20 



The Florists^ Review 



SEPTEMBUa 11^ 1919. 



of water should be given, with weekly 

 applications of liquid manure until the 

 flower-buds are developed. Hydrangeas 

 like a rich soil, such as loam and de- 

 cayed cow manure in equal parts. 



The foregoing suggestions will serve 

 as replies to about all of O. A. L. 's ques- 

 tions except the one with reference to 

 the choice of varieties. The following 

 selection, recommended by a successful 

 commercial grower, comprises most of 



the colors desired: La Lorraine, pale 

 rose, turning to light pink; Mme. E. 

 Mouillere, large pure white, with rosy 

 eye; Avalanche, fine pure white; Radi- 

 ant, beautiful rich carmine rose; Mme. 

 Auguste Nonin, lovely pale pink; Mme. 

 E. Chautard, beautiful rose; General de 

 V'ibraye, splendid pink; Gloire de Bois- 

 sy, deep brilliant pink; Mile. Renee 

 Gaillard, fine white; Mile, de Tremeault, 

 pure white, and Eclaireur, carmine rose. 



WHEN MANURE IS SCARCE | 



tity is sufficieAt where the commercial 

 fertilizer is used. \ 



The commercial— fertilizers must be 

 carefully applied, so that even distribu- 

 tion and thorough incorporation is se- 

 cured. 



After the fertilizer is mixed with 

 the soil, it should stand a day or two 

 before planting, to avoid injury to the 

 roots. Overfeeding or careless applica- 

 tion is much more serious than with 

 natural manures and it would not be 

 advisable to experiment on a large scale 

 unless competent and careful growers 

 were in direct supervision. 



COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS. 



More, or Less A Mystery. 



A.S long as natural manures were 

 al>uiidant and fresh soil of good quality 

 \v!i3 easily obtained, the florist paid lit 

 tie attention to fertilizers. Occasion- 

 ally a grower would use some prepared 

 fertilizer for a special purpose, but in 

 most cases these were packing-house by- 

 products or-some other form of organic 

 fertilizer. 



The ones most commonly used were 

 bone meal, sheep manure and dried 

 blood. Naturally these are best known 

 and are the ones to which the grower 

 turns when his supply of natural ma- 

 nures is not sufficient for his needs. Es 

 pecially in the large cities, increasing 

 quantities of prepared manures are be- 

 ing used by the florists. , 



That there is a great deal of mystery 

 attached to the use of commercial fer- 

 tilizers under glass is evidenced by thf 

 fact that smooth salesmen can talk the 

 grower into purchasing wortliless mix 

 tnros which are supposed to correct all 

 errors from fungus to crop failure. We 

 bought such a "mixture" some years 

 ago, which, if my memory does not fail 

 me, was supposed to correct acidity and 

 counteract alkali. Tt was not a fertil 

 izer, but a "tonic," that would put life 

 and "pep" into the deadest soil and 

 stock. In practice it was disappointing 

 and for good reasons. Analysis showed 

 that it contained white sand and iron 

 filings. 



University Experiments. 



The TTnivprsity of Illinois has carried 

 on experiments in the growing of both 

 roses and carnations with the use of 

 commercial fertilizers and the experi- 

 menters have arrive<l at the conclusion 

 that these flowers can be grown just as 

 well in this manner as with the use of 

 manure. They have also taken a great 

 ileal of the mystery out of the process. 

 Riilletins covering these experiments 

 have been pid)lished and can no doul)t 

 be obtained Viv writing the Agricultural 

 Experiment Station, Department n{ 

 FTortiqulture. T'rbana, 111. 



Bulletin Xo. lOfi contains ''The T'se 

 of riomniercial Fertilizers in Growing 

 Roses." and " Floriciiltural Research at 

 the Exneriment Station." two papers 

 by H. W. Amlerson, the latter dealing 

 with both roses and carnations. 



The Iowa florist is more fortunate 

 than some of his eastern brethren and 

 floes not need to worry much about 

 plant food supply, but should it ever be 



A p«ppr hy Oonrcp I,. Kiirtzwoll. of Pos Molnps. 

 on "Oommorrinl Fprtilir.crs that Are of tlip Most 

 Vdlne to tlip Florist." rt-ad heforp thp Iflorists' 

 HoWptr Ot lown. 



necessary to ])urchase this item, he will 

 know the possibilities as well as the 

 dangers to be guarded against. 



