HORTICULTURE 



December 2, 1905 



Vallerand freres had a fine show of single flowered 

 begonias of large size. M. Geo. Truffant showed some 

 results of using his new manure Biogine in the culture 

 of chrysanthemums. Annexed to the show was an art 

 gallery in which many pictures of fruit and flowers in 

 oil and water colors were staged. 



The jury were invited to a banquet presided over by 

 the Minister of Agriculture supported by M. Viger and 

 the officials of the society. M. Viger proposed the 

 toast, that of M. Loubet, president of the republic, com- 

 ing first. M. Loubet visited the show in the morning 

 and expressed his admiration of the many beautiful ex- 

 hibits. Other toasts followed and were responded to by 

 M. Maxime de la Eocheterie, the president of the 

 French N. C. S. ; Mr. Harman Payne, foreign secretary 

 of the English N". C. S. ; Baron Solemacher of Ander- 

 nache, and M. Lucien Chaure of the Moniteur Horticole. 



In the afternoon the first meeting of the conference 

 was held and various papers were read. A presenta- 

 tion was also made to M. Viger of a bronze work of art 

 from the French N. C. S. In the evening the National 

 Horticultural Society of France entertained the jury at 

 a reception and concert in the hall of the society. 



Hints on Boilers and Heating 



In heating greenhouses the location of the boilers de- 

 pends principally on the lay of the ground and direction 

 of the compass. Eeferring especially to large ranges of 

 glass where houses run north and south the ground 

 being practically level, boilers should either be located 

 close to the north end of range near centre or on the 

 west side near centre and a proper distance from the 

 westerly house; where houses run east and west on 

 level ground, the boilers should be placed on the north 

 side near the centre. On ground sloping towards the 

 south, houses running east and ^yest, it is often advis- 

 able to locate the boilers on the south side of range near 

 the centre leaving a space between the cellar and south- 

 erly house, so in case a building is erected over the cel- 

 lar it will not shade the houses, the width of the space 

 regulated according to the height of the structures. 

 The cellar should be constructed as near water-proof as 

 possible without too much outlay and provision made for 

 draining the interior. Place the boilers on a foundation 

 projecting at least two inches above the cellar floor, as 

 this method will aid in keeping the ash pits dry. Lo- 

 cate the coal bin if possible in front of the boilers leav- 

 ing a sufficient space between to clean the tubes and ash 

 pits ; leave space around and between the boilers so that 

 parts can be repaired and replaced readily, and valves 

 operated. It seems to be common practice to crowd the 

 rear of boilers against the cellar wall. This should bo 

 avoided, especially in laying out a new plant; there 

 should be a space of at least two feet. All boilers in 



the same cellar should be connected to the same main, 

 and the connections valved, and the valves locked open 

 when boilers are in order. This can be accomplished with 

 a chain and padlock on each valve. In case of accident 

 to any boiler, draw the fire and close the valves on the 

 one affected. One man should attend to all valves and 

 keep the keys to prevent accidents. After repairs are 

 made open the valves before starting the fire. Use gate 

 valves for these connections giving the full opening of 

 the pij^e so as not to check the circulation. 



X. 



The Foliage Question 



Editor of Horticulture : — Noting your remarks on 

 the lack of foliage on many of the later introductions of 

 chrysanthemums and your citation of Mrs. J. Jones as 

 the ideal variety in this respect and as a model all-round 

 chrysanthemum, I wish to express myself as agreeing 

 with you in the main, though it seems to the writer that 

 the matter of foliage is a trifle over-done in this variety 

 and its sports, at least as they come from the hands of 

 the majority of growers in this country, though Mr. 

 Montgomery and a few other specialists are able to show 

 the flower and foliage in beautiful proportion. In fully 

 80 per cent, of the displays of the Jerome Jones family 

 the bloom looks very small in comparison with the- 

 voluminous leafage, which we must all acknowledge as 

 the most beautiful in form, texture and glossy finish of 

 any known variety. 



Mr. Herrington, in his interesting remarks, gently 

 chides the editor for his criticism of the Australian 

 sorts in the matter of foliage, though it must be con- 

 fessed that very few of them approach Mrs. Jerome 

 Jones in this fine quality, the best of them lacking the 

 gloss and substance, even where the leafage is otherwise 

 good, while many of them show so prominently the de- 

 fects of the Carnot family foliage, that if it were not for 

 the redeeming points of magnificent size, form and color, 

 they certainly would lose out on leafage. This fact is 

 strikingly illustrated in the Wells-Pockett set of the 

 present year, where the majority show the limp, droop- 

 ing appearance of the Carnot type, which is always in- 

 teresting to trace, if not so delightful — to set up; our 

 English-Australian friends are breeding to size, and 

 admirably they do it, but give the raisers time and they 

 will place before the public a perfectly balanced type, 

 good stem, fine foliage and magnificent bloom. 



We owe a great debt of gratitude to our Australian 

 friends for the large, handsome, showy flowers which 

 they have produced; they are grand exhibition sorts, but 

 the decorator wants a dark, crisp, closely set, substantial 

 foliage, to make perfect his vase of blooms such as is 

 found in Ivory, Bonnaffon, Appleton, Chadwick and 

 Jones. 



The editor has rendered good service in calling atten- 

 tion of chrysanthemum specialists to the good basic qual- 

 ities of our fine old favorite from Boston. 



^/M^, 



