838 



HOKTICULTFRE 



December 23, 1916 



Cyclamen 



The giant-flowered strain of Cyclamen is undoubtedly 

 the best, for general decorative purposes. To have them 

 in flower by Christmas the seed should be sown the latter 

 part of August or first week of September, and for Eas- 

 ter sow at any time from 20th to end of November. Pre- 

 pare a light open compost of loam two parts, leaf mold 

 one part and one-fourth part sand, which mix thorough- 

 ly, and sift through a half-inch sieve. 



See that the pans are clean and well drained, and then 

 fill them to within an inch of the top with the compost, 

 press it down medium firm with a smooth surfaced 

 board, and water well, let drain off, then sow the seed, 

 and cover same with about three-eighths of an inch ol 

 tiie compost, shaken through a fine sieve. 



Place the pans on a shelf, and cover with a sheet of 

 glass and paper to exclude the light. A temperature of 

 60 to 65 degrees at night should be kept up, and as soon 

 as the seedlings appear, remove the covering and afford 

 them all the light possible, shading from the sun. As 

 soon as the third leaf is developing transfer the young 

 plants into flats containing a compost of loam three 

 parts, leaf mold one part and a half part co'w manure, 

 charcoal and sand ; allow two inches, space between the 

 plants. Maintain the same temperature until the plants 

 get established, then remove them to 55 to 60 degrees at 

 night. As soon as the plants are large enough pot them 

 into 4-inch pots, using similar compost, adding a half 

 more cow manure. Be careful to leave two-thirds of the 

 corm above the surface, as deep potting means failure in 

 the growing of cyclamen. 



When fairly well established, reduce the temperature 

 five degrees. By the second week in May move them to a 

 cold frame, protecting from late frosts, and shading 

 from the sun, with plenty of ventilation when possible. 

 Shift next into six-inch pots using a fairly rough com- 

 post of loam three parts, cow manure one part, leaf mold 

 a half part, charcoal and sand, and to each barrow load 

 of compost add a 5-inch pot of bone meal. After pot- 

 ting, place them back in cold frame, spray overhead 

 twice per day, and water carefully, shading them from 

 the sun. 



By September the plants intended for Christmas 

 should be moved indoors. Those that are intended for 

 Easter may remain in cold frame until first week of 

 October if well protected on cold nights. 



The mite is a troublesome pest in cyclamen growing, 

 but it can be kept in check if the plants are sprayed once 

 in everj- ten days with X. L. All compound, one part to 

 fifteen parts water, from the time they are in 4-inch pots 

 until they come into flower, also by placing tobacco stems 

 amongst the pots while in the cold frame, but above all, 

 a low temperature, and a cool bottom for the pots to 

 stand on and spraying overhead with clear cold water 

 on bright days, goes a long way in keeping down this 

 pest. When well-rooted in the six-inch pots, give the 

 plants liquid cow manure twice a week alternated with 

 Clay's fertilizer. As soon as the flower buds show color 

 stop spraying overhead, and water carefully. 



j-f^ . ^. ^^^j 



Sempervivum 



SEMPEEVmjM ABACHNOroEnM 



Sempervivums, though more or less known to every 

 horticulturist, until recently could rarely be found ex- 

 cept in plant collections of amateurs or in botanical 

 gardens. The general trade was not interested in house 

 leeks. Since the beginning of dry wall planting and the 

 steadily increasing rockgarden building matters have 

 changed and sempervivums are at present one of the 

 standard items in hardy plant catalogues. The renewal 

 of our acquaintance with those modest plant species 

 nestling between the stonework of walls or in the crevices 

 of rocks makes us again wonder how they can exist and 

 grow in so little of soil as they usually require. Nature, 

 indeed, has fitted them out with a most wonderful re- 

 sistance both against prolonged aridity in summer and 

 the inclemency of frigid winters. Today the rockery, 

 perhaps more than the dry wall, offers these strikingly 

 attractive mountain denizens ideal conditions for per- 

 fect development. For a minimum of care we may enjoy 

 the quaint picture of a plantation in full bloom such as 

 represented by our illustration. The photograph was 

 taken during the past summer in the writer's rock- 

 garden in Glenside, Pa. Sempervivum arachnoideum, a 

 native of the Alps, is distinguished by the cobwebby hair 

 connecting the tips of the leaves of the inner part of 

 the rosettes. The comparatively large blossoms in bright 

 reddish pink are borne on thick stalks, three to four 

 inches high. Being in flower during July and August 

 they add to the floral mid-summer effect of rockeries in 

 a perceivable degree. 



Best known and easily obtainable sempervivums, be- 

 sides the species mentioned, are Sempervivum Amaliae, 

 Roginae, robustum, soboliferum and teetorium. Desir- 

 able varieties distinguishable by brownish colored ros- 

 ettes are Sempervivum rubens, triste and violaceum. 

 Propagation is by offsets, leaf-cuttings and spring sow- 

 ings of seed. 



ScM<iyLd. SS(/C£c/ 



Southboro, Mass. 



Glenside, Pa. 



