July 1, 1905 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. — 
7 
greater certainty than plants of the same 
lot not so treated. This process, new and 
only sparingly tried by florists, promises to 
become a great help to those in search of 
methods that will hasten the production of 
flowers for the early winter months, and 
no doubt would prove highly remunerative 
if properly tucned to account. 
Etherization does not, to any appreciable 
degree, affect such plants as roses, azaleas, 
rhodedendrons, deutzia, spirea, viburnum 
or peonies—not sufficiently to justify the 
use of ether in connection with their cul- 
ture as a profitable measure. If, however, 
this seemingly drastic process is allowed’ 
to have fair and full play on lilaes, cydo- 
nias, plums, and cherries, it will easily 
he recognised as a long step forward in 
floticulture. It will cause these plants to 
open their flowers in less than half the 
usual time required. _ The most responsive 
sort of the lilacs are Syringa Mme. Le- 
moine and §. Charles X, and of plums, 
Prunus nana and P. japonica. 
It is absolutely necessary that plants 
set aside for etherization should be well 
established in their pots; and etherization 
does not in the least disqualify such plants 
for a similar course every year in. succes- 
sion. The iprocess is simple and does not 
involve any great amount of labor, skill, 
or expense, and any florist may test the 
‘merits of this promising new wrinkle for 
himself. 
Ona small scale, but giving fullest 
satisfaction, an experiment may be made in 
the fellowing manner: The plants are set 
close together ‘in an air-tight ordinary 
wooden box, we will say, one 3 ft. long, 
2 ft. wide, and 4 ft. high, or any tight 
box having a clear inside space of from, 20 
to 24 cubic ft. Between the pots and 
covering the same up to the base of the 
stems goes a layer of sand, which is to pro- 
tect the rcots from the gas. A small shelf 
or a stout wire-ring or bracket is fastened 
in the upper part of the box as high up as 
possible. On this is placed the dish or 
open vessel containing the liquid ether. 
For a box of the given dimensions close to 
7 oz. of commercial ether are required. 
After the ether is securely placed on said 
shelf or wire support, the box is quickly 
closed and made tight. This operation 
should be undertaken in a greenhouse, or 
shed, with a temperature of at least 55 de- 
grees. If much cooler a greater dose of 
ether will have to be given. The box re- 
mains closed for from 40 to 45 hours. In 
opening it on the second day it is safer 
to keep away lighted candle or lamp. The 
plants are now taken out, thoroughly 
sprinkled, and at once subjected to forcing. 
Any delay would diminish the effects of the 
ether. Treatment from now on is the 
same as that accorded other plants inf pro- 
cess of forcing. It is an interesting fact, 
worthy of note, that lilacs, which are has- 
tened most by etherization, are also of all 
hardy shrubs those most easily retarded 
by cold-storage treatment.—Frep. W. 
TimME. 
THE TAMARISK, 
As a seashore shrub the tamarisk is well 
known. ° 
ability to withstand salt-air and spray, but 
in the readiness with which it undergoes a 
good pruning. Cut.it as you will, it does 
not object, but sprouts afresh, and really 
seems to enjoy the pruning. This is why 
it is so often used as a boundary to 
giounds near the seashore, where, when 
pruned as it should be, it forms a pretty, 
graceful boundary line, which no other 
shrub could produce as well. Then, if one 
wants a small tree, and not a shrub, the 
tamarisk is accommodating. Cut it down, 
selecting a strong plant for the purpose. 
Several shoots will, perhaps, appear, which 
may be allowed to grow for a while, but 
should all be removed but the straightest 
and strongest. Remove the others gradu- 
ally, not allat once. The straight, central 
one left will make a tree. Watch it, that it 
makes an ascending growth, and the tree 
shape will follow in time. Nice ones, 10 
to 20 ft. high, are made in this way. 
PRUNING AND RAMMING TRANS- 
PLANTED STOCK. 
