May 19, 1904. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



1383 



NEW IRRIGATING DEVICE. 



The aceompanyiiig illustratious are 

 fiom photographs taken iu greenhouses 

 in which what is known as the Skinner 

 irrigating device was iu operation. The 

 lettuce house is that of John A. Heyl, 

 of Troy, 0., and the rose house one at 

 the es'tablishment of the Springiield 

 Floral Co., Springfield, 0. It is a diffi- 

 cult matter to photograph the system 

 at work in a greenhouse, as the water is 

 liioken up into such fine spray that it 

 appears only as a mist, as is shown in 

 the rose house. But the lettuce house 

 shows the apparatus at work iu particu- 

 larly good shape, for the camera was 

 above the sheet of water, upon which the 

 sun was shining. 



It is not claimed that this system 

 will do for any or all crops in a green- 

 house; certainly not where a house con- 

 tains several varieties of plants, each 

 requiring different treatment as to water. 

 But tests show that it will be valuable 

 where the house is planted all to one 

 thing, particularly if it is a house which 

 is large enough to give the water a chance 

 to scatter. It promises to be fine for 

 lettuce and other vegetable houses; also 

 for rose, carnation and chrysanthemum 

 houses, up to the point where the blooms 

 are endangered, for fern houses and 

 many other indoor purposes. Not only 

 can the watering be done quickly and 

 without labor, but an even degree of 

 moisture can be maintained for a long 

 period without packing the soil iu the 

 bench, if the crop likes a loose soil. 



The same nozzle is used for green- 

 house work as for outdoor irrigation, 

 ■except that it has a smaller opening, 

 sixty-four of these being equal to a %; 

 inch nozzle. The nozzles must be placed 

 in an absolute line on the pipe. To 

 break the water an attachment of spriug 

 brass may be slipped on the nozzles, 

 each being like the other, so that the 

 water is kept in line and under control. 

 The pipe may be easily adjusted so that 

 any part of the bench can have more 

 water, or so that the whole bench is 

 watered the same. One pipe waters two 

 benches, one on each side, but two pipes 

 are required for each house. Brass 

 unions and galvanized pipe must be 

 used so the nozzles will not stop up. 

 Any number of houses up to the limit 

 •o.f the water supply can be watered at 

 once. 



That the system is eminently practical 

 for outdoor use has been already proven 

 by many growers. Ilackburn & Willett, 

 of Newborn, N. C, used a lawn sprinkler 

 set every twenty feet and it cost them 

 $100 an acre for nozzles and valves. Last 

 December they tried the Skinner ' patent 

 and have since ordered 5,500 nozzles of 

 him. Last fall a gardener at Dayton, 

 O., equipped a small plot of ground and 

 now many of the others are taking it 

 up. 



C. W. Ward, of the Cottage Gardens, 

 •Queens, N. Y., is putting in several 

 acres, which will be under the supervision 

 of the New York Experiment Station and 

 will be tested with the ditch system. 

 The water will be all metered and a 

 record of soil temperatures kept. 



Springfield, 0. — Home and Flowers, 

 the monthly magazine of floriculture, has 

 suspended publication. 



TONAWANDA, N. Y. — J. D. Schultz has 

 entered the greenhouse .business with 

 about 2,000 feet of glass. 



The Skinner Irrigating System in Lettuce House of J. A. Heyl, Troy, O. 



NEW YORK. 



The Market. 



The market during the past week was 

 a repetition of its predecessor and warm 

 neather, tremendous shipments and limi- 

 ted demand made it a serious proposition 

 to dispose of the supply at any price. 

 This condition of things was all the 

 more to be lamented when the splendid 

 quality of the stock was considered. Sat- 

 urday" saw a slight improvement and the 

 high grades appreciated slightly in value. 

 The present week opens with a spring- 

 chill in the air and lesser shipments, and 

 tliero will be probably no cutting of rates 

 that now prevail until after Decoration 

 day. 



