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The Florists^ Review 



FUBRUABT 6, 1910. 



izsn against the use of second-hand 

 acking cases, and admonish the ship- 

 er to place two tags on his shipment, 

 ne outside the package and one in- 

 ide. 



Many Lost Packages. 



A determined effort will be made dur- 

 ag the campaign to eradicate the "No 

 lark" evil. In this connection the 

 ommittee points out that from July 1 

 November 30, 1918, 127,859 shipments, 

 ,n average of 25,500 a month, were 

 urned over to the "No Mark" bureau 

 ecause no mark was found either in- 

 ide or outside the packages, to indicate 

 he shipper or the consignee. 



The committee admits that the fault 

 rhich causes lost packages does not 

 xist only in the shipper, but that the 



company employees also are in many 

 cases to blame. During the coming cam- 

 paign a systematic effort will be made 

 to educate the employees along the lines 

 desired. There will be closer supervis- 

 ion of the work of employees in all ex- 

 press offices ,and terminals. 



A series of weekly meetings of the ex- 

 pressmen in every city, will give the 

 supervising officers an opportunity to 

 impress upon their local forces the pur- 

 poses of the drive. Local campaign com- 

 mittees will be appointed to keep before 

 their co-workers the ideals of service 

 and to secure the cooperation and in- 

 terests of shippers by explaining to them 

 how they can, in their own particular 

 lines, aid in the improvement of the ex- 

 press service. 



superintendents of cemeteries to tlieir 

 respective national conventions, paying 

 all of their expenses. He advised that 

 employers of gardeners, if shown the 

 practical information their gardeners 

 would absorb while attending the con- 

 ventions of the national association, 

 which would be of advantage to them in 

 their own charges at home, doubtless 

 would send their gardeners to these 

 conventions, paying their expenses. He 

 gave the names of several gardeners of 

 national fame, also of apprentice- 

 trained,^ practical gardeners who had 

 launched into scientific, professional 

 and commercial field^, in each case with 

 pronounced success. The wide field of 

 horticulture offers scope to suit the 

 taste, inclination and ambition of all 

 the gardeners of America. 



William Falconer. 



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FITTSBXTBGH GASDENEBS. 



District Conference. 



The Pittsburgh District Gardeners' 

 !onference, under the auspices of the 

 Tational Association of Gardeners, was 

 eld January 30, at the Chatham hotel, 

 'ittsburgh. Pa., with fifty gardeners, 

 lost of them local men, in attendance, 

 tobert "Weeks, of Cleveland, O., presi- 

 ent of the National Association of 

 fardeners, and M. C. Ebel, of Madison, 

 r. J., secretary, were present. David 

 'raser, of Pittsburgh, was chairman, 

 nd John Barnet, of Sewickley, secre- 

 ary of the conference. 



In his address President Weeks urged 

 he development of a more friendly feel- 

 Dg between the gardeners and their em- 

 loyers. To inspire this, the gardener 

 imself should show a pleasant disposi- 

 ion and do his level best both in the 

 lanagement of his charge and for the 

 iterest of his employers. 



Value of Association. 



Secretary Ebel dwelt strongly on the 

 dvantages of the National Association 

 f Gardeners to the gardeners. A regis- 

 er of the gardeners belonging to the 

 ssociation, showing who they are, what 

 hey are, and the positions they are fit- 

 ed for, should be kept, so that when 

 n employer looking for a gardener ap- 

 lies to the association to recommend 

 ne, the association will be in a position 

 3 answer at once, with full particulars. 

 L recommend from the association 

 'ould be something tangible and highly 

 esirable. Sometimes a gardener will 

 sk, "What has the association done for 

 le?" It may be asked in reply, "What 

 ave you done for the association T If 

 ou are in a good, permanent position, 

 here your services are appreciated, you 

 lay not need the help of the association 

 ow in getting another place, but a time 

 lay come when you will need it." Be- 

 des this function of the association, 

 le bringing together of the gardeners 

 I the country into one great affiliation, 

 laking them acquainted with one an- 

 ther, and enabling them to learn 

 irough this acquaintance of the jj^ar- 

 sns of the country, are surely objects 

 orth while. Further, the practical and 

 )cial benefits accruing from this happy 



association are profitable and delightful 

 and should be appreciated by all of us. 

