THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



and packed between layers of moist 

 sharp sand in boxes. The boxes are 

 then buried in the ground on some knoll 

 or dry place, until planting time in 

 spring, when they are sown in drills in 

 the open ground, covering them about 

 two inches deep with soil. When these 

 stocks have reached a diameter of about 

 half an inch, three or four feet from the 

 ground, they may be grafted early in the 

 spring. 



Questionts 1063 to 1071 are answered 

 by Mr. A. Alexa7ider President of the 

 Hamilton Horticultural Society. 



Tuberous Beg'onia. 



106>'(. Sir, — I have a tuberous begonia 

 which has been in leaf all winter, it is rotting 

 at the root. What is the cause ? 



The tuberous begonia as soon as fin- 

 ished blooming should have been allow- 

 ed to dry off and be kept in sand until 

 about March, when it should again be 

 started into growth. Throw it away 

 and start again. 



Nitrate of Soda. 



1066 Sir, — How would you apply 

 nitrate of soda to house plants ? 



Nitrate of .soda is very soluble in 

 water, and the best way to apply it is to 

 put about a tablespoonful in a pail of 

 water, or about a large teaspoonful in a 

 gallon, and water with this once a week. 

 Only plants in a growing state should 

 have this treatment. 



Calla Lily. 



I06'7. Sir, — [ have a calla lily, and the 

 pot is quite full of shoots. Should these be 

 removed from the parent bulb ''. 



The shoots spoken of are the leaves 

 of young callas which are produced 

 around the parent bulb or tuber and 

 should be allowed to grow where they 

 are until after the season of rest which 



all callas should have during the sum- 

 mer. Before starting into growth next 

 fall turn the whole out of the pot and 

 take away these young callas and repot 

 the large bulb. The small ones if de- 

 sired may be potted separately thus 

 multiplying the number of lilies. 



Charcoal as Drainage. 



IO68. Sir, — Is charcoal, alone, good 

 drainage for flower pots ? 



Yes, if broken into small pieces 

 about the size of peas. Abojjt ^ of an 

 inch of this material placed over the 

 crock covering the hole in the bottom 

 of the pot with a little rough leaf mould 

 or moss over it would make an ideal 

 drainage for pot plants. 



Cannas. 



1069. Sir, — How should dormant canna 

 roots be started ? — Most of us failed with 

 ours last year. 



Canna roots suffer from two main 

 evils when being kept over the winter in 

 a dormant condition. First by being 

 allowed to get too dry, and second by 

 being exposed to too low a temperature. 

 The least frost destroys their vitality. 

 In taking them out of the ground in 

 the fall, as much soil as will adhere 

 should be taken with them and set on 

 the floor of a cellar or in boxes about 

 six inches deep set close together, any 

 place where the temperature never gets 

 below 40 or 35 degrees will do. They 

 will only require looking to once or 

 twice during the winter just to see that 

 the rhizomes are plump and fresh. All 

 they require to start every bud into 

 growth is increased heat and moisture. 

 Small roots of one or two buds or bulbs, 

 if fresh, should be potted in the usual 

 way and placed in a warm place. As 

 soon as growth begins they take plenty 

 of water. 



16; 



