June 27, 1914 



HORTICULTURE 



9S5 



NOTES OF CULTURE OF FLORISTS* STOCK 



( <)M>rCTEn BY 



^*Ar.%p.^a^A.eU 



Questions by our readers In line witli any of tlie topics presented oa tills page will be cordially received and promptly answered 

 by Mr. Farrell. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the otflce of HORTICULTURE. 



Care of Violets. 



To keep violets that are under glass in good condition 

 will require lots of attention from this on. If there is 

 any crop that requires to be kept strictly clean during 

 every stage of their growth it is the violet. They should 

 be gone over every week and all diseased or decayed 

 leaves removed. Keep the soil open and sweet by fre- 

 quent and shallow cultivations. Give a good syringing 

 early in the morning on fine days so as to allow the foli- 

 age to become dry before night. When the short and 

 dark days come give all the air you can day and night 

 until winter sets in. Be always very careful in water- 

 ing, looking over the beds at first to detect the dry spots 

 which can be watered. About the first week in August 

 give them a mulch of cow manure and half soil, 

 put on about three-quarters of an inch which will help 

 to feed the surface roots which start after this date. 



Cibotium Schiedci. 



During the summer this fern will need lots of mois- 

 ture both at the root and in the house. Go over them at 

 least twice a day in bright weather. Do not keep the 

 house too humid as it makes them very soft, but on the 

 other hand when giving ventilation give it so that no 

 cold currents of air will strike them. While these ferns 

 like shade they do not want it too heavy. Shading, niire 

 times out of ten, is overdone with all kinds of ferns. 

 Where these ferns are quite pot-bound now is a good 

 time to give them some liquid feeding. There is noth- 

 ing better than cow manure. You can place about a 

 bushel of cow manure in a barrel that holds about 50 

 gallons of water and let it stand for about two days. If 

 this is too strong, dilute it some. They can get this 

 about once a week, and you will be surprised at the 

 great good this will do them in every way. 



Ferns tor Ferneries 



Where you do not raise your own stock now is a good 

 time to buy those that have been once transplanted. 

 They can be kept over winter in 3-|-inch pots. It is de- 

 sirable to have a good plant in as small a pot as possible. 

 When received put them on a bench on which is spread 

 at least one inch of sand or coal ashes, so that they are 

 not continually drying out. Keep them lightly shaded 

 and the atmosphere should be kept moist all the time. 

 Go over them three or four times a day in order that 

 none dry out. 



Primulas. 



It is always better to have the primula pots plunged. 

 Wlien this is done they will not dry out near so quick 

 as otherwise. Have the sashes raised both top and bot- 

 tom at least eight inches so they can have plenty of fresh 

 air and keep the sashes shaded so the foliage will not 

 bum. It pays to have the sashes all removed from four 

 o'clock in the afternoon until the next morning at about 

 nine o'clock, when the sashes can be put on again. Some 

 growers use lath shading, except when they run into a 



rainy spell. It is always well to go over these plants at 

 least three times a day to see if any may need water. 

 Give them a nice spraying overhead once a day. As 

 they grow they will want spacing to prevent crowding. 



Seasonable Repairs. 



If you take note you will find that the most pros- 

 perous growers are always those who put their houses 

 in proper shape before the cold weather. There will 

 be lots of bench building or repairing,, with an increased 

 use of cement. Even at the liottest time of the year, 

 the florist always finds plenty to do. It is hot work 

 these torrid days but cloths can be laid over the roof 

 to make it more tolerable. There 'is nothing worse than 

 leaky and draughty houses. Give a general inspection 

 as to painting, puttying, and other repairing. Repair- 

 ing ventilators may be necessary. Do it now and — by 

 the way — be sure that they are kept well oiled, so that 

 they run easily. There isn't a greenhouse that should 

 not have at least thorough cleaning out once a year. 

 Don't put of! cleaning for any reason; the present is 

 the time to do it. There is absolutely nothing to look 

 forward to in two months from now, but work — more 

 of it than we can attend to perhaps, but don't over- 

 look having clean houses. 



Propagating Scented Geraniums. 



Where a good stock of scented geraniums to cut from 

 is wanted for next winter a batch should be put in sand 

 now. By keeping them watered and shaded they will 

 soon root. When they are rooted pot into three-inch 

 pots and give some shade until they will stand the sun. 

 Before they get pot-bound they should be planted out 

 on a bencli in a house that runs cool. 

 A Query 



Mr. .lobn J. M. Furi-ell. ^ j . • 



near Sir: I shall ureatly appreciate your favor hi advising 

 me as to what time I shall sow mignonette in pots in order to 

 get good plants to plant in benches by the middle of August. Is 

 it time to sow the seeds, now? 



Is it necessary to have the cyclamen outdoors in frames 

 covered with sashes covered with laths on top, or is the lath 

 covering only sufficient to put over them and the sashes put on 

 at night time? Which fraire is better adapted for cyclamen, a 

 deep or shallow one'' . _ 



' A SUBSCRIBE!!. 



MIGXOXETTE. 



In reply to A Subscriber I would say that he should 

 sow his seed in pots just as soon as he can, in order to 

 have them fairly good size by the middle of August. 

 You can sow about four seeds in a three-inch pot and 

 keep moist and shaded until they come up, when they 

 should have full sun. but never allowed to dry out. 



CYCLAMEN. 



It is not necessary to have sashes on your cyclamen 

 in frames all the time. These sashes should always be 

 near at hand in case of a heavy thunder stonn, or a 

 continued heavy rain. You can put them on at night 

 if you want to without any harm by leaving them raised 

 top and bottom 6 to 8 inches. Keep the lath covering 

 on during bright, sunny days. Cyclamen likes to be 

 well up to the light so deep frames are not advisable. 



Mr. Farrell's next notes wUl be on the following: Crotona; Hydrangeas; Planting Carnations; Mignonette for Winter Flowering; 



Orchids; Keeping Down the Weeds. 