 A representative of Beckert's Seed 

 Store, Pittsburgh, reported a vigorous 

 protest made by this firm against the 

 plant exclusion act. 



Advantages of Membership. 



William Falconer advised a closer 

 unity among the gardeners, local as 

 well as national, suggesting that they 

 form clubs and make a point of attend- 

 ing club meetings with their families, 

 thus bringing their wives and children 

 inta closer contact, making the whole 

 community of gardeners a happy family 

 circle. He mentioned instances of cities 

 sending their park superintendents and 



AMEEIOAN PRODUCTS. 



Many American growers have begun 

 the production, more or less extensively, 

 of the bulbs and plants heretofore im- 

 ported from Holland and Belgium. It 

 will take some time, just as it did with 

 the gladiolus, to develop any consider- 

 able output, but it will come in time. 



"We will soon grow tulips, narcissi, 

 etc., in America despite the help ques- 

 tion," says C. Betscher, Dover, O. 

 "We feel that the income from the 

 blooms will equalize wages, so that 

 tulips, narcissi and other items will be 

 grown in the central west. We have 

 about one-fourth of an acre of narcissi 

 and some tulips, to see what can be done 

 practically. American-grown bulbs will 

 bloom as well as those from Holland. 



"With the war over, plant growing 

 and plant breeding will put America to 

 the fore. American-bred roses will set 

 the pace for European breeders. In the 

 near future we shall see great advances 

 in rose breeding in America." 



FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 



TBOUBLE WITH LETTUCE. 



Can you tell me why my lettuce does 

 not do well? I used to grow lettuce 

 as nearly perfect as possible, but last 

 two seasons I have had trouble. I have 

 a bed of lettuce in an old house which 

 has been in lettuce for ten years. The 

 lettuce in this house is all right, but 

 the trouble is with a new house, built 

 four years ago. My lettuce seems to 

 start all right, but by the time it reaches 

 the point where it ought to begin to 

 shade the ground, it stops. All the 

 beds are solid. The ground looks dry at 

 times, but no amount of water seems to 

 do any good. I use stable manure, well 

 rotted. E. G. B. — O. 



You do not state what temperatures 

 you are giving your lettuce, nor what 

 varieties you are growing. There is no 

 reason why lettuce should not succeed 

 in the same soil year after year, if it 

 receives a generous application of stable 

 manure before each crop is planted. 

 You do not state whether you have a 

 summer crop, such as tomatoes or cucum- 

 bers, in your houses to follow the let- 

 tuce. My experience has been, and it 



is not exceptional, that much better 

 results are to be had with lettuce if 

 some other crop is grown part of the 

 year than where lettuce alone is grown 

 and the houses remain dormant during 

 the hot months. In the case of winter 

 crops of lettuce in solid beds, a good 

 soaking of water applied when the 

 plants are set out should carry them 

 to maturity. If you grow head lettuce, 

 you cannot secure as good heads in mid- 

 winter as in spring. This is not to be 

 expected, but your plants should not 

 stand still. The night temperature 

 should not be below 45 degrees and 48 

 degrees would be better. Ventilate 

 freely on every possible occasion, but 

 avoid a rush of air or leaving the ven- 

 tilators open too long. If your plants 

 are really dry at the roots, water must 

 be given to assist development. Select 

 a clear day for the operation of water- 

 ing and be sure to soak the plants thor- 

 oughly. Use a heavy brass rose on 

 the end of the hose. This process of 

 watering may cause some damping off, 

 but it will be preferable to having an 

 undeveloped and unsalable crop. 



C. W. 



