MARCH 16, 1000. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



443 



Greenhouse establishment of Mr. Wm. Mann, Louisville, Ky. 



days when plants are apt to suffer \ 

 from overwatering. Where any ot the 

 nitrates or sulphates are used in so- 

 lution the soil should not he kept too 

 damp, as these chemicals are easily 

 washed out of the soil. They are 

 therefore good (or winter use. 

 Warning. 



If anyone should, alter hearing my 

 remarks on the use and benefits of 

 commercial and chemical fertilizers, 

 feel disposed to try some, let him be 

 cautious. While with care there is not 

 the least danger, I desire, to forcibly 

 impress upon you the fact that you are 

 dealing with concentrated forces and 

 that an overstrong solution will work 

 serious damage. Make your solutions 

 weak, feeding often rather than heav- 

 ily. Use some kind of liquid every 

 week when the plants are in condition 

 to assimilate the food, changing about 

 from one kind to another. 



Should you wish to try some new 

 fertilizer, experiment on only a few 

 plants. If you kill these you can stand 

 the loss. 



Avoid wetting the foliage of your 

 plants when using chemicals, but if it 

 cannot he entirely avoided syringe 

 with water immediately afterwards so 

 as to wash off the leaves. 



Never use chemicals on small plants 

 or seedlings. Wait until these have 

 absorbed nearly all the food of the soil 

 in the pot. Then give them a very 

 weak liciuid. 



After lifting plants from the field do 

 not give them liquid manure until 

 they have growth well started again. 

 Never give liquid manure to plants 

 that have been rested or cut down un- 

 til they have made roots to take up 

 the nourishment you give them. 



Do not give your plants liquid ma- 

 nure when the soil is very dry. Bet- 

 ter first give them a little pure water. 

 If the soil is dry the plants will ab- 

 sorb the liquid manure so greedily that 

 it will often injure them if not kill 

 them outright. 



Manufactured Fertilizers. 



Following are some of the ready pre- 

 pared fertilizers: Bowker's chemical 

 fertilizers, Mapes' chemical fertilizers. 

 Acme phosphates. All these and many 

 more can be obtained from our whole- 

 sale seed stores. 



The following preparation recom- 

 mended by Professor Wagner has been 

 used by him witfi good results on car- 

 nations. 



Phosphate of ammonia 2 oz. 



Nitrate of soda l';.'i oz. 



Nitrate of potash 1% oz. 



Sulphate of ammonia 1 % oz. 



Water 50 gallons. 



A light application each week is as 

 strong as it should he given to the 

 plants. 



Notes. 



In the fall before housing your car- 

 nations mi.x some good pure bone meal 

 with the soil. It may be mixed with 

 the soil before being put in the benches 

 or the bone meal may be spread over 

 the soil after it is in the bench and 

 then worked in. 



As soon as the plants have started 

 to grow give them liquid manure each 

 week. One week use a solution of a 

 3 or 4-inch potful of nitrate of soda 

 to a barrel of water. The next week 

 give liquid cow manure with a little 

 chicken manure added. I^et this stand 

 at least a week after the liquid has. 

 been drawn oft, add a 3-inch potful 

 of sulphate of potash, allowing it to 

 become well dissolved. Every three 

 or four weeks give a light dressing of 

 dissolved bone. The chemicals will 

 act on the bone and other food in the 

 soil and set free the potash and sul- 

 phuric acid. You can use the same for 

 roses. 



The keynote of success in the use ot 

 these fertilizers is to apply weak so- 

 lutions and often. Above all things, 

 avoid too strong a dose at one time. 

 And give variety. Plants don't want 



exactly the same food week after week 

 any more than we do. 



For chrysanthemums in summer I 

 suggest an application every two 

 weeks of a solution of nitrate of soda 

 and every other week liquid cow, 

 chicken or sheep manure. Stop feed- 

 ing as soon aS the buds show color. 

 Give also now and then a small dose 

 of liquid sulphate of ammonia. This 

 will make your plants bloom early. 



ESTABLISHMENT OF A LOUISVILLE 

 FLORIST. 



The accompanying illustration rep- 

 resents Wm. Mann's greenhouse estab- 

 lishment. As can be seen readily, it is 

 a model commercial place, consisting 

 of eight modern, well-equipped houses 

 and comprising about 15.000 feet of 

 glass. It ranks among the very best 

 establishments of the kind in the Blue 

 Grass state. 



The history of Mr. Mann's business 

 career, uneventful though it is^ is nev- 

 ertheless interesting. Away back in 

 the seventies, when a mere boy, he 

 made his first start on Franklin street. 

 With no experience to guide him, save 

 that acquired as "he moved along," but 

 with an indomitable will that sur- 

 mounted all obstacles and a perse- 

 verance that has for its motto "Try, 

 and try again," Mr. Mann soon forged 

 his way to the front, having achieved 

 the success born of hard work. 



In 1889 he removed his place to 

 Brook street, one of the finest residen- 

 tial streets in the city. While growing 

 a miscellaneous stock of plants for his 

 retail trade, Mr. Mann pays particular 

 attention to cut fiowers, his roses and 

 carnations invariably being of the 

 choice grade. Aside from being a good, 

 all-around grower, Mr. Mann is a floral 

 artist of the first degree, first prizes 

 for floral work having been his wher- 

 ever his work was exhibited. S. 



