OMBKU 20, 1000. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



SAMUEL S. PENNOCK. 



( Commencing October Jst, 1900, will 

 ( be open from 7:00 a. m., to 9:00 p. m. 



1612-14-16-18 Ludlow St., Philadelphia, Pa 



Wholesale 



^riorist 



limerican Beauties and Valley specialties 



Menitlon The Revi 



MULCHING: ITS USE AND ABUSE. 



Thai mulching is a good and im- 

 portant detail in the culture of many 

 crops and trees no one will deny, but 

 I am afraid it has its evil effects also. 

 The principle of mulching is liable to 

 be misconstrued, and there is a likeli- 

 hood of the system falling into evil re- 

 pute among those who neglect or do 

 not understand some of the details 

 that go to make mulching an un- 

 qualified success. To those who well 

 understand the principle of mulching 

 and its advantages it will appear quite 

 superfluous that I should attempt to 

 explain here the details of practice 

 and mention some of these advan- 

 tages; but those who are beginners in 

 horticultural pursuits — and they are a 

 daily increasing body — will probably 

 appreciate a few details, for there is 

 more useful practice than that of sys- 

 tematic mulching. 



What isi mulching? is a question that 

 the beginner may very well ask. It 

 is the application of various substan- 

 ces as a covering to the soil above the- 

 roots of trees, plants, or vegetables to 

 prevent or check evaporation, thus 

 preserving, as far as possible, a uni- 

 form degree of heat and moisture in 

 the soil. This indicates the broad 

 principles of mulching. All recently 

 transplanted trees and shrubs, orna- 

 mental or utilitarian, are greatly as- 

 sisted by a mulching of decayed veg- 

 etable refuse or half-rotted manure. 

 With a covering of either of these 

 warmth and moisture is retained, and 

 to newly planted trees this is of much 

 consequence, as in their weakened 

 state they are less able to withstand 

 extremes of cold, heat, or drought. 

 Especially to growing crops, like peas, 

 for example, the conservation of mois- 

 ture about the roots is much better 

 than the artificial supply of water. A 

 mulching of any material prevents sun 

 and wind drying the surface soil to 

 such an extent as to cause fissures to 

 appear, and it is through such fissures 

 the sun absorbs moisture from below, 

 thus robbing the roots of one thing 

 necessary to their well-being. For 

 newly planted fruit trees and shrubs 

 in soil that is heavy, and therefore 

 retentive of moisture, hilf-decsyfd 

 horse manure is the most suitable 

 mulch, but for light, sandy soil freshly 

 collected manure from the stable or 

 cow shed is the most valuable. 



For kitchen garden crops any non- 

 conducting material, such as straw, 

 cocoanut fibre refuse, decayed \ egeta- 

 ble refuse, or even grass, is advanta- 

 geous in the absence of manure. The 

 evil in connection with mulch ng es- 

 tablished crops in the kitchen-garden, 

 like peas, is deferring too long th» ap- 

 plication of the mulch. It is useless 

 waiting until drought has laid the 

 foundation of mildew fungous and 

 partly ruined the crop before attempt- 

 ing to arrest its progress or prevent 



PITTSBURG GUT FLOWER GO., Ltd. 



WHOLESALE FLORISTS. 



CONSIGNMENTS SOLICITED. 



FLORISTS' SUPPLIES. Write for Price List. 



you wr 



No. 504 Liberty St, 

 PITTSBURG, P« 



[itlon The Review 



its inception. Early mulching is a 

 good system to follow, whether the 

 weather is excessively dry or not; it 

 will undoubtedly be wanted. In con- 

 nection with newly planted fruit trees 

 I wish especially to notice the bad 

 practice of applying a mulch in No- 

 vember and allowing it to remain until 

 it has decayed. When the soil is of 

 a heavy character it is naturally cold 

 in the spring, owing to its retention 

 of moisture. The mulching material 

 keeps the soil still cold by intercepting 

 the warming influence of the sun, and 

 in this way the soil remains cold and 

 is not at all favorable to early root 

 action. By moving the manure to one 

 side from off the space where the roots 

 are, when warm, dry weather sets in 

 in April, and leaving it off until the 

 soil has become tolerably dry on the 

 surface, the sun's warmth will pene- 

 trate to the roots more quickly, in- 

 citing them into action. 



