February, 191 2 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



33 



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A Piece of Skilful Gardening in Mr. White's Garden 



This damp, sunless corner between two houses in Mr. White's garden was turned into an ideal spot by using suitable native and other 

 shade-loving plants. The native cardinal flow?r flourishes to perfection here. 



Spraying Plants Indoors 



Wm. Hunt. O. A. 



THT-: necessity of spraying to keep 

 clown insect pests and plant dis- 

 ea.ses in connection with all out- 

 door horticultural pursuits becomes 

 more apparent every year. It is even 

 more necessary in connection with in- 

 door plant growing on account of the 

 more unnatural conditions prevailing in 

 the greenhou.se and window, such as a 

 dry, arid atmosphere produced by arti- 

 ficial heat and lighting, or possibly an 

 impure atmosphere produced by gas 

 fumes from furnaces, stoves, or from 

 ga.s jets. No better element to counter- 

 act the bad effect of these la.st-named on 

 plant life can be found than moisture, 

 whether by water applied directly to the 

 plant or as a vapor induced by the pro- 

 cess of evaporation. 



Not only is a moist atmosphere and 

 moisture necessary for the health < f 

 plant.s from a cultural point of view, but 

 it is just as necessary as a preventive of 

 insect pests, few of which can exist or 

 endure the direct application of water 

 or thrive in an atmosphere heavily im- 

 pregnated with moisture. The dry and 

 almost super-heated atmosphere out r>f 

 doors in summer are ideal conditions for 

 the increase and spread of insect pests. 



Tropical climates, where a moist, 

 humid atmosphere prevails, are almost 

 immune from many of the insect pests 

 that are common here. Hence the de- 

 sirability of moisture to counteract the 

 aridity arising from the artificial heat 

 that prevails in our dwellinghou.ses in 

 winter. At the same time, it is quite 

 possible to go to the other extreme by 

 injudicious spraying, that- will induce 

 plant disease in some form, more espe- 



C, Guelph, Ont. 



cially with the more tender foliaged 

 plants. 



All greenhouse men know the absolute 

 necessity there is for spraying or syring- 

 ing in greenhouses. A few words on the 

 main points may be of service to those 

 who have small greenhouses. 



The spraying or syringing of plants 

 should be a distinct and separate cpera- 

 tion from the watering proper. If the 

 two operations, watering at the roots 

 and spraying, are attempted at the same 

 time, neither of them can be done suc- 

 cessfully. Either the plants are sod- 

 dened with too much water or some are 

 missed altogether. Water the plants as 

 required at the roots first, then do the 

 spraying after. 



I have seen batches of small plants 

 and many fine specimen plants badly m- 

 jured by the careless application ol 

 water to the foliage under heavy pres- 

 sure from the hose. A fine spray, thor- 

 oughly applied so as not to miss any 

 part of the plant that requires spraying, 

 is better than a heavy application only 

 partially applied. Thorough, not neces- 

 sarily heavy, applications arc quite as 

 necessary in all spraying operations as 

 the proper mixing of the material if in- 

 secticides are applied. 



Glaucous or glossy leaved plants ran 

 Ix; sprayed very frequently. The rougher 

 or hairy-leaved plants should not be 

 sprayed so frequently or heavily. A few 

 kinds, such as Rex Begonia, gloxinias, 

 tuberous-rooted begonias, having hir- 

 sute or hairy foliage, are best not spray- 

 ed at all, if it ran possibly Ise dispensed 

 with. 



There are very few plants that can l?« 



syringed or spread overhead when in full 

 bloom without danger of injury to the 

 flowers. The tender texture of the petals 

 of most flowers are very easily injured 

 if allowed to remain in a damp condi- 

 tion for any length of time. If the foli- 

 age of plants in flower has to be spray- 

 ed, it is best to spray from underneath 

 rather than over the top. The moisture 

 wi'l thus reach the part of the fol-age 

 where insect pests are usually found, 

 and it will not injure the blooms so much 

 as overhead spraying. An angle nozzle 

 on the syringe or hose that will give an 

 up-cast spray is advisable for greenhouse 

 work . 



The temperature of the greenhouse 

 should not be allowed to rise unduly iiigh 

 on flowering plants when they have bcei 

 syringed or sprayed. A high tempera- 

 ture and a very humid atmosphere will 

 often damage many of the more tender 

 iilooms without actual contact with 

 water. Open the ventilators a liltle to 

 allow the heated humid air to escape 

 aflter spraying flowering plants, so as 

 to avoid damage to the blooms. The 

 best time to spray flowering plants iS in 

 the morning on fine bright days. 



SPRAYING FOLIAGE PLANTS 

 It is scarcely po.'sible to have a too 

 humid atmosphere for foliage plants. 

 The treatment of these in regard to 

 spraying is directly opposite in many re- 

 spects to that of flowering plants. Hoth 

 overhead and underneath spraying can 

 be indulged in freely vi'ith all kinds of 

 foliage plants, such as palms, crotons, 

 dracaenas, and similar plants. The best 

 time to syringe or spray these plants is 

 in the afternoon while the sun is still 

 siiining a little on the house. By spray- 

 ing thoroughly at this time of the day 

 and closing the ventilators up tight, a 

 dense bnmid vapor almost like steam is 



