150 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



plant wilting for want of water would 

 readily burn. 



Then again it is well known that 

 almost all plaots will endure without 

 harm a wetting or syringing of their 

 foliage with water at a much higher 

 temperature than the insects that in- 

 fest them can stand or much higher 

 than would be endurable to our own 

 bodies. Perhaps this is accounted for 

 by the fact that what we now call the 

 vegetable kingdom grew and flourish- 

 ed thousands of years before anything 

 like ourselves appeared on the earth, 

 and when the earth and the waters 

 thereon were much warmer than they 

 are now. Could the sun shining 

 through the glass raise the tempera- 

 ture of a drop of water to such a heat 

 that it burnt the leaf? No, more like- 

 ly the water would protect it. 



There is nothing like experience. 

 This spring when all hands were 

 busy I had to give one man the job of 

 watering. He began at 7 a. m. and 

 went from house to house using the 



hose every hour of the day and finish- 

 ing up in the evening with the stuff 

 that was in hot beds and cold frames. 

 Did I see any harm? No. only that 

 he did not get round fast enough to 

 suit me. Never let a plant suffer for 

 want of water. Apply it at high noon 

 if necessary. 



The correspondent says: "The sun 

 shines at and after a shower. And 

 why should watering be worse?" It 

 is true it does and in our northern 

 climate this occurs mostly in April 

 and May, and nothing but a fresh out- 

 burst of growth and gladness is im- 

 parted by these sunshine showers. In 

 conclusion, why, except in very busy 

 times, is there any occasion to do wa- 

 tering or syringing except in the 

 morning or towards evening? There 

 is not. but when circumstances com- 

 pel you to water either inside or out- 

 side, however hot the sun, don't be 

 afraid of any injurious results either 

 to your plants or vourself. 



WM. SCOTT. 



Painting, Repairing, Etc. 



There is a great inclination to take 

 a rest after the chrysanthemums and 

 roses are planted, but you will enjoy 

 a vacation much better later on when 

 you know that all necessary repaii's 

 have been done. Simply don't put off 

 painting, glazing or bench building 

 till cooler weather. There is no time 

 quite so void of gardening operations 

 as the present month and after that 

 every week brings an increase of your 

 cares. 



For the past two years I have used 

 mastica on houses where the glass is 

 lapped and have every reason to be 

 much satisfied with it. It is almost 

 impossible to get white lead into the 

 more or less open spaces between 

 glass and bar. It would take a long 

 while to do it so thoroughly as mas- 

 tica. If appearance is a great consid- 

 eration a coat of white lead can be 

 put on afterwards, but mastica is what 

 will make an old neglected house al- 

 most air tight and stop the drip. It 

 should be put on in warm weather or 

 it will not run freely. 



Those wise, prudent and prosperous 

 men who yearly paint all their houses 

 will not need mastica. but how many 

 neglect their painting till they find 

 the glass loose and an inside shower 

 bath during a rain. A great many 



large commercial growers now butt 

 their glass, using the patent cap. The 

 writer is such a thorough convert to 

 this style of building that after an ex- 

 perience witli a dozen houses lie would 

 never dream of building any other 

 way. Often in these columns have 

 the several advantages of this method 

 been pointed out, and by no means 

 one of the least is that every third or 

 fourth year the glass can be removed, 

 cleaned if necessary and the bars 

 painted with comfort and ease, and 

 they can be painted that way most 

 thoroughly. It is safe to say you can 

 remove and replace the glass, painting 

 the bars on all sides quicker than you 

 can paint the bars inside and out with 

 the glass in and far better done, for it 

 can be all done from the outside and 

 crops undisturbed inside. He that has 

 painted tlie inside of a house -U the 

 summer months with the glass on 

 knows that he used an athletic body 

 with a rubber neck. 



In all places that have been built a 

 few years there is bound to be a re- 

 pairing of benches and will be till 

 we use brick walls and solid benches 

 and for all purposes this is not prac- 

 tical. Nothing is much more annoy- 

 ing than to see a board or plank drop 

 down and let down a few roses or car- 

 nations or perhaps a dozen or two 

 plants in pots. In different parts of 



the country different material is used 

 for benches. In Ontario larch is con- 

 sidered the best. In the South, cypress 

 would be cheap enough and grand for 

 the purpose. In Michigan, Wisconsin 

 and adjoining states the white pine is 

 doubtless used. With us and where 

 hemlock can be bought for $10 to ?12 

 a thousand it is the cheapest and best 

 all round material for bottoms of 

 benches. 



For some years I have used for all 

 benches only 2-inch stuff of different 

 widths. It will last more than double 

 the length of time one-inch will and 

 you save the labor of tearing out and 

 replacing the bench, which is a con- 

 siderable part of the cost. For carna- 

 tions I use 2x6-inch and lengths to suit 

 my supports; for plank. 12.'c2-inch. 

 When a bench is pretty well gone, 

 don't waste a new board by patching 

 up. Pull down the whole bench, using 

 what plank is good on one end or an- 

 other bench, so that when it goes it 

 will go all together. 



Some of my friends are skeptical 

 about the use of cement on the new 

 boards. I am certain it will add to 

 the life of the boards or planks one- 

 third of their time. It is useless to 

 apply it to old planks soaked with 

 water and dirt, but when applied to 

 new clean boards it is of the greatest 

 use and costs but little to put on. 

 Hydraulic cement is cheap and mixed 

 with water just thin enough so you 

 can spread it on the boards is the way 

 to do it. The surface of the joists or 

 supports should have a thick dose of 

 it for where the boards lay on the 

 cross-pieces is just where the rotting 

 begins. Some use quick lime for the 

 purpose. It is not half so good, but 

 old benches when emptied of the soil 

 or sand and washed off with the hose 

 must be benefited by a coat of quick 

 lime for if doing no other good it 

 must destroy many germs or spj^'es of 

 our enemies. You will be planting 

 carnations end of August, so don't de- 

 lay in getting benches in good repair 

 directly it is discreet to empty them. 

 Fuchsias. 



It is about time to select one or two 

 plants of each variety of fuchsias that 

 you wish to grow. Six varieties are 

 enough for anybody except a cata- 

 logue man. They should be strong 

 plants with plenty of wood in them. 

 Plunge them out of doors and the 

 wood will ripen gradually and be ready 

 for a few weeks' perfect rest in Octo- 

 ber and then be in good condition to 

 give early and strong cuttings. 

 Primula Sinensis. 



One of the small tender plants that 

 we are caring for now is the Primula 

 sinesis. If they are in 2-inch pots a 

 shelf in a shaded house will suit them 

 best. The only advantage of a raised 

 shelf over an ordinary bench is that 

 they get a much better circulation of 

 air round them and start off robust 

 and strong. The past season has been 

 rather discouraging in plant sal is ex- 

 cept on occasions like Christmas and 

 Easter, and of course excepting the 



