924 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



Mat 22, 1902. 



FERTILITY OF SOILS. 



Upon the greater number of ordinary 

 soils the proportion of both carbon and 

 nitrogen becomes less and less as we 

 penetrate below the surface, consequent- 

 ly these substances must have had their 

 origin in, vegetation which had once 

 grown upon the surface. Some soils, 

 Wiucn are called alluvial, possess a sub- 

 soil fertility, which appears to have been 

 a deposit derived from the remains of 

 vegetation washed from other soils. Fer- 

 tility is, therefore, due to the organic 

 residue of previous generations of plants, 

 mixed with certain mineral substances, 

 the most important of which are phos- 

 phoric acid and potash. 



As the annual rainfall in most parts 

 of the world is in considerable excess of 

 the evaporation, it is evident that those 

 substances which constitute the stock of 

 fertility in a soil must exist in a com- 

 paratively insoluble form, or they would 

 have been washed away. 



In regard to potash and phosphate of 

 lime, we may assume that the.v are dis- 

 solved by secretions from the plant 

 when the roots are in direct contact with 

 them. Humus may be taken up in a 

 similar manner, and by some plants more 

 readily than by others. Still, it is not 

 until the nitrogen of the humus has as- 

 sumed the form of nitric acid that its 

 full effect upon vegetation is realized. 



It is now known that nitrification is 

 due to the action of a minute organism 

 which abounds in our soils. Under favor- 

 able conditions of temperature and 

 moisture, nitric acid is produced with 

 great rapidity. It is also known that the 

 nitrifying organism cannot carry on its 

 ■work unless it is furnished with alkaline 

 substances to neutralize the nitric acid 

 formed. If. as may be the case, it re- 

 quires alkalis and phosphates, we can 

 explain why it is that the water passing 

 through peaty soils does not contain 

 nitric acid. 



Under whatever conditions the nitric 

 acid may have been produced, there is no 

 doubt, however, that its efficiency as an 

 agent of vegetable growth is very great. 

 Everyone must have noticed how diffi- 

 cult it is to keep land free from weeds; 

 even our roads and gravel walks, if left 

 undisturbed, soon become covered with 

 vegetation. We learn from this that 

 vegetation prevents the escape of nitric 

 acid, and stores it up as food products; 

 then, finally, when vegetation decays, it 

 assumes the form of insoluble com- 

 pounds, such as humus. 



Independently, therefore, of the re- 

 moval of food products from the soil, 

 which is the main object of cultivation, 

 the constant stirring of the soil brings 

 into activity more of the inactive ingre- 

 dients, while the cultivation of annual 

 plants — by leaving the soil so long with- 

 out vegetation — is followed by large 

 losses by drainage. — J. J. Willis, in Gar- 

 deners' Magazine. 



The annual meeting of the Park and 

 Outdoor Art Association will be held in 

 Boston, August 5 to 7. 



San Jose, Cal. — The Napa Valley 

 Nursery Co. has been incorporated with 

 capital stock of $1.5,000; headquarters 

 in this city. 



Gkinnell. Ia. — M. :\I. Coffrey. of 

 Carthage, Mo., has taken charge of the 

 Hazelwood Greenhouses. 



Japanese Fern Balls. 



We have an im- 

 mense stock of 



ern 

 Balls 



well furnished 

 ^ith leaves.... 



Very fine stock, 



$6.00 per doz. 



Other stock, 



$3.00 per doz. up. 



The Geo.Wittbold Co., Chicago, 111. 



>Tpntlnn Thp Review when yon write. 



IP lou lanf 



If You Want 



CAN N AS in 3 and 4-inch pots. 

 CALA DIU MS in 6-inch poU. 



VERBENAS, FANSIES, AOEBATinU, 

 SAI.VIA HELIOTROPES, VINCAS, 

 ENGLISH IVT, ASTERS. 



T If Ymi Wflnt OERAMTUMS in S and 4-inch pots-Red, White, Pink, 



j II I UU TTailL Salmon, Rose. Ivy and Pelargonium. Mme. Salleroi. 



I If You Want SIM I LAX, ill: iJSf^lili. 



jj 11 Y«i| Want ROSES you are interested, see our Ijst in last 



tine FERLES in 3x2>^'incb, 



week's number of this paper. Especially 



I*- 



BOSTON FERNS. 



3 Don't fail to write us about them, or better yet order a hundred for a 



3 sample. 2'^, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and lo-inch. 



5 Write 



I GEO. A. KUHL, Pekin, lll.| 



Mention The Review when you write. 



GERANIIJIV1S. 



Mrs. J. M. Gaar. Marvel. M. Press, Ruella. 

 Gettysburg, etc. Happy Thought and Mrae. 

 Salleroi, flue 2-inch stock, .$20.00 per 1000 : 

 S2 50 per 100. 



BEGONIAS. 



Haageana. Sandersoni. Bnianti. Duchertrei, 

 Metallica, etc.. fine 2-in. stock, $2.5.00 per 1000. 



ASPARAGUS P. JTANirS— Fine 2 inch stock, 

 $3.00 per 100; $25.00 per 1000. 



SBHIiAX — Fine 2-inch stock, $2.00 per 100 : 



S15.00 per 1000. 

 FTICHSIAS and PETUITIAS — 2-iDch stock, 



$20.00 per 1000. 



C. BETSCHER, Canal Dover, Ohio. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



TOMATO PLANTS. 



Beauty, l.ic per 100: $1.25 per 1000. Burpee's 

 New Quarter Century, 20c per 100 : $1.50 per 1000. 

 Cabbagre— Early Jer.sey Wakefield, selected. 

 $1.25 per 1006. Pepper— Ball-nnse. Sweet Moun- 

 tain, 20c per 100. Allegheny Hollyhocks- 

 mixed colors. 25c per 100. Smilax— 2 inch, Sl.OO 

 perlOO: 3 inch, 82 50 per 100. Cash please. 



MRS. QRIS'WOLD, WORTHIITGTON, O. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



HERE GOES 

 50,000 Plants 



Altemanthera, red, 2-inch per 100. 



Agreratum, white and blue. 2-inch . 



Verbenas. 2 inch " 



Vinca Varieffata, 2-ioch 



4 and 5-inch — 



Stocks, Snowflake, 2-inch 



Geraninms, 2-iDCh 



3-inch, branched 



Geraniums, from shelf, equal to 

 4 or 5-inch pot plants. Can be 

 packed light at 



Petunia, double fringed, 2inch — 



$1.75 

 1.25 

 1.25 

 200 

 800 

 1.00 

 2.00 

 3.50 



4.00 

 2.00 



E. I. RAWLIN6S, Quakertown, Pa. 



Mention The ReWew when ynn write 



CHAS. WINSEL, 



SEEDSMAN, 



247 S. Main St.. i;OS AVGE^ES, CA£. 



SEEDS of Semple's Branching- Aster, white. 

 shell pink or lavender. The best Aster seed on 

 the market. 50c per ounce to rlean ont this 

 year'.s seed, mailed to any part of the U. S. 



Write for qaotations on Palm Seed, Phoenix 

 CanariensiH, KeeliData, Seaforthea Elegans, 

 CUT FLOWERS SHIPPED IN ANY QUANTITY. 



