18 



The Florists^ Review 



JoNE 28, 1917. 



Work along experimental lines is car- 

 ried on by an organization closelj^" 

 allied to the college, still a separate 

 organization, known as the experiment 

 station, and there are special federal 

 appropriations for this work. It is the 

 object and duty of these experiment 

 stations to carry on original researches 

 or verify experiments on the physiology 

 of plants and animals, the^diseases to 

 which they are subject, witn the reme- 

 dies; the chemical composition of useful 

 plants at their different stages of 

 growth; the testing of new varieties; 

 the capacity of new plants or trees for 

 acclimation; the chemical composition 

 of manures, natural or artificial, with 

 experiments designed to test their com- 

 parative effects on crops of different 

 kinds; the analysis of soil and water, 

 etc. Owing to the fact that other lines 

 of work are considered more important 

 and because we lack men, money and 

 facilities, work along Horicultural lines 

 had not been carried on by our station. 

 In fact, it was not until recently that 

 the florists' business in this country 

 was thought to be of sufficient impor- 

 tance to receive the special attention 

 of investigators in these public institu- 

 tions. There are hundreds and thou- 

 sands of bulletins and circulars on other 

 subjects, but not over fifty especially 

 designed to be of assistance to the 

 florist or gardener. This is largely due 

 to the fact that the florists themselves 

 have not until recently made any de- 

 mands upon the experiment station. 

 Cornell, Illinois, New Jersey and Dela- 

 ware are at the present time carrying 

 on research work on an extensive scale. 

 Our correspondence shows that there 

 are many problems confronting us here 

 in Massachusetts which could be solved 

 by our experiment station. Some of 

 the more important problems offering 

 a field for experimentation are varietal 

 studies, the use of chemical fertilizers 

 in the culture of greenhouse plants, a 

 study of the relation of plant food and 

 temperature to the keeping qualities of 

 cut flowers, handling of cut flowers for 

 market, etc. 



THE COURSE AT AMES. 



Scope of the Studies. 



The work in the department of horti- 

 culture of the Iowa State College at 

 Ames has been materially strengthened 

 by the development of a major course 

 of study in floriculture. Since Prof. A. 

 S. Thurston has taken charge of the 

 work a number of new courses have 

 been added, and the students now have 

 an opportunity to acquire a good knowl- 

 edge of professional floriculture, both in 

 theory and in practice. During the 

 first two years of their college work the 

 floricultural students are required to 

 take work in the fundamental sciences, 

 among which might be mentioned chem- 

 istry, botany, physics, entomology, soils 

 and fertilizers. Students then devote 

 the remaining two years to specialized 

 work in floriculture and to such other 

 work as will supplement the floricultural 

 courses. 



The following courses in floriculture 

 are offered: 



1. Grpenliouse manngoniont — The mannKement 

 of grcenliousps and the cultural requirements of 

 crops under class, including propagation, potting, 

 watering, ventilation, insect and disease control 

 and heating. 



2. Greenhouse manngoment — A combination of 

 the preceding course, designed to give the student 

 practical knowledge of the organization of green- 

 liouse work and the various cultural operations 



and methods employed throughout the entire 

 year. 



3. Greenhouse construction — The various types 

 of houses, their construction. Principles and 

 methods of heating. Preparation of plans and 

 specifications for commercial and private ranges. 

 Estimating of costs. 



4. Commercial floriculture — Special considera- 

 tion of the cultural requirements and methods of 

 growing florists* bench crops and potted plants. 

 Specific problems in the establishment of de- 

 tailed plans for the year In a fiorist's business, 

 with estimates of the initial cost and running 

 expenses, as well as an approximation of re- 

 turns. 



5. Commercial floriculture — A continuation of 

 the preceding course. Special attention will be 

 given to the marketing of cut flowers, also to the 

 organization and management of the retail store. 



6. Floral arrangement and judging — Principles 

 and methods of cut flower arrangement. Inte- 

 rior decoration. The exhibiting and Judging of 

 cut flowers and plants. 



7. Garden flowers — The selection, care and 

 uses of garden flowers, including annuals, herba- 

 ceous perennials, bulbs, bedding plants and roses. 

