238 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



Floral Editio] 



appear. This prevents the sun from 

 drying the surface and consequently 

 helps germination, although this would 

 be impossible with a big planting. 



Some experts say that cormels may 

 be planted three to four hundred to the 

 square foot, although never having 

 planted quite so thickly, I am of the 



opinion there is nothing lost by thick 

 planting. Cormels should grow in one 

 season into one half inch to three- 

 quarter inch bulbs, and in many cases 

 will produce bloom. Corms this size 

 are called planting stock and produce 

 bloom freely next year, after which 

 they are considered a well-developed bulb. 



Pests on Crops Under Glass 



Henry J. Moore, Toronto, Ont. 



CROPS which are grown under glass, 

 such as radishes, lettuce and toma- 

 toes, are subject to insect pests. 

 Sometimes mistakes are made by grow- 

 ers in their attempts to eradicate them. 

 They may spray or fumigate to get rid 

 of the insects, but may kill the plants, 

 if they do not understand the practice 

 of spraying or of fumigation. 

 Two Kinds of Insects. 

 Greenhouse crops are attacked by 

 two kinds of insects. One is the type 

 called the biting insect and the other 

 the sucking insect. Insects which bite 

 the foliage and swallow it, may be 

 killed by applying poison to the plants 

 which they eat. Sucking insects will 

 not be killed in that Avay, but killed by 

 the odds are in favor of Jeaimot. 

 contact poisons which when sprayed 

 thereon will cover them. Biting insects, 

 such as caterpillars, can be killed with 

 arsenate of lead or paris green in water. 

 The writer does not advise the use of 

 paris green if arsenate of lead can be 

 obtained. To five gallons of water add 

 one-eighth pound of arsenate of lead in 

 the powder form, or one-quarter pound 

 in the paste form. 



The green and black fly are sucking 

 insects and cannot be killed by arsenate 

 of lead. For these, add two teaspoon- 

 fuls of nicotine to a gallon of water. 

 Three teaspoonfuls of Nicotine may be 

 used if occasion demands. The liquor 

 from tobacco stems or cigar wrappers 

 diluted well with water is also good. It 

 is sometimes advisable to add a little 

 castile soap to the solution of nicotine 

 in order to aid in adhering to the in- 

 sects. Sometimes about half an ounce 

 of pure soap to a gallon of w^ater wUl 

 hel]) to hold poisonous mixture on the 

 leaves which Avill kill biting as well as 

 sucking insects, and will not harm the 

 plants. Night is the best time to spray, 

 as there is no danger of the sunlight 

 scalding the leaves while the solution 

 is on them. 



Fumigation. 

 Fumigation is one of the quickest and 

 best ways of ridding greenhouses of in- 

 sects, and one of the best materials is 

 Aphis Punk. Hang it from Avires, light 

 it, then blow out the flame and allow it 

 to smoulder. It is made from paper 

 soaked in nicotine to which is added 

 some substance to keep the paper from 

 actually flaming, but which lets it 



smoulder. A case of 12 sheets costs 

 about 75 or 80 cents, and should supply 

 an ordinary sized structure where 

 vegetables are being forced for one 

 year. 



There are certain insects such as the 

 white fly on which ordinary fumigating 

 methods or spraying have little or no 

 effect. Sometimes considerable num- 

 bers can be killed, but it is impossible 

 to entirely rid the greenhouse of this 

 pest. It may be necessary to use cyanide 

 of sodium or of potassium. The fumes 

 of these are deadly to all breathing 

 things, and may kill a man in thirty 

 seconds. Fumigation should be done in 

 the evening, and everything within the 

 structure should be as dry as possible. 

 The temperature should be about 60 

 degrees F. Place four ounces of water 

 in saucers on the floor, and add two 

 ounces of sulphuric acid to each saucer. 

 Never use metal dishes as the acid will 

 eat into them. Alwaj'S use porcelain. 

 Wrap an ounce of cyanide in paper and 

 tie it up, an oimce for each saucer. Do 

 not touch the cyanide with the hands. 

