July 31, 1919. 



The Florists^ Review 



13 



the evening. This practice is not ef- 

 fective against the chrysanthemum gall 

 fly unless the house is absolutely tight. 

 However, where nicotine sulphate is 

 sprayed on the plants, the work may be 

 (lone in the late afternoon or early even- 

 ing. This application should be repeat- 

 ed every second or third day for a pe- 

 riod of a month or more. 



TOO MUCH LIME DETBIMENTAL. 



Is it possible for soil in a solid bed 

 for chrysanthemums to be limed too 

 often? The soil in our bed was put in 

 from outside last spring, was limed 

 twice before the chrysanthemums, were 

 set, and then limed heavily again. Do 

 you think this too much lime for the 

 soil? L. A. E.— O. 



It seems to me that this is carrying 

 the use of lime to the extreme, and I fail 

 to see the object in applying it as often 

 as stated by the inquirer. The principal 

 purpose of using lime in the soil is to 

 free it from any decayed matter which 

 it contains in excess, and to start into 

 action the elements of plant food. The 

 excessive use of lime has a tendency to 

 wear out the soil quickly and deprive 

 it of all plant food. M. P. 



MOTH ON CHEYSANTHEMUMS. 



My greenhouses are infested with 

 small, light yellow millers. They seem 

 to be mostly in the chrysanthemum 

 house. I have sprayed them with nico- 

 tine and Paris green, and have fumi- 

 gated with red pepper and tobacco dust, 

 but there seemed to be just as many 

 next morning. Will you kindly tell me 

 what to do tQ get rid of the pest? 



C. V. W. 



The small, light yellow miller, as the 

 inquirer calls the moth sent with his 

 letter, is the pest that breeds the leaf- 

 tyer, or worm that attacks the foliage 

 of the chrysanthemum and which is 

 proving so great a problem to the grow- 

 ers. It means one continuous fight from 

 one end of the season to the other. 

 Some advocate fumigating with hydro- 

 cyanic acid as the best means of getting 

 rid of them, but at this season of the 

 year, when the outside vegetation is 

 also infested with the moths, unless 

 the house is air-tight, the acid is not 

 effective. Spraying with nicotine does 

 not do much good, because it is washed 

 off with syringing. The worms are 

 chewing insects; so one must use some 

 insecticide that will stick to the foliage 

 to have any effect on them. Dusting 

 the plants with Paris green mixed with 

 finely sifted lime or wood ashes, blown 

 through a bellows, will kill many of the 

 worms, but it must be kept up and is 

 not good on the operator. Spraying 

 with arsenate of lead solution is per- 

 haps the best means of keeping the 

 pests in check. This insecticide may 

 be obtained as a paste, which is the 

 most convenient form of using it. Dis- 

 solve the paste according to directions, 

 stir well, then add enough sugar or 

 syrup to sweeten to the worms' taste 

 and cause the solution to stick to the 

 under part of the foliage, where the 

 worms attack the plants first. But 

 when all is said in favor of spraying, 

 the two surest means of getting the Isest 

 of these leaf-tyers is hand-picking and 

 clean culture. Make it a practice to go 

 over each bench of plants every few 

 days. Examine the leaves for any 



trace of the pests and pick them off. 

 Then do not allow the plants to suffer 

 from neglect in any way and keep the 

 beds free of weeds. M. P. 



QALL FLY MAKES NIGHT WOSK. 



To combat the chrysanthemum gall 

 fly or midge, the entomologists of the 

 United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture say that growers either must use 

 nicotine sulphate as a spray or do some 

 night work if they expect to prevent 

 the damage done in greenhouses by this 

 pest. 



The gall fly was not a pest in green- 

 houses in the United States until two or 

 three years ago, but now it has been re- 

 ported by a number of chrysanthemum 

 growers scattered over a wide area in 

 this country. It causes unsightly galls 

 on the leaves of chrysanthemums and 

 curls or crumples them, thus reducing 

 the vigor of the plant. This in turn 

 affects the size, color and beauty of the 

 bloom. 



