September, 1907 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



223 



Direct sunlight has an ill effect on 

 nursery stock. This, however, is amply 

 guarded against in this building. All 

 the skyUghts face the north, and are 

 covered with two thicknesses of glass, 

 the outer one being extra heavy ribbed 

 green skyUght glass to soften the light. 



The small nursery stock, and all im- 

 ported lines, such as seedlings, ever- 

 greens and shrubs, are stored in the old 

 building, which is also frost-proof. 

 This building holds about 1,000,000 

 small stocks, packed in moss, while the 

 new one will hold some 500,000 large 

 trees, in addition to which there is 

 room in each building for packing. 



All packing is done under cover, so 

 that the young trees are not exposed 

 to sun and wind. This modem method 

 has superseded the old one of heel- 

 ing in outside, and digging as needed, 



leaving the trees for hours exposed to 

 the sun and Wind bafore the packers 

 get them into the boxes. With the 

 present conveniences and accommo- 

 dations, packing can be commenced 

 in late winter, and shipments made 

 as soon as spring opens, thus giving 

 the purchaser the advantage of an early 

 delivery. Brown Brothers Company 

 was the first in Canada to use female 

 help in packing and handling nursery 

 stock. Women and girls are used also 

 in the field for "sprouting" and hoe- 

 ing. During the busy season the total 

 number of hands employed is 125. 



TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES 



To handle the large number of orders 

 filled each year, a gang of men is kept 

 busy all winter making boxes for ship- 

 ping. About 300,000 feet of lumber 



are used for the purpose. For ship- 

 ping purposes, a private railway spur, 

 three miles long, runs from the T.H. & 

 B. railway, to a point one mile from 

 the packing sheds. The firm thereby 

 is enabled to fill orders and ship them 

 on the shortest notice. This siding gives 

 direct connection with the M.C.R. at Wel- 

 land, the C.P.R. and G.T.R. at Hamilton. 

 During the shipping seasons, carload 

 after carload is shipped to the western 

 provinces, to Quebec, to the Maritime 

 Provinces, and to all points in Ontario. 

 Stock from these nurseries finds its 

 way into every township in Canada. 

 Every care is -taken by the firm to see 

 that all stock packed and sold is of 

 the highest grade and quality. Brown 

 Brothers Company, Nurserymen, Lim- 

 ited, have an horticultural establish- 

 ment that is a credit to Canada. 



1^ Hr%^ *<r#it^ Kr%^ KT^*^ *<r^*^ <<r%^ v^r-^^^ 



OUR QUESTION AND ANSWER DEPARTMENT 



Readers of TKo Horticulturist are Invited to Submit Questions on any Phase of Horticultural "Worh <♦ 



Rose Pot-Po\irri 



Will you kindly give me a recipe for preserving 

 rose leaves?— C.B.M., St. Catharines, Ont. 



Gather one peck of sweet-scented rose 

 leaves and spread on blotting paper 

 in the sun. Sprinkle them with a 

 pint of salt. Turn them each day 

 while they are drying. If you can 

 obtain them, add carnations, lemon 

 verbenas, and, indeed, any sweet- 

 scented thing. When all are dry, put 

 them in a jar and add one ounce each 

 of clove, nutmeg, tonka beans, cori- 

 ander seed and orris root. Add a 

 little bergamot. Pour on this mix- 

 ture an ounce of alcohol and a few drops 

 of essence of rose and lavender. Let 

 the mixture rest in the jar one week, 

 during which time stir several times; 

 then put it in the rose jars. 



DaKIias CKang'in^ Color 



Why do dahlias change color .^ Last year, 

 mine were pink and this year they are white and 

 purple, and the flowers are not nearly as good in 

 quality. — M. R., Toronto. 



The flowers of dahlias and many 

 other plants often change or vary 

 their color and markings in the manner 

 mentioned. It is usually caused by 

 an excess of, or sometimes from a lack 

 of, certain chemical compounds in the 

 soil that affects coloration, and some- 

 times from a natural reversion of type. 

 Changing the soil and other condi- 

 tions will often affect the plants bene- 

 ficially, and restore them to their 

 original character. — Answered by Wm. 

 Hunt, O.A.C., Guelph. 



Beg'onias From Seed 



Can tuberous begonias be propagated by seed ? 

 — L. N., Amherst, N.S. 



Tuberous begonias may be propagated 

 either from seed or from tubers. The 

 seeds are very small. They should be 

 sown by simply sprinkling on the sur- 

 face of the soil, which is best composed 

 of leaf mold and sand. If possible, 

 water the seeds from the bottom by set- 

 ting the pots or box in water. When 

 the soil is well saturated remove to a 

 shady place. Do not allow the soil to 

 become dry. 



When the seedlings are large enough 

 to handle, transplant them by setting 

 the plants down to the seed leaves. 

 Tuberous begonia seedlings should be 

 transplanted three or four times before 

 they reach the blooming period, and at 

 each transplanting increase the amount 

 of fibrous matter in the soil. The ad- 

 dition of a little well-rotted manure 

 may be made at the last transplanting. 



runs by all means use hot water, as 

 it is most satisfactory and does not 

 need the attention steam does. By 

 building your boiler and workroom 

 at the north-east or north-west comer 

 of your houses, you can double your 

 range of glass at any time, and still 

 not have to force your water any far- 

 ther than you will with your present 

 plans. Boiler tubes are used in some 

 places. I do not know of any place 

 near Toronto using them. They are 

 not as satisfactory as two-inch pipe 

 would be. A threshing engine boiler 

 could be used, but would not be as 

 economical as a heater built for the 

 purpose. — -Answered by A. McMeans, 

 O.A.C., Guelph. 



Building a Greenhouse 



I wish to build greenhouses for growing vege- 

 tables and flowers. At first, three rows will be 

 built, 20 feet wide, each by 50 or 75 feet long, 

 even span, with ventilators north and south of 

 ridge. At one end will be the boiler and work- 

 room. 1 wish to build so that the houses can 

 he enlarged conveniently when necessary. Which 

 is Vjest for heating, hot water or steam ? I have 

 been advised to use boiler tubes, three-inch 

 size for the hot water. Do you consider them 

 satisfactory or not? Do you .know of any 

 houses in the vicinity of Toronto heated by 

 thein that I could visit? Would a threshing 

 engine boiler be as economical as any other? — 

 W.S.P., Newmarket, Ont. 



In a small range of glass with short 



Kor Fall So^win^ 



Will you name the best varieties of lettuce 

 and radish for sowing in early September? — 

 P.S.A., Perth, Ont. 



For fall use, out of doors, Grand 

 Rapids Lettuce is one of the best; for 

 cold frame culture, use Tennis Ball. 

 For radish, a good strain of Scarlet 

 Turnip White Tip or Scarlet Turnip 

 will do best. 



I would strongly advise all owners of 

 vineyards to spray their vines two or 

 three times a year with the Bordeaux 

 mixture. It not only prevents disease 

 and fungous growth, but gives the vines 

 a healthy appearance, and makes the 

 fruit clean, bright and nice. — Aaron 

 Cole, St. Catharines, Ont. 



