The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-11-07
Floral Notes.


The months of November and December are.
az rule, the most dreary in the calendar of
the amateur florist, and yet they need not be
so, II we take care to increase our stock of
plants duging the summer. In the culture of
flowers we must of necessity look long way
ahead, and even now it is in order TO plan our
gardens for the spring, if it has not already
been done Lose no time in getting bulbs Of
all kinds under the ground. Ii your Peonies
Lilies and Herbaceous Perennials have stood
for three years in the same place, they will not
need dividing. This should have been done
last month, but better late than never-all the
hardy ANNALS such Larkspur Candytuft
Nemophila and Portulacca, may be sown early
in November, and they will be up in the spring
before the ground is ready for working. Dig
up fiower-beds and leave them rough The
frost will do great deal in making the ground
mellow Apply manure wherever needed,
spading it il well.
Scar, ely a day but receive letters like the
following Il neglected to slip my plants in the
summer, and have none now. What can do?"
Well, il you desire flowers immediately, there
lie probably no other alternative than to send to
some florist But, says some one, ~My plants
from the greenhouse never do we'll" know
that is true to some extent, and yet the failure
IL not the blame of the seller but rather the
ne conditions of life in which the plant are
put to grow. Just see what difference, Often
taken from moist, warm greenhouse 10 a
dusty, close, dry room, at one time heated to
suffocation, and, perhaps, the same day water
will freeze III the same room This is not an
imaginary picture, for have in mind a person
who runs her plant room in just this very man
ner. When sweeping days come instead Of
throwing newspaper over her plants to FRO
tect them, che makes the dust fly, regardless Of
the consequences. Sometimes she comes in 10
see my plants, and tnen wonders why hers do
not do well, My friend, there is such q thing
as petting plant too much, just rs much so as
giving them too little sunlight. The chief es-
sentials in successful plant culture may be
briefly stated as air. light, heat and cleanliness.
Whenever you observe green fly or aphis,
that is one too many, and if left will soon pro-
duce more. Many remedies are given for this
pest, but have found nothing so effectual
tobacco smoke. Plants sent a long journey by
mail WILL in some cases. and especially with
Geraniums, dropsevery leaf; but this is no in-
dication that they are dead, for invariably they
will put forth new leaves. Heliotropes are
very liable to rust that is, the leaves will turn
black and drop witboIl visible cause. The
remedy is to grow them In more damp, warm
place. Additions and Begonias OF the Towering
kinds seem to bear removal with impuDity. l
am very careful to harden off every plant / !
send out, 70 that they will grow where any
thing will
l went down cellar this afternoon to examine /
my Holland bulbs which l am keeping down |
there in their pots in darkness until the roots |
join. They were potted Sept. 10, and have |
been kept moist since then, for bulb once |
started must never be allowed to go dry. In
verting the pot, l knock it slightly on the rim
on one Of the Shelves and out comes COM
pact ball of earth, well filled with roots
scarcely so full as l desired, however, so put !
the ball back into the pot and shelve IL again
for another week. L found the Narcissus in
the same condition. They require the same
treatment as the Hyacinths; and here let me adj
wise every reader to delay no longer than this !
month in getting every bulb into soil. The |
Crocus pot was well filed with roots and the
leaf-growth started, so / removed them to the
light The Snowdrops and Oxalis had COM
menced to grow, but want TO stay in the dark a |
little longer. My Candidum Lily, potted for /
forcing, has thrown up a stem four inches |
high This put out into the light. Longi- |
forum has made roots, but no leaf growth yet |
/ told you in a back number how TO make these |
bloom in winter.
A gentleman wrote me from Rhode Island as |
to whether he could remove Lilies of the VAL |
ley from his garden and have them bloom the |
coming winter in the house 1t can be done, !
but the flowers are never so large the ones |
grown from imported pips. You may dig up a |
strong clump and put it in box, filling all /
around the clump with soil Leave this out
doors where it will get a good freeze,
Tor these Lilies are perfectly hardy, |
and as you want them for forcing bring Ill
three pips or buds with root attached for each |
four-inch pot. Then you will cover with an |
inch of soil, putting them away in the Dark
after you have watered them. In about three
weeks you may put them in the window, where
they will bloom inla short time. Mr.. RENNIE.
HISsDALE. Dupage county, III.