Horticultural Society Meeting. 

 The fifth annual meeting of the Horti- 

 cultural Society of New York was held 

 last Wednesday and Thursday at the 

 New York Botanic Garden. The an- 

 nual meeting took place on Wednesday. 

 The membership of the society is 201. Its 

 work will be continued during the sum- 

 mer in the way of excursions to places 

 of horticultural interest. The treasurer's 

 report shows a balance of nearly $1,000 

 ii. its favor. 



The American Peony Society was in- 

 vited to hold its first annual meeting and 

 exhibition with the Horticultural Society 

 on June 8 and 9, on which occasion 

 strawberries, roses, flowering shrubs and 

 vegetables will be exhibited. The old 

 officers were re-elected and John H. Troy 

 added to the members of tlie council. A 

 laree exhibition is expected in .Tune. The 

 exhibits this year excelled those of 190:; 

 in quality. The prize of ."foO for the best 

 horticultural novelty was awarded the V. 

 R. Pierson Co.. of Tarrytown. for its 

 heavily crested, improved Piersoni. 



Siebrecht & Son made a fine display 

 in the plant classes, having a splendid 

 collection of palms, foliage and flower- 

 ing plants, orchids, ferns and crotons. 

 They also exhibited a grand vase of 

 Liberty roses and also of Killarney. 

 This firm also showed a collection of 

 thirty varieties of cut flowers of stove 

 and greenhouse plants. 



Weinberg & Padrock. of Woodside. ex- 

 hibited succulent plants. H. T. Clinka- 

 beiTy, of Trenton, showed the yellow 

 calla. J. H. Trov had Dorotliy Perkins; 



rose and Frank Weinberg a phyllocactus. 

 The group of Scottii ferns in 6 to 12- 

 inch pots formed one of the most attract- 

 ive features of the exhibition. Mr. Scott 

 will have a fine exhibit of this fern at 

 the St. Louis convention. 



The lecture on Wednesday afternoon, 

 by J. Horace MacFarland, of Harris- 

 burg, Pa., was greatly appreciated and 

 intensely interesting. It was illustrated 

 by many beautiful stereopticon views, 

 showing the unfolding of The flowers of 

 our common native trees, the subject of 

 the address being "Common Trees and 

 Their Uncommon Flowers. ' ' An enthu- 

 siastic vote of thanks was accorded the 

 lecturer. A repetition of the lecture in 

 the rooms of the New York Florists- 

 Club during the coming season would 

 I'lovide a larger and more appreciative 

 audience. 



Various Notes. 

 Preparations are already in progress 

 for the great horticultural and agricul- 

 tural exhibition to be given by the 

 American Institute of New York No- 

 vember 8 to 17. The Herald Square 

 Hall, the largest for the purpose in 

 America, has been chosen for the show. 

 Silver evips, medals and diplomas in all 

 classes will be awarded, as well as over 

 UMO in cash prizes. The special fea- 

 ture of the first week will be the chrysan- 

 themum show. The directors of the In- 

 stitute are exceedingly enthusiastic and 

 aic determined to make this the great- 

 est exhibition of its kind ever given in 

 America. 



The New York Flower ilarket begins 

 to look better than a dream. The pro 

 nosed building will be a handsome struc- 

 ture. It is favored by all the city's lead 

 ino' officials. The market will cover a 

 bis space and will be built two stories 

 in height, with every convenience that 

 r.ivent Garden, of London, furnishes, 

 with modern additions that will attract 

 many branches of the trade to a repre- 

 sentation there. Consummated, it will be 

 a monumeut to .John Birnie's persistency 

 and energy. 



The second Jlonday in June the club's 

 last meetini? until Sentember takes place 

 and in addition to the peony exhibit it 

 "•111 be ladies' night and a midsummer 

 bauouet for the fair sex will make the 

 evening one of snecial interest. Provision 

 will be made for an attendance of 300. 



