The Weekly Florists' Review, 



85 



using about two pounds in a 100-foot 

 house, dividing the amount into say six 

 pot saueers "and distributing evenly 

 about the house. Plants of every kind 

 should have been previously removed and 

 the fumes kept in about 24 hours. A 

 house so treated is practically free from 

 all insect pests and fungous germs. 



If the whole interior, exclusive of the 

 whitewashed surface, can then be paint- 

 ed, a long step toward a new house will 

 have been taken. 



Filling the Benches. 



In my notes of May 14 on soil for in- 

 door culture, ilr. Baur evidently misun- 

 derstood my meaning in regard to the 

 use of bone meal, for I use a small quan- 

 tity in benches prepared to receive rield- 

 grown plants, but the article in question 

 had reference to plants grown in pots 

 outside in frames and housed in June. 

 I confess my error in not stating the 

 point more clearly. 



There are several methods employed 

 by growers in the filling of benches. 

 Some put a layer of manure on the bot- 

 tom, using soil containing more or less 

 manure, with or without bone. Others 

 use no manure at the bottom, but use 

 soil laid up with manure the season pre- 

 vious, with or without the addition of 

 bone, and so on in various ways. 



I do not believe any one method can 

 be advocated as the ideal, except it be 

 when but one variety is grown, for what 

 will suit one sort will not give the best 

 results with another. I have made many 

 experiments in this line, but, with the 

 advent of so many new sorts, with which 

 I have not had the time to carry them 

 through, I will only give facts concern- 

 ing a few now largely grown. 



I have found horse manure to be pre- 

 ferable to any other to put on the bot- 

 tom of the bench, but by all means do 

 not use the well-rotted kind. Procure 

 some that is comparatively fresh, giv- 

 ing it two or three turnings, seeing to it 

 that it is kept wet the while and put on 

 at once. This spread on the benches in 

 a thin layer and at once covered with 

 soil has given us the very best results 

 with Mrs. Bradt and Floriana. Crane 

 does not seem to take kindly to it. Law- 

 son having done exceedingly well with- 

 out it, we have let well enough alone, 

 as is also the case with White Cloud and 

 Nelson. I think Estelle would give good 

 returns under this method and intend 

 to try it next season. 



Speaking of manure, I will say I pre- 

 fer that from the cow on account of its 

 lasting qualities, but let no grower who 

 is unable to obtain it, think for a min- 

 ute that carnations cannot be grown to 

 an equal degree of quality with horse 

 manure. The trouble lies in the fact 

 that it is not properly handled, at the 

 source of supply, to preserve its value 

 as a fertilizer. I am obliged to use a 

 certain amount for the reason that cow 

 manure is scarce and very expensive on 

 account of the distance is must be hauled, 

 but by careful attention to its treatment 

 where that from' the horse is obtained, 

 and shutting my ears to the much-ex- 

 tolled virtue of that which is offered as 

 being well rotted, we get along very 

 nicely. 



Coming to the actual filling of the 

 benches, a few points of importance come 

 to mind, the main one being to so handle 

 the soil that a bench will, when filled, 

 have the same degree of density through- 

 out. ■ The dumping of soil here and there 

 in heaps by all hands, to be spread and 

 leveled later is not to be thought of. 



Hybrid Alpine Ir s. 



Without knowing the arrangement of 

 your houses, it is not possible to lay out 

 any fixed plan, but I can say to keep the 

 men and wheelbarrows out of the bench 

 and provide runways on which to trans- 

 port the soil. We fill in layers, spread- 

 ing the first few barrow loads evenly 

 over six to eight feet of bench with a 

 short-handled rake. The same opera- 

 tion is repeated until that section is 

 .•ven full. Bone meal is sprinkled over 

 the bottom layer, using about a 3-inch 

 potful to three barrows of soil. 



Have enough help inside to level it 

 as fast as the soil is delivered, also see 

 that the soil and manure are evenly in- 

 corporated before being carried in. Those 

 inside, by intelligent manipulation of the 

 rake, can distribute the soil in such a 

 manner that no tramping over it will be 

 necessary nor should it be allowed. 



I do not believe in filling a bench to- 

 day and planting it to-morrow. Com- 

 mence early enough to allow the newly 

 filled benches to lie at least a week be- 

 fore planting. By this plan the soil 

 gets into a more settled condition, nu- 

 merous weed seeds sprout and can be 

 easily destroyed by a thorough raking, 

 at the same time improving the me- 

 chanical condition of the soil. A slight 

 watering on the third or fourth day 

 will help the weeds along and also 

 leave the soil in the proper condition to 

 plant. George S. Osbobn. 



BrjRLiNGAME, Cal. — P. C. Meyer is 

 preparing to build a large range of 

 greenhouses here to grow cut flowers for 

 the San. Francisco market. 



Batavia, III. — C. O. Williams has de- 

 cided to again embark in the florist busi- 

 ness and is building on Water street.' 



Seasonable Hints. 



To carry a house of roses successfully 

 and profitably over a second season re- 

 quires a deal of careful preparation and 

 study. This is usually delayed until the 

 early fall or, at least, till the earlier 

 planted young stock is giving a crop. 

 This, of course, largely curtails their 

 growing season, as it requires from three 

 weeks to a month between the time of 

 growing, then a rest, and starting them 

 up again. 



To derive the best results from this 

 method of culture preparations should 

 be started in June or early in July. By 

 reducing the supply of water at the 

 roots they will begin to ripen both wood 

 and foliage, and stop making new wood. 

 While this is being done the syringe 

 will have to be used as frequently as 

 before, as allowing the foliage to be- 

 come a prey to red spider does not in 

 any way help the ripening process, but 

 rather retards it, yet how often do we 

 see a house at this stage entirely neg- 

 lected in this respect? 



Air must be given freely, both night 

 and day, as this is a great factor in 

 hastening the ripening. The soil in the 

 bench must not be allowed to become so 

 dry as to cause the young wood to wilt 

 nor to cause the plants to shed their 

 leaves. It requires from three weeks to 

 a month to complete the ripening process 

 even in the brightest kind of weather. 



The plants should then be carefully 

 pruned, removing all the small and 

 blind wood and cutting back the 

 stronger growths to three or four eyes. 

 As much of the old soil as can with 

 safety be taken from between the 

 plants should be carefully removed and 



