MARCH 23, 1S99. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



401 



OUR PRIZE COMPETITION. 



Vote Now. 



In this issue appear the last of the 

 accepted entries in our prize competi- 

 tion, and realizing that to vote intelli- 

 gently our readv:u: should have all he- 

 fore them at cue time we reprint those 

 that have already appeared. 



Three prizes v>-ere offered, of |25, 

 |15 and $10 respectively, for "Really 

 valuable and practical labor or money- 

 saving device or method of culture of 

 benefit to ^orists." The awards are 

 to be made by the readers of the 

 Florists' Review, a majority vote to 

 rule. Every reader is requested to vote 

 so we may have a full and complete 

 expression. Each entry is numbered 

 and in voting readers are requested to 

 indicate their choice for first, second 

 and third prizes. Every ballot must 

 be signed with the name and address 

 of the voter. Use a postal card and 

 ■write your ballot about as follows: 



Prize Competition. 



First Prize No. . 



Second Prize No. . 



Third Prize No. . 



Name 



Address 



The ballot will close April 8 (be 

 sure yours is sent in before that date), 

 and the result will be announced in 

 our issue of April 13, giving the names 

 and addresses of the winners. 

 The Entties. 



No. 1. In this the main idea is an ex- 

 tension to a bucket. The bucket it- 

 self is inside and is used for holding 

 Howers (particularly carnations) with 

 rather short stems. The same bucket 

 is used for the long-stemmed flowers 



No. 1. Extension to Bucket for holding Cut 

 Flowers. 



by using the extension as shown, 

 which slips out when not in use. The 

 extension of course has no bottom. I 

 find the galvanized iron buckets made 

 ■of various sizes the very best and 

 handiest for holding flowers. The ex- 



tension simply makes them still more 

 useful. The most convenient size I 

 find to be about I0I/2 inches deep and 

 12 inches in diameter. Seven inches I 

 find to be a good depth for the ex- 

 tension, but of course it could be made 



No. 2. Finger Knife. 



of any size. The flare should be the 

 same as that of the bucket and fit 

 snugly to the top of same. A. 



No. 2. This might be called a finger 

 knife. A thin blade of the best steel 

 Is cut in the shape shown and firmly 

 fastened on the outside of a thimble. 

 The top concave edge is sharpened, 

 the side edges are blunt. It is used 

 by placing the thimble on the middle 



N8. 3. Cheap and Efficient Smoker. 



finger and turning the blade cross- 

 wise of the hand. Its use is to sever 

 the stems of carnations or other 

 plants. The stem is grasped in the 

 thumb and finger and the knife edge 

 pressed against the stem below, mak- 

 ing an upward cut. This is a pariio- 

 ularly handy implement when the 

 stems are tough and hard to break off. 



A. 



No. 3. This is a very cheap and ef- 

 ficient "smoker" for fumigating with 

 tobacco stems. It is made of 6-inch or 

 8-inch second-hand stovepipe, which 

 can be had almost for the asking. 

 Four notches are cut in the lower end, 

 as shown, and the pieces turned in to 

 hold the perforated bottom shown at 

 A in the figure. A hole just above the 

 bottom (see B in figure) is for Ihe pur- 

 pose of lighting the "smoker." 



We use these smokers in this way: 

 First, a single handful of light shav- 

 ings or paper is placed in front of the 

 opening (B) on the bottom; on top of 

 the shavings a little perfectly dry to- 

 bacco stems; the whole smoker from 

 the bottom up is then filled with well 

 dampened stems. A match is applied 

 to the shavings, and when well lighted 

 the smoker is set where wanted and 

 the stems well pressed down to pre- 

 vent blazing. 



No. 4. Support for Bedded Plants. 



I have used these for a number of 

 years and have seen nothing that will 

 compare with them for cheapness, 

 handiness and effectiveness. Another 

 advantage they possess is that they 

 save all the tobacco ashes. After 

 using the smokers the ashes are all 

 emptied into a barrel for future use as 

 a fertilizer. A. 



No. 4 is a support for bedded plants 

 such as carnations, asters, niigonette, 

 etc. It is a wooden frame made of 

 wooden strips about one inch square, 

 made the same width as the bed, and 

 of convenient length (6 to 8 feet) to 



No. 5. Convenient VVheeloarrow. 



be easily handled. Wire or string is 

 stretched both ways to make a 3-inch 

 mesh. Or 3-inch mesh wire netting 

 makes a good cover. These frames are 

 easily supported above the plants at 

 the proper height by the means of 

 stakes driven in the ground; or the 

 frames can rest on wires stretched hor- 

 izontally from the roof support pipes. 

 Well made frames of this sort will last 

 a number of years and can be used in 

 an upright position for vines. B. 



No. 5 is a most convenient wheel- 



