FORCED REST TO FLOWERING PLANTS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2158, 25 January 1881, Page 4

FORCED REST TO FLOWERING PLANTS.

To keep up a display of Verbenas, Petunias, -and other herbaceous plants of a like nature during the whole summer season recourse must be had occasionally to a forced rest, obtained by means of cutting back for a time the flowering wood, and allowing the plants to recruit their strength before permitting them to return to bloom. In the majority of gardens perennial herbaceous plants present more or less of a seedy appearance, owing principally to seminal fertility, the seed setting dnring the present season very rapidly and plentifully. Of course the age of tho plants and the conditions under whioh they are grown materially affect them in this respeot. Young plants in soils chemically and meohanieally good, and that are well sheltered and watered, flowor for a longer period of hot and dry weather before their energies beoome impaired than older ones or those on bad soils. Seeding does not take plaoe readily in flowers of the double form ; out these are subject to what is technically known as "blindness." A Petunia in full bloom will illustrate the meaning gardeners give to the term. On examination of the branches or shoots it will be found that from nearly every eye, or bud, from a few inohes above ground spring flowers or flowering wood with no branoh buds in the axils of the leaves, and the stamina of the plant is drawn to the extremities to mature the blossoms. When this action beoomos excessive or too prolonged the wood-forming buds become abnormal, and the vital action ceases for want of a medium for circulation of the sap. The practical preventive is to cut back the plants when in flower and in full vigor as far as the flowering wood extends; and, if the plants are being regularly watered, this is slightly withheld for a few days to balance the supply of sap taken in and make it equal to that expended. In the course of!a few days the plants will begin to bud again, and the supply of water is then raised in proportion to tho growth. When growth again becomes aotive and vigorous, liquid manures are applied with the best results, the draining of the muckheap diluted being the best. Great disfigurement to the rarden would result from cutting back all the plants at one time. To obviate this, a third or half the plants will be quite enough to operate on, the remainder to bo done as soon as the first lot have again come to perfection. Such a course as this will prolong tho beauty of a garden for a protracted period, if not through the season, while tho plants if allowed their own course will either die out, or look so miserable as to cause tho garden to appear worn out and wretohed. Ths time of blossoming of even annuals has been considerably lengthened by judioious cutting and regular removal of the seed-heads.

A New York fruit grower has paid for twenty years baok £IOO per annum for manure alone to put on his 130-aore orchard. Note the oonsequenoe: he has now a large evaporator whioh will dry 125 bushels of fruit in the day.