April, 1914 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



99 



then allowed to settle, makes an ideal 

 liquid fertilizer for all pot or garden 

 plants out of doors, if diluted with an 

 equal quantity of water before using. 

 Half a pint of the diluted solution once 

 week or so would be beneficial to the 

 plants before the blossoms show. The 



commercial fertilizers named are best 

 for indoor use for sanitary reasons. Half 

 an ounce of nitrate of soda dissolved in a 

 gallon of water is a good substitute fer- 

 tijizer. About half a pint of this once 

 every week or ten days will benefit the 

 plants. 



Short Hints on Planting 



I 



Wm. Hunt, O.A, 



IN transplanting fibrous rooted, or in- 

 deed almost any perennial plants, the 



height and density of habit are the 

 main points to consider as to the dis- 

 tance apart. A good general rule is to 

 have the very tall plants at least two or 

 three feet from any other plant. By 

 setting the taller plants four or five feet 

 apart toward the back or centre of the 

 border, plants of medium height could 

 then be planted between them. The 

 same rule could be followed to some ex- 

 tent with the medium height plants. 

 Plants of medium height should be 

 planted mainly toward the middle of the 

 border. One or two feet apart is a 

 good distance apart for these last. Plant- 

 ed two or three feet apart would allow 

 of dwarf plants and clumps of spring 

 flowering bulbs, such as tulips, narcis- 

 sus being planted between them. These 

 last named bulbs should, of course, be 

 planted in the fall. 



A plant or two of perennial larkspur or 

 Anchusa Italica dotted here and there 

 about twenty or thirty feet apart may 

 Ix; planted in about the centre of the 

 border. These plants stand out in con- 

 spicuous relief. The plants used for 

 this purpose should be of a fairly com- 

 pact habit, the kinds named are well 

 suited for this purpose. The dwarf per- 

 ennials should be planted about a foot 

 apart. The clump or group system of 

 planting is best for perennials. I consid- 

 er spring the best time for transplanting 

 fibrous-rooted perennials, as the spring 

 flowering bulbs are all showing, and 

 there is not so much danger of disturb- 

 ing them as there is by planting in the 

 .fall. Otherwise, early fall planting for 

 [all perennials is desirable. 



MOSTBRETIAS 



The pretty, late-flowering plants 

 known as Montbretias belong to the 

 i bulbous-rooted class. To be correct, 

 [they are produced from corms similar 

 Lto the crocus and gladiolus. Indeed, the 

 [Montbretias might very justly be called 

 '"miniature gladiolus," being much like 

 ' the last named flower, not only in the 

 form of growth and the reproduction of 

 their corms, but also from the habit of 

 their growth and the form of their flow- 

 ers. In the color of their flowers, how- 

 [ever, there is not found the wide range 

 found in the gladioli, the dominant colors 

 rinrl sh.idcs f)f Monlbri-tins Ix-ing main- 

 ly of a yellow or brown, or shades of 

 these colors. They are, however, very 



C, Guelph, Ont. 



pretty and attractive. A vase of them 

 with their wavy, graceful, dark green 

 foliage interspersed with their oddly- 

 shaped trumpet-like blossoms of all 

 shades of orange, brown and bronze, 

 make them very acceptable for cut floral 

 decorations toward the end of summer, 

 when flowers are sometimes scarce in 

 the garden. 



The best time to plant the corms is 

 very late in the fall or very early in the 

 spring, just as soon in spring as they 

 can be got into the ground. The corms 

 (or bulbs) cannot sometimes be obtained 

 early enough in the fall to plant, as the 

 plants are often green and vigorous and 

 in flower until winter sets in for good. 

 If the corms can be obtained, they may 

 be planted successfully In November. 

 They are not quite as hardy as tulips and 

 narcissus, therefore it is best to protect 

 them during winter by placing over them 

 four or five inches of strawy manure. 

 Most of the varieties will come through 

 the winter all right treated In this way. 

 Some growers make a point of digging 

 the corms very late in fall after the tops 

 have been frozen and winter them over 

 in a cool, fairly dry cellar in a tempera- 

 ture of about forty degrees Fahrenheit. 

 They should not be kept in a hot, dry 

 cellar during winter. I have found it 

 a good plan to lay the corms in a shal- 

 low box and cover them with an inch or 

 two of dry sand or dry sandy soil, leav- 

 ing the tops on and standing out from 



the soil. The tops and the old dry black 

 corms, under the corm to be planted, 

 should be cleaned off just the same as 

 with gladiolus before planting. The 

 culture of the Montbretia is very similar 

 to the culture of the gladiolus. 



It is [best to plant Montbretias 'in 

 clumps or groups about twelve to fifteen 

 corms in a group. Set the corms about 

 three inches apart and cover them with 

 about three inches of soil. They will 

 grow in any good garden soil, but suc- 

 ceed best in a fairly rich, loamy soil. 

 Like the gladioli and other bulbs, fresh 

 strawy manure for a fertilizer should not 

 be used when planting them. No man- 

 ure or fertilizer should come in direct 

 contact with the corms when planted. 

 I have often wondered that more of these 

 pretty little bulbs with their quaint, oddly 

 colored flowers are not oftener seen in 

 our gardens. Most of our seedsmen 

 catalogue them for sale. Plant a few 

 of them as early as possible this spring. 



Rose Culture 



By an Amateur 



Whatever shade you have for your 

 roses must not be provided by trees. 

 The roots of these rob the soil and their 

 leaves prevent a free circulation of air. 

 Close proximity to buildings and fences 

 should be avoided, as the reflection of 

 the sun's rays upon the flowers causes 

 them to wither very quickly, and in 

 winter the snow is liable to drift too 

 deeply over the plants, breaking them 

 down. 



LOCATION OF TffE BED 



The location of the rose bed should 

 be on ground thoroughly drained either 

 naturally or artificially. The matter of 

 soil is of less importance than location, 

 as roses will grow in almost any soil 

 short of pure sand. You will, however, 

 give them the best sort you have or can 

 procure. 



A Prize Verandah ia a Compelition Conducted Last Year hj the Ottawa Horticullaral Saciaty [ 



Ifosiilcuoo of iAiiv. D. T. .\l.u!lja,iifin. 



