46 
The Garden Magazine, March, 1920 
S O the present resources for general culture narrow down 
to the plants named in the first paragraph — with the Rose 
eliminated of course; for all of these are so elastic in their require- 
ments that they may be successfully cultivated under the same 
conditions. Happily their freedom of growth and their generous 
flowering propensities will satisfy the most exacting appetite 
for cut flowers during the months ahead. Some of them are 
more suited to furnishing the “finishing touch” to a statelier 
group to be sure, than they are to playing independent roles by 
themselves; but this detracts not at all from their value, since 
this finishing touch often is the thing that is essential to the 
beauty of the whole. The vase of Carnations for example to 
which Stevia is added gains in decorative value a hundredfold, 
while Eupatorium Fraserii is suited to a similar purpose — and 
merits more general cultivation, by the way, if only as a variant. 
Of Primulas it may be said that there are few plants of more 
easy culture or more general merit. Among the many kinds 
suited for the greenhouse there are P. obconica in shades of 
pink, white, red, and crimson, and one or two decidedly blue, 
Sutton’s Blue being probably the best. The pale blue flowers 
of this are quite distinct from any other variety and furnish a 
delightful contrast. Primula sinensis is available in a host of 
varieties the best of which is Duchess, a white flower with a zone 
of rosy-crimson surrounding a yellow eye. The Star Primrose 
— P. stellata — has many varieties; two that are fine are Ruby 
Star with flowers of a very deep ruby color (no Star Primula is 
more richly colored) and Enchantress with crimson flowers 
most distinct and beautiful. 
P ROBABLY the best of the newer varieties is P. superba, a 
vigorous grower with larger flowers than Primula Forbesii. 
Among the yellows we have P. kewensis, P. kewensis farinosa, 
P. verticillata, and P. floribunda grandiflora. Primula kewensis 
is said to be a hybrid of the two last named and is intermediate in 
character. In respect of its color, which is a deep yellow, it 
differs from any previous hybrid greenhouse Primula — and 
flowering perpetually as it does throughout the winter, it 
has become a general favorite. The flower spikes attain a 
height of 18 inches and the individual flowers are about the 
size of a one-cent piece. Primula kewensis farinosa is very simi- 
lar to this hybrid save that the stems and foliage are covered 
with a white floury substance which gives it a unique appearance. 
In P. floribunda the “bundle-flowered” Primrose, we have a 
plant with dainty miniature yellow flowers which are borne on 
erect scapes 6 to 9 inches high. It is one of the best winter- 
flowering Primroses. 
Primula malacoides (Baby Primrose) is a mauve-flowered 
species from China, very popular with florists, consequently well 
known. It and its variety alba, the white-flowered form, are very 
free flowering and desirable as cut flowers. P. malacoides Town- 
sendii, of more recent origin, is a pink form much improved in 
size and color. Seeds of any or all of these Primroses may be 
sown at this time with the possible exception of P. malacoides 
and its varieties. These are better sown at the end of May or 
early in June. 
Chiefly white flowered and early blooming are Stevias — tender 
greenhouse perennials of which S. serrata and S. compacta 
are the two kinds commonly seen in florists’ establishments. 
Both of these may be employed to advantage with other cut 
flowers. Stevia serrata variegata has beautiful white and green 
foliage, the white predominating. This is especially useful 
as a white-leaved plant for mass effects, while its llowers are 
equally as good as the flowers of the green-leaved forms men- 
tioned above. By pinching or cutting back Stevias can be kept 
at any height between one and three feet. Pot culture suits 
them best. They are of the easiest culture and are propagated 
by cuttings rooted now. 
W E ARE now on the very threshold of the period when the 
great majority of Chrysanthemums are propagated and 
no time should be lost in getting the cutting bench filled with 
potential plants. If short on stock early rooted plants may 
have the tops pinched off when established in small pots, and 
these rooted to increase the supply. Among Chrysanthemums 
there is a choice of several types as well as almost innumerable 
varieties and a wide range of colors. Beginning with the large 
flowered Japanese exhibition type with their gorgeous blooms 
of immense proportions one may run the gamut through the 
dainty form and greater adaptability for decorative work of the 
Pompons, to the Singles and the Anemone-flowered sections; 
or one may include a few of each according to taste and inclina- 
tion. Large exhibition blooms are always produced on single 
stems, and this very materially reduces the number that a given 
area will yield. A bench 15I bv 3§ feet in size, approximating 
34 square feet, would accommodate about seventy-two 8 or 10 
inch pots and allow ample room for development. 
A very popular method of growing this type of Chrysanthe- 
mum for cut flowers is to plant them directly into the benches, 
allowing each plant two or three stems, each of which will 
develop a medium-sized flower. The Pompons, Singles, and the 
Anemones may be planted out on the side benches, as these 
do not require the head room demanded by the large-flowered 
ones. Frequent pinching of the growths of these varieties is 
necessary from the time the young plants are 6 inches high, 
in order to secure as many shoots as possible. Each shoot will 
develop from three to a dozen flowers according to the variety, 
thus affording useful sprays from which to cut. 
Antirrhinums, while comparatively new as greenhouse plants 
cultivated for the production of cut flowers, are neither more 
nor less than the Snapdragons of grandmother’s garden, vastly 
improved in form, size and color by hybridization. They lend 
themselves admirably to greenhouse cultivation as companions 
of the Carnation and Chrysanthemum in a temperature of 50 
degrees at night. They are also useful as a crop to follow the 
Chrysanthemums; and their freedom of growth and flowering 
qualities rank them among the most satisfactory of all cut 
flowers. One has only to see a cluster of Virginia, Silver Pink, 
Nelrose, or Buxton’s Pink to realize their superlative quality. 
They are planted out in the benches the same as are Carna- 
tions. For a fall and early winter crop seeds should be shown 
now in pans of light sandy soil and grown on in 4 inch pots until 
the benches are available for them; or cuttings may be rooted 
now and grown on the same way. When wanted as succession 
to the Chrysanthemums sow in June. 
C UTTINGS of Carnations made and rooted now will make 
fine plants for benching in a couple of months. If space 
is not available for them then in the benches they may be trans- 
ferred to a coldframe after they have been established in pots, 
and then later planted out in the garden for an interval — where 
they may make considerable growth — before being taken again 
indoors to be set in their flowering quarters. If no stock is 
available in your greenhouse right now from which to take cut- 
tings, place an order with a local florist immediately for the 
number of plants needed. 
With anything like even fair treatment one can secure 
a wealth of bloom from a very limited area. Under ordinary 
conditions, for example, a healthy and vigorous Carnation 
plant will produce from twelve to eighteen flowers during 
its season, with sturdy stems that stand upright without 
support. With the plants set nine inches apart each way a 
bench of the size named for Chrysanthemums — approximat- 
ing 54 square feet with a width of 3! and a length of 15^ — will 
accommodate eighty plants. And these at even the minimum 
production will yield upward of one thousand flowers. 