There is still one other point to 

 guard against — that of leaving the 

 material off too long, thus allowing 

 the soil to become over dry and so 

 neutralizing the good effect of mulch- 

 ing.— E. Molyneux, in Gardeners' 

 Magazine. 



11ai!TFOi;ii, Conn-. TIm' Hartford Flor- 

 ists' (.'lub was ni-:,iii/r.l Ore. II with 

 .ilIiiTi-s as follnw-: l'i.-i,l,nt. T. .1. Mc- 

 llc.nalds- vi.r |.H -i.l. lit, W . W. Hunt: 

 treasurer. D. A, ^pi.ii : -r.rUny A. F. 

 Coombs; trusln-. .ImIhi ('.khiiIi-, i ;r,:i\:.;i> 

 Osborn and ('■. W . M' i Inni.', \miIi I li>' 



four officers. A tiininiU ii li\ l.iws 



was appointed to report at the next 

 meeting, which President McRonalds will 

 call. 



WANT ADVERTISEMENTS. 



FOR SALE, 



Smllax, from Hats :i''c fcr 100; $2 5(1 per lOOO 



from 2-incli pots Jl.OODerUO 



lOO Miirnoiiette Plants (.Mien's Deliaoce). 



mostly in bud 3c each; t2.50 per 100 



Cyperns Qracilis, 4-incti 75c per doz. 



Tomato Plants, pot grown, Beauty and Loril- 



lard, ready January 1st, IHOl. 

 MRS. GRISWOLD, - 'Worthington, Ohio. 



■In^ the year. If the adv 

 lyords. send at the rate o 



QITU.ATION W.-VNTED- First class grower of 

 O roses, bulbs, violets and general line of cut tiowers, 

 dfsires position; Al references from former and present 

 employer for ability and sobnety; near Philadelphia 

 preferred: state wages and particulars. Address Grower, 

 Burmont, Del. Co., Pa. 



J ITUATION W ANTI-:D-By a first class grower of 

 J roses and general stocli ; single, under age. can take 

 large, good reference; st; ■-, . . 



without board. 



•I WANTED— By first class gardentr, 

 I private place ; expert in growing roses, 

 ms and general greenhouse plants: best 

 references from Germany, Holland, Switzerland and this 

 country ; Pennsylvania preferred. Address Penn, care 

 of Florists' Review. 



W^ANTED— Reliable, competent grower on c 

 T T mercial place Steady employment for right i 

 State experience, wages, etc. " ' " 

 Sandusky, O. 



Central Greenhouses, 



FOR SALE— Return bend coil boiler, with grate- 

 bars, door and frame; will heat S.OOO feet of glass. 

 Geo. Statflinger, Springville, N. V. 



SITUATION WANTED- Youngman,age22, wants 

 situation with English or Scotch fionst, at store or 

 greenhouse work; good salesman and designer; best of 

 references; moderate wages. Address A. Y., caie of 

 Florists' Review. 



S' 



ITUATiON WANTED- By an all-round grower 



of roses, carnations and violets ; competent to take 



charge; state wages ; * ' " ' • " ^ 



OVELTIES^j^ 



CHRYSANTHEMUIVIS, 

 CARNATIONS. CANNAS and 

 GERANIUMS, our 



^SPECIALTY 



NATHAN SMITH & SON, Adrian, Mich. 



raOR SALE- GREENHOUSE PROPERTY AT NYACK, N. Y. A 

 lUl plot 220x125 feet, on which are four Rosehouses, 

 100x18x6, each house heated by a No. 16 Hitchings Boiler, 

 and seven houses, each about 64x11 feet, heated by flues. 

 This property will be sold cheap to quick cash buyer. 



HITCHINGS & CO., 233 Mercer St., New York. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



