THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



January, 1910 



exceptionally peculiar plant in this re- 

 .sf)cct that its whole treatment must be 

 an exception to the general rule. Fill 

 the saucer of the pot full of water. If 

 the plant takes it all up, replenish, and 

 repeat until it refuses to take up any 

 more. 



If at any time you are unable to get 

 the soil to hold a sufficient quantity of 

 water by pouring it on the top or feed- 

 ing from the bottom to convince you 

 that it is thoroughly saturated, set the 

 pot right over the top in a basin of wa- 

 ter and let it soak. With good drain- 

 age, if the soil is allowed to dry before 

 another watering, these soakings will 

 not hurt it, but they should not be giv- 

 en except as a last resort. 



Do not use cold water. Let it set in 

 the sun until it becomes lukewarm, or 



Mfid sufficient hot water to make it the 

 desired temperature. Tepid water is 

 not only better for the plant, but it will 

 penetrate the soil about the roots more 

 readily than when cold. 



Use rain water ; never water the 

 azalea with water from the well or hy- 

 drant if it is hard. Lime in any quan- 

 tity is injurious to this plant and the 

 water of some wells contains a sufficient 

 quantity of lime to kill the azalea in a 

 short time. Do not water too often. 

 *rhe roots of this plant must not be kept 

 wet or they will rot. When watering 

 do it well, then give no more until the 

 plant begins to get thirsty. 



Space will not allow further discussion 

 in this issue. Next time, pointers on 

 the periods of growing, blooming and 

 resting will be given. 



Feeding House Plants 



Byj"jPlanta" 



IT should never be forgotten that 

 plants need food just the same as the 

 different members of the animal king- 

 dom, and especially is this the case with 

 house plants, which have to be for va- 

 rious reasons kept in as small pots as 

 possible for as long a time as possible. 



In the first place, a soil should be used 

 that will retain its feeding properties 

 for some time, and for this purpose 

 bone meal should be used when pot- 

 ting. This dissolves into plant food 

 very gradually and therefore gives a 

 supply for a considerable period. The 

 finer the bone the quicker the action. 



The soil used for many plants requir- 

 ing a loose open soil will soon become 

 depleted owing to water easily draining 

 through, carrying with it the plant food 

 for these and the former when they 

 show they need it other methods can 

 be employed. Occasionally a little 

 household ammonia in rain water can be 

 used as a stimulant, but care must be 

 taken not to give it too strong and only 

 to a growing plant in good health. 



There are also several kinds of plant 

 food sold by seedsmen. These are done 

 up in packets generally with full direc- 

 tions and have been used with varied 

 success. Never give a plant liquid ma- 

 nure or stimulant, however, when the 

 soil is dry. 



Florists, owing to the quantity of 

 plants they have to water, are mostly 

 obliged to water with "hard" water, but 

 soft rain water is better and most dwell- 

 ing houses have a handy supply, fepid 

 (not hot) water is better than cold water. 



A very good plan of feeding plants is 

 to soak them in a tub of water with 

 some liquid manure mixed with it. It 

 makes a little more trouble, but it thor- 

 oughly impregnates the soil with plant 

 food. Put enough liquid made from 

 old rotted cow manure into a tub of rain 

 water to make it the color of ordinary 



tea. Plunge the pots into this to just 

 below the rim and let them soak there 

 for an hour or two; then take them out 

 and allow to drain for a short time be- 

 fore putting into their proper places. 

 They will not need watering again prob- 

 ably for two or three days or even more, 

 according to the temperature of the 

 room they are in. It is a good thing 

 to have some of this liquid manure al- 

 ways on tap if the material for making 

 it is available. 



Strong growing plants can take up 

 much more food and take it oftener than 

 the weaker ones; therefore, be careful 

 not to overfeed the weaker ones. 



As a general rule, pot plants into 

 larger pots in the spring or during sum- 

 mer. Palms will grow in small pots for 

 years if judiciously fed. 



Do not forget that plants want air, 

 both leaves and roots. To air the roots 

 loosen the top soil frequently with an 

 old fork or something of the kind. Don't 

 expose the plants to cold drafts. An 

 occasional washing or hosing of the 

 leaves will keep the leaves free from 

 dust and insects. 



Do not on every occasion stand your 

 plants out in the rain. Thousands of 

 plants have caught their death of cold 

 through this, and no amount of feeding 

 will bring them back to health again 

 when they begin to look sick from this 

 cause. With all these injunctions use 

 plenty of judgment, common sense and 

 love. 



A few cacti add interest to the collec- 

 tion of house plants. 



An occasional stirring of the surface 

 soil in flower pots is beneficial. 



Do not allow the house plants to suf- 

 fer from lack of water. Some kinds in 

 sunny windows need water every day. 



A Two-year-old Garden 



The accompanying illustration of an 

 aster bed was secured last season in 

 the garden of Mr. VV. A. Greenslade, 

 Peterboro. The bed contained nearly 

 300 asters all grown from seed saved by 

 Mr. Greenslade. 



In the same garden, there were thirty- 

 three varieties of sweet peas ranging in 



\..A.A' 







Asters Growo al Home from Stti 



color from white \arieties to black Mich- 

 ael. Many gladioli, dahlias, roses and 

 other things combined to make the gar- 

 den most attractive. Mr. Greenslade 

 starts most of his seeds of annuals in a 

 hotbed and in the house. 



Vegetables have a prominent place in 

 this garden. Last summer, Mr. Green- 

 slade picked his first tomatoes on July 

 31. He had a large yield of the Pon- 

 derosa variety, the specimens averaging 

 nearly fourteen ounces each and one of 

 them weighed over seventeen ounces. 

 The tomato seed is started in the hot- 

 bed and transplanted to the open ground 

 three feet apart. The plants are trained 

 on stakes. His first potatoes were har- 

 vested on July 22. This is the second 

 year for this garden and Mr. Greenslade 

 states that he received his knowledge of 

 how to grow these things successfully 

 from The Canadian Horticulturist. 



Liatris and Hibiscus 



If seeds of Liatris or Blazing Star are 

 sown in September will they produce flower- 

 ing plants the following season;' Will Hib- 

 iscus Moscheutos sown in July bloom next 

 season I'' — M. \V., London, Ont. 



Neither of the plants mentioned will 

 produce much flowering result next sea- 

 son, although a few flowers may be ob- 

 tained. Both plants being of a perennial 

 nature, will grow and flower for several 

 years after once becoming established. 

 From the fact that both of them pro- 

 duce their flowers rather late in the sea- 

 son, it may be possible to get a few flow- 

 ers the first season after sowing. Much 

 depends in this respect upon the growth 

 and culture. — Wm. Hunt. 



