Mauch 15, 1917. 



The Florists^ Review 



19 



A View of the Frederick J. Benthey Establishment After the Tornado at Newcastle, Ind. 



just south of the storm, although sev- 

 eral gables were blown in, some of the 

 ventilators were thrown over and the 

 first house to the north suffered severely 

 from flying objects. The Dittman 

 houses, on the opposite side of the street 

 at the south end, were uninjured. Tie 

 has been wanting to rent his houses for 

 some time, and it will be an advantage 

 to both the Bentheys and Mr. Lynch, 

 as some of his houses were empty and 

 ready to be occupied again. At the 

 dinger place no damage was done, tins 

 being north of the path of the storm 

 about one mile. Peter Weiland. 



RECONSTRUCTING COLDFRAMES. 



We intend to replace the wooden 

 sides of some coldframes with concrete 

 this season and we wish to get some 

 information as to the proper thickness 

 of the walls and the necessary reinforc- 

 ing. We are also in doubt whether to 

 make the frames wide enough for two 

 sashes, with a center wall, or only wide 

 enough for one set of sashes. Can you 

 help us out? IT. S.— Mo. 



If the frames are to be used during 

 the winter months, we would prefer to 

 have them wide enough to carry a row 

 of hotbed sashes on each side of the 

 ridge. In case they are only to bo used 

 as coldframes late in the season, frames 

 wide enough for a single row of sashes 

 will be satisfactory. 



The walls should be set deep enough 

 in the ground to provide a good foun 

 dation, so that they will not be acted 

 on by frost. Three inches will answer 

 as the thickness of the top of tlie wall 

 and four to six inches for the bottom. 

 Although reinforcing is not necessary, 

 it is a good plan to run a i/4-inch steel 

 rod about one inch below the top of 

 the wall on all sides. Especially with 

 the wide frames, it will bo a simple 

 matter to heat them with steam or 

 hot water. T. 



PROPAGATING FICUS ELASTICA. 



If it is not too much trouble, will you 

 describe the best method of rootiujr 

 Ficus elastica cuttings? Please mention 

 the kind of soil and the best location in 

 the greenhouse for the purpose — whether 

 dark or partly shaded. Is any bottom 

 heat required? Should 21oaf cuttings 

 be used, or tops only? .T. 1'. V. — Pn. 



Siebreeht is authority for the statement 

 that, according to the closest estimate 

 available, "from 80,000 to 100,000 rub- 

 ber plants arc sold iu America in a sin- 

 gle year." Among the evidences of 

 the great demand for the })lant are tho 

 numerous inquiries about tho methods 

 of propagating it. The lieviow has an- 

 swered such inquiries frequently ami 

 the following directions are largely n 

 repetition of suggestions given in for- 

 mer replies. 



The jirojtagation of Ficus elastica by 

 moans of cuttings is generally consi<l- 

 ered, in this country, a somewhat un- 

 certain process, as tlie cuttings some 

 times fail to root when there is no a]>- 

 parent reason for such failui'o. How- 

 ever, it is still tho most common method 

 in some parts of Enrope. Late spring is 

 a favorable time for the work. Some 

 growers jtrofor single-eye cuttings, with 

 only ono or two leaves. Other growers 

 advise the use of cuttings seven or eight 

 inches long, always the latest growth 

 and cut just below a joint, retaining 

 several loa\'os. Those cuttings are iii- 

 sortoil in il-incli pots of sand and loam. 

 The ])ots are plunged in some suitable 

 material, and a steady bottom heat of 

 7.") to 80 degrees is maintained. Tho 

 lea\es are drawn up and tied to a small 

 stake, so as to save space and facilitate 

 watering. After the first watering, the 

 cuttings aro kept only moderately moist. 

 Tliev should be well rooted before being 

 shifted. 



TIowo\or, a much nu)re comnu)n and 

 more successful method of jiropagatiug 

 rubber plants, at least in America, is the 

 so-called mossing or ringing operation, 

 which is performed on the tops of the 

 stock i)lants, so that the roots are 



formed on the '"cuttings"' before tho 

 latter are severed from the parent plaut. 

 This system can be employed at almost 

 any season of the year, but spring and 

 early summer are tho most favorable 

 ])eriods. The process consists sim|)ly of 

 cutting the stem partly through, at any 

 desired length, preferably below a leaf. 

 Stick a couple of toothpicks or any small 

 pieces of wood into the incision to keep 

 it open. Then bind sphagnum moss 

 tightly over, above and below the cut 

 made. Keep it constantly moist, and to 

 ensure this keep the stock jdajits in a 

 warm, moist and shaded house, where 

 they can be freely syringed, .lust as 

 soon as roots .are seen peeping through 

 tho moss, cut the tops off and pot them. 



Clarence, N. Y. — E. A. Muchow is in- 

 vestigating heating with kerosene or 

 crude oil as an escape from the clutches 

 of tho coal barons. 



Van Wert, O. — Scharff Bros., who are 

 jobbers of tobacco stems as well as be- 

 ing florists, say stems continue to rise 

 in j)rico, being worth $15 to $18 per ton 

 in carload lots. They are now bonght 

 u]) by manufacturers of cheap cigarettes 

 and also by fertilizer companies, which 

 t xtract the potash they contain. 



Reading, Pa. — March 1.1 the members 

 of the Reading Florists' Association 

 journeyed to Lancaster, where they were 

 guests of the I^ancaster County Florists' 

 Club. An inspection of establishments 

 at Tiancastor was part of the day's pro- 

 gram. In the evening a bowling match 

 took place between the organizations. 

 It was expected that many of the mem- 

 bers of the local association would leave 

 March 17 for the New York show. 



There is no doubt that Ficus elastica 

 is one of the best sellers, one of the 

 most popular of house plants. IT. A. 



Residences on Property Formerly Part of the Benthey Place. 



