278 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



FEBRUARY 16. 1S99. 



mains an open Question whether the 

 roots would really take ud sufficient 

 water, if it were supplied to them 

 abundantly, to provide for the evapo- 

 ration, and still keep up the necessary 

 internal pressure for maximum 

 growth. This is a question that can 

 only be answered by actual experi- 

 ment, which so far is lacking. 



From the Bavarian investigations 

 we may safely infer that a moderately 

 dry atmosphere promotes the substan- 

 tial development of ordinary plants, 

 increases the strength of stem and 

 firmness of tissue, but that the full 

 benefits can only be derived when 

 there is an adequate supply of moist- 

 ure for the roots. We may also believe 

 from the knowledge we have derived 

 from other sources, that plants in a 

 •dry atmosphere are less likely to take 

 diseases. 



However, we are chiefly interested 

 at present in the plant's demand for 

 "water. What has already been said is 

 enough to indicate that the plant 

 should have as much water supplied to 

 it as can be taken up by the roots. I 

 believe no argument is needed to con- 

 vince my hearers that for greenhouse 

 crops subwatering is immensely supe- 

 rior to any system of surface water- 

 ing. Since the presentation of my 

 paper before this socieity a year ago, 

 many articles have been published 

 commendatory of the method, and a 

 number of practical and theoretical 

 points elucidated that were not 

 touched upon in my necessarily brief 

 paper. 



Prom what has been published, and 

 from my rather extended correspond- 

 ence, I am more fully than ever con- 

 vinced that the use of tile for supply- 

 ing water, and makeshifts in place of 

 a thoroughly watertight bench bottom. 

 ■which are generally selected on ac- 

 count of cheapness, are likely to bring 

 disappointment. The most satisfac- 

 tory lining, probably in the order 

 named, is zinc, galvanized iron, or ce- 

 ment, which should extend three or 

 four inches up the sides of the bench, 

 or to the top, if the expense does not 

 seem too great. The bottom is then 

 covered with tour inches of porous 

 bricks, set so close together that soil 

 ■will not drop between them; and am- 

 ple space is provided for water and air 

 to circulate freely b.v removing about 

 a half inch of the lower edges of the 

 bricks before setting. The bed is then 

 filled with soil in the usual manner. 



Water is run into the bottom of the 

 bench, through an inch tube set at in- 

 tervals of five to ten feet along the 

 front edge, or an even better way 

 probably is the plan I recently saw in 

 use in Mr. Fred Dorner's houses, of 

 using a flue about two by six inches 

 instead of the tube. Mr. Dorner's plan 

 permits water to be run in a little eas- 

 ier from the hose, and does away with 

 any necessity for a gauge, as the bot- 

 tom of the bench can be readily seen 

 through the flues, and the presence or 

 absence of standing water noted. 



Overflows should be provided at the 



back of the bench, so that only a cer- 

 tain depth of water can be added, even 

 by the most careless workman. These 

 can be placed at two inches above the 

 bottom, which experience show.s to be 

 about right. 



These items cove-r the essential fea- 

 tures of what is believed to be at pres- 

 ent the most perfect system of sub- 

 watering. So far as the application in 

 commercial liouses has come to my 

 knowledge there seems to be misap- 

 prehension of the full philosophy of 

 the system. The soil should at all 

 times be well supplied with air, which 

 largely comes from beneath, and there- 

 fore should not be kept too wet. Un- 

 less benches are inade far deeper than 

 usual, water standing in the bottom of 

 the bench any large part of the time 

 can not fail to keep th-e soil too wet, 

 besides depriving it of the circulation 

 of air that should take place through 

 the brick. It must be remembered 

 that the bricks continue to supply 

 water to the soil above long after it 

 has entirely disappeared from the bot- 

 tom of the bench. Tbe usual depth of 

 soil is scarcely enough for this system, 

 even with the most judicious atten- 

 tion. It would be better to have five 

 or six inches of soil above the bricks, 

 and then an inch of the surface soil 

 can always be kept dry to act as a 

 mulch and a protection against fungi. 



