Jui.Y 24, 1919. 



The Florists' Review 



15 



USAF-SPOT ON aERANIUMS. 



Geraniums that I set outdoors last 

 spring for fall cutting did well until two 

 weeks ago, when they were suddenly 

 attacked by leaf -spot. A dark spot ap- 

 pears on the leaf. The leaf turns yel- 

 low and soon drops off. I have been 

 spraying with Bordeaux mixture with- 

 out any results. What would you ad- 

 vise? C. F. P.— Kan. 



It is impossible to form a definite 

 opinion as to the cause of the trouble 

 with these geraniums without seeing a 

 specimen of the affected plants. 



It would appear from the inquiry that 

 the trouble is due to excessive moisture, 

 accompanied by terrific heat, especially 

 if the geraniums are planted closely in 

 extremely rich soil. Leaf -spot on gera- 

 niums often comes after heavy thun- 

 derstorms, during the heat of the sum- 

 mer. 



If these plants have made a strong 

 growth and become matted together, I 

 would advise topping back the growths 

 and giving the plants a general clean-uj) 

 to let the air in to them. The cuttings 

 that will be obtained from the new 

 growth, started now, will make better 

 material for fall cuttings than wood left 

 on the plants since spring. But if the 

 plants continue to be infected with the 

 disease, it will be a serious mistake to 

 take any cuttings from them. M. P. 



MAGQOTS ON OEBANIUMS. 



Under separate cover I have mailed to 

 you a glass jar containing an ant or 

 some such insect, which is affecting gera- 

 niums growing outside here. 



You will see they bore through the 

 center of the stem and eventually the 

 stems fall off. 



Can you give me the name of the in- 

 sect and tell me how to destroy it? 



S. T.— O. 



The insects are not ants, but maggots, 

 which come from decayed animal or 

 vegetable matter. I am inclined to be- 

 lieve that they were brought into the 

 soil by the use of some kind of freSh 

 manure. If the geranium plant sent 

 is a fair specimen of what these mag- 

 gots arc doing, it is going to take some 

 strenuous measures to get rid of them, 

 and care will have to be taken to check 

 them from getting a foothold among the 

 other plants on the place. 



The wisest measure to take with 

 plants as badly affected as the one sent, 

 is to pull them up, build a good fire and 

 burn them, because, being so badly in- 

 fested with the maggots, it is impossible 

 to clean them out and save the plants 

 for any future use. 



ThesT maggots have their inception 

 by a fly or bug working in something 

 which the soil contains; so it is through 

 the soil that they will have to be fought. 

 The surest means of exterminating them 

 is by the use of carbon bisulphide. 



Saw off a piece from the end of a 

 broomstick, make holes about six inches 

 deep and eighteen inches apart, pour a 

 few drops of carbon in each hole, cover- 

 ing it up immediately. Select the places 

 where the plants are most badly affected 

 and watch the results. It is better to 

 have the soil moist, because the fumes 

 of the carbon will not pass away so 

 (|uickly as when it is dry. 



The writer had occasion to use this 

 remedy with good results in fighting 

 white grubs in flower beds and believes 

 tliat it will be just as effective in getting 

 lid of these maggots. Be careful in the 

 use of the carbon, because it is explo- 

 sive. After the geraniums are taken 

 from the land at the end of the season, 

 it will be a good plan to work into it a 

 liberal dressing of fresh lime, M, P. 



LANCASTER, PA, 



Club Picnic, 



The Lancaster County Florists' Club 

 held its annual picnic at Rossmere July 

 17. Twenty-five members of the Read- 

 ing club were present as guests of honor. 

 The Lancaster club met them at the 

 P. & R. depot with machines and took 

 them, first to Long park; next to B. F. 

 Burr 's formal gardens at his home on 



Marietta pike; then to President James 

 Buchanan's historic home, where George 



B. Wilson was a delightful host, show- 

 ing the party through the mansion and 

 over the well kept grounds; then to 

 Maple Grove, Lancaster's new amuse- 

 ment park; then to Lancaster's country 

 club, which is excelled by none in Penn- 

 sylvania. After this the entire party 

 went to the Rossmere hotel, where lunch 

 was served at noon, followed by an old- 

 fashioned Lancaster dinner at 4 p, m. 



