22 



The Florists' Review 



Dbcombbb 3, 1914. 



PEOPAOATINO ADIANTUMS. 



I have several maidenhair ferns and 

 have tried time and again to propagate 

 them, but have been unsuccessful. Will 

 you kindly tell me the proper v?ay to 

 do this? E. M. C. 



Two methods of propagation are in 

 common use for the maidenhair ferns; 

 namely, by division of the Cfowns or 

 by means of spores. Division is the 

 method used for Adiantum Farleyense, 

 A. hybridum, A. Croweanum and some 

 few other species and varieties that are 

 in the list of trade sorts. The work 

 is preferably done in the spring, when 

 the plants are starting into growth. 

 The divisions are potted into small pots 

 and kept shaded and rather warm until 

 they get a start. 



Spores are sown on the surface of 

 the soil in pots or pans. The soil is 

 well watered before the spores are 

 sown. Then the seed pots are placed 

 in a shaded greenhouse, preferably in a 

 propagating frame, to protect them 

 from drying out, and are kept there 

 until the seedlings are large enough to 

 be pricked out. They are potted off into 

 small pots when they are large enougli 

 to handle. W. H. T. 



TOO COOL FOR MAIDENHAIR. 



Please tell me how to grow maiden- 

 hair ferns. I have tried Adiantum 

 cuneatum on the bench in a carnation 

 house and also in more shade, but have 

 not succeeded well. S. M. 



Maidenhair ferns will not make a 

 satisfactory growth in a carnation 

 house, as the carnation temperature is 

 too low for the ferns. They may be 

 grown without shading during the win- 

 ter, either in pots or planted out on a 

 bench in four to five inches of good 

 carnation soil, provided the night tem- 

 perature is kept up to 60 degrees and 

 tho ]^iants are given water enough to 

 keep the soil moist but not sodden. 



W. H. T. 



NOT A GOOD POT FERN. 



I am sending today by parcel post 

 some fern fronds. Will you give me the 

 name of the variety? It is a hardy fern 

 and I think it is decidedly pretty. Would 

 it not make a pretty pot plant? I can 

 furnish several thousands of them and, 

 if you think they would sell, I want to 

 advertise them in The Review. 



C. M. W. 



The fern in question is Pteris aqui- 

 lina, a handsome, strong-growing, hardy 

 species that is common in many parts of 

 the United States. It is a good fern 

 for outdoor planting, but not so well 

 adapted for pot culture, from the fact 

 that it is a deciduous species, and I 

 would not advise offering it as a pot 

 plant for that reason. A better species 



for trade use is Pteris tremula, which is 

 not a native, but an easy sort to manage 

 and one that is easily raised from 

 spores. W. H. T. 



WHITE SCALE ON FERNS. 



Enclosed you will find a fern frond 

 that is infested by a white insect with 

 which I am having trouble. Please in- 

 form me what this is and what must be 

 done 10 get rid of it. I have been 

 fumigating with nicotine paper and 

 have also sprayed with Fir Tree oil, 

 but neither remedy seems to have much 

 effect. Possibly I have not made the 

 applications strong enough. 



C. W. P. 



The insect in question is one of the 

 scale tribe, and one that has caused 

 much trouble and loss to fern growers. 

 It is not an easy matter to exterminate 

 this pest, but the most satisfactory 

 method is to go over the plants and 

 cut out the worst fronds first, being care- 

 ful not to allow these fronds to remain 



in the house with the plants. Then 

 either dip the plants in nicotine solu- 

 tion or spray them with it, repeating 

 this nicotine treatment at intervals of 

 about a week until several applications 

 have been given. It is best to protect 

 the plants from the sun while they are 

 wet with the nicotine solution, or the 

 fronds may suffer, particularly the 

 tender tips of the young fronds. 



W. H. T. 



WBITH INSECTS ON FERNS. 



Please tell me the common and scien- 

 tific names of the small white mite on 

 the accompanying fern leaves. I should 

 like, also, to know the life history of 

 the insect — it turns into a small fly-— 

 and how to get control of it. There is 

 no trouble in cleaning the plants by 

 syringing, but th^ pest comes back. 

 Where does it come from and how can 

 it be kept away? C. S. 



The insect in question has caused 

 much trouble to fern growers, especially 

 to those growing nephrolepis, and is not 

 an easy one to control. The best treat- 

 ment is to cut off and burn the badly 

 infested foliage and then to spray with 

 nicotine solution at regular intervals. 

 The nicotine treatment may disfigure 

 the tips of young fronds if used too 

 strong, and it is safer to shade the 

 plants from sunshine while they are wet 

 with the spray solution. 



It would be more satisfactory to write 

 to your state entomologist for the tech- 

 nicalities regarding this insect^ sending 

 him specimens and all the information 

 you have as to the habits of the insect. 



W. H. Taplin. 



CARNATIONS GO TO SLEEP. 



Can you frive me any information 

 as to why my carnations go to sleep 

 l)efore they are fully open? The trouble 

 started early in October, when the first 

 blossoms were cut, and it is getting 

 worse. The plants were benched during 

 the first week of August and made a 

 good start. The soil is a somewhat 

 heavy loam, with no fertilizer of any 

 kind except a liberal layer of partly 

 decayed cow and horse manure, mixed, 

 at the bottom of the soil. The roots 

 reach well down to the bottom now. 

 I have twice given liquid manure, 

 which seemed to aggravate the trouble. 

 I have ventilated freely every day and 

 the temperature is kept at 50 degrees 

 at night, with a rise of 10 to 15 de- 

 grees in the daytime. Before firing 

 w&s started, however, the temperature 

 went down to 45 degrees, and even 

 lower. A. H. 



Your letter does not disclose any- 

 thing that would suggest the reason 

 for your carnations going to sleep. The 

 description you give of your soil elim- 

 inates it as a possible cause of the 

 trouble. Your temperature seems cor- 

 rect, too. I have known instances where 

 leaking gas mains were the cause of 



sleepy carnations. If there is a gas 

 main running past your houses, you 

 might be able to trace the trouble to 

 that source. I have also known carna- 

 tions to open up poorly and remain 

 sleepy as a result of the soil being dry 

 at the bottom. This usually occurs 

 during midwinter, when hard firing is 

 kept up continuously and the pipes 

 under the benches cause the soil to 

 dry out. These are about all the sug- 

 gestions I can offer, in view of the 

 nature of the information you give in 

 your letter. A. F. J. B. 



SELECTION OF CUTTINGS. 



Of how great importance is the selec- 

 tion of strong, vigorous cuttings in the 

 improvement of a strain of plants, such 

 as carnations? Has the improvement 

 in carnations been entirely a result of 

 crossing and improved methods of cul- 

 ture, or has the selection of cuttings 

 played an important part also? What 

 is the origin of Enchantress Supreme? 

 Generally, in the growing of greenhouse 

 plants, of how great importance is the 

 selection of stock plants and the care 

 which they receive? L. R. G. 



I do not know that I would care to 

 subscribe to the assertion that a variety 

 might be improved by careful selection 

 of the cuttings when propagating in that 



