16 



The Florists' Review 



JCNB 30, 1921 



following is a summary of the society 's 

 finances: 



IXt'OME. 



Balance on hand, Jan. 1, 1921 $339.38 



Membership dues $40,00 



Affiliated societies' dues 10.00 



Advertisements in bulletin 95.00 



Prize donation 10.00 101.00 



Total receipts $500.38 



DISBURSEMENTS. 



A. T. De Ln Mare Co $ 18.00 



Essex Press Co 18.35 



J. Horace McFarland 100.00 



E. C, Vlck, secretary COO 



Total $142.35 



Balance on hand $358,03 



Professor A. C. Beal said there was 



no report to make on the trial grounds 



at Cornell University, as no official 



trials had been made since before the 



war. Some work had been done at the 



university in the direction of trials of 

 winter-flowering sweet peas, and a re- 

 port on them would be the subject of a 

 bulletin to be issued soon. 



Officers Elected. 



The society's officers were re-elected, 

 as follows: President: W. A. Sperling, 

 New York; Vice-president, David Bur- 

 pee, Philadelphia; Secretary, E. C. Viek, 

 Jersey City, N. J.; treasurer, William 

 Sim, Boston, Mass. Selection of the 

 next place of meeting was left to the 

 executive committee. After a vote of 

 thanks to the Horticultural Society of 

 New York and to the museum's authori- 

 ties for their cordial cooperation in the 

 exhibition, the meeting adjourned. 



Crn^ Wrm^y^ KEADEU6 



soil. STEBILIZATION. 



The problem of finding a praJctical 

 and inexpensive form of soil steriliza- 

 tion for the florist who has no ways or 

 means to avail himself of steam has 

 often been touched upon in your 

 columns, but so far I have not seen it 

 satisfactorily solved. 



Here in the south, wliere nematodes, 

 commonly called eelworms or rootknot, 

 are especially troublesome, some form 

 of soil sterilization, not only in the 

 greenhouse, but also in outside beds 

 and coldframes, is really a necessity for 

 success, and I have for years been ex- 

 perimenting with different chemicals 

 with more or less favorable results. 



Heavy applications of lime and 

 kainite are beneficial, but their use is 

 not always practical or desirable. 



Last year, in talking the matter over 

 with Dr. W. E. Hinds, the Alabama 

 state entomologist, he recommended a 

 trial of sodium cyanide in solution, one 

 ounce to eight gallons of water. I 

 tried this out, first on a small scale, 

 and afterwards for bench soil. I have 

 found it so satisfactory in its effect 

 that now I use it on all potting soil and 

 also on outside beds. 



As yet, my experiments have not 

 gone far enough to say definitely to 

 what extent it will control the different 

 fungous spores and bacteria, but far 

 enough to say that it is the best thing 

 I have ever tried and to recommend it 

 for trial to my brother florists. 



Ordinarily, I find the above-stated 

 strength satisfactory, but I have used 

 it weaker, when, for instance, a soil 

 pile can be covered, or stronger, when 

 I wish to reach such pests as grub- 

 worms or mole crickets. 



After the soil is on the benches, 

 ready to be planted, I soak it thor- 

 oughly with this solution, using about 

 150 gallons to a 4xlOO-foot bench. 

 After applying it, I close the house 

 down for the night. The next morning, 

 even the worst nematode-infcsted soil 

 will show no living nematodes, earth- 

 worms or grubs. In one instance, when 

 I planted sweet peas twenty-four hours 

 after this application, I found the 

 plants showing bad effects; namely, a 

 pale, sickly color. Nevertheless, they 

 outgrew it and did well. But in no 

 other instance have I found any bad 



effects from planting after twenty-four 

 hours. However, it may be safer to 

 delay the planting for thirty-six or 

 forty-eight hours. 



In solid beds I soak the soil to a 

 depth of six or eight inches. Small 

 piles of potting soil I usually cover 

 with sacks or tarpaulin to keep the 

 fumes confined within the soil. 



For applying the solution I use an 

 ordinary watering can with sprinkler 

 and have never found any bad effects 

 upon myself or the men during or after 

 the operation. Of course, it must be 

 kept in mind that the poison is deadly 

 for humans or animals should they 

 drink any of it and it must be handled 

 with due care. 



I use ninety-six to ninety-eight per 

 cent pure sodium cyanide, manufac- 

 tured into egg-shaped lumps, averaging 

 one ounce each and sold under the pro- 

 prietary name, "Cyanegg. " The uni- 

 form size makes it easy to gauge the 

 proper strength. The cost of material 

 does not average over 50 cents per 

 100-foot bench. H. P. Loding. 



