September 16, 1911 



HORTICULTURE 



393 



Seasonable Notes on Culture of 

 Florists' Stock 



CHRYSANTHEMUMS 



If you want to grow your plants to the best possible 

 advantage give them an application of liquid manure 

 once or twice a week, as the beds will be full of roots 

 and in a condition to stand liquid feeding. The best 

 principle to follow in feeding is to give a little at first 

 and increase gradually until they are getting it twice a 

 week. This feeding can go on with all varieties until 

 the buds show color; after that it tends to make the 

 flowers soft and of poor keeping quality. Less spray- 

 ing of the plants will now be necessary as the days are 

 growing cooler which makes evaporation less. When 

 the bud is taken and the stem shows signs of thickening, 

 give less water at the roots and keep the atmosphere of a 

 dryer nature, but this doesn't mean to let them suffer 

 for a sufficient amount to keep them in good health, 

 Where immense flowers of fine depth and finish are 

 wanted, they can only be obtained by getting the wood 

 into the right condition of ripeness. If the tempera- 

 ture of the house falls below 45 degrees at night it is 

 better to have a gentle warmth in the pipes, and keep a 

 couple of inches of air on the top ventilators than to 

 " close the house up tight. See that you have all the fly 

 disposed of before the flowers show color. 



DUTCH BULBS 



To be successful in forcing these bulbs, you want a 

 good compost. Any good loam three parts, to one 

 part of dry cow manure, and enough sharp sand to 

 make the compost open will grow good flowers. Where 

 the above mentioned compost is not handy, of course old 

 carnation or rose soil that has some fresh loam and old 

 manure added to it will answer. Don't leave your 

 bulbs lying around for days, but box or pot them up as 

 soon as they arrive. When this has been done give 

 them as much water as the soil will take; this will 

 plump the bulbs up, and put them in the right condi- 

 tion to start and make roots. Store them away in some 

 coldframe or — what is better — a bulb cellar, and keep 

 dark and moist until they have advanced far enough 

 with root growth. It takes about five weeks to root 

 tulips, narcissi, and a week longer to root hyacinths, and 

 a longer time will give you a more perfect bloom. AH 

 the foregoing bulbs can be forced in from five to seven 

 weeks. It is well to remember that all bulbs should be 

 finished in a cooler temperature of from 48 to 55 de- 

 grees, which gives the flowers more substance, and 

 better lasting quality. 



GETTING READY FOR FROST 



Frost may be expected al any time now, so prepare 

 by lifting all stock of a tender nature from the field 

 rows and have them potted or boxed up. Take in all 

 palms and foliage plants that are in pots and tubs that 

 have been standing around for decoration. See that 

 green houses, frames, and sash to be used for storing 



such material are thoroughly overhauled and put in 

 order. Clean out all rubbish and have all repairs, such 

 as carpentering and glazing attended to with- 



out delay. Frames that are holding such stock as cin- 

 erarias, calceolaria [amen, primulas, etc., should 

 nave I heir sashi i i idiness how for immediate service 

 to prevent any damage by cold winds or frosts. Lift a 

 good many stock plant- of ahutilon, acalypha, fuchsia, 

 heliotrope, lantana, salvia, etc., pot them up, and place 

 in a cool house for stock later on. 



PLANTING Wli I BOOSING OF PERENNIALS 



In order to end right with your planting first make 

 a drawing of proposed beds and specify each plant's re- 

 spective position on this drawing. Give study to the 

 proper mingling of colors, thus avoiding mistakes that 

 would necessitate replanting. To provide for an equal- 

 ity of bloom in the border throughout the season, the 

 date at which the different types flower should also be 

 taken into account. Another thing to remember is not 

 to make the common mistake of planting them too close 

 together. Give each plant sufficient room so that it 

 can develop to its full size. Plants that grow a foot 

 high should be set approximately from 8 to 10 inches 

 apart, two feet high 14 to 16 inches, three feet high 18 

 to 20 inches and four feet high 22 to 24 inches. These 

 show borders should form a distinct feature not less 

 than 10 feet in width, and backed up with a background 

 of evergreens. 



The following is a good list to plant. For the front 

 row Achillea The Pearl and tomentosa, Arabis albida, 

 Alyssum saxatile, Campanula carpatica, Heuchera san- 

 guinea, Iberis sempervirens, Lychnis Viscaria, Sie- 

 boldi and Haageana, Phlox amcena and sublata alba. 

 Primula veris. For the second row Anemone Honorine 

 Jobert, Kriemhilde, and Whirlwind, Aquilegia canaden- 

 sis, chrysantha alba and nivea grandiflora, Campanula 

 calycanthema in colors and Medium, Chrysanthemum 

 maximum in varieties, Coreopsis lanceolata, peonies. 

 hardy phlox, delphiniums. All these should be about 

 two feet in height. For the third row you can select 

 varieties that grow about three feet high of any of the 

 foregoing. For the fourth row Aconitum Fischeri. 

 Cimicifuga racemosa, Bocconia cordata, boltonias, Digi- 

 talis gloxiniaeflora. hollyhocks, helianthus, Eupatorium 

 purpureum, Hibiscus moscheutos. These are good for 

 the last row. 



PROPAGATION 



Those who do a big spring bedding business should 

 now propagate alternanthera, achyranthes, begonias, 

 coleus, feverfew, heliotrope, double alyssum, LobelU 

 Kathleen Mallard, Perilla nankinensis, etc. After they 

 are rooted pot up all except the alternantheras which 

 are better to be put in Hats. The others can be grown 

 on in order to furnish cuttings later for the next year's 

 supply. 



8TEVIAS 



Plants that an planted out should be lifted now and 

 potted into 6 or 8-inch pots, but let them stand out- 

 side where they can be protected from any frost as it 

 will make them more robust. When you have to take 



them in give the I a houa as possible with lots 



of light and air. 



Mr. FarreU'i next not-* "ill lie on the foUowlng: Care of Ruses, 

 Forcing Tulips. Hardy Phlox, Mignonette, Orchids. Smilax. 



