribbons, chiffon, cut flower 

 boxes, fern dishes, etc. Shop early. 



Lilies for Christmas 



To properly harden off tlie lilies it is best to treat 

 them gradually until you have them in a temperature 

 •of about 50 degrees, night. See that they are kept 

 clean of fly, as there is notliing more unsightly than 

 lilies with green fly on tliem. Wlien the flowers are 

 well expanded they should be given a lower tempera- 

 ture ,but remember they will not relish cold draughts 

 which will cause them to wilt. Lilies intended for 

 Christmas should be so far advanced that the buds begin 

 to turn white twelve to fourteen days beforehand. They 

 can stand from 60 degrees to 70 at night with a raise 

 of from 15 to 20 degrees during sunny days. As the 

 flowers open see that the pollen is promptly removed. 



Lilium speciosum 



These can be grown in pots, using four bulbs to a 

 7-inch pot, five bulbs to an 8-inch pot, and six to a 9- 

 inch pot. The soil sliould be a good fibry loam en- 

 riched with very well rotted manure, using about a 

 fourth to the bulk of soil. Crock the pots well and pot 

 moderately finn. Before potting see that the soil is 

 uniformly moist as these lilies want very little water 

 until they have filled the pots with roots. It is a good 

 plan to grow quite a few of these lilies, as they can be 

 bloomed at a season when other flowers are scarce. 

 Place under a bench where there is no drip, and where 

 the tein]ierature can be evenly maintained at about 

 40 degrees, with all the ventilation possible. The worst 

 enemies of the lily when grown indoors are the aphis. 

 Fumigate frequently — at least once a v.-eek. Wlien they 

 have started a couple of inches of growth they sliould 

 be brought up to the light. 



Next Week: — Care of Clu-latmas riants: Cliriatmas Greens 



Lorraine Begonias 



Any pans or baskets that are to be lilled can be dour 

 now before the hurly-burly of the Christmas trade is 

 with us. The atmosphere should now be kept rather 

 dry for Lorraine begonias. These begonias are very 

 sensitive to any sudden changes of temperature. Never 

 let them dry out, for if this happens their beauty will 

 be of brief duration. Most sensitive to sudden changes 

 of temperature are begonias of all kinds, those of the 

 Gloire de Lorraine type in particular. They should be 

 as near 60 degrees as possible. Give them air when 

 possible but cold currents should not blow over the 

 plants. Avoid dryness at the roots or any excess in the 

 way of -watering. Where large specimen plants are 

 grown — say in 6 to 8-inch pots — they should have 

 plenty of room. Raise them up close to the glass on 

 inverted pots and far enough apart to have every one 

 fully exposed to light. 



Rhododendrons for Forcing 



Now is a good time to got a batch of tlie newly im- 

 ported plants and pot them up. These plants when 

 forced come in very serviceable for spring trade. It is 

 always better to dip the balls of roots in a tub of water 

 so they will have a chance to get well wet through for 

 there is nothing worse than to pot them with a dry ball. 

 They grow and flower well in a compost of two parts 

 fibrous loam to one of leaf mold with some sand in- 

 termixed. Give good drainage and pack the compost 

 firmly around the old ball. See that they are always 

 kept moist at the roots. These plants want to be kept 

 cool until Jaiiuan- so give them a cool pit or house that 

 is just clear of "frost, but where you have not these 

 conveniences a deep frame will answer very well. 

 After the new year they can be given a temperature of 

 50 degrees at night. They like a good light liouse to 

 grow in during the winter, but when they are in flower 

 some shade will be found the best to hold them in good 

 shape. 



Reminders 



Englisli ivies can l)e stored under the edges of the 

 benches in any cool house. 



Autlioricnnis can be freely propagated now from the 

 young plantlets that appear on the flower spikes. 



Keo|) pelargoniums well on the dry side until after 

 the turn of the year, when any that need it lunv lie 

 re]iotte<l. 



Cow manure that has been dried and made fine is 

 the best of all manures for top dressing all bench crops, 

 so alwa\s have a good pile of it inside ready for use. 



: Cinerarias; Fern Spores; "Made-up" Plants; nemliiders. 



