80 



The Florists^ Review 



Mabcu 6, 1913. 



SWEET PEAS UNDER GLASS. 



Plants which are flowering should have 

 a night temperature as near 50 degrees 

 as possible; better have it 48 degrees 

 rather than 52 degrees. The* day tem- 

 perature, when dark and overcast, may 

 advance 8 degrees, and on sunny days 15 

 degrees, with an abundance of fresh air. 

 Do not allow the houses to become warm 

 and then proceed to rush on a lot of air, 

 nor allow them to get chilly and shut 

 down tight in the same way. Open the 

 ventilators gradually, and close gradually. 

 The surest way to bring on mildew is by 

 careless ventilation. 



Plants which now have short stems 

 should be pulled out and their places 

 taken by some other crop. From this time 

 on there will be so many long-stemmed 

 flowers on the market that the grower 

 with short-stemmed stock, unless he can 

 utilize it in funeral work, will have con- 

 siderable trouble in disposing of it. 



Houses which are now coming into crop 

 should give splendid stems, provided the 

 plants are allowed four to six inches apart 

 in the rows and the rows are not too 

 close together. Four to six feet are usual 

 distances, six feet being better where 

 space will permit of it. 



Plants in flower, in fact all sweet peas, 

 must be gone over regularly and given 

 proper support. Soft, white twine run 

 lengthwise of the rows, caught here and 

 there to the upright strings supporting 

 the plants, makes thi best and neatest 

 support. These supports must be given 

 promptly, for once the stems get bent or 

 twisted, the flower stems from such are 

 unsalable. Then the question of judicious 

 feeding is a most important one. I get 

 constant inquiries from growers asking 

 why their peas come short-stemmed. One 

 cause is too thick sowing; the other, in- 

 sufficient plant food. Sweet peas must 

 have a deep, rich soil if they are to bloom 

 for a long period and produce strong 

 stems, and they must also have liquid 

 manure or topdressings of pulverized 

 sheep manure, fine bone or cow manure. 

 All these are good, and, after applying 

 them, lightly stir the surface soil prior to 

 watering. It is better not to use chem- 

 ical stimulants; these may create a strong 

 growth and give long stems, but it is 

 usually found they make growths and 

 flowers soft and that plants soon deterio- 

 rate after such stimulants are applied. 



In the matter of fumigation also ex- 

 treme care is necessary. It is easy to 

 scorch the foliage and then blame the 

 damage on some other imaginary cause. 

 When fumigation has to be done, let it 

 be in light doses and do not keep the ven- 

 tilators closed all night, particularly on 

 warm nights. Where plants are near the 

 heating pipes, there is always danger of 

 red spider getting a foothold. Force of 

 water through a spray nozzle is the best 

 preventive. 



For some years we were limited in our 



raiij^e of colors in sweet peas for forcing, 

 but now practically all shades are avail- 

 able, and as the Spencer types have prac- 

 tically driven the grandiflora varieties 

 from the field for outdoor culture, the ad- 

 vent of a large number of new Spencer 

 winter bloomers, with habits and charac- 

 teristics otherwise resembling such sorts 

 as Mont Blanc and Christmas Pink, 

 makes it probable that in four or five 

 years nothing but Spencer varieties will 

 be seen under glass, for certainly where 

 Spencer flowers are obtainable it is hard 

 work to sell the grandifloras. 



SWEET PEA LEAVES DYING. 



Can you tell me what is the matter 

 with the enclosed sweet pea leaves? The 

 old leaves become diseased and drop 

 oflF. What is the cause and the cure, if 

 any? The plants are otherwise healthy 

 and giving good bloom, but the stems 

 are short on the laterals. J. M. 



Without knowing anything of the cul- 

 tural conditions, etc., it is not easy to 

 give the reason for sweet pea foliage 



dying. If the plants are standing too- 

 closely in the rows, stem-rot may de- 

 velop. Again, if you have hilled them 

 up or given an additional covering of 

 soil, as is often advised for outdoor 

 sweet peas, you are sure to have the 

 same trouble. If the same soil has been 

 previously used for sweet peas, without 

 any change of crops, you may expect 

 diseased plants. Even partial drynesa 

 at the root will cause leaves to die off. 

 Sometimes, also, the seeds are saved 

 from plants which, if not actually dis- 

 eased, have but little vitality, and their 

 offspriftg or some portion of them will 

 come diseAWd. 



If your plants are in raised benches,, 

 you will not get as long and strong 

 stems as in solid beds. The former dry 

 out too quickly, and sweet pea& like to- 

 have their roots cool and moist. Pre- 

 suming that you had well enriched soil 

 for them, they would be much benefited 

 now by a top-dressing of sheep manure 

 or old cow manure, while liquid manure 

 once a fortnight would materially im- 

 prove them. A temperature of 48 to 50 

 degrees at night, 56 to 58 degrees on 

 dull days and 62 'to 65 degrees as a' 

 maximum on clear days, should be main- 

 tained. C. W. 



ROOT-KNOT ON POT PLANTS. 



What is the cause of root-knot on be- 

 gonias and petunias? How can it be 

 prevented and cured? 



S. B. 



I have not experienced any of this 

 trouble on begonias and petunias. If 

 you could use sterilized soil when pot- 

 ting, it should disappear. By using 

 lime and soot, especially the latter, the; 

 trouble should be minimized. C. W. 



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f SEASONABLE s^ \ 

 \ 9^ SUGGESTIONS \ 



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Mignonette. 



The second and third sowings of 

 mignonette are now giving some splen- 

 did spikes, and, while hot weather holds 

 off, the quality will hold good. Keep 

 the temperature down at night; 40 to 

 42 degrees is sufficiently warm, but on 

 many nights this winter the outside 

 temperature has exceeded these figures, 

 so all we can do is to keep them as 

 cool as possible. If you have a really 

 good strain, it will pay to select one or 

 two of the finest spikes for seed, as 

 there is great variation in the seed sold. 

 Even the highest priced will produce 

 many comparatively worthless flowers. 

 Once a fine stem carrying large flowers, 

 light in color, with the flowers closely 

 set on the spikes, is secured, it will pay 

 to hold on to it. 



The beds will now dry out much fast- 

 er and, as mignonette loves to have its 

 roots cool and moist, care should be 

 taken that the soil does not get into a 

 dry condition. A mulch of old manure 

 spread between the rows will keep the 

 surface soil moist and less watering 

 will be needed. Plants just coming 

 into flower should have liquid manure 



once a week. Do not use chemical fer- 

 tilizers; cow or sheep manure liquid i& 

 the best. 



Palms. 



Before the real spring rush starts, a 

 few days should be allowed for over- 

 hauling palms. Some may need repot- 

 ting or retubbing, while others will re- 

 quire only a top-dressing. Add some 

 14 -inch bone to the soil where retubbing 

 will not be needed again for several 

 years. Bone meal can be added where 

 a couple of years will elapse before 

 plants are to be repotted again. A good 

 fibrous loam, sharp sand and one-fourth 

 of old and well decayed manure make* 

 a suitable soil for kentias, arecas, lata- 

 nias and phoenix. The weaker growing 

 Cocos Weddelliana, which makes com- 

 paratively few roots, does better in 

 loam, with sand and some leaf-mold 

 added where the loam is heavy and 

 retentive. 



Any sponging required should now be 

 done. Many plants can be cleaned with 

 cold water alone, but where scale exists, 

 the leave"^ should be treated with 

 Aphine, fir tree oil, or some other in- 

 secticide. 



