February  4,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
93 
HINTS  ON  FORCING. 
( Continued  from  page  53.) 
The  various  sections  of  hardy  Azaleas  each  contain  many  varieties 
•well  adapted  for  forcing  ;  indeed,  they  include  some  of  the  most  showy 
plants  that  can  be  brought  into  flower  during  the  depth  of  winter.  In 
the  numerous  varieties  of  A.  mollis  we  have,  1  think,  the  type  best 
<suited  for  forcing,  as  the  flowers  are  of  good  shape,  the  trusses  large, 
and  the  habit  of  the  plants  good.  Although  I  am  a  great  lover  of  the 
Belgian  and  Pontica  varieties  when  grown  in  the  open  air,  for  forcing 
the  mollis  section  is  gradually  superseding  them,  principally  on  account 
of  their  larger  flowers  and  more  compact  habit  of  growth.  The  plants 
should  be  obtained  as  early  as  possible  in  the  autumn,  and  after  being 
potted  plunged  in  ashes  in  the  open  air  ;  then,  if  not  introduced  into 
heat  till  Christmas,  they  usually  give  a  good  account  of  themselves. 
The  earliest  batches  I  like  to  plunge  in  a  little  bottom  heat,  and 
syringe  freely  each  day  to  induce  the  whole  of  the  buds  to  open 
simultaneously. 
With  the  best  of  attention,  however,  a  few  flowers  will  sometimes 
open  greatly  in  advance  of  the  majority  on  a  given  plant.  When  such 
is  the  case  I  use  these  early  flowers  in  a  cut  state.  Those  left  then 
usually  open  together,  and  are  sufficiently  numerous  to  make  the  plant 
attractive  enough  to  place  singly  in  a  vase.  By  the  time  the  flowers  are 
beginning  to  show  colour  we  often  get  bright  bursts  of  sunshine,  which 
cause  them  to  flag  badly.  An  inexperienced  attendant  is  then  tempted  to 
give  water  freely  at  the  roots,  which  often  aggravates  the  evil.  The 
right  course  to  adopt  is  to  damp  between  the  pots  with  a  syringe,  and 
give  temporary  shade  till  it  can  be  clearly  ascertained  whether  or  not 
the  plant  is  in  need  of  water.  With  this  treatment  well  developed  flower 
trusses  may  be  obtained,  when  without  such  attention  they  would  lack 
substance  and  drop  quickly. 
Amoeaa,  and  the  improved  type  A.  splendens,  are  good  evergreen 
varieties  that  should  be  grown  in  quantity  for  early  forcing  ;  these 
succeed  the  best  when  kept  in  pets  throughout  the  year. 
Deutzia  gracilis,  although  an  old  favourite,  is  still  one  of  the  very 
best  shrubs  for  forcing,  bearing  white  flowers.  Mistakes  are,  however, 
frequently  made  in  its  culture.  A  common  one  is  to  pot  the  plants  in  the 
autumn  only  a  few  weeks  before  they  are  taken  into  heat.  The  result  of 
this  practice  is  that  many  of  the  flower  buds  turn  yellow  and  drop,  and 
the  plants  show  great  sigDs  of  distress  if  a  little  air  is  admitted  into  the 
house  or  pit  in  which  they  are  growing,  or  if  a  few  gleams  of  sunshine 
reach  them.  Shoots  with  flowers  and  leaves  of  this  description  are  practi¬ 
cally  useless  when  cut ;  they  have  no  lasting  qualities.  The  way  to  avoid 
such  mistakes  is  to  grow  the  plants  intended  for  early  forcing  in  pots 
throughout  the  year.  Then  if  given  liberal  treatment  during  the  summer 
.good  firm  shoots  are  produced,  which  will  stand  sharp  forcing,  and 
flower  at  every  j  Ant,  because  there  are  plenty  of  active  roots  to  support 
the  young  growth  as  it  develops.  The  main  batch  should  be  potted 
from  the  open  ground  in  September  before  the  leaves  have  fallen.  The 
plants  then  have  time  to  recover  themselves,  if  not  to  form  new  roots, 
before  they  feel  the  strain  of  forcing. 
