164 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



June 25, 1903. 



twisting the stems in every direction to 

 keep the (lowers from the glass. 



There i- no heed t<i say much about 

 the preparation of the soil, which need 

 not differ in any essential from that 

 made up tor roses or carnation-, although 

 if it be a heavy clay a fair proportion 

 of sand may with advantage be added. 

 If the soil is very wet when winded in. 

 let it drai < on the benches for a day or 

 two before planting. It i- a mistake to 

 handle soil when it is wet, but al times 

 one eanno" help it. 



Distance Apart to Plant. 



The space needed for each plant is not 

 less than f-\fi inches, and if you think 

 you can afford to make it 9x10, so much 

 the better lor your plants. This is, ct 



s, for .single-ster 

 can be, and often e 

 closer, but the qu.ilit 

 in direct rat to I" I be 

 given in the bench. 

 four or five flowers fi 

 surface and have the 

 though where your mi 

 a medium to small fh 

 will pay better. As I 

 ed in these notes, a n 

 stock he can sell at a 

 in the large cities 

 many of the -mall 

 the market, and tin 

 glut which pulls dowi 



They 



than a little additional eaie. but the 

 difference in the return- i- considerable. 



tn planting se1 each varietj by it-elf 

 ami. as far a- possible, put the early 

 kinds all togethei on the same bench 

 If this is done, when the crop i- , ut the 

 space can be utilized at once tor some- 

 thing else, and this at a time when the 

 question of room i- an important one. 

 when so much stock has to be housed 

 from the frost. 



After planting gel a brick and pound 

 II. e soil down soli. I. level it with the 

 hands and then give the entire bench a 

 good watering. Tin- will settle the -oil 

 i venly around the plant- and watej will 

 not be needed again at the roots until 

 after the plants are on the move. Do not 

 water so much at first that the soil gets 

 green and sour, but use a little com- 

 mon sense. 



The soil should be stirred up once a 

 week to keep the weeds killed down and 

 the soil from getting baked and crusted. 

 This is really an important item and yet 

 is often neglected. The doors and venti- 

 lators should be left open wide as soon as 

 the house i,i planted, and left so night 

 and day except during a storm. If one 

 has side ventilation in addition to the 

 top it will be found of great advan- 

 tage to keep the house cooler. 



If there is any shade left on i 

 that has been put there fur the benefit 

 of any previous crop, wash it off. The 

 chrysanthemum does not need an\ -bade 

 and, though the house will gel vers hoi 

 on bright days, a good syringing a' time 

 or two dining the day will materially 

 lower the temperature and benefit the 

 plants. Don't forget that it i- very im- 

 portant to spray under -ides of the 



leaves, because it is there that [he fed 

 spider makes his home, and a -praying 

 over the top- of the plants does not in- 

 convenience him in t lie least. 



Bi:i.\\ bOB 



Spahia. Wis.— Z. K. J-weit \ 

 to build another house, 20x100, to help 

 -hi [or nexl season, 



A DOUBLE CALLA. 



A. E. Crooks, of Benton Harbor, Mich., 



sends us a photograph of a 'alia which 



flowered on his place with a well formed 



double spathe. Prof. Bailey says that 



t be-e sports oftei in , even with a 



triple spathe. and illustrates a double 

 one in his cyclopedia, but seldom are 

 thej a- well formed a- this. Mr. Crooks 

 has rebuilt his place and has everything 

 in nice shape. He reports business good. 



Seasonable Hints. 

 During the growing season and until 

 the young roots begin to approach the 

 surface, cultivating should be closely at- 

 tended to. When the soil is light and 

 friable this can be performed with the 

 hand, but with soil of a stiff, clayey 

 nature a small hand hoe or cultivator is 

 necessary. In using any kind of an in- 

 strument due care will have to be exer- 

 cised so as not to go too near the neck 

 of the plant nor deep enough to in any 



way interfere with the roots, one inch 

 deep being all that is required if culti- 

 vating is practiced as it should be, once 

 a week. 



During hot, dry weather, when young 

 slock has to be watered frequently ami 

 in larger quantities, the soil will require 

 more frequent -tirrim_r to break up the 

 surface and so prevent too rapid evap- 

 oration. In il.ney -nils, which are de- 

 ficient in fibre, this crust forms with 

 almost every watering during warm 

 weather, and should be broken up a- soon 

 thereafter as possible. 



When the feeding roots begin to ap- 

 pear near the surface it is time to -top 

 stirring the soil and apply a Iig"hi mulch. 

 A little study and care in tie piepara- 

 tion of our mulching material would save 

 a great deal of hard and unnecessary 

 work at the time we want, to use it. By 

 having it in proper condition we may 

 expect better results than if we are 

 forced to use the crude and raw material 

 in its hastily prepared state. 



There is, also, little doubt bin thai 



carelessness practiced in collecting and 

 preparing our mulching material is a 

 fruitful source in supplying the colonies 

 of insect pests, such as eel worms, thrips 

 and grubs, which make neglected soil 

 and manure piles their favorite breeding 

 spots. 



The materials for a mulch compost 

 should be collected during the summer 

 and piled up in nearly the same manner 

 as with rose soil, the proportions being 

 two of manure to one of soil, with a 

 generous sprinkling of air-slaked lime 

 to sweeten it. This should be chopped 

 up a little finer than rose soil for plant- 

 ing, and should be turned over every 

 three or four weeks during the summer, 

 choosing bright, sunny days for the work, 

 and never allowing a crop of weeds tn 

 take possession. 



To have it in good condition for using 

 during the winter months, it should be 

 put under cover so that it may escape 

 the drenching fall rains which greatly 

 impoverish it. The bone meal to be used 

 should be added just previous to apply- 

 ing. 



For a first application the mulch 

 should be passed through a |-inch screen. 

 This makes it fine enough to entirely 

 cover the surface without having to put 

 it on too thick, half an inch being deep 

 enough. It is also more easilv a-simi 

 lated in this state than if applied in 

 chunks. 



This should be repeated at interval - 

 of six weeks, or as the material becomes 

 exhausted, which will happen -miner in 

 Beauty and Meteor houses than among 

 Bride and Bridesmaid. Ribks. 



CARNATION NOTES-EAST. 



A Slight Review. 



As the busy season draws to a close, 

 i- a good time to review the work and 

 perience of the past winter. It will be 

 iiml thai some error-, if I may so call 



-ome superior in one direction, oth- 

 u another, also the wide difference 

 reatment required to grow certain 

 ties, it is but natural that errors 



been made. 

 owers throughout the country have 



I think no reflection should be east upon 

 the growers, a deduction which stands 

 out more boldly when it is considered 

 that the best qualities of many varieties 

 have been brought out by growers who 

 have studied their rcouirements, the orig- 

 inator supplying cuttings only. 



It i- but lately that the custom has 



troductions with cultural directions, hence 

 the failure of some varieties to create 

 a favorable impression the first year, 

 but it is a pleasure to note that at pres- 

 ent almost, every variety is accompanied 

 by printed matter giving the method of 

 growing employed by the originator, or, 

 thank- to the trade papers, the subject 

 has been taken up there. 



It i- to the advantage of any grower 

 wdio ha- piiieba-ed \arieties of tin- \e:ir'- 

 introdiieiion to acquaint himself with 

 then special needs as to texture of soil, 

 temperature, feeding, watering, etc. 