More than 100 florists and their wives 

 were present, together with their chil- 

 dren, who numbered almost fifty, A pro- 

 gram of games had been arranged. The 

 older folks enjoyed bowling, billiards 

 and quoits. 



In bowling, Willis B, Girvin won first 

 prize. In the ladies' contest, Cora 

 Weaver rolled the highest score. In 500, 

 Charles B, Herr and Miss Musselman, 

 both of Strasburg, won the prizes. 



In addition to the twenty-five visitors 

 from Reading were: Edward Marshall 

 and party from Kennett Square; S, S. 

 Pennock, D, J, Keohane, D. T. Connor, 



C. D. Bates and T. J, Nolan, all of Phila- 

 delphia, 



The elaborate decorations on the din- 

 ing tables were the work of B. F. Barr 

 and L, S. Landis, 



After dinner, President Elmer J, 

 Weaver made some appropriate remarks 

 and Maurice J, Brinton, of Christiana, 

 expressed the pleasure that Lancaster 

 took in entertaining the Reading breth- 

 ren, H, A. Schroyer told several de- 

 lightful stories. President Heck, of the 

 Reading club, and J. C. Bowder also 

 spoke. 



The committee in charge was made up 

 of B. F. Barr, H. F. Rohrer and A, M. 

 Herr, All present voted it the most suc- 

 cessful outing ever held by the Lancas- 

 ter club, H. K. R, 



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TEXAS TRAVELINGS 



AUSTIN CONVENTION JOTTINGS, 



' ' Wait until next year ! ' ' says Ex- 

 president Baker, "Fort Worth is go- 

 ing to give you the biggest time ever." 



The ride through town was snappy. 

 Hillyer's, Wall's and Friedrich's were 

 visited in quick succession, but a longer 

 stop was made at the store of Charles 

 Alff & Co., where a fine lunch was served 

 in Mr. Alff's palm garden. This is a 

 wonderful little spot — the realization of 

 a dream of fifty years ago, when Mr. 

 Alff first came here. 



President Ammann, of the S. A. F., 

 gave an interesting and illuminating 

 talk on the publicity campaign and S. 

 A. F. doings. When he finished, Chair- 

 man Kerr, of the welfare committee, got 

 on his auctioneer's clothes and soon had 

 Texas' quota greatly enlarged. 



There was a great spread at the Dris- 

 kell. The idea of each man introducing 

 himself worked out well, Edgar Hall's 

 200-pound little boy, Buford, made quite 

 a hit. When it comes to eating, the sup- 

 ply men had the florists bested, D, L, 

 Harris tried to fill up for the week, 

 Robert Shoch could not have filled up 

 in a week. Mr. Hill, of the Skinner 

 Irrigation Co., W. W, Randall and C, E, 

 Pruner ran about even with the rest. 



The trip through the state capitol 

 was interesting. E. W, Judge, of Tyler, 

 was especially interested. In years 

 gone by he had spent many hours as a 

 page for the assembly. 



On the occasion of asking assistance 

 from the state for an experimental sta- 

 tion and botanical garden, our worthy 

 S. A. F. president gave some of the ex- 

 periences of the Illinois State Associa- 

 tion, and incidentally advised parents 

 to send their boys on to study the 

 technical side of the floricultural profes- 

 sion at some school like the University 

 of Illinois. 



President Ammann spent a day in 

 Dallas visiting various stores and the 

 establishment of the Green Floral Co,,, 

 on Kaufman road. The young roses, 

 carnations and chrysanthemums were in 

 excellent shape and the fine, healthy 

 condition of the Texas stock rather sur- 

 prised President Ammann. 



In Fort Worth the different whole- 

 salers were visited by President Am- 

 mann, The fine new plant in Green- 

 wood cemetery was interesting. The 

 ten acres under irrigation, with 80,000 

 gladioli just beginning to come in, a 

 great deal of English celery, outdoor 

 roses, etc., showed great possibilities for 

 Texas. Gene. 