Forced  Lilac  seems  to  become  more  popular  each  year,  and  in  large 
establishments,  when  cut  flowers  are  in  great  demand,  it  behoves  the 
gardener  in  charge  to  work  upon  a  good  system  in  the  endeavour  to 
provide  a  supply.  As  in  the  case  of  Deutzia  gracilis,  an  early  batch 
should  be  grown  in  pots,  so  as  to  secure  plenty  of  healthy  roots  ready 
to  spring  into  activity  when  the  plants  are  introduced  to  heat.  Later 
bushes  may  be  planted  in  the  open  air,  and  potted  early  in  the 
autumn.  When  these  have  done  flowering  the  shoots  should  be  cut 
back  to  within  2  inches  of  their  base,  grown  for  a  time  under  glass,  and 
in  April  or  May  planted  in  the  open  air  again,  and  allowed  to  remain 
there  for  eighteen  months  before  being  forced  again.  In  forcing  the 
earlier  plants  it  is  a  good  plan  to  place  them  in  a  Mushroom  house  or 
other  structure  which  can  be  darkened,  and  in  which  a  temperature 
of  from  55°  to  65°  can  be  maintained. 
A  cellar  will  answer  the  purpose  if  sufficient  fermenting  materials 
are  introduced  to  keep  up  the  necessary  temperature.  Under  this  treat¬ 
ment  the  flowers  of  the  common  varieties  will  come  perfectly  white,  but 
few  if  any  leaves  will  be  produced  at  the  same  time.  This  difficulty 
can,  however,  be  overcome  by  placing  in  a  forcing  house  a  few  bushes  not 
furnished  with  flower  buds  shortly  after  the  first  plants  are  introduced 
into  a  darkened  structure.  The  present  is  an  excellent  time  to  place  a 
good  batch  in  forcing  houses,  where  a  temperature  of  from  65°  to  75°  is 
maintained.  If  placed  under  the  Btage  where  light  is  partially  excluded 
the  flowers  come  white,  and  leaves  are  produced  at  the  same  time. 
It  does  not  answer,  however,  to  pursue  this  plan  in  November, 
because  at  that  season  if  plants  are  placed  at  the  outset  in  so  high  a 
temperature  strong  growth  is  quickly  produced,  and  the  flower  buds 
become  hard  and  refuse  to  break.  Every  part  of  the  plants  should 
be  syringed  twice  daily  while  growing  in  forcing  houses  at  this  season 
when  high  temperatures  are  maintained.  Those  who  have  not  a  supply 
of  plants  on  hand  can  easily  obtain  them  from  any  nurseryman  of 
repute.  Charles  X.  is  the  variety  most  largely  used  for  forcing,  but  the 
common  one  answers  the  purpose  very  well.  The  new  varieties  now 
being  sent  out  will  in  time  supersede  these,  but  at  present  they  are 
rather  too  expensive  for  forcing  largely. 
•  A  hint  worth  knowing  about  this  forced  Lilac  is  that  if  a  strip  of  bark 
:2  inches  in  length  is  removed  from  the  base  of  each  shoot,  immediately 
before  placing  it  in  water,  the  freshness  of  the  flower  will  be  preserved 
for  a  very  much  longer  period  than  would  be  the  case  if  only  the  end  of 
the  shoot  was  cut  off. 
The  common  Sweet  Briar  does  not  seem  to  be  forced  so  largely  as 
formerly,  yet  wherever  its  deliciously  scented  Bhoots  are  produced  they 
are  always  appreciated.  The  right  course  to  adopt  is  to  lift  the  plants 
and  pot  early  in  the  autumn,  then  plunge  them  in  ashes  till  November 
or  December,  when  they  can  be  introduced  to  heat  as  required.  At  this 
season  of  the  year,  however,  I  have  frequently  lifted  plants  from  the 
reserve  garden  and  taken  them  directly  to  the  forcing  house  with  satis¬ 
factory  results.  One  often  omits  to  pot  such  things  as  these  at  the 
most  seasonable  time  ;  it  is,  therefore,  fortunate  that  it  is  Dot  too  late  to 
do  so  now,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  be  rewarded  with  shoots 
bearing  tender  sweetly  scentel  leaves  at  a  time  when  suitable  greenery 
for  arranging  with  cut  flowers  is  generally  scarce. 
