November, 19'22 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



223 



QUESTION BOX f 



: 



W. E. GROVES 



Asparagus Tttming Brown 



My asparagus is kept on a tabic near a window 

 and is watered once a week by standing the pot 

 in a tub of water, yet the shoots keep turning 

 brown. — Mrs. G. E.. Hamilton. 



The condition described is caused by 

 either lack of food or a sour condition of 

 the soil. If the pot is fairly full of roots 

 the plant may need repotting or a little 

 fertilizer. If the window gets any sun, 

 the once a week watering is probably not 

 quite sufficient. It is quite safe to water 

 the plant in the ordinary way, though 

 for a thorough soaking the tub treatment 

 is correct. Try watering about twice or 

 three times a week without standing the 

 plant in a tub, and either give a slightly 

 larger pot or a little fetrilizer. 



Hoya and Azalea 



" How can I obtain a hoya and an azalea? 

 The seed houses do not catalogue them." — -P. M 

 .\.. Glanworth, Ont. 



Azalea indica may be easily bought 

 during the fall and winter from any town 

 or city florist, .these being always avail- 

 able as Christmas plants. Azalea mollis 

 can be secured from any nurseryman. 

 Hoya is not so easily secured, but some 

 of the florists who grow assorted green- 

 house plants are the most likely to be 

 able to supply. Some of them may see 

 this question and reply tlirough the 

 editor, or the enquirer could possibly get 

 in touch with some of the advertisers in 

 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



Growing Musk 



Can sweet-scented Musk be grown from seed? 

 ■ scribe kind of soil, time of planting and care 

 cessary. — Mrs. A. S., Niagara Falls, Ont. 



Musk (Mimulus moschatus) can be 

 rown from seed. This should be sown 

 un a fairly light soil in early spring and 

 when large enough to handle, the plants 

 could be pricked out in pots or a box, 

 potting up as they become strong enough. 

 .\ good way to grow them is to pot several 

 in a five inch pot as in this way a good 

 full pot is secured. In summer, musk 

 may be grown outside, but it is not very 

 hardy excepting in very sheltered situa- 

 tions. A good loam with a little manure 

 is the kind of soil to use. 



Pests of Lettuce and Asters 



"The roots of my lettuce and asters are 

 covered with a small, white bug about the same 

 size as the green ones on rose bushes. What 

 shall I do for them?"— J. C, Brantford, Ont. 



It is late in the season for any effec- 

 tive remedy to be applied. A sour or 

 rather poor soil may be partly responsible 

 for the pests, and it will be wise now to 

 prepare for another season. An applica- 

 tion of lime will help, as would also a 

 dressing of manure with .specially good 

 fligging. Be careful during another grow- 



ing season to do all the cultivating pos- 

 sible at the same time trying to induce a 

 vigorous growth. It is just possible that 

 the dull, damp weather of recent weeks 

 helped to provide the right conditions-for 

 the pest, but with the precautions sug- 

 gested, there should be little difficulty in 

 overcoming it another season. 



Hyacinth Buds 



Why do Hyacinth buds form at the base of 

 the plant and fail to develop ?^E. J. C, Brock- 

 ville, Ont. 



The non-development of hyacinth 

 blooms is due almost always to the fact 

 that the bulbs are not sufficiently rooted 

 in the pots or wherever they may be 

 planted. This may be brought about by 

 too much forcing if the bulbs are in pots, 

 or in the case of purchased bulbs it is 

 sometimes caused by heating on the 

 journey from Europe. This does not 

 always reveal itself until the condition 

 implied in the question is seen. Too 

 much feeding is a possible reason, as is 

 also too much water. 



Care of Gladioli 



How should gladioli be cared for. I notice 

 some little bulblets around the roots. Would 

 these grow if planted in the spring? — B.C.B., 

 Hanover, Ont. 



Gladioli should be cut down to within 

 a few inches of the ground. It is wise to 

 spread the bulbs out for a little while to 

 complete drying after which they may 

 be cleaned and stored in any way that is 

 convenient. Almost any place away 

 from frost is safe but care must be taken 

 to keep cool to avoid exciting growth. 

