126 PLANT CULTURE 



axils of the leaves when plants are making growth. Syringe fre- 

 quently, keeping the atmosphere on the humid side. Keep down 

 insect pests by frequent fumigations. 



Propagation. Old plants, however, should never be grown, as 

 they are prone to give flowers with short stems, while plants propa- 

 gated annually give long stems and more flowers to the square foot 

 of space. The best time to put in the cuttings is from the last half 

 of February to the middle of March. The temperature of the propa- 

 gating house should run from 65 to 70 degrees at night with a bottom 

 heat of at least 75 degrees. Wood for cuttings should be selected 

 which is moderately firm. From the terminal bud to the base the 

 cutting should be about 23^ inches long; the sand should be sharp 

 and free from impurities. In from two to three weeks the cuttings 

 will have formed a suflicient quantity of roots; they are then potted 

 in 2j^-inch pots and subsequently placed in 4-inch, from which size 

 they are planted out in the benches in June. It is essential that the 

 plants be kept growing right along from the rooted cutting to the 

 flowering period. 



GERBERA (The Transvaal Daisy) . This beautiful Acanthus- 

 leaved Daisy, Gerbera Jamesoni, was introduced from the Trans- 

 vaal, South Africa. The flowers are large and range in color from 

 pure white to yellow, orange, pink, scarlet, crimson and violet. The 

 flowers are often borne upon 20-inch stems and last for several 

 weeks without losing their brilliance. 



Culture. The forcing is very simple, being similar to that of 

 Lily of the Valley. The roots are trimmed down to 20 inches and 

 the plants are set close together into boxes or deep pots filled with 

 porous soil. The chief requirements are good bottom heat, sun- 

 light, not too much humidity and good ventilation. The buds de- 

 velop within two weeks, and after another week the first blooms 

 may be cut; while these are not very large, they increase in size as 

 the plant continues to grow. After the forcing, the Gerberas are 

 again planted into outdoor beds and, if strong enough, can be 

 divided in the Fall and again forced. 



Propagation. An important consideration in the culture is 

 the fact that Gerbera seed retains its vitality for about three, or the 

 most four months. If the seed can be obtained in the Spring, it 

 should be sown at once and covered, with glass. When large enough 

 the seedlings are transplanted into small pots and from them to the 

 open ground when weather permits. They will bloom in the Sum- 



