August 10, 1912 



HORTICULTURE 



173 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS^ STOCK 



CONDCCnCD BY 



i^ 



9h.pa/,A^^ 



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

 by Mr. Parrell. Such communications should Invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTURE. 



Care of Gardenias 



Gardenias should have every possible care aud atten- 

 tion from this out. It will not be very long now until 

 we have some cool nights which will make the tempera- 

 ture fall too low for these plants. After August 20 it 

 will be expedient to have a little heat running through 

 the jjipes so as to keep a night temperature of about 65 

 degrees. Attend well to ventilating so as not to cause 

 an unequal temperature through the house. Start in 

 the morning and keep on increasing the ventilation until 

 about 80 degrees is reached with solar heat, and reduce 

 the air in the afternoon the same way until the mini- 

 mum of 68 or 70 degrees is reached. It will be necessary 

 to thoroughly dam|) down the house two or three times a 

 day, thus creating a nice moist atmosphere, which al- 

 ways encourages the ' right growing condition for the 

 gardenia. Keep your beds moist, looking them over 

 every day and watering where necessary. Give a good 

 syringing on all bright days as it greatly helps to keep 

 down red spider and mealy bug. 



Cattleya gigas 



Now that this grand cattleya is through flowering 

 any repotting should be done. They do well in a mix- 

 ture of soft fibrous peat and sphagnum moss intermixed. 

 I have seen some growers use notliing but moderately 

 coarse osmunda fiber to grow them in and they were 

 fine. Give the pans or baskets half their depth of clean 

 crocks with a layer of charcoal on top. See that you 

 get the compost firmly all around and between the roots. 

 Should any portion of the plant be unsteady tie it to a 

 neat stick which will help them to stand firm until the 

 new roots get a grip of the compost. Be very careful 

 about the watering for four or five weeks, but when they 

 once become re-established in the new compost they will 

 require an unstinted amount of water at the roots. This 

 orchid requires a little more warmth than most of the 

 other species so always keep it at the warmer end of 

 your cattleya house. When they take hold of the com- 

 post do not keep them too densely shaded as they like a 

 I'ather strong light to grow in. Give ventilation as all 

 cattleyas delight when there is a liberal supply of pure 

 air but without cold draughts. 



Cuttings of Geraniums 



By taking cuttings now you will give your plants 

 time to make up another good batch in September. It 

 will be an advantage to let the cuttings lie under a 

 bench for three or four hours before putting them in 

 sand as it helps to take the sappiness out of them. Al- 

 ways trim the cuttings up well and cut below a leaf 

 joint and you will have very little trouble in rooting 

 tliein. After they are placed in sand give them a good 

 soaking of water and break only the direct rays of the 

 sun off them. They are better when kept slightly on the 



Mr. Fari'ell's next notes will be on the following: Care of Palm 



Primulas; Paper 



dry side until they beginto root and there is less likeli- 

 hood of their damping off. In about a month they 

 .should be well rooted when they can be potted up firmly 

 into 21/2-iiich pots, using any good loam. Give a thor- 

 ough watering and then wait until they are dry before 

 giving any more. Grow on in light airy house and by 

 the middle of October ;^ou will be able to take a cutting 

 from every one. 



Daisies for Winter Flowering 



Where you are growing marguerites for winter flower- 

 ing now is the time to give them their last potting. 

 Give them either an 8 or 9-inch pot, well drained. 

 Marguerites are very strong feeders so give them a gen- 

 erous compost, adding at least one-third of cow manure 

 to your soil. To keep them bushy and shapely pinch 

 several times up to about October. They can be kept 

 outdoors until about the middle of September when 

 they should be gi\cn a cool and airy house to grow in. 

 Now is the time to put in a good batch of cuttings which 

 can be grown into 6 or 7-inch pots for Easter trade. 



Ferns for Making up Dishes 



Do not neglect to pot up a good lot of these small 

 ferns for table decoration. Young plants that have at- 

 tained a good size in flats can be potted into 2-inch pots 

 and will make fine material to use by growing them on. 

 They like a compost of loam, leaf mold and old cow 

 manure in equal parts with enough of sand to keep it 

 porous. Place them well up to the glass and on some 

 ashes or sand which will keep them from continually 

 drying out. Give just enough shade to exclude the 

 strong rays of the sun. Keep the air heavily charged 

 with moisture by syringing and damping down three or 

 four times a day. Go over these young ferns three times 

 a day and water where necessary, so they will not suffer 

 from being dry at the roots. See that they have a nice 

 circulation of fresh air by proper ventilation and spread 

 them out from time to time so they will not crowd one 

 another. 



Roman Hyacintlis 



Have all flats in good order for these bulbs which are 

 due to arrive any time this month. Give them a soil 

 that has been unsparingly enriched with very old man- 

 ure. When planting leave the top of the bulb just even 

 with the top of the soil and be sure that the soil is made 

 good and firm around each. Give the flats a thorough 

 watering and place outside. It is important with Ro- 

 man hyacinths that they make good root development 

 before the tops begin to show, so place them where they 

 can have a good cool place. Cover them up with from 

 four to five inches of soil and examine them often in 

 order to, keep up the necessary amount of moisture at 

 the roots. 



;; Chrysanthemums; Crotons; Preparing Compost for Winter; 

 White" Narcissi. 



