HARDY FLOWERING PLANTS FOR FORCING.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2192, 5 March 1881, Page 3

HARDY FLOWERING PLANTS FOR FORCING.

[“ N.B. Agrioultuaist,”] Apart from the numerous hardy bulbous plants, such as the hyacinth, the tulip, the narcissus, crocus, snowdrop, and scillss, there are many hardy herbaceous plants and shrubs which, by their naturally precocious habit of flowering, are available for forcing. Many of them are much better adapted for cutting than the bulbs alluded to, and, consequently, are more valuable for general purposes. It is therefore indispensable to have a goodly number of them put in pots in preparation for winter work. All exoept rhododendrons, azaleas, and kalmias among the shrubs require to be established in pots to succeed well; that is, they should be potted up the previous winter or spring and bo grown in pots for a season, in order to be well prepared for the unnatural process of forcing. And if carefully cultivated season after season, they will continue to improve in floriferousness, and become more facile to start early. Beginning with hardy azaleas, we have a most valuable group of brilliant and highly fragrant things, all extremely floriferous when well grown, and generally very easily forced. The most easy perhaps to force is the recently introduced species from Japan, named A. mollis. It is one of the very best for early forcing, as it yields to artificial heat more quickly than any of the other species yet tried for the purpose. The flowers exhibit many shades of color, all of which are soft and pleasing, and new as well, in flowere, especially in winter time, consisting of salmon, rose, and yellow, in its most delicate tint* of canary, nankin, and orange. They are deficient in fragrance, which, compared with other hardy species available for forcing, counts somewhat against them. The Ghent or Belgian azaleas are also very beautiful subjects for early forcing, being more brilliant in their colouring and highly fragrant, though their flowers are smaller. The A, pontica and several less well known species are not so varied in color as the sorts that have sprung from the foregoing species ; but being mostly very free bloomers and fragrant as the honeysuckle itself, they are very welcome in the dull months of the year, when there is little to cheer in the shape of flowers indoors or out by any natural process of production. All these azaleas should be well and generously cultivated. After forcing is over and the weather mild enough to prevent their being injured by frost or equally injurious east winds, they should be planted in the open ground in thoroughly well-manured soil in a sunny but sheltered position, to make their growth and set their buds. If the season happens to be a dull and wet one, inducing a too protracted growth, the plants may require to bo lifted and potted and put under glass, to ensure setting their flower buds. In such a ease there need be no fear as to the results of lifting while the plants are perhaps making their growth. If any sign of check, such as flagging of the foliage occurs, let them be shaded for a day or two, but continue the shading as short time as possible, and afterwards expose them to every ray of sunlight, to accelerate early setting of the flower buds, and give occasional doses of weak liquid manure to assist the process ; but in a general way, lessen the quantity of moisture to which they were accustomed out of doors. Rhododendrons require similar treatment to that of azaleas. Of course any of the varieties may be forced, but the most useful for the purpose are those that are very early, such as Hendersonii, Nobleanum, Cunningham, Daurioum, and precooium. Deutzia gracilis is an indispensable subject for forcing purposes. The pure, white flowers resemble orange blossom somewhat in shape, and are sometimes made to do duty for these in bridal bouquets, their lack of fragrance being the only drawback to their being a perfect substitute for that requisite in bouquets of the kind. D. orenata flora pluro is another beautiful species, with double flowers of a most delicate pink tint. It is less profuse in flower than gracilis, but charming as a variety. These must be established in pots to succeed well. Their flowers are borne on the shoots of the preceding year’s production ; every bud on these shoots, if the plants have been well cultivated, emitting one or more sprays of flowers, so that the stronger and longer the shoots are, the more abundant will be the crop of blossoms. When their flowers are exhausted, they should be out back hard into the old wood, leaving only a bud or two at the base of the young wood to furnish the shoots for the coming season. Keep them in moderate warmth if wanted early, and give them plenty of moisture, with occasional doses of liquid manure, so that they may be encouraged to make long and strong growth. Keep them in warmth till the middle or end of Spring, when they may be placed in cold frames to harden off preparatory to being placed out of doors in a sunny, sheltered place, to finish and mature their growth. Plants for later or succession batches may be treated in the same way, in accordance with the requirements necessitated by the season of the year; the nearer summer they are started into growth the shorter will be the time they will require under glass, that is, in heat; but they may want more prolonged protection in cold frames, because of their growth being younger and more tender. They should have plenty of pot room for the season’s growth ; that is it pot bound before growth commences, let them receive a liberal shift.

Laurestinus, the most commonly cultivated species, is an invaluable subject for forcing in winter, and may be had in bloom very early by being previously prepared by early growth. There are two forms of this fine shrub, and the best for our purpose is that known as the black leaved. The plants should be grown in pots, and be well supplied with moisture and nutriment, in the shape of liquid manure, in the growing season. They do not like much heat in the process of forcing, but when wanted early should, like camellias and Indian azaleas, be started early in the growth, so that they may be early and well matured.

Primus sinensis and P triloba are two capital forcing shrubs, less on account of their usefulness for cutting than for their gay appearance in the conservatory or greenhouse. They require the same treatment as deutzias. Honeysuckle may be forced quite easily if potted and established a year before in pots. Anything more delicious than a posy of honeysuckle blossoms in winter can hardly be imagined. The plants should be encouraged to make free and strong growth. When they are to be put in heat for forcing, they should bo pruned back to within a few buds of the base of the young shoots, the branches whjch will spring from these buds are the flowering shoots, and each one will, if the growth of the previous season has been strong and well ripened, produce a fine truss of flowers. Any of the numerous sweet-smelling honeysuckles will bloom in winter in pots, if well prepared for the purpose ; but there is a winter blooming sort, certainly not one of the most beautiful, but surpassed in fragrance by none of the others. This is Loniciroo fragrantissima, which naturally flowers on a wall in the open air about Christmas time. Lilacs, both the common and the Siberian and Persian sorts, should be grown in every garden for the purpose of forcing. Small plants should be established in pots, and well cultivated after the manner of deutzias. They will only flower freely when bo treated.