 Place the saucers away from any crops 

 or overhanging foliage. Go to the saucer 

 farthest from the door, drop the 

 cyanide quickly into it and go to the 

 next and then move qitickly out and 

 shut and lock the door. As soon as the 

 first ounce of cyanide is placed into the 

 saucer, do not breath until you are out- 

 side the structure. Then hang a sign 

 on the door "Poison." You must take 

 this precaution or you will be respons- 

 ible for any accident that may occur. 



After two hours the doors may be 

 opened, as well as any ventilators, but 

 from the outside, and the fumes be al- 

 lowed to pass out. It is well, however, 

 to allow the structure to remain closed 

 all night. No one should be allowed 

 to enter the greenhouse for twelve 

 hours, except perhaps the operator who 

 is aware of the danger. Fumigation 

 with cyanide will kill the white fly, but 

 will not kill the eggs of the fly. It is, 

 therefore, necessary to fumigate every 

 four or six days in order to kill the 

 young as they hatch. The white fly 

 is about one-eighth inch in diameter 

 with its wings spread, and about one- 

 twenty-fifth with wings closed. Bear in 

 mind that one ounce of cyanide is suffi' 

 cient for one thousand cubic feet of air 

 space. 



Hybrid Cactus Dahlias 



J. K. Alexander, East Bridgewater, Mass. 



THE Hybrid Cactus type of Dahlia 

 is equal to the Decorative in its 

 popularity, and surely is deserving 

 of this favoritism. 



They are not only Dahlias of gigantic 

 size, but produce their blossoms freely 

 upon good long stems. Most every 

 dahlia enthusiast, especially if theirs is an 

 exclusive garden, has the giant scarlet- 

 red Hybrid Cactus variety "Kalif," anl 

 the magnificent blending of old ros( , 

 salmon-pink and gold of "Georn: 

 Walters." 



There are others of exceptional merit, 

 both for the garden and for exhibition 

 purposes. They blossom abundantly, 

 and have long strong stems, making them 

 very desirable, and worthy of a place in 

 every garden. 



From Holland comes the variety 

 "Blanca" an exquisite rose-lilac; and in 

 my estimation the finest Cactus Dahlias 

 for cut-flower purposes. With it, the ^ 

 Dutch have given us "Yellow King" the j 

 largest yellow and "Attraction" the 

 largest lavender-pink. The latter has 

 stems as stiff as cane, and bears its 

 flowers well above the foliage. 



The Hybrid Cactus Dahlias from . 

 California, are among the very best of 

 this type. "Helen Dumbaugh," a blend- 

 ing of pink and white has many friends; 

 "Mrs. W. E. Estes" is considered the 

 finest pure white; "Ruth G. Gleadell" 

 on the amber and salmon shades is a 

 beauty; "La Favorita" which is salmon 

 with darker counter; "California En- 

 chantress" on the deep rose-pinks is a 

 very reliable variety always covered with 

 flowers, and "Tom Limdy" one of the 

 very largest dahlias grown is the best 

 deep velvety red on the market. 



Other American creations are, "Louise 

 Slocombe," a long stemmed variety of 

 mauve pink with a silvery sheen, which 

 adds greatly to its beauty. "Colossal 

 Peace" is white with tips of pink, an 

 early and continuous bloomer. "Mrs. 

 Chas. H. Breck," is an exquisite blending 

 of yellow and rose-pink, while "Mrs. 

 Ferdinand Jeffries " is the nearest to black 

 a verj' rich velvety maroon. 



Heralded from Germany, beside "Ka- 

 lif" are a number of other exceptionally 

 fine creations. " Nibulengenhort " is 

 unquestionably the best of them, a^ 

 blending of salmon-pink and old-rose I 

 "Wolfgang von Goethe," is a giant 

 salmon-red, by far the best of this color 

 in Cactus Dahlias; "Hoffnung" a blend- 

 ing of old-rose and apricot; "Beloit" the 

 largest deep purple. The English give us 

 "W. B. Child?" a very abundant 

 flowering purple-crimson. 



Altho very scarce and diflBcult to secure 

 "Mrs. Wamaar" is a Dutch creation, 

 that was among one of the first of this 

 type, and still the finest white tinted pale 

 pink. 



