November 29, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
487 
FORCING PLANTS AND 
SHRUBS. 
-X- 
I N those establishments where a constant supply of cut flowers 
and flowering plants have to be kept up the work of preparing 
suitable materials for the purpose will now require to be taken up 
in earnest. Owing to the absence of sunshine during the past 
summer those cultivators who through lack of space, or from other 
circumstances, have not given those shrubs and plants intended for 
forcing abundance of room during the season of growth, will, I 
fear, meet with some disappointment through the treacherousness 
of unripened wood. On the other hand, where the plants have 
had ample space, judging from present appearances, the season has 
been a favourable one. 
This seems to have been particularly the case with Christmas 
Roses. These are moisture-loving plants when in bloom, and our 
clumps intended for lifting look extremely promising. They will 
only require to be brought on gently to have them in full beauty 
by the festive season. Where they are wanted for supplying cut 
flowers only they may be grown splendidly by packing the roots 
closely together on the floor or stage of a cool vinery, placing in a 
little soil among them as the work proceeds. When this part of 
the operation is completed, if one good watering through a rose is 
given but little will be afterwards required. If the clumps are 
taken into a house of the above description during the last week in 
November, and just enough fire heat given to keep out frost, a 
little judgment used in the regulation of ventilation will insure 
fully developed flowers a few days before Christmas. These 
popular plants are also exceedingly useful for growing in pots. 
Many gardeners do not set a very high value on them for use in 
this way, because the foliage is much disfigured by the time the 
flowers expand. This difficulty is, however, easily got over by 
sticking points of Rhododendron ponticum into the soil and 
arranging them in a natural way. These so nearly resemble the 
leaves of the Hellebores that with casual observers they pass as 
such, and keep perfectly fresh till the flowers have faded. Large 
pans packed with clumps of Christmas Roses, with a few Rhodo¬ 
dendron tops added when in flower, form one of the most effective 
combinations of white and green to be met with at Christmas 
time. 
Plants of Deutzia gracilis which have been kept in pots should 
now be taken into heat. If these are in good condition they may 
be thus brought into full flower soon enough to allow of their 
being placed in a cooler structure a few days before being used for 
Christmas decorations. Those readers who have to rely entirely 
on plants lifted from the open air, are likely to experience much 
disappointment this year if they subject them to very hard forcing. 
Indeed all who grow this extremely useful shrub in quantity should 
always make a point of keeping a considerable number in pots 
throughout the summer. If these are plunged in ashes in an 
exposed position, well attended to in the matter of watering and 
feeding, they are in every way superior to lifted plants for forcing. 
That treacherous way the flowers often have of turning brown and 
dropping never exhibits itself on plants kept in pots throughout 
the previous summer unless they have been much neglected. 
Additional plants required to give a succession of flowers should be 
potted at once and plunged over the rim of the pots in the open 
air, if this has not been done already. 
Spirma japonica, and its companion astilboides, seem to be quite 
No. 753,—VoL, XXIX., Third Series. 
as popular for forcing as ever. This is not to be wondered at, 
because both plants and cut flowers lend themselves so readily to 
various kinds of decorative work. In potting the clumps I do not 
divide them, as I find they do not force so well if disturbed 
much at this season. The division required should be done 
when they are being planted in the open air, and by arranging 
them in various sizes then a decided advantage is secured. If a 
little bottom heat can be given to the earliest plants they may be 
pushed on very quickly. Few forced plants are so much benefited 
by high feeding as Spirajas, indeed they seem to revel in liquid and 
artificial manures quite as much as Chrysanthemums do. Liquid 
manure made of cow or sheep dung, in which soot enclosed in a 
bag has been kept, is especially good for Spiraeas when growth is in 
full progress. This may be given in a diluted state at each water¬ 
ing, an application of chemical manure being also given occasion¬ 
ally. Under this system of high feeding, if saucers are kept 
under the plants they ought to be frequently emptied, otherwise 
many of the bottom roots will be killed should a few dull days set 
in, when the superfluous water would not be taken up by the plants. 
Indian Azaleas when they are free from insects force splendidly, 
but in cases where the plants have been badly infested with thrips 
sharp forcing should not be attempted, or it will assuredly prove 
unsatisfactory. In all instances the plants should be kept near the 
glass, and syringed frequently with warm water till the flowers 
begin to open. With this treatment they will bear a temperature 
ranging between 60° and 75° without injury. Deutsche Perle 
(white), Emperor of Brazil (rose), Imperatrice of India (white and 
carmine), Sigismund Rucker (lilac), are all good varieties for the 
purpose. 
The deciduous Azaleas rank among the most beautiful of 
flowering plants adapted for forcing, and they are easily grown. 
Plants arriving from a nursery now should be potted, a few 
placed in heat, and the remainder set in cold pits ready to draw 
upon in the future. The majority of gardeners find it an easy 
matter enough to force these into flower quickly, but they are not 
always so successful in maintaining them in vigorous health when 
the flowering period is over. This is frequently caused through 
placing them in too cold a position to complete their growth. 
Early forced plants ought always to receive the warmth of an 
intermediate house until growth is quite completed. 
Lilacs, with the delicious perfume of their flowers, are among 
the choicest of forced shrubs. Specially prepared plants in pots 
may now be obtained so cheaply that a few should be purchased 
each year till a sufficient stock is obtained. Some of these may- 
then be planted out and left for two years before being forced again, 
others being shifted and kept entirely in pots. Those planted out 
should be root-pruned to keep the young rootlets in a compact mass 
suitable for lifting. If pale-coloured flowers are required the 
plants should be placed in a Mushroom house as soon as the flower 
buds are visible, or be provided with constant shade. A few good 
bushes of Sweet Briars ought always be kept in the reserve garden. 
If some of these are lifted and potted at once they wilt be in the 
right condition for placing in vineries started in January. 
Two of the best flowering plants that I know of which are 
especially suitable for bringing on steadily in cool houses are 
Dielytra spectabilis and Spirma Aruncus. It is almost a matter of 
impossibility to get too large a stock of these, for they are so ex¬ 
tremely effective when in flower as to command universal admira¬ 
tion, and they are also of very easy culture so long as hard forcing 
is not attempted. When they have done flowering and have been 
properly hardened off the plants should be divided, planted in good 
soil, and left for a couple of seasons before being lifted. If this 
system is followed with a few really good plants, such as those- 
enumerated in these notes, flowers in plenty may be maintained 
during the winter and spring months wherever the amount of glass 
at c mmand is commensurate with the requirements of the 
establishment.—H. Dunkix. 
No. riOO.— '’OL, XCI.;. Old Series. 
