March 17. 1921. 



The Florists' Revkw 



23 



California Field of Iris Tingitana Bdng Inspected by A. Miller. 



dred Hohnstein, Edge Hill, I'a.; S. Gold- 

 ring, gardener for Mrs. Ridley Watts, 

 Morristown, N. J.; James H. Andrews, 

 gardener for Sterling Postley, Oyster 

 Bay, N. Y.; W. Morrow, gardener for 

 Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, Stamford, 

 Conn.; R. E. Tyson, gardener for Mrs. 

 H. McK. Twomblcy, Convent Station, 

 N. J.; F. O. Johnson, gardener for MrS. 

 Harold S. Pratt, Glen Cove, N. Y.; 

 Peter Smith, gardener for Mrs. Percy 

 Chubb, Glen Cove, N. Y.; William Tur- 

 ner, gardener for B. H. Borden, Rum- 

 son, N. J.; James Tough, gardener for 

 Mrs. G. S. Dearborn, Rye, N. Y.; Oliver 

 Lyons, gardener for A. N. CoUey, Pitts- 

 field, Mass.; James T. Sisley, gardener 

 for Mrs. Paul Moore, Convent, N. J.; 

 A. Paterson, gardener for Miss M. T. 

 Cockeroft, Saugatuck, Conn.; Charles 

 Ruthwin, gardener for Mrs. Eugene 

 Meyer, Jr., Mt. Kisco, N. Y.; Duncan 

 McGregor, gardener for Geo. Grant 

 Mason, Tuxedo Park, N. Y.; Alfred 

 Currie, gardener for Mrs. Percy Chubb, 

 Morristown. N. J.; Wm. Rrown, gar- 

 dener for C. W. McAlpin, Morristown, 

 -X. .1.; ('. W. Knight, Wostbrook Gar- 

 dens, Oakdale, N. Y.; Robert Hope, gar- 

 dener for Miss Ida E. Bliss, Great Neck, 

 N. Y. ; A. Sailer, gardener forW'. R. 

 Cross, Morristown, N. J. 



COVER CROPS. 



Nature's Method. 



The scarcity of organic fertilizers of 

 all kinds and conseciucnt high prices are 

 bringing the importance of cover crops 

 more and more into prominence. For 

 many years growers of citrus and other 

 fruits have demonstrated the great 

 value of growing green crops and turn- 

 ing them under to form humus. Tlic 

 same conditions apply to land used for 

 florists' crops and a little thought 

 given to this phase of culture will be 

 well repaid. It has become an axiom 

 that the cultivation of one kind of 

 crop for many years on the same piece 

 of land leads not only to poverty of the 

 soil, but also to toxic conditions. 



A piece of land left to itself without 

 plowing, irrigating or any other atten- 

 tion rests up. The natural vegetation 

 springs up and, in the form of annual 



weeds, is taken back into the soil when 

 these die in fall or winter. Deeper 

 rooting perennial weeds, by penetrating 

 the soil, break up the lower strata, and 

 allow air and water to enter, with ob- 

 vious beneficial results. They also re- 

 move poisons left by other plants, use 

 them up in their own internal economy, 

 and return the elaborated residue in 

 fallen foliage, decaying stems and 

 dying roots. 



Helping Nature. 



But while this resting of soil is a 

 great thing, it is not always possible to 

 leave a piece of land long enough to 

 recover naturally and this is where 

 cover planting is of the greatest value. 

 The various legumes are higly prized 

 for their nitrogen-gathering propen- 

 sities. There are many localities in 

 southern California, especially old 

 sheep pastures, that are full of burr 

 clover seeds and these, if left to them- 

 selves, will produce a green cover that 

 is more valuable as a soil tonic and 

 humus producer than the most expen- 

 sive of fertilizers. 



In other places the wild geranium, 

 or crane's bill, known to seedsmen by 

 various aliases, makes a fine cover crop 

 without sowing or any trouble, beyond 

 breaking up the surface before the 

 rainy season sets in. The wild mallow, 

 again, is invaluable, producing an im 

 mcnse leaf area and delving with its 

 long, pointed roots into the hardest 

 subsoil for several feet. Then this is 

 disked under in early spring and the 

 roots decay, leaving their vertical tun- 

 nels open to let the water into the soil, 

 to be later taken up by capillary attrac- 

 tion to the roots of growing crops. 



Soils left to this beneficial, natural 

 method of what may almost be termed 

 reconstruction arc more stutablc to the 

 average flower crop than others heavily 

 dressed with expensive fertilizers, for 

 no addition of any beneficial element 

 or elements can remove the poisons left 

 by continuous cropping. Nothing l)ut 

 the growth of an entirely different 

 plant can do this effectually and return 

 to the soil at the same time the life- 

 giving humus in an available form. 

 The writer has again and again proveil 



the value of this method of soil enrich- 

 ment and purification and can recom- 

 mend it highly to all brother flower 

 grower.s who arc anxious to ])ut a few 

 dollars into their own pockets, instead 

 of into those of the dealer in fertilizers. 

 By no means is it intended to decry 

 the proper use of fertilizers, either nat- 

 ural or chemical, but when the great, 

 natural forces working day and night 

 around us can be used to benefit at the 

 same time both our soil and our j)ocket- 

 book, it "makes good medicine." 



H. R. Richards. 



IRIS TINGITANA ON COAST. 



The illustration on this page depicts 

 .1 field of Iris tingitana on the Pacific 

 coast, showing how well it can be grown 

 in California. The flowers are left on 

 until they are well open :ind then cut 

 without foliage to allow all the strength 

 to go to the bulb, thus permitting it to 

 force well under glass. A. Miller, of 

 the American Bulb Co., Chicago, and 

 the grower arc seen in the ])icture in- 

 specting the crop. Upon advice that 

 tlio crop was in full bloom, Mr. Miller 

 started immediately for the coast to 

 determine its being the true type of Iris 

 tingitana. 



Charleston, S. C— The retail store of 

 H. Schmidt has been purchased by the 

 Magnolia Floral Co. The jiroprietors 

 are J. (). Livingston and R. S. Racklay. 



Elmore, O. — E. A. Hilgeneck reports 

 encouraging conditions this season, with 

 2O,0(H) pansies of tlie finest quality as 

 a result of an ideal winter. He is con- 

 temphating growing a large crop of 

 asters this year. 



Hastings, Neb. — C. Willinm Sidles has 

 been niiiking wonderful strides this year 

 in his retail establishment, on North 

 Minnesota avenue. A carnation house, 

 .^8x150 feet, has recently been added. 

 In addition to the new greenhouse, a 

 modern nflice building has been erected. 

 Other improvements have also been 

 made this year. .Vccording to this firm, 

 the time is close at hanrl when nine 

 houses of the old range will be torn 

 down and replaced by modern struc- 

 tures. 



