16 



The R6risfcs*^lteview 



July 30, 1014. 



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SEASONABLE 

 I ^ SUGGESTIONS J 



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OaUas. 



Early in August is sufficiently early 

 to shake out and pot callas. The foli- 

 age will have dried away long ago if 

 the pots were laid on their sides out- 

 doors in a sunny iy[>ot toward the end 

 of May. An ^-inch pot will accom- 

 modate three good-sized tubers. More 

 frequently we see pots of this size con- 

 taining a solitary root, but if the plants 

 are well fed they will easily support 

 three strong tubers. The majority of 

 growers still grow the old variety 

 -lEthiopica, but an increasing number 

 arerusing the newer Godfrey. The lat- 

 ter sort is not quite so large as the old 

 sort, but is pure white in color and 

 much more floriferous. Frequent in- 

 quiries come from growers who have 

 bought Godfreys in 2i/^-inch or 3-inch 

 pots and who wonder whether they 

 should be rested, and why they do not 

 flower. Young plants should not be 

 rested, but grown along, preferably 

 outdoors in rich soil, where they caifi 

 get an occasional watering, and should 

 be potted carefully in September. 

 With this treatment the plants are 

 wonderfully strengt^ned. 



Gallas like a faifty coarse but rich 

 compost; one consisting of two-thirds 

 fibrous loam and one-third old cow ma- 

 nure, with a good dash of fine bone 

 added, suits them. After the pots are 

 filled with active roots, a top-dressing 

 of bone once a fortnight will be found 

 much to their liking, as well as water- 

 ings of liquid manure. 



Foinsettias. 



Continue the propagation of poinset- 

 tias as fast as cuttings are obtainable. 

 Now that we have hot nights as well 

 as hot days, there should be no trou- 

 ble in rooting them either in the green- 

 houses or coldframes. Be sure not to 

 allow the cuttings to become too long 

 before taking them, and always re- 

 member that those with a heel are the 

 least liable to damp off. After the 

 plants are established in small pots in 

 a close, moist house, remove them to 

 cooler and airier conditions. Euphor- 

 bia jacquinia?flora is a beautiful Christ- 

 mas plant, the culture of which is sim- 

 ilar to that of Euphorbia pulcherriraa. 

 It is readily salable when several root- 

 ed cuttings are placed in 5-inch or 6- 

 inch pots, but where long sprays of 

 its ^brilliant flowers are wanted, old 

 plants should be given bench culture 

 and iX^GA to a roof, where they will 

 produce wonderful arching sprays. 



Begonias. 



The winter-flowering begonias, such 

 as Gloire de Lorraine and Glory of 

 Cincinnati, now are making good head- 

 way and plants for early flowering 

 should go into their flowering pots or 

 pans. Keep flowers and runaway shoots 

 pinched. Be sure the compost con- 

 tains plenty of flaky leaf -mold and is 

 porous; a heavy soil is unsuitable for 

 them. While the plants need some 

 shade, it should not be heavy, but they 



like a warm house. Late rooted cut- 

 tings, even such as are taken from the 

 propagating bench now, will be use- 

 ful, as there always is a big call for 

 small plants, especially of Lorraine. 

 Lorraine flowers earlier than Cincin- 

 nati and is the one for selling until 

 early in December, when Cincinnati be- 

 gins to assert its supremacy. A couple 

 of years ago it looked as though Lor- 

 raine was to be a back number, but 

 more of it now seems to be grown 

 everywhere than a year ago. 



Hydrangeas. 



Hydiangeas in the open ground must 

 be kept well cultivated. In periods 

 of severe drought the plants will be 

 much benefited if a good soaking of 

 -water is occasionally given. When the 

 plants are grown in pots and tubs 

 through the summer they want an open, 

 sunny location. On extremely hot days 

 they may wilt a little, but if kept well 

 watered and sprayed well toward eve- 

 ning they will soon plump up. These 

 pot-grow{fl plants, by" the way* are the 

 ones to use for early forcing, as they 

 will flower much earlier and more 

 strongly than such as are potted up 

 from the field. 



The newer French hydrangeas are 



less robust than the old Otaksa a;td 

 seem to take more kindly to pot cjI- 

 ture than to the opea field. There is 

 a wide range of colors among them 

 and there can be no question that lor 

 early forcing they are splendid, but 

 for tub culture and later flowering 'the 

 old variety still is invincible, as both 

 foliage and flowers possess greater sub- 

 stance than the French varieties. 



Cyclamens. 



No matter whether cyclamens are 

 grown at this season in greenhouses, 

 moderately shaded, or in coldframes, 

 they will now be making excellent 

 growth. We have just given our plants 

 their final potting into 6-inch and 7-inch 

 pots, but there still is sufficient time 

 •for potting the plants which are to 

 flower for Christmas and January, al- 

 though I like to get the last potting 

 done by the end of August. Let the 

 compost be light and at the same time 

 be such as to allow water to pass 

 through it quickly. If slime gathers 

 on the surface, the plants start to de- 

 teriorate. Good drainage, porous com- 

 post and careful watering, added to 

 proper temperature and only necessary 

 shade, will give stocky plants and a 

 surface soil free from scum. Spray 

 once in ten days with nicotine. Never 

 mind if no insects are seen; aphis and 

 thrips are liable to be present, while 

 the dreaded mite is better controlled 

 by nicotine than by any otlier remedy. 



Kearney, Neb. — The Kearney FJoral 

 Co. was a prize-winner in the automo- 

 bile parade here July 4. The special 

 effort put upon the decoration was well 

 repaid by the interest shown in it by 

 the crowd of spectators. 



wmm 



FEBNS AND ASPARAGUS. 



Will you please tell me which is the 

 better way to grow ferns, in solid beds 

 or in benches? I shall also grow Spren- 

 geri and plumosus. What kind of com- 

 post would you recommend for the ferns 

 and what temperature would be re- 

 quired? Can I grow carnations success- 

 fully in the same house with ferns? 



J. A. W. 



FEBNS WITH OTHEE PLANTS. 



Could geraniums, ferns and carna- 

 tions be profitably grown in the same 

 house? H. P. 



The query does not state what ferns 

 are to be grown, but if Boston ferns 

 are referred to, a bench containing four 

 to five inches of good carnation soil 

 would answer well. 



Asparagus Sprcngeri and A. plumosus 

 may also be grown in a bench five or 

 six inches deep if it is purposed to cut 

 them for sprays, but if plumosus is to 

 be grown on long strings it would do 

 better in a solid bed well enriched with 

 cow manure. Asparagus will not grow 

 satisfactorily in a carnation house, as 

 it requires too much heat for the wel- 

 fare of the carnations. A night tem- 

 perature of 60 degrees is best for as- 

 paragus. W. H. T. 



Of course these three plants do bet- 

 ter in separate houses. Ferns like some 

 shade and more moisture than tlie 

 other two plants, but the nephrolepis 

 will stand more sunlight than the othtT 

 varieties of ferns and can be grown in 

 a carnation temperature. Geraniums 

 would do better in a house 5 degree's 

 cooler than carnations, but at the ^kl 

 end of the house will do quite well. 



C. W. 



IT IS NEPHBOLEFIS PIEESONI. 



We are sending under separate covor 

 a fern of which we have lost the name. 

 Can you give us the name of the 

 variety? J. B. 



The fern in question is Nephrolepis 

 Piersoni, a form of N. Bostoniensis th.at 

 originated with F. K. Pierson a num- 

 ber of years ago. W. H. T. 