After a bench is first filled, water 

 should be applied cautiously and time 

 enough given for the slow process of 

 diffusion. It will take from one to 

 three days for the moisture to appear 

 at the surface after water is run into 

 the bottom. Water enough for the op- 

 eration can be supplied in two or three 

 applications: what more is added 

 tends to puddle the soil and injure it. 

 Patience is needed for this first water- 

 ing, for it can not be hurried, but can 

 easily be overdone. 



In all subsequent watering it must 

 be borne in mind that it takes a long 

 time tor the water that is put in the 

 bottom to reach the upper layers of 

 soil, and that no ■nater is lost. At 

 first, when the plants are small, it will 

 probably lie sufficient to water them 

 once in one or two weeks. By a 

 watering is meant to run water into 

 the bench until it runs out at the over- 

 flow. In three or four hours it will all 

 have been taken up by the bricks, and 

 will be given up slowly to the soil. As 

 the ci'op grows, watering must be more 

 frequent, but will rarely need to be 

 oftener than once in one to three days. 

 If the surface of the bench does not 

 keep dry, too much water is certainly 

 being applied. The amount to be used 

 must be a matter of experience, and 

 requires careful judgment. The tend- 

 ency at first is to overwater. The pro- 

 cess is so different from the usual sur- 

 face method of watering that some 

 time and close observation are re- 

 quired in order to fully master it, and 

 obtain the greatest advantage from it. 



It will be a convenience in construc- 

 tion and give greater control over the 

 watering, if the benches are divided 



into lengths of 25 or 30 feet by parti- 

 tions. These sections can be at differ- 

 ent levels, which will also provide for 

 the slope in long houses. 



Experiments carried on since my 

 last paper make it certain that the ex- 

 tra feeding of the plants can be done 

 by applying the liquid fertilizer 

 through the bottom, of course taking 

 care that no solid m.aterial is allowed 

 to pass in to clog up the spaces be- 

 neath the bricks. This does away with 

 all surface applications. 



If now the house be piped for water 

 by running a line along the front of 

 each bench, with an opening for each 

 section of bench, the whole house can 

 be watered at once with the oi>ening 

 and closing of a single stopcock. The 

 saving of labor which this change im- 

 plies must go some ways toward meet- 

 ing the additional first cost of con- 

 struction. 



There seem to be but little remain- 

 ing that calls for the services of the 

 Experiment Station. If it is found 

 that the stations have done a signal 

 service to commercial horticulture, as 

 it now appears, they ask nothing in 

 return but commendation, and a sup- 

 port that will increase their useful- 

 ness. 



SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen of the 

 American Carnation Society: Your 

 secretary reports having issued the 

 proceedings of the last annual meet- 

 ing in due time and mailing the same 

 to all those members who were not in 

 arrears for dues. 



He also reports having issued a set 

 of the Constitution and By-Laws, as 

 revised at the Chicago meeting, and 

 forwarding a copy to each member in 

 good standing. 



At the beginning of our present fis- j 

 cal year, we had 107 active members; ' 

 this number has been increased to 

 134. and will no doubt be further in- 

 creased at this meeting, thus making i 

 this the banner year of the society. j 

 There is. however, no reason why we ■ 

 should not have at the least 1,000 

 members, and with the increased rev- 

 enue thus derived do much work we 

 now find impossible to undertake. 



Members should not forget that their 

 secretary is always ready and willing 

 to extend any information regarding 

 society work and to receive any sug- 

 gestions for the welfare of the society, 

 and thinks much better work could be 

 done if they would continually keep 

 in touch with the society through their 

 secretary. Respectfully submitted. 

 ALBERT M. KERR, Secretary. 



NOMENCLATURE. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen of the 

 American Carnation Society: There 

 have been registered since last report 

 twenty new names. In order to ac- 

 complish this your secretary has writ- 

 ten to the owner of a new carnation as 

 soon as its name appeared in the trade 

 papers, asking him to register it. 



