THE FLORISTS' MANUAL. 



A Rustic Vase. 



early and take it off early. Too many 

 are yet guilty of waiting till perhaps 

 10 o'clock on a bright morning and 

 then opening up wide; first subjecting 

 the plants to an enervating heat and 

 then giving them a sudden chill. By 

 shutting up early in the Afternoon you 

 have utilized the sun heat and saved 

 coal, and sun heat is always better for 

 the plants than fire heat. There are 

 thousands of houses throughout the 

 country that are sadly inadequate in 

 ventilation, and in such houses roses, 

 carnations and all our flowering plants 

 will draw up weak. 



What we are most concerned about 

 is not the mistakes that have been 

 made, but to prevent any more. In 

 houses that are attached it is obvious 

 that side ventilation can only be given 

 on the two exterior walls, and in any 

 rose house we would not have any 

 ventilation .in the side wall or glass, 

 even if it cost nothing, because we 

 could not use it. In plant houses or 

 in carnation houses side ventilation is 

 perhaps desirable, but I think not at 

 all necessary if ample ventilation is 

 given at the ridge. 



In equal span carnation houses we 

 have in addition to the ordinary venti- 

 lating sash on the south side a large 

 sash about 5x3 hinged on the north 

 side, 8 feet between sash. We have no 

 ventilating gear attached, but after 

 settled warm weather, or when there 

 is no longer danger of weather that 

 would hurt carnations, we raise these 

 sash eight or nine inches . on blocks 

 of wood, and then tie them securely 

 down, leaving them so till first of Oc- 



tober. Believing that if ample venti- 

 lation is provided on one side of the 

 ridge is enough, aad we do believe it 

 from experience and observation of 

 other people's houses and crops, then 

 it is useless to discuss the matter fur- 

 ther. 



Ventilation should be provided the 

 whole length of a house. If it is want- 

 ed at all in one place in the roof then 

 it is wanted the entire length, and it 

 must be better to give three inches all 

 along than six inches only in spots. 

 And this will apply not only to a rose 

 house but any greenhouse for whatso- 

 ever use intended. Though you may 

 need but one inch of ventilation 

 throughout the whole month of Janu- 

 ary, in June our climate demands the 

 utmost you can give. It takes no more 

 glass to have continuous ventilation, 

 no more in cost of apparatus except a 

 few arms, and only a few dollars more 

 in extra ventilators. 



In the long-span-to-the-south the 

 ventilation is always on the sou.th side 

 of the ridge, and the same in equal 

 span houses whose ridge runs east and 

 west. In the short-span-to-the-south 

 the ventilation is on the north side of 

 the ridge. In houses where the ridge 

 runs north and south, always equal 

 span, the ventilation should be on the 

 east side. You can open them earlier 

 and our prevailing winds are from the 

 west. We are often able, to give an 

 inch of air at the ridge when cold out- 

 side without feeling any draught 

 whereas if the ventilators were hinged 

 at the ridge and opened two feet down 

 the sash we should feel a draught. And 



if it is good for one house or one kind 

 of plants it certainly is for all. So 

 that is the way to hang your ventila- 

 tors; let them all open at the ridge. 



While you are having sash made 

 have them large enough. If the 

 house is from 19 to 23 ft. wide the 

 ventilators should be from 30 to 36 

 inches deep and continuous. The 

 length of each section should be not 

 over 5 ft. or the sash will be too 

 heavy to lift easily, but there is not 

 nearly so much weight to lift when 

 they open at the ridge as when hinged 

 at the ridge. The ventilator man will 

 tell you how many machines you need. 



No one would think in this day of 

 ventilating without the use of one of 

 the machines which do their work so 

 admirably. They will pay for them- 

 selves easily in labor saving in one 

 year, and without them I can't see 

 how you could manage. Yet some 

 struggle on without them. It is not 

 the labor saving alone, it is the plants 

 that suffer when the sash are moved 

 by ropes or rods or sticks. To raise 

 or lower a lot of sash by those crude 

 methods is quite a chore and too often 

 if you are busy and you think actual 

 necessity does not compel, you are too 

 apt to say, "It's pretty warm, but I 

 guess it won't hurt." You are shirk- 

 ing the job, but how easy to say, "Jim, 

 put on a crack of air," and Jim turns 

 the handle and up goes a hundred feet 

 of sash in a moment, and only fun to 

 do it. There are several good appli- 

 ances. I have five different makes, 

 and like best the "Challenge" ventila- 

 tor. 



VERANDA BOXES. 



This style of ornamental gardening 

 is very much in vogue in some cities. 

 In none I think more than the fine 

 residence city of Buffalo. They are an 

 evolution from the more humble win- 

 clow box which I noticed was very 

 much in use in humble dwellings of 

 European cities, where the yellow Cal- 

 ceolaria aurea floribunda was one of 

 the most useful and gaudy plants, and 

 with the blue lobelia made a most 

 striking show. The calceolaria is use- 

 less here. 



Veranda boxes are not suitable in 

 connection with a brown stone castle, 

 and they don't have anything as com- 

 mon as a veranda, but in many of our 

 beautiful homes where part or the 

 front or side of the house is a veranda 

 they are most appropriate. They are 

 seldom on the top of the rail, but 

 usually on the level of the floor of the 

 veranda, and the tops of the plants 

 reach up to the rail. 



If asked to furnish the box you 

 should be able to do it and have some 

 planing mill man of your acquaintance 

 know how to put them together. Have 

 them made of cypress and well painted 

 to suit the color or the wood of the 

 veranda. A very good size is 6 inches 

 deep, 9 inches wide at top and 8 inches 

 at bottom, all inside measure. We fill 

 many larger, but they should not be 

 smaller for plants to do well. Holes 

 are bored in the bottom to afford 



