February, 19 14 



the garden magazine 



25 



small way on the handling of your young 

 stock now. 



Mulching can also be done in the rose 

 house. Of course in either case, if a person 

 does not feel like going to this trouble, 

 (particularly when soon to throw away 

 the plants to make room for spring stock, 

 which is often necessary in the small green- 

 house), liquid feeding makes an excellent 

 substitute. Feed freely at this season. 

 Do not confine yourself to any one food, 

 but give the plants a "balanced ration" 

 as the poultrymen call it. 



There are a number of fertilizers that 

 can be used in liquid form, such as cow 

 manure, sheep manure, fish guano, nitrate 

 of soda, as well as several proprietary 

 articles'under special — 

 brand names. This 

 advice not only per- 

 tains to roses and 

 carnations but to 

 any plants that have 

 been occupying the 

 same bench for some 

 time, such as antir- 

 rhinums, stocks, 

 tomatoes, gardenias, 

 etc. 



BULBS FOR SUMMER 

 FLOWERS 



Now is the time 

 to get your summer 

 flowering bulbs 

 under way. They 

 are indispensable. 

 In fact, I think there 

 is no finer flower 

 than a well-grown 

 gloxinia; and gloxi- 

 nias are easy to 

 grow. Gloxinias 

 which have been 

 resting will now 

 show signs of life 

 and should be taken 

 out of the old pots 

 and all the old soil 

 shaken from the 

 roots. Then repot 

 in smaller pots — one 

 just large enough to 



accommodate the bulb is proper. Thev 

 can be repotted as required and do better 

 when handled in this manner. Do not 

 start all the bulbs at one time, as a longer 

 season of flowering can be enjoyed by 

 starting them in batches, 



Gloxinias started from seed at this time 

 will flower this season. The seeds should 

 be sown thinly in shallow pans and when 

 large enough to handle transplanted into 

 thumb pots and potted on as required. 

 Water carefully, always; one thing that 

 is fatal to gloxinias is careless and indiffer- 

 ent watering. The plant must have an 

 open, free soil that drains well. A fair 

 proportion of leafmold mixed in the soil 

 is excellent. When watering always avoid 

 wetting the foliage as it causes it to rot. 

 Other good summer flowering bulbous 



plants are the achimenes and gesnera, and 

 the general directions as outlined for the 

 gloxinia will suit them also. 



The beautiful fancy leaved caladium is 

 one of the best foliage plants. The color- 

 ings in some varieties are really wonderful. 

 It is bulbous and requires about the same 

 general treatment as the gloxinia. 



PROPAGATION 



February is a good month for propagat- 

 ing. In fact there are few things that 

 cannot be propagated at this season. It 

 is just about the time to start propagating 

 if we are to have fine quality plants for 

 planting out in the spring. Other plants 

 that do not root anv too well at other 



The gloxinia is easily grown from seed sown now, and bulbs may be started up this month 



seasons of the year will be found to root 

 readily now. Begonias, pandanus, rubber 

 plants, and all the various plants from the 

 stove or palm house can now be propa- 

 gated, followed by the army of bedding 

 plants, such as the geraniums, coleus, 

 althernantheras, etc. 



FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 



This is also a busy month in the fruit 

 houses. If fruit is grown and the trees or 

 canes are started they will demand no 

 little attention as the ever changing con- 

 dition which is necessary to produce good 

 results must be watched closely. Spray- 

 ing must be done frequently. Ventilating 

 must be attended to religiously; thining 

 out must not be neglected, besides the 

 details of management which are many. 



If the fruit houses are not started it is 

 usually time the final clearing was given 

 preparatory to the starting. But fruit 

 growing under glass is usually too difficult 

 for the amateur and a gardener is engaged 

 for this purpose. 



February is an excellent time to start 

 crops of vegetables for early forcing indoors. 

 It may seem strange to start vegetables for 

 forcing indoors at the same time as we are 

 sowing for out-door crops; but the latter 

 crop is grown along slowly while the other 

 is kept growing rapidly. Early crops of 

 cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, radish, peas, 

 onions, beets, carrot, and beans can be had 

 by sowing now. In fact vegetables can be 

 sown late in February in a greenhouse 

 where no artificial 

 heat is maintained 

 and are ready for 

 use several weeks 

 before those planted 

 in the garden. 



Thegood gardener 

 starts planning for 

 a better garden now. 

 This is first carried 

 into effect in the 

 greenhouse. Every- 

 thing is started 

 there. Start now if 

 you want to have 

 real quality in celery, 

 onions, leeks, egg- 

 plants, peppers, cab- 

 bage, cauliflower, 

 tomatoes. Start in 

 flats or shallow 

 boxes. When the 

 seedlings are up they 

 are transplanted into 

 boxes or pots, or in 

 some cases where a 

 number of plants are 

 required, a few car- 

 nation plants are 

 pulled out to make 

 room. 



Cannas and calad- 

 iums are brought 

 out ready for start- 

 ing ; dahlias are 

 placed in sand and 

 the shoots are taken for cuttings. The 

 seeds can now be sown of salvia, petunia, 

 lobelia, pansy, antirrhinum, begonia, 

 celosia, heliotrope and myosotis. 



FLOWERS FOR EASTER 



Now is your busy time if you wish to 

 make a display for Easter. And when a 

 person has only a one-compartment green- 

 house he cannot do much real jockeying 

 with his stock. But a fair display can be 

 had by careful manipulation, placing those 

 desirous of forcing at the warm end 

 and vice-versa. A good cool cellar is 

 also a great aid. Narcissus, tulip, hya- 

 cinth, potted lilacs, rhodod endrons, Easter 

 lilies, spireas, roses in pots, etc. after they 

 have come into flower can be kept in perfect 

 condition there for three weeks. 