Quoting from the bulletin last named, 

 •'Fertilizers were ajiplied as follows: 

 Manure at the rate of 125 pounds per 

 liiindred square feet, clried blood eight 

 pounds per hundred square feet, acid 

 phosphate two ])oun(ls per hundred 

 s(|uare feet, potassium sulphate two 

 ]i()unds ])or hundred square feet." 



.\ nominal amount of manure must 

 be added to supply the necessary 

 humus. 



Elements Supplied to Soil. 



The three elements which are not 

 found in the soil in siiflficient quantity 

 are nitrogen, phospliorus and potassium. 



The nitrogen is supplied by the dried 

 blood, though ammonium sulphate could 

 be used, but it was found to dry tlu' 

 soil more quickly. Phosphorus is sup- 

 l>lied by the acid phosphate. The potas- 

 sium is supplied by the potassium sul- 

 ])hate. 



While some manure must be used, yet 

 one-fourth to one-third the usual quan- 



VIOLETS AT RHINEBECK. 



For the last thirty years double vio- 

 lets have been grown successfully at 

 Rhinebeck, a small village located 100 

 miles north of New York city in the 

 Hudson valley. 



At first there was one grower, George 

 Saltford, now out of the business. Later 

 others took up the culture of violets, 

 until in a short time there were over 

 100 growers who shipped the fragrant 

 blooms to* nearly every large city east 

 of the Mississippi. 



Last year, on account of the fuel reg- 

 ulations, many growers closed half their 

 houses, while others went out of busi- 

 ness entirely, some tearing down their 

 houses. 



This year many growers are running 

 only part of their houses, because of the 

 scarcity of labor and the high price of 

 fuel. Today there are but sixty growers 

 left at Rhinebeck. 



Because of these conditions at Rhine- 

 beck, double purple violets are becoming 

 scarcer in the eastern markets and con 

 sequently higher in price. 



Ethan A. Coon, one of the oldest and 

 now one of the largest growers at Rhino- 

 beck, has enlarged his range this year 

 by adding two houses, each 24x160. 



GLADIOLI FOB GARDENS. 



When asked the names of varieties 

 of gladioli best suited for plantint; in 

 the home garden, the florist will not go 

 far wrong if he recommends the fol- 

 lowing old favorites: 



Mrs. Frank Pendleton, delicate pink 

 with a dark red blotch in the throat; 

 Gaiety, with lines of dark and light 

 pink, blotched with pure white, a strik- 

 ing beauty; America, delicate flesh 

 pink, probably the best known of any 

 of the modern varieties; Ophir, yellow 

 with red throat ; Princeps, a large r'^d, 

 with white blotch; Myrtle, a beautiful 

 tinted pink; Mary Fennell, delicate lilac 

 or lavender, with creamy yellow throat; 

 Fairae, delicate pink, blending into a 

 cream throat, a fair companion for the 

 preceding one; Mrs. Dr. Norton, a pure 

 white with outer edges a bright pink; 

 Niagara, large delicate yellow or cream 

 bloom, and Alice Tiplady, a rich orange 

 with large, open flowers. 



To prolong the season, Halley and 

 Chicago White bloom among the earli- 



est, but planting in succession will give 

 flowers from the first of July until frost i 

 The comparatively now ruffled varieties 

 are justly popular, as are the primulinus, 

 a distinct species with butterfly-shape<l 

 flowers in red, orange and yellow shades 

 only. 



Gladioli will succeed in most soils, 

 although a rich sandy loam is prefer- 

 able, and they will do best with a sunny 

 exposure. Most of the failures in their 

 cultivation are caused by ignorance of 

 their requirements. Some have planted 

 in shady places or in uncong'^nial soil, 

 but the most common mistake is plant- 

 ing too shallow — they should be covered 

 from four to six inches deep. This helps 

 them reach the moisture during a 

 drought and also prevents their falling 

 over when heavy with bloom. They 

 should be planted from four to six inches 

 apart or even more if there is plenty of 

 room, for the plant that has room for 

 perfect development will throw the most 

 vigorous spikes. Fresh manure should 

 never be applied where it will come in 

 contact with the roots. 



