NOTBMBEB 7, 1018. 



The Florists^ Review 



15 



s^ KHAKI AND BLUE s^ 



KEEP ON FIGHTING. 



Florists In France. 



While the heads of the opposing gov- 

 ernments are discussing the way by 

 which an armistice can be brought 

 about as a forerunner of peace, General 

 Pershing's armies in France are con- 

 tinuing to hammer the Hun. So much 

 territory has been regained by the allied 

 forces recently that nothing less than an 

 unconditional surrender of the Central 

 Powers will satisfy many persons. In 

 this fighting are many florists, who are 

 doing valiant work. In the meantime 

 the United States is not letting up in 

 its preparations. More men are being 

 called to the training camps. Whatever 

 the news that concerns a member of the 

 florists' trade, be he over there or over 

 here, send it to The Eeview for its 

 weekly war page. 



Percy Hall. 



Harry T. Hall, foreman at the State 

 Nursery Co., Inc., Helena, Mont., is in 

 receipt of official information from the 

 War Department at Washington that his 

 son, Percy Hall, of the American Expe- 

 ditionary Forces, died recently of 

 wounds in a hospital in France. 



Percy Hall was well known and much 

 liked in Helena, where he grew to man- 

 hood. Shortly after the entrance of the 

 United States into the war he enlisted 

 in Company F, First Army Engineers. 

 He reached France in November, 1917, 

 and participated in a number of drives, 

 during one of which he lost his left 

 arm. 



W. T. Usinger Wounded. 



Through a letter received by Theodore 

 P. Langhans from William T. Usinger, 

 well known to the readers of The Ee- 

 view as the writer of " Usinger 's Ut- 

 terances," his many friends will learn 

 of the serious wound sustained by the 

 former correspondent. However, he is 

 convalescent and writes most optimist- 

 ically of hospital conditions, entertain- 

 ments, etc. Mr. Usinger is associated 

 with the Pittsburgh Cut Flower Co., 

 and prior to going into the service was 

 on the road most of the time. His letter, 

 dated July 18, follows: 



"Your letter of May 20 received to- 

 day, having been forwarded from camp. 

 It was read and reread with pleasure; 

 for letters are the one thing which makes 

 things worth while over here. 



"I believe I wrote you before that 

 I was in the hospital, an operation be- 

 ing necessary. This was in Paris, but 

 now I am convalescing in another part 

 of the country, the trip having been 

 made in one of Uncle Sam's hospital 

 trains, which, by the way, is a marvel 

 on wheels. My stay in three hospitals 

 has given me an insight into a phase 

 of the war experienced by so many 

 of the boys who have successfully gone 

 'over the top.' Believe me, it is not 

 always a thing to look forward to with 

 much courage. They have accomplished 

 a great work to their own glory and for 

 their country. 



"Paris is a wonderful city. I was 

 able to see a good bit of it, both on my 

 arrival and departure. The latter was 



exciting to a degree as I lay in the am- 

 bulance, being sufficiently convalescent 

 to move about and look out of the win- 

 dows upon the streets. Incidentally the 

 truck driver got lost and drove us around 

 the city for two hours. 



"This is the third day that I have 

 been able to walk, and it is surely fine 

 to be out again. How long it will be 

 before I am able to get to work is un- 

 certain, inasmuch as my operation was 

 a double one and will require some time 

 yet before I shall be really strong. How- 

 ever, if appetite has anything to do 

 with the case, it should not be so long; 

 for we surely do eat here, although I 

 am not so heavy as when you saw me 

 last. 



"There is a good deal of entertain- 

 ment here for us, but as yet I have not 

 been able to enjoy any of it. Elsie 

 Janis, Ella Wheeler Wilcox and many 

 others are over here, as well as many 

 good bands and entertainments of all 

 kinds, including movies. Then there are 

 plenty of good books and magazines, all 

 supplied by the Bed Cross, which is 

 doing a great work over here." 



rank in growth to suit. The Japanese 

 juniper, with its dwarf compact growth, 

 might also be suitable. Some of the 

 retinisporas are good also, but their 

 growth is rank. I could not say from 

 personal experience whether all or any 

 of these would stand the Kansas cli- 

 mate. 



In plants that are not hardy, there is 

 a greater selection, such as coleus, al- 

 ternanthera, aealypha, achyranthes, all 

 of which would prove satisfactory. The 

 flowering plants par excellence for 

 standing the heat and for growth are 

 Vinca rosea and alba. These grow lit- 

 tle over a foot high and continue in 

 bloom all summer regardless of weather. 



In addition to the recommendation of 

 C. W. of Evonymus radicans as a cover 

 for a grave, I would say that the com- 

 mon ivy is used most largely in the 

 south for this purpose, and would doubt- 

 less give good results in Kansas. Pachy- 

 sandra terminalis, from Japan, is a low 

 growing, hardy plant that might be 

 tried. L. 



GRAVE COVER FOB KANSAS. 



I am trying to find a plant, myrtle or 

 cemetery rose, suitable for a grave 

 cover, which will thrive and grow with 

 ordinary care in Kansas, something 

 which might be sheared to a height of 

 eight to twelve inches and used also in 

 figure planting. C. S. — Kans. 



There is some ambiguity about this 

 question. It makes a difference whether 

 the plant wanted is a hardy one or not. 

 When one thinks of a hardy plant that 

 will stand shearing, the mind turns 

 naturally to the buxus, or boxwood, and 

 ligustrum, or privet. Buxus suffruti- 

 cosa, the form generally used for edg- 

 ing, would be best for the purpose, as it 

 is a dwarf grower and will stand a shear- 

 ing. Ligustrum amurense will stand 

 shearing, but probably would be too 



SCALE ON VINCAS. 



Please advise treatment for scale on 

 variegated vincas in the greenhouse. 

 The plants are infested with aphis also. 

 The latter, no doubt, can be exterminat- 

 ed with a nicotine spray, but this seems 

 to have no effect on the scale. Lime- 

 sulphur, such as is used on fruit trees, 

 probably would damage the plants. 



H. C. B.— Id. 



Spraying with a nicotine solution or fu- 

 migation with one of the tobacco papers 

 will easily take care of the aphis on 

 your vincas. The best plan is to give 

 a moderate fumigation once in eight or 

 ten days to insure cleanliness. Spray- 

 ing with kerosene emulsion, Aphine or 

 Black Leaf 40, with some soap added, 

 will kill most of the scale. The scale 

 will not fall off, but careful inspection 

 will show that its grip is loosened. 



C. W. 





William T. Usinger at Practice with a Maciiine Gon. 



