Ski'tkmber 11. 1919. 



The Florists^ Review 



17 



In their early stages in the autumn 

 the plants require considerable water, 

 and in fine weather may be watered 

 overhead, but as the days shorten the 

 amount of water should also be lessened. 

 I never use water overhead after the 

 beginning of November. When in full 

 crop they require much water, and if 

 the drainage is good cannot be over- 

 watered. Sheep manure is beneficial at 

 times, and may be applied three or four 

 times in the season, and watered in. 

 This may be applied at any time of their 

 growth, but it is presumed that the 

 grower has, in preparing the soil, added 

 enough to carry the crop into full bloom. 



Best Commercial Varieties. 



Since the dissemination of the Spen- 

 cer type I have grown practically every 

 variety that came along. I have done 

 this because I have got a great deal of 

 personal enjoyment in seeing the new 

 ones come into flower, but as money- 

 makers there are only a few; in fact, my 

 salesman says to me, and has done so 

 for years, "Grow only Christmas 

 Pink." This is a color that takes with 

 the great masses and, if good, can al- 

 ways be sold in any quantity. Venus 

 would be my second choice, being the 

 finest formed of any; the color is blush 

 pink. It is an immense cropper, produc- 

 ing more flowers than any variety I 

 have grown. Mrs. Skach would be my 

 next selection, the color much like 

 Countess Spencer. White Orchid comes 

 next, being the best white I have yet 

 grown. There are a few more worthy of 

 growing, such as Mrs. Chas. Zvolanek, 

 lavender; Belgian Hero, orange; but 

 what the public most desire are the first 

 named one and the next four. 



PKklng for Market. 



Boston/being the consumer of prac- 

 tically ail my sweet peas, the bunch re- 

 quired here is one containing twenty- 

 five sprays with an average of three 

 blooms I to the spray. Should the num- 

 ber of blooms to the spray be lacking, 

 thirty or more sprays should be used, 

 making a uniform-sized bunch. Pickers 

 of sweet poaa never count moro than a 

 few times; they get to know th»> size 

 without counting. I have never niado 

 a practice of grading the blooms. A 

 much nicer bunch can be made if a few 

 shorter-stemmed sprays are put in the 

 front of the bunch, with the longer 

 stems at the back. Of course, growers 

 of sweet peas know that at a certain 

 period of the crop the stems are longest; 

 after this period the length of stem 

 gradually shortens, so that a crop at its 

 best is a grade or two better than one 

 that is past its best. 



USE OF SHEEP MANTJBE. 



The soil we are using this year is 

 exceedingly sandy and heavy, but as 

 sheep manure is plentiful, we have been 

 using a mixture consisting of one-third 

 manure and the rest mostly sandy loam. 

 We only pay .$3 per ton for the manure, 

 delivered, and about the same for the 

 soil. We have tried this mixture in 

 plant pots and flats, with much success. 

 We are now getting our beds of soil in 

 condition for carnations and would like 

 to know what else we could do that 

 would be helpful. Dried blood, wood 

 ashes and salt can be procured cheaply, 

 but ground bone is not made at our 

 packing houses and the freight on it is 

 prohibitive. We have been using black 

 ■oil fceretofore, but it has a soda alka- 



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WHO'S WHO KL AND WHY 



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WILLIAM T. USINGEB. 



WILLIAM T. USINGEB, a former correspondent of The Beview and a stock- 

 holder in and outside salesman for the Pittsburgh Cut Flower Co., Pittsburgh, 

 Pa., has returned from France and, following a vacation and visit with his family 

 and western Pennsylvania friends, will resume his business connections. Mr. 

 Usinger was in the machine gun service and was severely wounded about a year 

 ago, "doing time" in several hospitals overseas. Since the signing of the 

 armistice he has been detailed with the food commission under Mr. Hoover, with 

 headquarters in Paris. He was ordered transferred to the U. S. forces in Bussia, 

 but just before the time for his departure the order was recalled. Having lost 

 about twenty pounds during his service, Mr. Usinger 's physique is admirably 

 proportioned. 



line base and late in the season develops 

 a white film on top which soon shows on 

 the plants, making them small and weak. 



F. J. H.— Utah. 



The inquirer is fortunate to be able 

 to obtain a good grade of sheep manure 

 at the price stated, but I would advise 

 against using it too liberally in the 

 soil for the benches until its value has 

 been fully determined. Although the 

 trial in pots and flats is a guide to go 

 by, yet it is not conclusive. The action 

 of the manure on the small quantity of 

 soil which a pot or flat contains is 

 vastly different from the effect it would 

 have on a larger amount in a bench. 

 Sheep manure is fine and of great value 

 in the culture of plants in a greenhouse 

 bench, but it has a tendency to promote 

 a forced growth and has not the staying 

 qualities of cow or horse manure. If I 

 were in the position of the inquirer and 

 it were possible to obtain it, I would 

 use well rotted cow or horse manure to 

 mix with the soil for planting, and 

 later in the season use the sheep manure 

 as a mulch to stimulate the growth of 

 the plants. Sheep manure will give 

 good results when used as a mulch about 

 the time that the plants are approach- 

 ing the maturity of a crop. 



If one has a good supply of sheep 

 manure, wood ashes and dried blood, 

 there is no need to worry about the 

 lack of bone meal. Caution will have to 

 be exercised in the use of dried blood 

 when the soil is heavily charged with 

 sheep manure, because its action is sim- 



ilar. I believe the change from the 

 black soil to sandy loam is a good move. 

 A good grade of light or sandy loam is 

 about as good a soil as can be obtained 

 for growing carnations. M. P. 



LEAVES LOOK SUN-SCALDED. 



I am sending you a few begonia 

 leaves. I should like to find out what 

 makes them turn brown. Is there anv 

 remedy for it? P. J. — Wis. " 



The leaves have the appearance of 

 being snn-scaldcd. This is caused by 

 overhead watering during the heat of 

 the day. There also may be some min- 

 eral substance in the water being used 

 that is affecting the plants. M. P. 



PAINTING FOE SAFETY. 



Don't guess that any paint, or some 

 paint, will fit your case. Safety of metal 

 surfaces or of wood surfaces lies in 

 full and proper- protection by means of 

 a paint tliat will successfully resist the 

 action of weather and the acid fumes 

 that are always found in cities and 

 towns where coal is burned. Safety lies 

 in knowing, not in guessing. Good 

 paint is cheapest, because it lasts a 

 longer term of years and is less in cost 

 per year of service. , 



Lake Charles, La. — George Duflot, 622 

 Iris street, has erected a greenhouse, 

 30x45, and plans building more houses 

 next vear. 



