CANNA 



THE BULB BOOK 



CANNA 



stronger growing plants that are likely 

 to produce much foliage during the 

 season should be about 2i to 3 ft. 

 apart in the centre of the beds, while 

 the shorter varieties may be " angled " 

 with the^e in the rows, and placed 

 from Ij to 2 ft. apart, according to 

 size and vigour. It is an excellent 

 plan to fill in the larger spaces 

 between the plants with corms of 

 such showy things as Gladiolus 

 brenchleyensis, G. Lemoinei, G. 

 Childsi, etc., the foliage and blooms 

 of which harmonise so well with the 

 Cannas in the early autumn. 



The soil in which Cannas are to be 

 grown in the open air should be 

 deeply dug and well manured some- 

 time previous to planting, say in 

 April or May, so as to be thoroughly 

 sweet, and well drained. A rich 

 sandy loam is considered best, but any 

 good garden soil will give excellent 

 results with cultivation. 



The positions for Cannas should 

 always be open and sunny, and 

 sheltered from strong winds as much 

 as possible. The sunshine brings out 

 all the beautiful colour of the foliage 

 and flowers, while the shelter from 

 winds prevents the leaves from being 

 torn into shreds. 



For indoor decoration Cannas may 

 be grown in pots or ornamental tubs, 

 or planted out in bold beds, using a 

 compost of sandy loam, leaf-mould, 

 or a little old cow -manure. The 

 plants may be started into growth in 

 January or February, keeping the 

 soil fairly moist, and syringe freely 

 as growth increases in vigour. A 

 temperature of 65 to 70 F. early in 

 the year will bring the plants along 

 rapidly, and if any are required for 

 the open air, care should be taken to 

 harden them off in cooler and more 

 airy quarters about April and May. 

 By this means they will be fit for 

 the open air at the end of May 



or early in June, according to the 

 state of the weather. 



Whether grown in the open air or 

 in pots, Cannas like plenty of moisture 

 during the summer months. In ad- 

 dition to the ordinary waterings, 

 liquid manure may be given two or 

 three times a week when particularly 

 good results are desired. In the 

 autumn when the foliage begins to 

 die down, the stout root-stocks should 

 be lifted from the open, and if stored 

 in dry, airy cellars or lofts free from 

 frost, they will be perfectly safe till 

 wanted again in spring. The root- 

 stocks should be stored in sand or dry 

 soil, to prevent shrivelling too much. 



The propagation of Cannas is 

 effected either by dividing the root- 

 stocks in spring when starting them 

 into growth, or by means of seeds. 

 Each shoot of the root-stock, if severed 

 with a strong, sharp knife, will pro- 

 duce a good plant in the course of 

 the season, and this method of increase 

 is the one adopted to keep special 

 varieties quite true. 



When seeds are used, the outer 

 coats being exceedingly hard and 

 horny, are often carefully filed to 

 allow the enclosed radicle to emerge 

 more quickly. It is perhaps a better 

 and safer plan to soak the hard seeds 

 (which are about the size of those of 

 Sweet Peas) in water having a 

 temperature of 80 to 85 F. for about 

 twenty-four hours, the only difficulty 

 in this being to maintain the water 

 at the temperature mentioned. The 

 seeds should be sown in rich sandy 

 soil about half an inch deep, and 

 placed in a temperature of 70 F. 

 The soil must be kept moist, as any- 

 thing like dryness is fatal to the 

 "sprouting" seeds. When the seed- 

 lings are 2 or 3 ins. high, they will be 

 well established, and may be then 

 transferred carefully to little pots by 

 themselves. 



