AfGUST 30, 19i». 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



413 



KANSAS CITY. MO. 



Vanous Items. 



Encouraged bj' the increase of busi- 

 ness of last year over previous years, 

 and sanguine of the future the florists 

 have here, the growers are making 

 every effort to meet the demand for 

 next season. All the leading growers 

 are unanimous in the opinion that in- 

 side stock never before looked as 

 promising as it does this summer. 

 That we are gradually forging ahead 

 is indicated by the fact, that, besides 

 the completion of several new green- 

 houses many of the larger establish- 

 ments have been thoroughly over- 

 hauled from the boiler pit to the pot- 

 ting shed. 



The Humfeld Floral Co. were only 

 partially successful with their roses 

 last winter and are now exercising 

 their wits trying to find a remedy 

 which will prevent a recurrence of an- 

 other such misfortune. This firm re- 

 ports trade fairly good all summer, 

 and have recently purchased a fine 

 new delivery wagon which cannot help 

 but make some of us feel envious. 



Samuel Murray owns 15.000 feet of 

 glass on Prospect avenue, which, for 

 cleanliness and quality of stock grown 

 there, makes his place hard to beat. 

 His Asparagus Sprengeri in twelve- 

 inch pots and the adiantum ferns are 

 perfection. Sam has a hobby — the 

 gi'owing of grapes of the Muscat va- 

 riety, under glass, and gee whiz! such 

 fine fruit! Some of the bunches are 

 so large that "shirt waists" are nec- 

 essary to support them on the vines. 



Good rains during the past week 

 have greatly revived all outside 

 stock, and the indoor planting 

 of carnations will now commence 

 in earnest. Among the best 

 plants seen in the field are those 

 grown by Charley Heite. of Merriam, 

 Kan., six miles from Kansas City. Al- 

 though a very young man. Charley 

 has acquired ■ wonderful skill in the 

 growing of carnations, which he has 

 made a specialty for the past . five 

 years. To his credit it may be said 

 that his stock was superior last win- 

 ter to any grown in this section. 



Business at the stores is extremely 

 quiet, absolutely nothing doing but a 

 little funeral work. 



W. L. Rock arranged a few choice 

 bunches of roses and asters for the 

 funeral of Senator Ingalls. 



Asters are more plentiful and im- 

 proving in quality. Roses cut from 

 this year's stock are beginning to 

 come in. Beauties and Kaiserins av- 

 erage good, but Bride and Maids are 

 vet small and short-stemmed. 



H. .T. M. 



SOILS. 



C. G. writes: "AVe have a black top 

 sod soil six inches thick overlaying 

 a stiff yellow clay. This soil turns 

 green and sour and later almost black, 

 and most of the plants damp off or 

 die. I sent a sample to the analytical 



department of a chemical works, and 

 inclosed you will find a copy of the 

 analysis. What shall I add to the 

 soil to prevent it from getting sour? 

 I have tried lime but without satis- 

 factory results." 



We referred above to Prof. William 

 Stuart, of Purdue University Experi- 

 ment Station, who replies; "The in- 

 formation given is hardly sufficient 

 to warrant one in giving any specific 

 directions as to treatment. The 

 analysis given means very little. It 

 is quite improbable that a soil such 

 as described by your correspondent is 

 totally deficient in phosphoric acid, 

 potash and nitrogen, three of the most 

 essential chemical factors in plant 

 growth, yet the analysis makes no 

 mention of them. 



"I am inclined to believe that the 

 land has poor drainage. A stiff yel- 

 low clay subsoil is very retentive of 

 moisture. Good drainage would be 

 my first suggestion. 



"I would next ascertain if the soil 

 is deficient in plant food. An easy 

 way to determine this is to divide a 

 portion of the land which is of uni- 

 form composition into plats of from 

 one-tenth to one-fortieth of an acre. 

 To one of these plats apply kainit 

 Ikainit is one of the German potash 

 minerals consisting of the sulphates 

 and chlorides of potash and mag- 

 nesia). To another apply an acid 

 phosphate, and to another nitrate of 

 soda. A similar plat should be left 

 unfertilized. The kainit should be ap- 

 plied at the rate of about 500 lbs. per 

 acre and the acid phosphate from 

 1,000 to 2,000 lbs., while the nitrate of 



soda may be used at the rate of 300 

 lbs. per acre. 



"By such a method of experimenta- 

 tion one should be enabled to study 

 the requirements of his soil and from 

 the information obtained could fur- 

 nish such food to the plants as is lack- 

 ing in the soil." 



SARATOGA SPRINGS. N. Y.— A 

 feature of the "Festival ot Flora" this 

 year will be a grand ball at which not 

 only will the costumes worn, but the 

 <lance as well. include the char- 

 acteristics of the months represented, as 

 March, the wind; April, the grass and 

 leaves; May, the violets and apple blos- 

 soms; June, the roses and bees; July, 

 buttercups; August, poppies and wheat; 

 September, daisies; October, bacchanali- 

 an; November, autumn leaves and pine 

 cones; December, holly; January, ice and 

 snow: February, St. Valentine (the 

 Cupids). 



MINNEAPOLIS. MINN.— Wm. Donald- 

 son & Co., the department store firm. 

 have purchased the C. A. Smith green- 

 houses, the consideration being $19,000. 

 The property will be considerably im- 

 proved. James Souden, for some years 

 with L. L. May & Co.. will be superin- 

 tendent, and Mr. Smith will be .retained 

 as an assistant. 



OTTUMWA, IOWA.— C. Kranz, form- 

 erly of Muscatine, but now of Ottum- 

 wa. has built four houses each 2Sxl20 ft., 

 and a palm house 1.5x50. and on Oct. 1, 

 he will open up a fine store down town, 

 th.' £rreenhouscs heinc: three miles olU. 



THOUSANDS XX ASPARAGIS SPRENGERI, 



■,'-in.. $;i .50; 2V,.in., $4 00; :)'.;-in., $6.01). English Ivy aod 

 Baby Primrose, 2H-in., $4 00, Blue Spirea.-'is.in., t'-im. 

 All above prices per 10(), Write for price on Fieltl 

 Clumps Violets. Cash with order, RONEY BROS., 

 Florists, WEST QROVE, PA. 

 Mention The Review when you write. 



Always mention the Florists' Review when 

 writing advertisers. 



T^' 



e 



t>y 



WiluamScott 



Is a book of 224 large pages (same size as those 

 of the Florists' Review), and contains about 200 ar- 

 ticles on commercial plants and cultural operations, 

 each givijig " the meat" only, from the personal ex- 

 perience of a thoroughly practical man who is in 

 daily touch with each department of the business 

 and who has that rare quality of being able to tell 

 others what they want to know. The articles 

 are arranged alphabetically, like those in an ency- 

 clopedia, and in an instant one can turn to the sub- 

 ject upon which light is desired at the moment. The 

 book is illustrated by over 2ck) fine half-tone engrav- 

 ings. It is 



A Complete Reference Book for 

 Commercial Florists 



and is a whole library on practical commercial flori- 

 culture in one volume. It is very handsomely and 

 substantially bound in half leather, with specially 

 designed title in gold. 



Price, $5.00 Carriag'e Prepaid. 

 CAXTON 



Florists' Publishing Co., building, Chicago. 



HITCHINGS & CO. 



233 MERCER ST., NEW YORK: 



GREENHOUSE BOILERS 



PIPES, riniNGS AND VENniATING APPARULS 



Send Four Cents for Catalogue. • • • GREENIIOl SE BlilLI)l\(; 



Mention The Review when you write. 



