AUGUST 18, 189S. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



303 



ed on the brush, and then transferred 

 on the pistil by lightly brushing over 

 it. depositing the pollen. The flower, 

 if fertilized, will show it in a. day or 

 two by closing up the petals in the 

 same style as in the provoking going 

 to sleep; if not, the fertilizing process 

 has to be repeated. I have often fer- 

 tilized flowers that were '.wo weeks 

 old. patiently waiting for some pollen- 

 laden insect or some stray pollen waft- 

 ed by the wind, to alight on the out- 

 stretched pistil. 



The best time to perform the work 

 is on a sunny day during the forenoon. 

 The sun rays will open the anthers 

 and free the pollen, but one has to be 

 on time, for the pollen will soon drop 

 or become so dry that it will not stick 

 to the brush. This does not follow 

 that cloudy days are objectionable, in 

 fact are not, providing the tempera- 

 ture is above 60 degrees. The anthers 

 will open slowly, but the pollen re- 

 mains longer in a transferable condi- 

 tion. To my experience, in a tempera- 

 ture below 60 degrees fertilization will 

 be effected very slowly, and generally 

 not at all. This plainly shows what 

 temperature our carnation requires in 

 the fulfillment of its highest functions 

 and development of its growth. 



The petals have no more relative in- 

 fluence on the formation of seed than 

 to be the guiding light for insects as to 

 where nectar may be found, and for 

 which nature requests the involuntary 

 work of carrying the pollen from 

 flower to flower, fertilizing the same. 

 Otherwise the petals, on which de- 

 pend the worth and commercial value 

 of a flower, are only leaves, and like 

 leaves require for their development 

 the cooler night temperature. We see 

 th flowers open, lengthen and broaden 

 their petals in the evening, while day- 

 light, sunshine and higher tempera- 

 ture only tend to intensify and height- 

 en their color, but on the other hand 

 the higher day temperature and sun- 

 shine are conducive to the develop- 

 ment of the sexual organs. 



This explains why cool temperature 

 is required to grow large flowers. 

 While a higher temperature favors the 

 growing of seed, a cooler temperature 

 retards, nearly excludes this, and fa- 

 vors the development of the petals. 

 We may go a little further. On a fer- 

 tilized flower the petals wilt and dry 

 up as soon as fertilization is effected; 

 their mission is ended, but the calyx, 

 another important part of the flower, 

 remains intact as a guard to the grow- 

 ing seed pod, and dries up only with 

 the ripening of the seed. It is more an 

 attachment to the seed pod than a sup- 

 port for the petals. Now when that 

 cool temperature principle is carried to 

 the extreme I believe the calyx suffers 

 with the retarding development of the 

 seed organs, and I believe we can at- 

 tribute this as one cause for split 

 calyces at times in varieties that oth- 

 erwise are perfect. I digress from my 

 theme, but these thoughts follow so 

 naturally that I could not omit men- 

 tioning them. 



When the petals have wilted and be- 



gin to dry up, it is best toremovethem, 

 pulling them carefully, not in a bunch 

 but rather one by one. Care must be 

 taken that no water settles and stays 

 around the seed pod inside the calyx, 

 or else there is danger of mould and 

 decay, and this is much aggravated 

 when part of the petals are left. If 

 there is danger from moisture accu- 

 mulating inside the calyx it is better to 

 clip it off near the base, so there is 

 chance to drain the moisture, and a 

 quicker drying up. Care must be tak- 

 en, however, not to mutilate the base 

 under the seed pod, as this will cause 

 decay in a short time. It is needless to 

 remind to give proper support and 

 protection by tying to a stake, the 

 same to be a little higher than stem 

 and flower, to prevent any accidental 

 breaking off of the seed pods. The time 

 of ripening the seed requires from six 

 to eight weeks. The usual number of 

 seeds in a pod is from ten to forty and 

 fifty, but many times there .'no less and 

 sometimes more. The largest number I 

 ever found was this past spring when I 

 counted 116 grains from one pod. 



FRED DOKNER. 



A GROUP OF QUESTIONS. 



"Lettuce" asks for information oa 

 the following subjects: 



1. When to sow Grand Rapids let- 

 tuce to have succession from Novem- 

 ber to April. 



2. Can lettuce be grown in tempera- 

 ture of 40 degrees, also 60 degrees? 



3. Will a heavy loam made friable 

 with lots of manure, grow good let- 

 tuce? 



