290 



THE CANADIAN H ORT IC ULTTIT? TRT 



December, \9\^ 



ber of blooms jjer bulb, neverthel|ess 

 they are very desirable for cutting. 



Begonias, Lorraine and Cincinnati 

 should be in fine shape whether they have 

 been subject to warm or cool treatment. 

 Those grown cool take longer to de- 

 velop into desirable specimens, yet some 

 first-class plants are produced under such 

 treatment. Plants that have been sub- 

 ject to a temperature of from 60 to 65 

 degrees at night, and have the flowers 

 well advanced, will do with cooler treat- 

 ment from now on to the holidays. Don't 

 let the change be too sudden, and be 

 sure and give them a sunny position and 

 a fairly moist atmosphere. Begonia Cin- 

 cinnati is by far the better house plant 

 of the two, and should be better known 

 among amateurs. It requires just the 

 same treatment as the Lorraine, save 

 perhaps it is a little easier to manage. 



FERNS IN THE HOUSE 



The nephrolepis is still the great fern 

 for house culture. The old Boston var- 

 iety, N. Bostoniensis, is the most popu- 

 lar, but there is a wide assortment of 

 others. N. Whitmani compacta, Ek>- 

 gantissimi, Todeavideo, are very desir- 

 able varieties. One bf the finest and 

 most beautiful house ferns is Cibotium 

 Schiedei. It is really surprising how 

 much ill-treatment this fern will stand 

 without showing any ill effects. Another 

 sort that stands dry heat fairly well is 

 Cyrtomium falcatum. Adiantum farley- 

 ense is especially handsome as a house 

 plant, as, indeed, are all the adiantums, 

 but the slightest chill and one drying at 

 the roots, and they are of no further use. 

 This holds good with all ferns to a 

 greater or lesser degree. Watering 

 should be faithfully done, and an even 

 temperature maintained at all times. The 

 nephrolepis varieties that are well es- 



tablished in their pots will be benefited 

 by an application of some highly con- 

 centrated fertilizer once a week. 



Pandanus Veitchii and many of the 

 highly colored crotons and dracaenas 

 make excellent plants for warm rooms. 

 All will stand drying heat with little in- 

 jury. None of these plants, however, 

 should be exposed to a temperature lower 

 than 50 degrees, or they will show their 

 resentment by dropping their foliage. 



If there are any plants that you want 

 for home use or to present to a friend, 

 which do not happen to be in the collec- 

 tioni that you are bringing along for 

 Christmas, it is advisable to order them 

 from the florist now. Pay a visit to his 

 greenhouse while he has time to take 

 you round and show you the most desir- 

 able specimens. Place your order, and 

 have it delivered just when you want it. 

 Two weeks from now your florist will be 

 so busy that he won't have time to show 

 you round as he would like to. More- 

 over, if you delay too long the best plants 

 will be sold, for it is with the florist as 

 with all others, "first come first served." 



Arbors in the Garden 



p. W. P*w*, Caiitville, Ont. 



Most people seem to think that when 

 the last bloom is gone their year's work 

 in the garden is finished. If you want to 

 make a success and a beauty spot of your 

 garden you must not neglect it a single 

 day until the garden is deep under its 

 winter coat of snow. Even then you may 

 order from a carpenter or make yourself 

 those unique and ornamental wooden 

 arches, arbors and fences of trellis work 

 of many kinds, which can be made at lit- 

 tle cost. 



Who does not enjoy going into a well- 

 kept garden which contains nicely ar- 



langed arches and arbors. Tliey are 

 sure to make you anxious to own- one of 

 your own in which to spend the summer 

 evenings or to rest on Sundays. Best of 

 all they are easily and cheaply mad<'. 

 Obtain from the lumber dealer strips of 

 pine one incli by two inches, and from 

 ten to twelve feet. A few two by four 

 scantlings, nails, and tools, are all that 

 is then needed. You can readily design 

 and erect your own structure. 



Erect it in some secluded spot which 

 you can make beautiful with vines and 

 flowers, and ornamental bushes. Do not 

 iniild too large a one or it will make an 

 unsightly instead of a beauty spot. When 

 you have erected your arbor you must 

 decide upon what vine you will use to 

 cover it. The clematis is one of the 

 best. Any of these are suitable, Jasmine, 

 Virginia Creeper, Cinnamon Vine, or the 

 Kudzu. These make a fine rapid 

 growth. A rose bower is magnificent. 



Training Pumpkin Vines 



W. U. Orenfell, Stratfotd, Oit. 



Our back verandah, covered with 

 pumpkin vines, attracted some attention 

 here last summer, and a few notes about 

 it may be of some interest to readers of 

 The Canadian Horticulturist. The ac- 

 campanying illustration was taken about 

 the middle of August. The vines had 

 to be trained up as their natural tendency 

 is to trail along the ground. 



The fruit does not show in the pic- 

 ture, but there were several quite large 

 pumpkins. They had to be supported, 

 as otherwise they would have torn the 

 vines from the supports by their weight. 

 This vine gives a good shade, and there 

 were no insects on it, except the bees in 

 the blossoms. I have thought of trying 

 the dipper-gourd in the same way, as 

 it has a rapid growth, fine dark foliage, 

 and pure white blossoms. 



The Care of House Plants 



Henry Gibton, itaatsbnrg 

 The period when plants are removed 

 from the garden to the house is a trying 

 one lor plants. Out of doors they have 

 been accustomed to fresh air, moisture, 

 and so forth, and not very high tempera- 

 ture. In the house conditions are great- 

 ly changed ; the air will be dry, and 

 there will be heat of an enervating char- 

 acter because of the lack of moisture in 

 it. Leave the windows open, and show- 

 er the plants every morning, if the 

 weather is pleasant. Use no fire heat 

 unless it is quite cold and then only suf- 

 ficient to take away the chill. By a lit- 

 tle care in this respect your plants will 

 get accustomed to the new conditions 

 by such easy stages that by the time 

 the cold weather arrives they will not 

 mind it so much especially if one is care- 

 ful to admit plenty of fresh air during 

 the middle of the day. 



