April 4, 1914 



HORTICULTURE 



517 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



< l)M>rCTED BY 



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iJiicstioQs by our readers in line with any of tlie tn[iics [iri'sculcd nu this page will lie fordially received and promptly answered 

 by Mr. Farrell. Sucli lonimuulcatious slionld invariably be addressed to the otlioe of HORTICULTURE. 



LIBRARY 



"TStVV YORfP 

 «OTANICa'>J 



Care of Sweet Peas 



To niiike sweet peas hold out as long as possiljle. Iirar 

 in mind tliat they are naturally cool, moisture InxinL; 

 subjects and no attempt should ever be made to force or 

 coddle them. There are few days after April comes 

 in when tlie ventilators cannot be opened for at least a 

 few hours daily. Growth is now rapid under glass, and 

 unless the plants are looked over frequently, there is 

 danger of the haulm becoming hent -which will sjioil 

 the flowers for sale purposes. Sweet peas should he 

 watered so as to keep the soil always in a moist state. 

 When the flowers are picked give a good syringing. 

 Plants flowering should be supplied ^vith liquid manure 

 once a week, or in place of this have a top dressing of 

 cow or sheep manure hoed in before watering. A night 

 temperature of 50 degrees will be about right. 



Dracaena indivisa 



To have vigorous stock of this unapproachable vase 

 plant give it good attention. Seed that was sown early 

 in the year, when large enough should be potted into 

 small pots, this -nail hold them until they can be planted 

 oi^t in the open ground, which is better then growing 

 them under glass during the summer. Use a compost of 

 fibrous loam three jjarts, well-rotted cow manure and 

 leaf mold one part each. Give them a light warm 

 house so as to push them along and exercise caution as 

 to watering. IDo not keep in too low a temperature. 

 About 60 degrees will grow them on in good shape. On 

 all bright days give them a good syringing which helps 

 to keep them clear of thrips. 



Overhauling Poinsettias 



Do not wait too long before overhauling the poin- 

 settias. Old plants that have Ijeen resting since the 

 new year can now be started, shortening back the stems 

 and repotting in as small pots as the roots will permit. 

 Remove all stock plants to a well-lighted bench where 

 there is a temperature of about Go degrees at night. 

 Give them a good soaking of water and then keep rather 

 on the dry side until the plants start to break and they 

 will soon produce a quantity of fine cuttings. When 

 cutting in, you can use the old-wood cuttings; by plac- 

 ing in a wann frame and keeping the temperature from 

 65 to TO degrees, in about three or four weeks they will 

 be rooted. Pot them into 3-inch pots, using a good 

 loam to which has been added one-fourth of rotten 

 manure. Cuttings can be rooted at any time from now 

 until the middle of August. Those propagated in July 

 and August are fine for making up pans, but the earlier 

 ones will give the finest bracts for cutting. 



Mr. Farrell's next notes will be on tlie following: Care of Seed 



Sowing Palm Seeds 



There is many a grower who has some room to spare'^'^KOesi, 

 and could to advantage raise some palms from seed. 

 It is during the spring and sunmier that the gxeater 

 number of shipments arrive. The seeds can be sown 

 in a bench, flats or pans where they can have a bottom 

 lieat of 75 to 80 degrees. \Alien planting palm seed 

 i-emember that they will not come up in a couple of 

 weeks like most seeds. Palm seed germinates very 

 irregularly and the gei-minating period varies accord- 

 ing to the variety, anywhere from four weeks to six 

 months. Leaf mold, sand and loam in equal parts, 

 make a good compost for any variety. Give them a 

 house with from 65 to 70 degrees at night. They will 

 geiTninato better if given a closed sash where they will 

 have a bottom heat of from 75 to 80 degrees. As the 

 hot weather comes on a mild-hot bed makes an ideal 

 place. Wlien they show one or two leaves pot off 

 singly into 2-inch or 2-i-inch pots. 



Transplanting Primulas 



The earliest sown primulas are now nice little plants 

 with several leaves. Timeliness in transplanting is a 

 IX)int principally to be observed in growing primulas. 

 Use a compost of equal parts of new soil and leaf mold, 

 with a little well decayed cow manure. Give a light 

 shelf or bench where the temperature will not run over 

 50 degrees at night. These plants will grow from this 

 out so in about six weeks they should be ready for 

 2-inch pots using a compost of fibrous loam four parts, 

 well rotted cow manure and leaf mold one part eacli. 

 Give air daily whenever possible, but always avoiding 

 cold draughts and do not try to force them. They are 

 Ijenefited by a light shading during the hottest hours 

 of the day. Never let them suffer for the want of 

 water and syringe on all fine days. A comfortaljle 

 spacing out once a week will give them more room to 

 grow. Look evei-y ten days or fortnight for aphis, and 

 where they are seen fumigate immediately. 



Preparing Beds and Borders 



The necessity of attention to all beds and borders, on 

 the opening of spring, is so evident tiiat it is .scarcely 

 necessary to urge it. All beds and Ijorders should now 

 have a good cleaning and be put in the best order. Give 

 them a good coating of well-rotted manure which can 

 be dug in lightly. All hardy herbaceous jierennials 

 should be uncovered and lightly worked over and also 

 manured, as these plants are rank feeders. 



linjis; Clirysantlienuims; Alorasias ; Orchids; Young Marguf rites. 



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