Solomon’s  Seal  (Polygonatum  multiflorum)  is  another  extremely 
useful  plant  for  forcing,  as  its  long  shoots,  delicate  leaves,  and  droop¬ 
ing  white  bells  are  of  a  type  always  welcomed  by  those  who  are 
constantly  arranging  cut  flowers.  Au  excellent  way  to  force  them  is  to 
lift  the  roots  as  required,  pack  them  closely  in  boxes  a  foot  in  depth, 
work  in  a  little  soil  among  the  roots,  water,  and  cover  the  box  with  a 
board.  The  box  can  then  be  placed  in  a  forcing  house,  vinery,  or  any 
other  structure  where  room  can  be  found,  and  the  board  be  removed 
when  a  few  inches  of  growth  have  been  made.  Treated  in  this  way,  a 
good  length  of  stem  is  secured.  As  soon  as  the  principal  shoots  have 
been  cut  the  plants  can  be  gradually  hardened,  and  in  April  divided 
and  planted  in  a  prepared  bed  in  the  open  air,  where  it  is  necessary  to 
leave  them  about  three  years  before  they  are  lifted  again. 
I  always  make  a  point  of  growing  a  few  plants  of  Rhododendron 
Nobleanum  in  pots  continually,  as  they  may  with  very  little  forcing  be 
had  in  flower  early  in  February.  They  must,  however,  be  well  attended 
to  during  the  summer  months,  or  only  puny  flowers  will  be  produced. 
The  older  varieties  have  flowers  of  scarlet,  rose,  and  light  pink  shades  of 
colour;  but  there  is  a  fine  new  addition  named  N.  coccineum,  which 
produces  flowers  of  a  very  bright  and  attractive  scarlet.  I  hope  to 
conclude  these  hints  next  week  by  a  note  on  Roses. — Plantsman. 
MANURE  FOR  TOMATOES. 
Having  last  season  suffered  from  various  fungoid  diseases  in  my 
Tomato  houses,  I  have,  in  addition  to  taking  in  fresh  soil,  mixed  with  it 
a  good  dressing  of  lime  :  but  as  I  think  the  soil  will  need  some  enrich¬ 
ment,  would  it  be  advisable  to  use  some  kainit  previous  to  setting  out 
plants?  I  wish  to  avoid  altogether  the  use  of  stable  or  farmyard 
manure,  as  I  am  inclined  to  think  this  very  often  causes  fungoid 
attacks.  Advice  will  be  greatly  esteemed.— T.  P.  R. 
[In  order  to  have  full  and  properly  swelled  crops  of  Tomatoes, 
something  more  than  fresh  soil,  except  it  be  unusually  rich  and  lime 
mixed  with  it,  will  be  necessary.  The  Tomato  requires  a  good  all¬ 
round  food,  as  shown  by  the  constituents  of  the  ash  of  the  plant  in  parts 
per  hundred  : 
Potash 
Soda . 
Lime . 
Magnesia 
Iron... 
Phosphoric  acid 
Sulphuric  acid 
Silica 
Chlorine 
100-00 
Nitrogen 
27-00 
10-39 
12-16 
8-21 
3- 96 
18-58 
4- 86 
12-36 
2-54 
Kainit  would  supply  the  requisite  potash,  soda,  magnesia,  and 
chlorine  ;  superphosphate,  the  essential  phosphoric  acid,  with  some 
sulphur  (sulphate  of  lime)  ;  sulphate  of  iron,  the  available  iron  required  ; 
either  sulphate  of  ammonia  or  nitrate  of  soda,  the  imperative  element 
nitrogen.  It  is  therefore  a  question  of  proportions  of  the  substances 
named,  and  the  following  is  an  excellent  and  economical  formula  :  — 
Dissolved  raw  bones 
Kainit  ...  ... 
Sulphate  of  ammonia 
Sulphate  of  iron 
Gypsum  ... 
parts  or  lbs. 
11 
11 
11 
11 
11 
11 
11 
11 
20 
» 
Mix  and  apply  4  ozs.  per  square  yard,  or  1\  lbs.  per  rod.  If  the  soil 
be  poor  double  quantity  may  be  used,  pointing-in  well  with  a  fork. 
This  is  a  substantial  food,  as  the  substances  come  into  availability 
gradually,  and  are  safeguarded  against  loss.  If  the  soil  is  light,  the 
following  simple  mixture  at  a  low  cost  gives  excellent  results 
Fish  meal  (“  white  fish  ”) 
Mineral  superphosphate 
Kainit  . 
Nitrate  of  soda . 
10  parts  or  lbs. 
*2  >>  » 
20  „ 
Mix  and  apply  4  ozs.  per  square  yard,  or  7\  lbs,  per  rod,  and  point- 
in  shortly  before  planting.] 
