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June 14, 1917. 



The Florists^ Review 



23 



VEGETABLES AND 

 FRUITS DEPARTMENT 



SWEET POTATO PLANTS. 



Please describe the best method of 

 making a hotbed for starting sweet po- 

 tato plants. Mention the kind of soil 

 and give other necessary particulars. 

 We have tried twice, but the tubers all 

 rotted each time. G. M. T. S.— 111. 



A hotbed for sweet potatoes, in the in- 

 quirer's latitude, should be ready for 

 the tubers not later than May 1. Such 

 a bed can be made the same as for other 

 purposes, but a deep one is preferable, 

 in the form of a dug-out or pit, made by 

 digging a hole about eighteen inches 

 deep and a trifle larger than the size 

 of the frame. This trench should be 

 filled with fresh horse manure which has 

 been hauled up previously and turned 

 and well shaken up once or twice. The 

 manure is tramped into the pit until it is 

 well filled and well packed. Then the 

 frame is placed on top, and more manure 

 packed all around it to keep it warm 

 around the sides and ends. If the 

 manure is not good the hotbed will be 

 a failure, but it is presumed that the 

 inquirer knows something about hot- 

 beds. If the manure is burning dry, 

 it needs a light watering, or it will be 

 ruined. 



After placing the frame on the ma- 

 nure, spread on top of the manure about 

 an inch or two of saifd" — not soil, as the 

 inquirer seems to suppose. Then put 

 the sashes on and wait to see how the 

 bed is going to act. In a few days the 

 temperature will run extremely high, 

 and the potatoes should not be put in 

 until the temperature of the manure 

 falls back to about 90 degrees. To get 

 the temperature, put the thermometer 

 well down into the manure. 



"When the bed is ready to plant, place 

 the sweet potatoes on the sand as closely 

 as they can be laid without having them 

 touch one another. Put sand on top of 

 them until they are completely covered. 

 Then sprinkle the sand and put the 

 sashes on again. Ventilate the bed each 

 day, according to how bright and warm 

 or windy the weather is, and water when 

 needed to keep the sand moist. Do not 

 open too much. Close them up early in 

 the afternoon, so as to run tlie bed 

 warm. 



When the plants arc large enough 

 to sell, a sash is lifted off and the plants 

 are pulled off by holding the sand and 

 the potato down witli one hand and 

 catching hold of the sprouts, low in the 

 sand, with the other liand. They pull 

 easily, and the old sweet potatoes will 

 keep on producing more such sprouts or 

 plants until late in July. Take the plants 

 to the shed, count tliem out in bundles 

 of fifty or 100 and roll them up in 

 sphagnum moss and papers, like rooted 

 cuttings. They do not keep well and 

 should be planted out soon. It is best 

 not to pull them until the customers 

 want them. It is well to have the bed 

 come on early enough, as they can easily 

 be held back by giving more ventilation 

 if they are ready a week or so too early. 

 However, the writer has seen the first 

 batch pulled and thrown away when 

 entirely too early. F. R, 



Every florist needs the Album of De- 

 signs. The new edition, better than ever, 

 sent by The Eeview for 75 cents. 



BUFFALO. 



The Market. 



Stock has been plentiful since Me- 

 morial day and business remains quite 

 firm. The weather, no doubt, has kept 

 the supply of stock checked to a cer- 

 tain extent. Sweet peas have suffered 

 considerably due to the continued 

 rainy weather. Boses are in excellent 

 condition and quite sufficient. Gradu- 

 ations and weddings always tend to 

 curtail an oversupply. Carnations, too, 

 are arriving in extra heavy consign- 

 ments, but some of the blooms show the 

 effect of weather conditions, partic- 

 ularly the White Wonder and Enchant- 

 ress Supreme varieties, "Valley is 

 plentiful and orchids are quite suffi- 

 cient for all present demands. Corn- 

 flowers still are realizing a big demand 

 for combinations with red and white 

 flowers. The supply of greens fluc- 

 tuates at present. ^ 



Various Notes. 



S. D. Greene, of H. Bayersdorfer 

 & Co., Philadelphia, Pa., called on the 

 trade last week. 



David Scott, of Corfu, is groyning a 

 crop of tomatoes in his large sweet pea 

 house. The plants ore thrifty and 

 look exceptionally fine. 



Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Palmer spent the 

 week end motoring to Sacket Harbor, 

 N. Y., where one of the training camps 

 is located. 