When extensive plantings are under- 
taken, it is almost impossible to have every 
tree or shrub set out properly pruned and 
firmed, and it is well worth while to have 
a man detailed to go over a block of freshly 
planted stock to attend to these two things. 
The first thing should be the firming of the 
soil, and this is done with a rammer. The 
soil is pounded down around the specimen 
until it is firm, when it may be considered 
the soil is in contact with the roots. In 
light, sandy soil there is no difficulty in 
getting the soil compacted; in fact, many 
advocate the use of sand for filling in about 
the roots of trees, knowing that it almost 
ensures their well-doing. The ramming 
of the soil should not be done in wet 
weather, but when the soil is dryish, for if 
rammed when wet the ground is apt to 
bake in hot weather. 
To be pruned when transplanted is some- 
thing almost every tree needs, and all can 
stand. Even those with good roots, which 
would grow without pruning, are none the 
worse for it, the strong growth pruning pro- 
motes well making up for what is lost by it. 
Therefore, a pretty close pruning should 
be given, keeping in view a good shape at 
the same time. 
Evergreens need care in pruning, for the 
reason that they will not break satisfac- 
torily from shoots from which all live foli- 
age has been cut alway. In the case of some 
pines and other evergreens, if every bit of 
foliage is cut away there will be fresh 
shoots from old wood, but when some 
branches are permitted to carry foliage 
and others are not, the latter ones will not 
break afresh, or but feebly. 
Its value lies not only in its - 
CARNATIONS. 
GROWING SEEDEINGS.~ — 
(Read by Gerorce.M.. Horus before 
Toronto Gardeners and Florists’ Club.) 
_I grow quite a few carnation and chry- 
santhemum seedlings every year; so far 
have met with some success, and hope to 
get higher up the ladder before I give up. 
I should like to see more growers take it 
up. We in Canada should be able to do 
something to hold our end up and bring 
out a variety that would be a credit. The 
raiser of seedlings must not be disappoint- 
ed at not getting anything good the first, 
the second, or even the third year, but after 
that he should have some success. In the 
first place, he must make a start and the 
plants raised the first year should be the 
foundation of the seedling stock. The color 
of the flower does not matter much proyid- 
ed the plants are strong, with stiff flower 
stems, and an upright growth, the flowers 
not very full in the petals and calyx non- 
bursting. Select the plants you mean to 
seed as above. Take the pollen from some 
healthy, strong-growing plants, never weak, 
puny ones. Nor is anything gained, I 
think, in getting all the new ones to work 
with, unless some new variety would give 
you. some advantage in vigor, also in size 
of blossom. But with good judgment in 
selecting your seedlings, it is better to work 
with them. 
In the dull days of winter it is not so easy 
to cross the flowers as during the warm, 
bright weather of early summer, as many 
varieties have no pollen anthers before they 
burst. The petals should not be cut off, 
and two days after the pollen can be 
put on the pistil, bringing it to the flower 
with a pair of small forceps. Do this about 
noon when, the sun is shining, and, if suc- 
cessful, by next day the flower will close ;. 
if not, repeat. After a few days pull out 
the dead petals. Some varieties will not 
seed, but the pollen from them, in nearly 
every case, is wonderfully effective.- 
Label your crosses and keep an account 
of them. When the seed pods show signs 
of bursting, gather and put each in a sepa- 
rate paper and keep in a tin box in. a cool, 
dry place till sowing time. The best time 
for sowing, I think, is February. The 
seedlings can be grown on in pots, or flats, 
and planted outside in May. 
Do not stop the seedlings. Let them 
flower ; and do not be afraid to pull out the 
bad flowers and the poor growers, and after 
planting inside you will have more to pull 
out. Out of five hundred you may end 
with twelve or less. Cross them again and 
sow. Select and housa as before, and pro- 
pagate any you think worth saving. | They 
may be good as seedlings, but when grown. 
from cuttings they may be far from good. 
o be continued. 