Two ways have been found to elim- 

 inate the gall fly — burning tobacco pa- 

 per in the gr nhouses and spraying the 

 plants with nicotine sulphate. 



The entomologists have found that 

 fully ninety-five per cent of the gall 

 flies emerge from the galls as adults 

 after midnight. Consequently, where 

 tobacco stems are burned as a means of 

 control, the work must be done after 

 midnight, since the fumes are effective 

 for only a few hours, due to leakage. 

 Most greenhouse men have been in the 

 habit of fumigating about 6 o'clock in 



HIGH AIMS AKD AMBITIONS. 



Orison S. Marden, the author, once 

 said: "Stick to those who are trying 

 to do something in the world; people of 

 high aims and lofty ambitions. Keep 

 close to those who are in dead earnest. 

 Ambition is contagious." Surely those 

 words of wisdom emphasize most clearly 

 the type of florist now growing rapidly 

 all over the country; those florists who 

 follow the methods of up-to-date mer- 

 chants in other lines, and those who 

 particularly are adapting themselves to 

 the uses of publicity, both national and 

 local. 



No man who has high aims or lofty 

 ambitions can afford to be in the flower 

 line and not be a subscriber to the na- 

 tional fund. If he is in dead earnest 

 in his desire to succeed he will keep close 

 to those who are giving and are doing, 

 and since, as we said, ' ' ambition is con- 

 tagious," he will soon be one of the 

 trail-blazers, taking part in the best 

 thing florist^ have been able to do in a 

 long time. 



When we look at the advertising in 

 our trade paper's at the present time, 

 doesn't it preach a sermon in itself? 

 Doesn't it prove conclusively the con- 

 fidence florists themselves are putting 

 in the printed word, and doesn't it 

 prove how close we can be to those who 

 are in dead earnest in their effort to 

 succeed? 



If you would be among this group, 

 send in your subscription to the fund 

 that will make our slogan, "Say It with 

 Flowers," be heard all around the world. 



Henry Penn, 

 Chairman National Publicity Campaign. 



Alliance, Neb. — Edward Tatro is in- 

 creasing his greenhouse capacity by the 

 addition of one house. 



Manitowoc, Wis. — The Madsen Seed 

 Co. is building a range of 8,000 feet of 

 glass, for growing pot plants, bedding 

 plants and cut flowers. 



Joliet, HI. — A fire in the Labo estab- 

 lishment, July 27, did considerable dam- 

 age. The fire started in the barn, 

 where there was a lot of hay, and spread 

 to the connecting shed, office and other 

 buildings. One delivery car was lost 

 and the damage to glass and stock was 

 heavy. 



Dover, O. — C. Betscher^ says that it 

 was hard work to keep things up to 

 the mark during the war, but that con- 

 ditions now are approaching normal. 

 Business is good, and he adds: "Better 

 prices, better wages, better hours, bet- 

 ter help and the cash basis; let us all 

 sing the slogan." 



Emporia, Kan. — The Bent Eapids 

 Greenhouses have made an addition to 

 their plant, which cost $5,000. 



Waltz, Mich. — Niemann Bros., who 

 grow vegetable and flowering plants as 

 well as cut flowers, have had one of the 

 best seasons on record this spring. 



Yonkers, N. Y.— The New York Floral 

 Co. was given unsolicited publicity 

 through the escapade of Vincent Dono- 

 van, an employee. Mr. Donovan forged 

 a check for $40, signing the name of 

 Gus Masses, proprietor of the store. 

 The whereabouts of Mr. Donovan is un- 

 known. 



New Bedford, Mass. — Peter Murray, 

 in the Winslow building, makes a spe^ 

 cialty of fine window displays, lia^t 

 week his display of flowers, made up to 

 resemble the American flag, attracted 

 much attention. This week he has on 

 display a fine lot of garden flowers, ar- 

 ranged in attractive knd. artistic de- 

 signs. 