The Buffalo Florists' Club held its 

 mpnthly meeting Junu 5, at the Elec- 

 tric building. C. F. Guenther, of Ham- 

 burg, gave an interesting talk on the 

 culture of chrysanthemums and carna- 

 tions. Sidney R. Wells, gardener for 

 Robert W. Pomeroy^ WilliamsviUe, 

 N. Y., gave an educational talk on 

 orchids. A. E. 



OBITUARY. 



Charles W. Unglaub. 



C. W. Unglaub, one of the best known 

 of the Springfield, O., trade, died June 4, 

 a victim of tuberculosis. Since the dis- 

 posal of his main range of houses in 

 1912, Mr. Unglaub had devoted his time 

 to the development of another green- 

 house business on Hillside avenue, a 

 short distance from the city. The de- 

 cedent, who was 44 years of age, is sur- 

 vived by his wife and two children. 



J. D. Fletcher. 



J. D. Fletcher, head of the firm of 

 Fletcher & Fletcher, florists and bulb 

 specialists of Hood River, Ore., died 

 at his home recently, following an ill- 

 ness of nearly a year. Mr. Fletcher had 

 recently returned from southern Cali- 

 fornia, where he spent the winter and 

 spring in search of health. He was 58 

 years of age, having been born at 

 Green Bay, Wis. His wife is the only 

 survivor. 



Clarence L. Metcalf. 



Clarence L. Metcalf, a retail florist 

 with a store at 1529 Broadway, Brook- 

 lyn, N. Y., died early Monday morning, 

 June 11, at a private hospital. Death 

 was caused by a complication of 

 diseases. Mr. Metcalf leaves a widow, 

 one child, his mother and brother. 



The funeral services were held from 

 the home, 298 Hancock street, June 13. 

 Many florists attended. The floral of- 

 ferings from friends in and out of the 

 trade were numerous. 



Mr. Metcalf was a son of Richard 

 Metcalf, who, before his death six years 

 ago, was a florist in Brooklyn for thirty- 

 five years. Mr. Metcalf had conducted 

 the store since his father's death. He 

 Avas a member of the Masonic and other 

 fraternal societies. J, A. S. 



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I MOTT-LY MUSINGS i 



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E. V. B. Fclthousen, of Schenectady, 

 N. Y., reports a record business in out- 

 of-town orders. He predicts the usual 

 heavy summer demand for the Boston 

 fern. 



Fred Goldring, of Slingerlands, N. Y., 

 observed that the bright weather Memo- 

 rial day brought out a record-breaking 

 crowd of autoists. Everything salable 

 in bloom went. One of the best table 

 ferns is Polystichum coriaceum. which 

 is almost lost sierht of bv fern soecial- 

 ists. 



W. W. Hannell, of Watervliet, N. Y., 

 said that, following the dull period, the 

 sunny days were responsible for their 

 excellent sales. Judeinsr bv the exueri- 

 ence Memorial dav and orders to fill 

 later, business is coming along in good 

 shape. 



Sambrook Bros., of Troy, N. Y., had 

 their usual good Memorial day business 

 and did not note much chanee. Prices 

 averaged about as usual and, with 

 plenty of stock, there is no kick to reg- 

 ister. 



James G. Barrett, of Troy, had his 

 usual big assortment of stock for Memo- 

 rial day and, between much funeral 

 work, had his share of patronage. 



Henry Schrade, Saratoga Springs, 



X. Y., looks for fully as good a season 

 as formerly, judging by planting orders 

 placed. The bulk of "stock is out, but 

 late tulips hold back much that other- 

 wise would be finished for the season. 



Alfred Goldrina, of Cobleskill. N. Y.. 

 observed that King: Sol made a differ- 

 ence of several hundred per cent to the 

 plant business Memorial day. What 

 looked like a frost turned out to be a 

 banner harvest. 



Henry Weston, of Hempstead. N. Y., 

 said that business Memorial dav over- 

 shadowed the ogre of the depleted coal 

 pile, and that, with a continuation of 

 this fine weather, a good planting: sea- 

 son is looked for. 



The Joseph Heacock Co., of Wyncote, 

 Pa., is noted for palms, and after look- 

 ing over the vast stock one realizes that 

 preparedness is well exemplified there. 

 Florists will not have to be rationed in 

 this respect, at least for some time to 

 come. Cibotium Schiedei grown for 

 specimens are seen in large numbers and 

 last, but by no means least, although 

 seldom noted, is a stock of cattlevas. 

 They are grown on tables, arranged to 

 face the south. For quality and flo- 

 riferousness they challenge the best 

 grown. w^ M. 



