FLORICULTURE MARCHES ON!

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 280, 26 November 1938, Page 14 (Supplement)

FLORICULTURE MARCHES ON!

Garden Notes

WHETHER the modern demand for flowers has created the supply, or the supply has found an appreciative public, we need not stay to discuss. The fact remains that the last four or five decades have witnessed an extended use of flowers altogether disproportioned to the increased population and the growing wealth of the nation.

Flowers are now used for personal adornment and home decoration by daises of the community that would, less than half a century ago, have regarded them as forbidden luxuries. Primarily, this advance of refinement in tho popular taste is traceable to the • kill and enthusiastic devotion of t'le florists who have supported in all their integrity the true canons of floral perfection, and whose labours will continue to be imperative for maintaining the standards of )|ualitv. Ilv their severe rub's of criticism the florists further I lie ends of lloricult lire subjectively, and bv t lie actual results of their labours 'hey render objective aid. their finest flowers -serving not only as types, but as the m■ -1 nit 1 stud for pcrpct un t ing each

race. Hem e the decline of tloricnlt tire would imply t lie deterioration of (lower*, and t lie prosperity of floriculture : n\ohcw proxies* not only in tlio«e subject- wliicli lie within the Horists" domain, but of tnanv others to which they have not devoted special attention. Yet the acknowledgment must be made that, brilliant as their tiiumph.s have been, the methods they practised have in some instances entailed very severe penalties. Continuous propagation for many generations, under artificial conditions, so debilitated the constitution of the hollyhocks, verliena and some other subjects, that, the plants became victims of diseases which at one time threatened their existence. To save them from annihilation it was necessary to desert the worn path of propagation, and raise plant* possessing the initial vigour of seedlin<!«. In stamina these seedlings

proved eminently satisfactory, although in otlu»r respects they were at first sadly disappointing. It then became clear that before show flowers could l>e obtained from seedlings judgment and skill must lie devoted to the art of saving seed. This was necessarily a work of time, demanding great patience and rare scientific knowledge. The task was undertaken with enthusiasm in many directions, and the result's have more than justified this labour of love. Formerly, the universal mode of perpetuating named hollyhocks was by the troulilesome process of cuttings, or by grafting buds on root* of seedlings in houses heated to tropical temperature. In many places it was the custom to lift the old plants, pot them and keep them through the winter in pots. All this was found necessary to ensure fine flowers. While the burden of the work was thus rendered heavy, tlie constitution of the plant became enfeebled, and at one time the fear was entertained that its extinction was at hand. But the new system has preserved the hollyhock. and at the same time afforded"a striking example of the principle that seed waved scientifically is found to

reproduce tlio varieties it was taken from. Seedling hollyhocks now give double flowers of the finest quality; and. "the seedling plants are less liable to disease. So with the verbena. This beautiful bedding plant has been propagated from cuttings forced in heat, and systematically debilitated, so that there is now a verbena disease. But from suitable seeds plants can be raided that will produce the most resplendent (lowers, and instead of propagating a stock to keep over winter, to be stricken with mildew and cost no end of care, only to become diseased at la-t. a pinch of seed is sown in July or August and soon there is a stock of healthy plants posseting tlie vigour peculiar to seedlings. These, being lx-dded out at a proper time, flower as freely as plants from cuttings and produce trusses twice the size. To illustrate the change of method still further we may instance the cineraria. Formerly this was a troublesome plant to grow, because it was considered necessary to propagate named varieties by divisions and muckers. The restricted system was reflected in limited cultivation. Few were willing

to venture on a task known to be hedged about with difficulties. Bv degrees it was discovered tfiat the finest cineraria® might be secured by simply sowing seed, and giving the plants the usual cultivation of tender annuals. This has brought the cineraria within the reach of thousands who would not attempt to grow it under the old system, and the consequent gain to society is immense. What has been done with the cineraria lias its parallel in quite a mini Iter of the most elegant decorative flowers. Urilliiint results have been achieved with begonias, cyclamens. gloxinias and primulas. It has also ceased to be 'needful to keep such large stocks of bedding iiud other plants through the winter? for ageratums, lobelias and pansics have proved amenable to the new treatment, and very much of the accustomed labour in striking and potting cuttings, as well as the expense of glass fuel, and the frequent purchase of high priced plants have been rendered unnecessarv. Kven among the flowers which are properly designated annuals, new and delightful variations have been obtained from original types. Of these we have examples in aster, mignonette, phlox drummondii, poppy, stock, and sweet ]*'a. 11l some instances the increase in the size of the flowers is remarkable, and in others the development of new tints will surprise those who arc not familiar with the labours of modern hvbridi>ers.

Thus a revolution has been accomplished ill the economy and complexion of the llower garden, a revolution which lias reduced and simplified the gardeners' labours, augmented the number and enhanced the beauty of many llowers, effected a marked Having in the cost of garden pleasures, and brought the culture of a large number of the most attractive subjects within the means of those who had neither the facilities nor the knowledge requisite for pursuing the florists' methods. There apja-ar to be 110 limits to further progress. All that we can do is to experiment and gather knowledge and those who love gardening may assist in extending the area of this new and cheap system of producing some of the most elegant garden flpwers in one season from seed alone.