December 30, 1897. 



The Weekly Florists' Review, 



233 



Bed of Cannas bordered with Acalyphas. 



on the pipes, when heavy firing is neces- 

 sary, will in almost all ca'ses be a sufficient 

 safeguard against the ravages of this in- 

 sect pest. 



For the past two seasons the writer has 

 kept the steam pipes of the Station green- 

 houses painted with a tobacco extract, 

 known as the Rose Leaf Insecticide. 

 During the same period, sulphur mi.ved 

 with water to a thin paste has also been 

 applied in the same manner. 



In view of the fact that tobacco and 

 sulphur are each effectual means, when 

 judiciously used, to keep aphis and red 

 spider in check, a conibin.ition of the two 

 seemed to the writer to contain the essen- 

 tial requisites of a preventive and reme- 

 dial agent for both. To accomplish this 

 it was only necessary to dilute the tobacco 

 extract with water,' about one-fourth or 

 one-third, and then add enough of the 

 "flowe's of sulphur" to make it of suit- 

 able consistency to apply to the pipes 

 with an ordinary paint brush. 



The re.sults obtained from the applica- 

 tion of this combination, which for the 

 want of a better term I shall call "sul- 

 pho-tobacco liquid," have been so satis- 

 factory as to justify their being brought 

 to the notice of the readers of the Flor- 

 ists' Review. .\n application of sulpho- 

 tobacco liquid will, under ordinary con- 

 ditions of firing, be effective at least a 

 week. The fumes of the two may be 

 intensified by witting the pipes occasion- 

 ally with a fine spray of water. This 

 should be done in the evening. 



It is believed that if the method out- 

 lined above is rigorouslv followed, both 

 the aphis and red spider mav be kept 

 down, even though they mav have ob- 

 tained a foothold previous to its use. The 

 adliesive qualities of the tobacco liquid 

 ser\-e to retain the sulphur on the pipes 



much better than when the latter is 

 mixed with water or even with lime. 

 \ViLi,i.\Ji Stuart, 

 -Assistant Botanist. 

 Experiment Station, Lafayette, Ind. 



CANNAS BORDERED WITH 

 ACALYPHAS. 



H^re is a bed of cannas with a young 

 ailantus in the center. The central part 

 of the bed is filled with Mme. Crozv, the 

 outside row being Queen Charlotte.' The 

 border is of Acalypha Macafeeana and 

 tricolor. 



.\fter frost the acalyphas are taken up, 

 cut back, potted in same soil as for gera- 

 niums, and placed in a temperature of 

 70°, where in a short time they recover 

 and start new growth. Cuttings 'aie taken 

 from the young .shoots and "inserted in 

 sand on bottom heat of 70° with top tem- 

 perature of 60°, watered sparingly and 

 when rooted are potted in 2':..inch pots. 

 The plants are kept in a temperature of 

 70° and as they grow are g^ven larger 

 pots as required. The plants can be 

 grown more cheaply than geranijms but 

 not so cheaply as coleuses. They should 

 not be bedded out until it is safe for 

 coleuses. 



Acalypha tricolor has the finest color- 

 ing, but JIacafeeana is easier to propagate 

 and grows more quickly, and its coloring 

 is very good 



A PRETTY DECORATION. 



A pretty reception decoration recentlv 

 arranged by Mr. J. Gormley, with Mr. E. 

 Wienhoeber, the Chicago tiorist, in- 

 cluded two screens, each sis feet high 

 and four feet wide, covered with wild 

 smilax with a tall vase of pink roses 



between the two, the roses carried out 

 over the surface of the screens as though 

 a climbing rose had spread over the 

 surface and covered it with a burst of 

 bloom. The effect was very handsome. 

 Two ladies attired in pink dresses 

 received in front of this screen. 



Another pretty thing arranged this fall 

 by Mr. Gormley was a corner effect. A 

 big piece of bamboo, about ten feet long 

 and five inches in diameter, had three 

 openings cut in it in Japanese style and 

 in each of these openings was placed a 

 bunch of nine big yellow chrvsanthe- 

 mnnis, while a bow of broad yellow- 

 ribbon was tied to the bamboo between 

 the bunches of chrysanthennims. This 

 was stood in the corner of the room and 

 was much admired. It was for a "Japanese 

 tea" and the furnishings of the room an I 

 other decorations were in harmony with 

 the corner decoration noted. 



^ILDEW OF ORNAMENTAL 

 PLANTS. 



Several of the plants of the ornamental 

 grounds and the conservatory are subject 

 to the attacks of the powdery mildews. 

 One, is apt to think of the lilac as the 

 shrub that of all others is subject to this 

 disease. Fruit growers see the same group 

 of enemies upon the grape and more par- 

 ticularly upon the gooseberry and the 

 young twigs and leaves of the cherry and 

 peach. The powdery mildews flourish 

 upon the Virginia creeper and the honey- 

 suckle so that vines are not exempt, 

 neither are the herbs, for grasses are often 

 troubled by them, and oxalis and gera- 

 nium in the wild state are often attacked. 

 In short these mildews are common upon 

 plants generally. 



The accompanying engraving shows 



