April 25, 1914 



HORTICULTURE 



699 



NOTES ON CULTURE OF FLORISTS' STOCK 



CONDUCTED BT 



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Questions hv our readers in line with any of tlie topics presented on tliis page will be oordinlly received and promptly answered 

 by Mr. Farrell. Such comniuuications sLould iuvariably be addressed to the olHce of HOUTICULTLRE. 



Asters • 



There is no doubt that the finest asters are raised on 

 light, sandy soils, deeply plowed or dug and quite heavily 

 fertilized with rough Itarnyard manure the year previous. 

 I like to have the land well plowed, manured and 

 thoroughly prepared in October or November. In the 

 spring the ground is then nice and mellow, needing 

 nothing but a good raking over to have it ready for 

 planting. Aster growers should not be in too great a 

 haste to plant out. Raw cold winds, I believe, are the 

 principal cause of turning vigorous little asters into a 

 lot of yellow, blighted or stunted plants. Indoor-grown 

 plants should first be well weaned to open-air conditions. 

 The ground on which asters are to be grown should be 

 fresh when stirred, but not wet or deficient in spring's 

 natural warmth. Potted plants or those once trans- 

 planted, may be set out on the sunniest day, but for the 

 planting of those coming directly from the seed bed a 

 warm, but somewhat cloudy day should be chosen. 



Begonia incarnata 



For a fine winter flowering begonia there is 

 nothing better than Begonia incarnata. The only 

 thing that keeps it from becoming a rival of B. Gloire 

 de Lorraine or Glory of Cincinnati is that it cannot be 

 grown into a salable plant as quickly as they. Old 

 plants can be cut back and kept on the dry side for a 

 few weeks and when they show signs of breaking they 

 can be given water at the roots. Give them a tempera- 

 ture of about 60 degrees at night and they will soon pro- 

 duce fine cutting. A propagating bed that will root 

 roses will root this begonia fijie. When they are rooted 

 pot them into 2-J inch pots using a compost of fibrous soil 

 three parts, leaf mold two parts and one part of sand. 

 As they become well rooted they can be shifted into 4- 

 inch pots using a compost richer than the former. 



Cyclamens 



Cyclamens started late last fall or in midwinter are 

 among the readiest to resent any slight in cultural care 

 at just this time of the year. Cyclamens will do fine in 

 the house where your best geraniums are. In fact, that 

 is, to my mind, the proper place for them for the pres- 

 ent, but don't stick the stock in .■^ome out of the way cor- 

 ner because they like a little shade. The little plants 

 don't need any shade. For the next six weeks they 

 want light, sun, and good circulation of fresh air; then, 

 only, will they do their best. A good potting soil for 

 well advanced cyclamens is a rather stiff mixture of turfy 

 loam and thoroughly decomposed cow manure lightened 

 by the addition of some sharp sand and a small portion 



Mr Farrell's next notes will he on the following: Primulas; C 



Lily of the Valley for June 



of good leaf mold, all well broken up, but not sifted. 

 Rightly placed drainage in the larger sized pots is 



essential. 



Gloxinias 



In watering gloxinias care must be taken not to wet 

 the foliage any more than is absolutely necessary. The 

 earlier started gloxinias are now coming into bloom. 

 These are given a well shaded house, with a night tem- 

 perature of 60 degrees, the plants being kept quite close 

 to the glass. As the pots fill with roots, an occasional 

 weak dose of liquid manure will be found helpfuL 

 Elevate the best plants on inverted pots. When well 

 opened, gloxinias can be placed in a house 10 degrees 

 cooler, in which they will get more substance and keep 

 much longer, but they must always be shaded from the 

 sun and cold drafts must never strike them. There is 

 still time in which to start tubers for late summer bloom- 

 ing. Place them in flats covered lightly with leaf-mold 

 and sand in a warm moist house. Gloxinias enjoy a 

 light but moderate rich compost and it is better not to 

 use chemical fertilizers if flowers with substance are 

 desired. Seedlings started in January are now of a 

 good size in flats and will soon go into 3^ inch pots with 

 a later shift into 5-inch pots, in which they will be 

 allowed to bloom. 



Orchids 



There is at present an abundance of cattleya flowers. 

 Move plants in flower into a cool, airy and well-shaded 

 house. In order to keep down the temperature, rolling 

 lath-blinds are preferable to whitewash on the glass. Itt 

 is not necessary to remove them from flowering plants as! 

 they admit a good amount of light, but when used on' 

 other houses where plants are making their growth it is! 

 better to use them only to protect the plants from thei 

 sun and it is surely a great advantage to have all pos- 

 sible light during spells of dark, rainy weather. As the; 

 various summer cattleyas pass out of flower keep them; 

 fa.irly cool and drier at the root. Necessary potting or; 

 rebasketing should be done before the growths are too 

 much started. In regard to temperatures, no hard and 

 fast rule is possible during the summer months but 60 to 

 65 degrees at night is ample. It is preferable to give 

 some air rather than to close up tightly on colder nights. 



Winter Geraniums 

 Now is the time to select plants of the most popular 

 varieties of geraniums. Any of the scarlet ones sell well 

 at Christmas*. Plants that you intend for Christmas 

 flowering should now be sufficiently advanced to require 

 a four-inch pot. Grow on in a good light and well- 

 aired house. 



hrysanthemnms; Hydrangeas for Memorial Day; 

 Forcing; Grevlilea robasta. 



Marguerites ; 



