128 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



May, 1915. 



Many of the Pentstemon flowers here shown 

 were over one and a half inches in diameter. 

 These flowers should have as dry a situation 

 as possible, as they suffer more from wet than 

 from cold. They are very beautiful, but tender. 

 (Photo by Wm. Hunt, Guelph, Ont.) 



soon enough to plant out in Canada, 

 and it would be better to defer the 

 planting of young green plants that 

 have been carried along in the green- 

 house a little later than this. 



Planting Distance. 



The minimum distance apart for all 

 dahlias (save the Pompom varieties, 

 which may be planted from two to two 

 and a half feet apart) should be from 

 three to four feet, and if space is avail- 

 able an even greater distance is de- 

 sirable. 



In planting it is always good practice 

 to set the stakes that are to support 

 the plants first. These should be stout 

 and, if possible, square, insomuch as a 

 square stake takes a firmer hold of the 

 ground and is not so likely to work 

 loose, as does a round one. 



For dormant tubers, dig a hole at the 

 base of each stake about one foot 

 square and eight or nine inches deep, 

 taking care to have all the holes on 

 the same side of the stakes the length 

 of the row. This not only serves as a 

 guide for digging the tubers in the fall, 

 but saves damaging them while cul- 

 tivating between the rows. When the 

 holes are all dug out, put a double 

 handful of pulverized sheep manure 

 into each one and thoroughly mix it 

 with the soil ; then pour in a large pail- 

 ful of water. When the ground has 

 settled, all is in readiness for the actual 

 planting. Plan to have the tubers five 

 or six inches below the surface when 

 the hole is levelled up. We find it a 

 good plan to just barely cover the 

 tubers and fill up the balance as growth 

 proceeds. 



A few days after planting, young 

 shoots will appear, and with these be- 

 gins the work of pruning and disbud- 

 ding. A single stem to a plant is to be 



preferred; branches not being allowed 

 to form nearer than twelve to fifteen 

 inches from the ground. Of the 

 shoots that start, the best-placed and 

 most promising one should be selected, 

 and all others be rubbed off. Never 

 hesitate to cut away side branches and 

 superfluous growths from about the 

 base of the plants. It may seem like 

 losing a good deal of bloom to do so, 

 but the result will be a better crop of 

 first quality flowers if you sharpen 

 your knife and harden your heart. 



Disbudding is an essential feature of 

 the growing of first-class blooms. The 

 buds usually are formed in groups of 

 three ; the two side ones should be 

 pinched out, and the central one allow- 

 ed to remain. This should be done as 

 soon as the buds are large enough to 

 get hold of. 



These two items are of first im- 

 portance in the successful cultivation 

 of dahlias, and are so closely allied to 

 each other that we can well treat them 

 under one heading. The main object 

 to aim at once the plants have started 

 to grow is to keep them growing. 

 Never let them get a check, or they 



will become stunted, and we have 

 stated before in this article how utterly 

 valueless is a stunted dahlia. Keep the 

 surface of the soil from becoming 

 baked by frequent stirring with the 

 hand or wheel hoe, going from four or 

 five inches into the ground. Stir 

 round the plants carefully so as to 

 avoid injuring them. As the plants 

 commence to bloom, do not go so deep, 

 but don't fail to keep the surface loos3. 

 Frequent applications of fertilizers 

 are necessary to promote free growth. 

 Sheep manure used alternately with 

 some of the other highly-concentrated 

 fertilizers that are on the market is 

 beneficial. Sprinkle a little "Bon Ar- 

 bor" around the plants every ten days, 

 and after a similar lapse of time apply 

 a dressing of air-slaked lime and rake 

 it in. Lime corrects any acidity of the 

 soil and also releases the latent pro- 

 perties of the fertilizers that have been 

 applied. Two weeks or so after this., 

 a dressing of bone meal sihould be ap- 

 plied and pointed in with a spading 

 fork, thus breaking up the surface- 

 feeding roots, checking the rampant 

 growth and causing the plants to set 

 buds. 



Basket Gardening 



John Gall, Inglewood, Ont. 



IN the limited space of a small garden, 

 the owner should try and have as 

 much color as possible. Over the 

 front doorway, prohably, arrange- 

 ments can be made to suspend two or 

 three baskets of growing flowers. 



Although the handy man can make 

 his own wire baskets, it scarcely pays, 

 as these receptacles can be purchased 

 for about twenty cents. Some people 

 stand pots amongst moss inside their 

 baskets, but the plants do not thus pre- 

 sent a pretty appearance. The best 

 plan is to obtain a piece of turf free 

 from weeds and full of fine grasses. Line 

 the basket with this material, so that 

 the grass faces outward. The second 

 method of lining a basket is with green 

 (live) moss. Of course the sides are 

 always lined as well as the bottom. 



Whilst ordinary garden soil is likely 

 to be a success, the ideal compost would 

 be half and half of leaf soil, or peat 

 fibre, and fibrous loam. To this might 

 be added a trifle of well-rotted horse 

 manure. The leafy substance in the 

 leafy soil, the peat, and the manure, is 

 retentive of moisture, and continual 

 dampness is very desirable, seeing that 

 the quantity of soil within the baskets 

 is so small. Always buy pot plants. 

 Loose roots must find difficulty in 

 catching hold in the peculiar soil con- 

 ditions. Always water with a can 

 which is furnished with a fine rose, to 

 avoid washing the compost ou.t of the 

 baskets. Twice a day is not too often 



for watering during the hottest wea- 

 ther in a sunny position, since the 

 drainage is unfortunately too perfect. 

 Do not water around mid-day, rather 

 make time before breakfast and of an 

 evening. 



With regard to suitable plants, the 

 fuchsia, erect and trailing, is pre- 

 eminently a basket flower. Foremost 

 among its merits is that the blooms 

 face the ground. Then its habit of 

 growing is so neat. The culture is easy, 

 and the season of flower continuous and 

 lasting throughout the summer and 

 early fall. Fuchsias alone would fur- 

 nish yoTir baskets, planting an upright 

 variety in the centre of each, and two 

 or more hanging ones around. Another 

 beautiful sight is baskets of ivy ger- 

 aniums. There might be a couple of 

 small central plants. A shoot could be 

 allotted to each supporting wire, 

 several stems should be trained erectly 

 to sticks, whilst two or more ivies ought 

 to be planted for falling over the edges. 



An uncommon and very showy 

 arrangement for an entrance or 

 porch is a basket of antirrhinums. The J 

 dwarfer varieties could be used for the ^ 

 middle, and the somewhat modern, 

 creeping antirrhinums for hanging 

 down. Similarly can fibrous-looking 

 begonias be planted. The blossoms of 

 this class of the begonia incline to the 

 grooind. Plant a trailer or so around 

 an erect-growing variety in the centre. 



