May 21. 1003. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



1085 



View in the Wholesale Cut Flower Market, Coogan Building, New York, Easter Saturday. 



ducing their crops. By mixing in some 

 bone just before planting it will be- 

 come available as plant food by the 

 time the plants need it. and there is no 

 need of ha\ing it available any sooner. 

 In fact, it is better so. because while 

 the plant roots are comparatively inact- 

 ive and the soil lies idle it is likely 

 to become soured if too much decaying 

 matter is mixed through it. We do not 

 nii.x in even as much bone at the begin- 

 ning as many growers recommend, but 

 rather add it later on. as we see the 

 plants need it. Jlr. Osborn advises not 

 to mix in any bone, and I have no 

 doubt he linds it works quite satisfac- 

 torily. 



To" get rid of the angle worm you 

 can mix some lime through the soil, 

 which can best be done by turning the 

 ]>ile over and sprinkling the lime as 

 you pile it over. Tlie lime will not 

 lessen the value of the bone if they 

 are mixed in at the same time. It is 

 generally agreed that when lime is 

 mixed with other fertilizer it will set 

 free and allow to escape valuable plant 

 foods, but not so when the two are 

 mixed into soil. The lime will have the 

 same effect on the fertilizer, but the 

 soil will take up whatever the lime 

 causes the bone to let go and will keep 

 it stored up for the plants. In fact, 

 the soil will perform the same functions, 

 onlv it will take it longer to do it. 

 A. F. .T. Baur. 



BLOOD FOR CARNATIONS. 



Please let me know the best way in 

 which to use fresh blood for carnations. 

 I am situated so I can get the blood 

 direct from a near-bv slaughter-house. 



"E. E. M. 



I don't think that I would care to use 

 fresh blood on my plants, for I doubt 

 very much if it would be a l>cnefit to 

 them. That blood contains plant food 

 in large proportions 1 do not douht, but 

 I thiidv it will have to go through proper 

 preparation in order' to make those 

 plant foods av.nilable. Xo doubt you are 

 aware that dried blood is sold by all 

 supply houses, but I am unable to in- 

 form vou as to the process employed in 

 drying the blood. I would experiment 



a little on my own account if I were 

 situated as you are. and find out for 

 myself a way of using it suecessf\illy. 

 Tliorougbly satiirate some siq] with it 

 iuid when that dries ofT enough mix that 

 again willi other soil, making several 

 patches of difi'erent strengths, and note 

 wliat efl"cct it ha.s on the plants. Also 

 plant a few plants in .soil without the 

 blooil. so you may sec if there is any 

 difference. 



Perhaps the best plant to experiment 

 with would be the chrysanthemum, Iw- 

 cause not only will it stand considerable 

 abuse along that line, but it is also 

 ([uick to show it when it likes a certain 

 food. But by .ill means experiment also 

 with the kind of plant on which you 

 expect to use the stutT in the future, 

 as it may differ greatly from tlie chry- 

 santhemum in its likes and dislikes. 

 The experiment should extend clear 

 through the (lowering season to be con- 

 clusive. A. F. J. B.^un. 



PIPING A HOUSE. 



I have a house, 10xS5 feet, ten feet 

 high, the side walls plastered inside and 

 out, with an air space between. The 

 house is divided into three sections, 

 twenty-three feet for palms, thirty feet 

 for roses and thirty-two feet for carna- 

 tions. I want to heat this with a Weath- 

 ered conical boiler Xo. 6, using 3-inch 

 or 2-inch cast iron pipe. Uow should 

 it be piped? The temperature some- 

 times falls to eighteen degrees Ih?1ow 

 zero. Subscriber. 



For the effective heating, by water, 

 of the house in question, using ."S-inch 

 oast iron pipe, ten lines will be needed 

 in the palm house, nine in the rose house 

 anil eiglit in tlio carnation house, or if 

 ■2iiirli is \ised. fifteen, thirteen and 

 twelve lines will 1k' needed. I do not 

 know what "Subscriber's" reason is for 

 desiring to use 3-inch or 2-inch cast iron 

 pipe. These sizes are not generally used 

 for heating purposes, and. although it 

 is possible to procure suitable fittings 

 for making up the heating coils, it is 

 dillicult. as but few manufacturers make 

 them and only small stocks are carried. 

 It is belter to n»e a standard article, 

 which can be easily and more generally 



procured, such as the 3J-inch cast iron 

 pipe of 4inch outside diameter, and by 

 manufai'lurers wrongly dc^ignated as 4- 

 inch Jiijic. Or the 2-incli wrought iron 

 pipe ot connnon use may be employed. 

 If 31-inch cast iron pipe is used nine, 

 eight and seven lines will be required 

 in the respective compartments. If 2- 

 inch wrought iron pipe is used fifteen, 

 thirteen and twelve lines will do. The 

 arrangement of the pipes in coils would 

 depend hugely on the ilepth of the boil- 

 er cellar helow the greenhouse floor, the 

 arrangement of paths and benches and 

 the location of doorways, also on the 

 extent of control of circulation desired 

 in the several compartments. 



Hf.xuy \V. Gibboxs. 



CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 



Propagating. 

 The chrysanthemum is propagated 

 from Fcbruaiy to !<epleinl>er, according 

 to the method or needs of the grower, 

 but it is safe to say that the great 

 bulk of the plants "for use by the 

 commercial grower are propagated in 

 May and planted out in June or early 

 .Inly, There is one thing to look out 

 for' in pi'ipagating at lliis time (and 

 more particularly this year, with its 

 heat and ilrought. which is |>henonienal 

 in this section), and that is to see that 

 Ihe cuttings are frequently sprayed and 

 watered, or they will get hard and the 

 proportion that root will he unsatisfac- 

 tory. 



If your propagating hmise is much 

 exposed to the sun, a cooler and better 

 place to root your cuttiiiss is under a 

 north wall of the greenhouse, where, 

 with a spraying morning jind evening, 

 a good "strike" is almost certain. Cut- 

 tiirgs when put in the sand will wilt to 

 a n-reater or lesser cxiciit at this time 

 iif^ear. as they grow quicker on the 

 parent plant and are consequently much 

 softer in growth: but the aim of the 

 grower should lie to h.nve the cuttings 

 wilt as li(tle as possible, and this can 

 only l>e accomplished by shading and 

 spraying. 



Planting Out. 

 It was a inquinl practice with some 