 The bulblets may be saved and planted 

 thickly in the spring in good ground. 

 Cultivate well during the summer and 

 keep clear of weeds. By the end of the 

 season most of these will have grown 

 large enough to easily handle. Though 

 they will not flower the next year, by 

 being grown on again they are likely to 

 bloom the year following. 



Culture of Anemones 



Describe the culture of anemones, best type to 

 plant, winter protection, etc. — E.J.C., Brockville, 

 Ontario. 



There are such a number of anemones 

 that it is difficult to guess just which 

 kind the enquirer has in mind. The her- 

 baceous section, of which Japonica and 

 it's varieties are types, arc fairly easy to 

 grow and generally hardy. They need 

 good soil, deeply cultivated, a spot 

 sheltered from strong winds being the 

 most .suitable. A mulching of strawy 

 manure for the winter not only protects 

 but helps to feed as well. There are 

 several varieties but the old white Jap- 

 onica Alba with a pink kind like Queen 

 Charlotte will cover practically all the 

 requirements in this class. 



Anemone Hepatica is really the old 

 garden hepatica and is one of the most 

 exquisite little spring flowers we have. 

 For the rock garden it is a special favorite. 



Patens NuttalUana is another hardy 

 kind that is well worth growing, the i' 

 flowers being chiefly blue. Sylvestris, 

 the snowdrop windflower, is still another 

 worth while variety with white flowers. 

 Winter protection similar to that given 

 perennials generally is necessary. The 

 fulgens and St. Brigid class are not so 

 successful as hardy plants, but are really 

 the gems of the whole species. They are 

 well worth greenhouse culture for cut 

 flowers and can easily be raised from seed. 



Care of Cannas 



How shall I care for cannas after lifting them, 

 and how should they be started in spring?" 

 — B.C.H., Hanover, Ont. 



Cannas should be stored in a cellar or 

 similar position with a temperature not 

 too low. It is best to leave a little of the 

 soil when lifting, this method preventing 

 the too quick drying out of tubers. 

 Storage could be made in boxes or in a 

 corner of the cellar, as most convenient. 

 As the soil dries out it may be removed. 

 In early April the roots can be divided 

 into pieces with two or three eyes on 

 each. If these are laid on a little light 

 soil in shallow boxes, just covered with 

 soil, and watered they will quickly start 

 rooting and growing. At planting time 

 they can he easily lifted with the soil on 

 the roots and placed where required. 



Currant Bushes 



Where can I purchase black currant bushes, 

 how soon will they bear, what is the best kind? 

 — EM. J., Lansing, Michigan. 



It should be possible to buy currants 

 from any nurseryman in Michigan, or if 

 the plants are wanted in Canada any 

 nurseryman here would have them. It, is 

 not possible to take them over the border 

 in either direction as all currant stock is 

 under embargo. Black Champion, Bos- 

 koop Giant and Black Victoria are all 

 good varieties. With good plants to 

 start there should be fruit the year after 

 planting. 



Narcissus Fail to Bloom 



Several large clumps of Narcissus poeticus 

 have failed to bloom for the past three years, 

 although in a sunny location, and apparently 

 perfcctlv healthy. How shall I induce them to 

 bloom?"— E.J.C., Brockville, Ont. 



Narcissus are propagated chiefly by 

 offsets, these forming at the sides of the 

 old bulbs and obviously they have to 

 develop for two or three years before 

 blooming. It is just possible that a 

 rapidly increasing bulb like poeticus, by 

 being left in one spot for several years 

 would become too crowded and blooming 

 spoiled in consequence. It might be wise 

 to lift the bulbs, selecting for replanting 

 those that appear to be large enough to 

 bloom and planting all the small offsets 

 in a bed where they could develop. For 

 the latter puqiosc a sheltered situation 

 should be chosen and good soil prepared, 

 this ensuring rapid growth. Weeds must 

 be kept down and cultivation done as 

 much as possible. 



