The Weekly Florists' Review. 



351 



St. Louis Florists' Club on its Annual Picnic, July 23, 1903. 



lime wash on the benches will destroy 

 those that it comes in contact with, but 

 that will not be many, and a fumigating 

 with sulphur will only destroy those 

 that are out and exposed. 



We have had no experience with tar 

 on greenhouse benches, and so I could 

 not say whether it would be injurious 

 to the plants or not, but I imagine that 

 the odor which arises from it as soon 

 as it gets warm would do the plants no 

 good. The fact that it is not used has 

 led me to think that there must be 

 some such objection to it. as it is one 

 of the best wood preservatives I know 

 of. Carnations and violets especially 

 would take up the odor and become un- 

 salable. I have been told that lettuce 

 grown on benches that were tarred will 

 taste of it. A. F. J. Baub. 



A LITTLE WHITE FLY. 



S. W. writes, "Can you tell me of any- 

 thing that will destroy a little white fly? 

 They swarm in thousands on pelargoni- 

 um-', fuchsias and cucumbers." 



As the cucumbers are associated with 

 the greenhouse plants, it is to be pre- 

 sumed they are all under glass. Tobacco 

 smoke has doubtless been tried and fount 

 wanting. Then the hydrocyanic gas will 

 most assuredly kill them. I noticed the 

 •other day that someone quoted the eld 

 formula in the use of this gas, which ne- 

 cessitates the opening of the sash in half 

 an hour. As this has to be done from 

 the outside, it is often most awkward, 

 and then, again, the five ounces of cya- 

 nide to 1,000 cubic feet of air space is 

 pretty strong and I have seen it burn 

 several different plants. 



A safe and easily applied formula is 

 five ounces of cyanide of potassium, one 

 quart of sulphuric acid and one quoit of 

 water. Mix the sulphuric acid and water 

 in a gallon butter jar. If the jar is even 



"VIOLET CULTURE." 

 There is a sentiment connected with 

 the violet which causes nearly every 

 owner of a greenhouse to be not thor- 

 oughly contented until he has had his 

 little experience at its culture. Hence 

 "Commercial Violet Culture," by B. T. 

 Galloway, is now in its second edition. 

 In the preface Dr. Galloway says: 

 "Since the first edition of this little 

 work was written, four years ago, there 

 have 1 >< • < ■ 1 1 Mime changes in the methods 

 of growing violets for market. The 

 writer has seen a number of formerly 

 successful growers go out of the busi- 

 ness and others without any previous 

 experience succeed astonishingly. This 

 leads us to repeat what was stated in 

 our first preface, namely, that because 

 so many people fail with this crop we 

 believe it is one of the most promising 

 for the intelligent and energetic man to 

 take up. In this edition we have made 

 certain changes which experience has 

 taught us and offer it with thanks for 

 tin- kind reception given the first work." 

 The book endeavors to give every ne- 

 cessary detail for handling the soil, erec- 

 tion of houses and frames, the manage- 

 ment of the plants, and the marketing of 

 the flowers. It is eminently practical 

 and exact in all its advice and admon- 

 itions and in the closing chapters the 

 author seeks to show what is wisest for 

 the beginner, what it costs to grow a 

 violet plant and what such a plant un- 

 der fair conditions should yield. The 

 publishers are the De La Mare Co.. but 

 the book will be sent postpaid by the 

 Review to those who send $1.50 with 

 their order. 



CONVENTION PROGRAM. 



The nineteenth convention of the So- 

 ciety of American Florists will, accord- 

 ing to the preliminary program just is- 

 sued, he called to order at Milwaukee, 

 Tuesday afternoon, August 18, at ■'! 

 o'clock. The session will be devoted to 

 an address of welcome by Mayor Rose, 

 President Burton's address and the re- 

 ports of officers and standing commit- 

 tees. The president's reception will take 

 place Tuesday evening. 



Wednesday morning the judges will 

 report on tlie trade exhibition and R. F. 

 Tes-son, of St. Louis, will open a dis- 

 cussion of systems of accounts for green- 



houses and forms for determining cost 

 of production. F. W. Taylor will speak 

 on the interests of the trade in the St. 

 Louis World's Fair. The next meeting 

 place will be selected at this session and 

 officers will be nominated. 



On Wednesday afternoon the bowling 

 tournament will take place at the Olym- 

 pia alleys, on Second street, near Grand 

 avenue. The ladies will be taken for a 

 trolley ride. Wednesday evening will be 

 devoted to a lecture by C. B. Whitnall, 

 on planting home grounds, illustrated 

 with the stereopticon. 



Thursday morning Alex McConnell, of 

 New York, will open a discussion on 

 "Modern Methods in Floral Decoration" 

 and several essays will be read, the es- 

 sayists yet to he announced. The elec- 

 tion of officers takes place at this ses- 

 sion and there are two propositions for 

 consideration to amend the constitu- 

 tion. The gunners' contest takes place 

 in the afternoon and in the evening W. 

 R. Beattie, of the U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture will discuss "Substitutes for 

 Coal and Their Comparative Efficiency." 

 J. D. Carmody will speak on "The Hu- 

 morous Side of the Florists' Business." 



Friday, August 21, will be given over 

 to entertainment at the hands of the 

 Milwaukee Florists' Club. 



During the week several of the kin- 

 dred societies will meet. The American 

 Carnation Society directors will convene 

 Wednesday evening. The Florists' Hail 

 Association meets Thursday at 3 p. m. 



Robert Kift, of Philadelphia, has been 

 appointed sergeant-at-arms. 



CULTURE AND THE CATALOGUE. 



A. Dessert, of Chenonceaux, France, 

 sends out a catalogue of peonies in which 



