58 FRITZ BAHR'S COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE 



The Roses, Carnations, and Chrysanthemums in the benches 

 need their usual amount of attention in the way of watering, cul- 

 tivating and spraying. With just ordinary care they will make 

 good headway. Everything is now in favor of plant growth — light, 

 heat, and fresh air; and with normal conditions, things usually 

 move along nicely. 



Watch your Cyclamens. They and the Begonias all need a 

 little shade, plenty of moisture in the houses they are in, and hberal 

 sized pots. With the approach of cool nights they all seem to grow 

 better and make more headway. 



There is not a great deal that's new to be done outdoors. Cul- 

 tivating and cutting flowers so as to not let them go to seed are the 

 main items of the daily work. By the end of the month Iris and 

 Peonies can be lifted and divided, and one can do this with quite a 

 number of other kinds of hardy stock. All of the biennials and 

 perennials sown a month or two ago are now ready for transplanting, 

 and more may be sown. A first sowing of Pansies can be made about 

 the first of August, followed by a second toward the end of this 

 month. The same with English Daisies and Forget-me-nots. 



Hydrangeas, Genistas, Bougainvilleas, Roses and other stock 

 grown on during the Summer months in pots demand careful at- 

 tention in regard to watering. If out in the open, always plunge the 

 pots up to their rims in the soil, and help along with a light miJch. 



Start Cyclamens and Freesias 



For extra strong Cyclamens you should sow seed by the end of 

 July or early in August. It takes in the neighborhood of sixteen 

 months to grow Christmas-flowering stock. 



A first planting of Freesias may be made in early August. 

 Make use of the larger-sized bulbs for the purpose. If done on a 

 small scale, it is as well to start them in pots outdoors in a frame. 

 Do not cover the pots over with soil, as you would with Dutch bulbs, 

 but place a shade frame over them to prevent the sun from drying 

 the soil out. Five good sized bulbs are sufficient for a 4-in. pot. 



Sowing and Rooting Future Stocks 



Pinch back the Stevias, the Cleveland Cherries and the Bou- 

 vardias. Of the latter, the small flowering varieties are just as well 

 planted outdoors during Summer, and the plants carefully Ufted 

 during August and planted on a bench. You can treat Bouvardia 

 Humboldtii in the same way, but it is just as well to plant the stock 

 under glass in May or June. 



For next Spring's use for the filling of window boxes sow, by 

 the end of July or early in August, Grevillea robusta. This is a most 

 useful plant for the retail grower. Plant out a few leftover double 