 The nursery as an adjunct for the florist. 



8. Special problems — Special investigation of 

 cultural methods. 



9. Thesis — A special subject requiring inde- 

 pendent investigation and study; the results to 

 be presented in the form of a written report. 



10. Floriculture practice — Garden and green- 

 house work. 



11. Floriculture practice — Practical work in 

 the college greenhouses in the management of 

 houses and the growing of florists' crops. 



12. Floriculture practice — A continuation of the 

 preceding course, so that the student may have 

 a complete knowledge through practical expe- 

 rience of the work throughout the year. 



The students are required to take, in 

 addition to the courses outlined, con- 



siderable work in landscape gardening, 

 including three courses in landscape de- 

 sign, two courses in plant materials, one 

 course in landscape architecture and 

 one course in construction and main- 

 tenance. 



Other Bequirements. 



Plant breeding, horticultural ma- 

 chinery, diseases of horticultural plants, 

 horticultural entomology, greenhouse 

 pests, market gardening and vegetable 

 forcing are other supplementary courses 

 required during the last two years. 



In addition to the laboratory work, 

 three courses in floriculture practice, 

 which are of an apprentice nature, give 

 the student an opportunity to get good 

 working knowledge. In addition to 

 these practical courses the students are 

 required to have six months' practical 

 experience with some commercial florist 

 before being allowed to graduate. 

 Course 7 in floriculture practice is given 

 in the sophomore year. It prevents mis- 

 fits, as it offers an opportunity for 

 students to find out by practical ex- 

 perience what floriculture is and 

 whether or not they are adapted for 

 this kind of work. 







PEONIES AT ITHACA. 



The season is unprecedentedly late at 

 Ithaca, N. Y., and the plants in the 

 trial grounds maintained jointly by the 

 New York State College of Agriculture 

 at Cornell University and the American 

 Peony Society, will not be in bloom 

 this year until the first week in July. 

 It is the first time since the trials were 

 started that the peonies have failed to 

 be in bloom by the middle of June. 



replant your stock in new soil in late 

 August or early September. C. W. 



STEMS OF PEONIES ROT. 



What causes peonies to rot off at the 

 surface of the ground and how should 

 one prevent it? Wlieii a few inches in 

 height the branches fall over and rot 

 just at the surface of the ground. I 

 have dug around the plants, but this 

 condition seems to be spreading to other 

 clumps. A. E. W. — Minn. 



Too deep planting, excessively sour 

 soil and the use of manure which is too 

 fresh may, in part, be responsible for 

 the rotting of your peony stems. This 

 trouble is believed to be due to a fungus 

 which can be blown about and propa- 

 gated, and for that reason it is necessary 

 to cut off and burn all affected stems. 

 Liming of the soil to sweeten it will 

 help; so will transplanting once in three 

 or four years and the use of commercial 

 fertilizer or well decayed barnyard ma- 

 nure. I would suggest that you lift and 



A PRETTY PEONY STORY. 



Not all peony growers will agree as 

 to the quality and value of the peony 

 named Jubilee, but everyone will con- 

 cede that its story, as printed in a 

 Philadelphia paper during the recent 

 peony convention, is nicely told: 



"The story of this new peony is told 

 by Lee R. Bonnewitz, its exhibitor, of 

 Van Wert, O. Mr. Bonnewitz is a dry- 

 goods merchant, who grows peonies for 

 the love of it. 



"About fifty years ago, ^frs. Sarah 

 A. Pleas, then living in Spicoland, Ind., 

 had a back yard garden where she cul- 

 tivated, among other flowers, some peo- 

 nies. One spring she noticed some 

 strange plants pushing their way above 

 the soil. A woman's curiosity, pos- 

 sibly, caused her to put these plants in 

 another part of the garden and nurse 

 them to maturity. 



' ' The strange plants were peonies, 

 which had sprung from seed dropped 

 by the peonies of the season before. 

 They were unusual peonies, however. 

 Mrs. Pleas had never seen anything like 

 them. After they flowered, she chose 

 several of the better varieties and de- 

 stroyed the otliers. 



"Tliis accidental discovery was the 

 Indiana woman 's introduction to the 



