HERBACEOUS PLANTS AND BULBS FOR FORCING. 



127 



flower, a little weak manure water may be given. They 

 should be well set with bloom in September to flower well 

 in winter. A light, airy house or frame is essential, and 

 a temperature never below 40° F. Should the leaves be 

 attacked by maggot, they should be syringed frequently 

 with a weak solution of paraffin, taking care to keep it 

 well mixed during the application. 



Mignonette. — To obtain plants to flower in winter 

 and early spring, seeds should be sown early in August in 

 pots filled firmly with a compost of loam, rotted manure, 

 and lime rubbish, and placed in a sunny frame or on a 

 shelf in a greenhouse. Short, sturdy growth, well ad- 

 vanced before November, should be aimed at. With 

 light and air a little artificial heat may be given, but in 

 dull weather the cooler the treatment the better, or the 

 flower - spikes instead of advancing will go blind, and 

 leafy side-shoots will start from the base. Liquid manure 

 may be given when the plants are about an inch high, 

 unless the growth is too gross, when it should be with- 

 held until the flowers begin to open. Some growers sow 

 earlier and grow the plants singly in pots, pegging the 

 stem down so as to secure a number of lateral shoots. 

 Plants so treated keep dwarf, and generally flower well. 



Narcissus. — The majority of the varieties may be used 

 for forcing, and may be used either as pot-plants or for 

 cut flowers from Christmas onwards, or even earlier, the 

 Paper White, early Roman, and others of the Polyanthus 

 section, if started early in the autumn, coming into bloom 

 early in December. Bulbs intended for forcing should be 

 potted in September in a compost of loam, leaf-mould, 

 and cow-dung, and placed where they can be protected 

 from frost, covering them with fibre-refuse or other light 

 material. When taken indoors they may be started under 

 a stage and removed to a lighter position as soon as the 

 buds show. They will not bear much heat, the buds 

 being apt to go blind if hurried. The common double 

 Daffodil is one of the best for early work. The best of 

 the Polyanthus section to force for early flowers are: — 

 Bazelman Major, Grand Monarque, Grand Soleil d'Or, 

 Grootvorst, Mont Cenis, Prince Metternich, Queen of the 

 Netherlands. 



Schizostylis coccinea is a useful plant for winter 

 flowering when well established in pots. It will flower 

 early in the year in an ordinary greenhouse temperature. 



Snowdrop. — Grown in pots these only require the 

 protection of a frame to have them in flower at Christmas; 

 or if we get severe weather they may be put where there 

 is sufficient warmth to keep out frost; or they may be 

 brought on earlier by placing them on a shelf in a warm 

 greenhouse. 



Solomon's Seal. — The strongest crowns should be 

 selected, and about six potted together in 6 -inch pots. 

 They will start vigorously if placed in a cool house in a 

 shady position, and kept moist by covering them with 

 ashes or fibre until they have made a good start. They 

 go well with Dielytra, and may be treated in a similar 

 manner. The dwarf form may be grown in 5 -inch pots. 



Spiraea {Hoteia). — Imported roots are preferred for 

 early forcing. They are potted up as soon as received, 

 and placed in a cool place, giving more warmth after they 

 have made new roots. The crowns should be covered 

 and kept quite moist, but not too wet, or the roots will 

 rot. After they have started they should have a light 

 position in an intermediate temperature, too much heat 

 causing the flowers to develop too early and weak. S. 

 'palmata should not be started until early in February. It 

 forces badly if placed in a higher temperature than that 

 of an ordinary greenhouse. In addition to the common 



8. japonica and 8. palmata there are several of recent 

 introduction, viz. astilboides floribunda, compaeta multi- 

 flora, and palmata alba. 



Tuberose. — The time of flowering may be regulated 

 by potting some of the bulbs as soon as received and 

 keeping the others dry and cool, to be potted later. All 

 growths except the central crown should be removed as 

 they show. The Tuberose requires more heat than many 

 plants that are forced ; a little manure, if given after the 

 flower-spikes are well advanced, will ensure well-developed 

 blooms. Bulbs potted late for flowering in autumn and 

 winter may be placed out-of-doors, but when the flower- 

 stems push up they should be taken indoors. They may 

 be kept back to flower at Christmas by keeping them cool 

 and dry until about six weeks before they are wanted, 

 but the flowers will not develop well if kept too cold after 

 they begin to show. Aphides, if not kept off, will spoil 

 the flowers ; tobacco fumigation when the flower-sterns 

 are well advanced will prevent this. 



Tulips. — These are particularly appreciated early in 

 the year. The bulbs should be potted early as advised 

 for Hyacinths, and treated in the same way. For early 

 forcing they may be started as soon as the roots are well 

 round the pots. For cut flowers they may be grown 

 entirely in the shade, but for pot-plants they should be 

 given more light, or they get tall and weak. Heat may 

 be given as circumstances require; those grown in a high 

 temperature come on quickly, but the flowers will not be 

 so large as those brought on more gradually. Liquid 

 manure may be given freely, and will increase the size of 

 the blooms. The best sorts for forcing are : — 



Single- flo wered. 



White. — Due van Thol (white), La Peine, Pottebakker, 

 White Swan, LTmmaculie (very early), Princess Marianne 

 (tinged pink). 



Pink. — Pose Aplatie, Pose Gris de Lion, Van Googen, 

 Pachel Puisch. 



Red. — Due van Thol (scarlet), Couleur Cardinal, Crim- 

 son King; Joost van Vondel, Koh-i-Nohr, La Riante, 

 Proserpine, Pose Luisante, Van der Neer (dark-purple), 

 Vermilion Brilliant, Wouwerman, Prince of Austria (dark- 

 apricot). 



Yellow. — Canary Bird, Chrysolora, King of the Yellows, 

 Mon Tresor, Ophir d'Or, Prince de Ligny, Yellow Prince, 

 Thomas Moore (apricot-orange). 



Variegated. — Cameleon, cream, spotted rose; Cottage 

 Maid, rose - pink and white ; Couleur Ponceau, cerise, 

 flushed white ; Duchesse de Parma, red, broad yellow 

 edges; Eleonore, purple, edged white ; Keiserskroon, rich- 

 crimson, yellow edges; La Precieuse, rose, bordered white; 

 Posamundi, crimson, rose, and white ; Wapen van Leiden, 

 rose and white. 



Double-flowered. 



Pose Blanche, white ; Murillo, rosy- white; Rosine, rose; 

 Lady Palmerston, rose ; Salvator Rosa, deep-rose : La 

 Matador, scarlet ; Rubra Maxima, dazzling scarlet : Titian, 

 scarlet, yellow edges; Tournesol, scarlet and yellow; Velvet 

 Gem, crimson, yellow edges; El Toreador, chestnut, edged 

 orange; Couronne d'Or, orange-yellow. 



[A. H.] 