A CHECK CASHEB. 



A month ago a young man about 32 

 years old, of dark complexion, slight 

 build and medium height, called on us 

 to solicit an order for calla bulbs, giv- 

 ing his name as E. De Roo Mitting, with 

 offices in Chicago and San Francisco. 

 He had printed stationery and exhibited 

 letters from some prominent firms in 

 this line. We believed him to be what 

 he represented himself and gave him an 

 order for later delivery. A few days 

 later he returned and stated that he 

 was held in town longer than he had 

 expected and asked us to cash a per- 

 sonal check on a Chicago bank for $25, 

 which we did. This check was returned 

 to us, protested for insufficient funds, 

 and although we have written several 

 times to him, we have had no reply. We 

 have since been informed by other seed 

 houses, upon whom he called, that the 

 investigation they made in California 

 showed him not to be in good standing 

 there. 



We have thought it proper to give 

 The Review these facts, which may help 

 to save some other people from our ex- 

 perience. S. S. Skidelsky & Co. 



IS IT THE SAME BUO? 



Having read the article on "Battlii ;» 

 Rose Beetle" in The Review for June 

 16, I am giving a little informatii n 

 which may be of benefit to fellow II. j- 

 rists. It is surely not expensive to try. 



We have this same beetle down heie 

 and we term it the June bug. It bot!.- 

 ers us considerably on certain veg; - 

 table crops outdoors. We eliminate it 

 to a certain extent by using a galvan- 

 ized tub and a lantern or lamp. We pi;t 

 about eight inches of water in the tn i 

 and rest the lantern on a narrow boar-i, 

 just wide enough to hold the lantern < , 

 lamp without falling. The beetles ai\' 

 attracted by the light and fall into tlu' 

 water and are drowned. 



I believe that greenhouses can be ab- 

 solutely rid of this pest by the use o'" 

 this device. Of course, outdoors after 

 we have rid our own fields the insects 

 come in from the neighbors'. 



I should like to have some of the 

 growers in the north try this plan anu 

 let me know how well they succeed 

 with it. Joseph L. Weil. 



BUSINESS EMBABBASSMENTS. 



Boston, Mass. — A meeting of the 

 creditors of N. F. McCarthy & Co. was 

 called Thursday, June 16, by N. F. 

 McCarthy himself, to consider his as- 

 sets and liabilities. His statement 

 showed that his troubles were due 

 wholly to a lack of working capital. 

 After some discussion a committee was 

 appointed to investigate the case more 

 fully and to report at a later meeting. 

 This committee comprised W. H. 

 Elliott, Thomas Roland, William Han- 

 nan, J. M. Cohen and Clarence Blakely. 

 A later meeting was held June 23. All 

 present seemed desirous of helping Mr. 

 McCarthy tide over the present crisis. 

 A committee of five trustees was ap- 

 pointed, which will work in conjunction 

 with Mr. McCarthy in carrying on the 

 business. Debts to June 1 were covered 

 by a mortgage, and the creditors were 

 given notes, paying six per cent inter- 

 est, and payable in full in five years. 



Youngstown, O. — The trade fixtures 

 and merchandise of A. W. Wilson, who 

 operated Wilson's Flower Shoppe at 

 Hotel Ohio, Youngstown, 0., were or- 

 dered sold to the highest bidder June 

 29, at the Fisher-Gilder warehouse, 575 

 Mahoning avenue, Youngstown. The 

 appraised value of goods was $536.75; 

 the face amount of accounts, $77.94, 

 and liabilities were $8,267.49. W. J. 

 Smith, of the Altimo Culture Co., Can- 

 field, O., is assignee. 



Moorestown, N. J. — The Stokes Seed 

 Farms Co. has halted its contemplated 

 bankruptcy proceedings. See page 106. 



ABE YOU WOBKINQ UP STOCK? 



There seems no end to the quantities 



of plants and bulbs which can be sold 



in the trade and by the trade to the 



public. Although the trade spent a 



busy season in propagating for spring 



business, still the demand exceeded the 



supply. Like this: 



Here's your check, and welcome. That little 

 ad sure sold the goods; am regretful only that 

 1 did not have more stock to offer, — F. W. Mey- 

 er, Cherryvale, Kan,, June 25, 1921. 



If you hear a man complain of the 



cost of advertising you can be pretty 



certain he spends a good bit of money 



elsewhere than in The Review. 



