THE FLORISTS' MANUAL. 



205 



roots of the grass keep it open and in 

 a good mechanical condition however 

 firm you mak8 it, and there may be 

 something more; in decaying the roots 

 and fibres may emit bacteria that are 

 of great usefulness to the roots. As 

 we depend on a bacteria to do our 

 digesting, and possibly another one to 

 do our thinking, it is quite likely that 

 in the process of decomposition this 

 vegetable matter generates or emits 

 a valued species. Certain it is that a 

 good fibrous loam is the sheet anchor 

 of our soils. More important than any 

 fine quality or mixture of soil is to 

 have plenty of it available at all times. 

 Up to a 3-inch pot you have to sift 

 through a half or three-quarter inch 

 mesh, after that we never sift soils ex- 

 cept for seeds. From a 3 to a 4-inch 

 ar;d upwards we only chop the soil. 

 This is most important. Somebody, I 

 forget who, cursed the sieve, and he 

 was right. Use it as little as possible. 

 Chop your soil or break it up with a 

 digging fork, but don't sift it. 



SOLANUM. 



This grand genus (for a genus that 

 gives us the potato must be grand) 

 contains some species that are used as 

 ornamental plants. 



I wonder why the universally used 

 tuber is called the Irish potato. Per- 

 haps it is because its jacket comes off 

 so easy when it's hot, or perhaps Sir 

 Walter Raleigh first introduced it at 

 Cork. If he had overlooked it John 

 Smith would have taken it to Europe, 

 and if Sir Walter had gone exclusively 

 into the potato business on his return 

 and not aspired to the hand of old 

 Queen Elizabeth he might have saved 

 his head. But his head was of little 

 consequence to future generations, and 

 we have the potato that has sustained 

 life among thousands. 



In some rural districts they have po- 

 tatoes as a steady diet, mostly with 

 salt, and for a change without salt. I 

 once took supper with a rural florist 

 and the solid edibles consisted solely 

 of fried potatoes and a blessing. The 

 latter lighter commodity came first, so 

 its inappropriateness was not so ap- 

 parent. And with pleasure we lo~k 

 back at the evening and hope we may 

 never want for a fine dish of potatoes. 

 A volume could be written on t" e 

 many ways of cooking potatoes in this 

 its native land, but at a cheap board- 

 ing house of our first experience we 

 do not think there was so much vari- 

 ation in the method of cooking as in 

 the varieties of grease used. 



The Jerusalem cherry, S. Capsicas- 

 trum, is very ornamental when well 

 grown. Select seeds from a compact 

 growing plant, sow in February or 

 March in a good heat and grow in 2- 

 inch pots till frost is gone. Plant out 

 on a light and rather poor soil. You 

 don't want a vigorous growth, but 

 want a dwarf, compact plant and plen- 

 ty of flowers. If the fruit is set before 

 you lift them, so much the better. 

 They must have no frost. They come 

 in finely for the holidays and will do 

 in any greenhouse; when well berried 



they are very attractive and sell well, 

 and can be sold cheaply, as they have 

 occupied room on the benches but a 

 short time. Pinch them when first 

 planting out and again if they are 

 growing straggling. 



. STEPHANOTIS FLORIBUNDA. 



This beautiful flower was once much 

 used for the choicest bouquets and de- 

 signs, but since the advent of the long- 

 stemmed flowers there is not the same 

 use for it. Its fine, pure white, waxy 

 flowers of delicous fragrance commend 

 it to all who have a warm house. It 



STEVIA. 



The only species we grow and find 

 profitable is what we know as serrati- 

 . folia, or sweet stevia. It is an easily 

 grown plant, but the flower is light 

 and feathery, so that we value it high- 

 ly at the holidays, and common as it 

 may be we should miss it very much. 



After flowering cut dowii the plants 

 to within six inches of the pots and 

 stand them in some cool, light house. 

 You will get a great many cuttings 

 from a few plants. Propagate in Feb- 

 ruary or March, and plant out end cf 



Bunch of Stevia. 



is a true climber and should be planted 

 out in a well drained border of coarse 

 loam, but its roots are best confined so 

 that they don't ramble too far. It is 

 also grown in large pots and trained to 

 a wire frame. Mealy bug is its worst 

 enemy, but it will endure any amount 

 of syringing. 



A piece of the stem of the previous 

 year's growth will root freely, but pro- 

 pagation is not of consequence; one or 

 two plants is all you want. A plant I 

 remember very well was trained along 

 the roof of a small propagating house. 

 It was in a 12-inch pot, but its roots 

 had long ago passed through the pot 

 into a bed of coal ashes, and every 

 spring it bore hundreds of its lovely 

 umbels of flowers. 



That was an object lesson of the 

 virtue of coal ashes; but it has been 

 long known and frequently demonstrat- 

 ed in our houses that coal ashes will 

 suit many plants. A neighbor of mine 

 uses them entirely in place of sand 

 for his propagating houses and suc- 

 ceeds quite equal to those using sand. 



May. Any garden soil will do. They 

 should be at least two feet apart. Stop 

 them frequently till end of August. 



Before any danger of frost lift and 

 pot into 6 or 7-inch, but let the plants 

 stand outside as long as you can. 

 When you have to take them in give 

 them the coolest (but light) bench you 

 have. You want them at the holidays, 

 and if kept light and very cool they 

 will be robust and stout and give you 

 fine spikes. Never let frost touch 

 them, but they will thrive in a very 

 low temperature. 



STOCKS. 



The Ten Week stocks are beautiful 

 summer flowers, favorites with all. 

 Their cultivation is very simple and 

 for sowing seed and after care see As- 

 ter. They embrace many and varied 

 colors, from crimson to purest white. 



We grew for many years a pure 

 white train of the Ten Week which 

 made a handsome dwarf pot plant, as 

 well as being useful for the flowers, 

 but there is not now the same use for 

 it. 