4. What temperature is required to 

 get cucumbers by April and when to 

 sow seed for same? 



5. Is January early enough to start 

 2-inch geraniums from winter quar- 

 ters to make good 4-in< h plants in 

 May? 



Answers. 



1. Sow first of September io cut 

 early in November and at intervals of 

 every 3 weeks till middle of March. 



2. Forty is rather low to grow let- 

 tuce profitably and sixty is tco high 

 in the dark days of winter when little 

 ventilation can be given. About 50 de- 

 grees at night is the best teniperature. 



3. Yes, decidedly, although a light 

 loam is preferable for it is easier to 

 handle when you are making succes- 

 sive sowings. 



4. Cucumbers should never be lower 

 than 60 degrees and 65 dc.grees at 

 night is much better. If yon can 

 maintain a steady temperature of 65 

 degrees and sow the seed by the first 

 of January, you will cut cucumbers in 

 April. 



5. If the geraniums were propa- 

 gated in October and kept iu flats or 

 2-inch pots, cool till January, then 

 they should make fine plants in 4-inch 

 pots by middle of May, but if not 

 rooted till January then they will 

 want a good light house and liberal 

 treatment with soil and heat to make 

 good plants by May. 



WM. SCOTT. 



HEATING. 



I have six houses as follows: 



1—20 ft. wide, 50 (t. long, 18 ft. to rulgc, run- 

 ning north and south. 



2—18 ft. wide. 70 ft. long, 12 ft. to ridge, run- 

 ning east and west. 



3—12 ft. wide, 70 ft. long, 8 ft. to ridge, run- 

 ning east and west. 



1—22 ft. wide, 70 ft. long, 16 ft. to ridge, run- 

 ning east and west. 



5—12 ft. wide, 70 ft. long, 9 ft. to ridge, run- 

 ning east and west. 



G— D ft. wide, 70 ft. long, 7 ft. to ridge, run- 

 ning east and west. 



The heater has two flows and re- 

 turns and is located in dwelling house 

 cellar at about the middle of the north 

 of the range and the houses are piped 

 as follows: One flow from heater runs 

 across No. 2, 4 inch pipe, along south 

 side No. 2 to east side of No. 1. from 

 where the coils are supplied for houses 

 Nos. 3. 4, 5 and 6 are taken. Another 

 flow supplies house No. t. which sys- 

 tem appears all right. 



The coils for house No. 3 tire taken 

 from flow on east side of No. 1 and run 

 along under benches and return to re- 

 turn pipe also on east side of No. 1, by 

 the side of the flow. The coils for Nos. 

 4, 5 and 6 are taken as for No. 3. This 

 system is faulty. It does not give the 

 required heat on account of the length 

 of the runs, they cool too quickly. 

 What improvement do you suggest? 

 All the coils are 2-inch pipe. Flow 

 and i-eturns are 4-inch pipe. 



FLORAL CO. 



In renlv to inquiry sent by Floral 

 Co., he should have no difficulty in 

 circulating around the seventy foot 

 houses, assuming that connections are 

 properly made and that the pipes have 

 a grade of not less than one inch in 

 every twelve or fifteen feet, which 

 would be about twelve inches in the 

 coils as he has them arranged, but if 

 he would circulate upwards from the 

 main to the east end, with a grade of 

 seven inches, and then downwards 

 back to the return main at west end, 

 placing an air vent at the high point, 

 it would simplify matters, and would 

 avoid the high grade necessary when 

 circulating entirely around the house. 



The more positive arrangement, 

 however, would be to run the Row and 

 return mains directly south from the 

 boiler, across the centre of houses 

 numbered 3, 4. 5 and 6. If Floral Co. 

 will state the grades he now has on 

 the pipes, and will show how the coils 

 are made up and connected to the 

 mains, I may be able to assi-t him fur- 

 ther. HENRY W. CrIBBONS. 



New York. 



CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Williams & Sons Co., Batavia, III., 

 tree and plant labels; Walker Fertili- 

 zer Co., Clifton Springs, N. Y.. plant 

 foods; P. J. Berckmans Co., Augusta. 

 Ga., nursery stock; David B. Wood- 

 bury, S. Paris, Me., pansy seeds; John 

 Peed & Sons. London, England, bulbs; 

 C. H. Joosten, New York, bulbs and 

 nursery stock. S. Jacobs & Sons, New 

 York, hoit bed sash and greenhouse 

 material; E. Krelage & Son, Haarlem, 

 Holland, bulbs. 



