34 



The Florists^ Review 



Fbbbuabx 16. 1922 



at all. Indications are that the govern- 

 ment, having warned all manufacturers 

 who use anthracite coal to stock up be- 

 fore April 1, probably intends to keep 

 its- hands off. 



Everyone has learned from the papers 

 the attitude of the miners. In all the 

 meetings these men have had, they 

 maintain an absolute independence. Col- 

 lieries are making extensive prepara- 

 tions for what has all of the earmarks of 

 a positive strike. They are building high 

 enclosures all around their properties. 

 People in this vicinity know what that 

 means, and for the information of those 

 far away from the mining district, I 

 would say that the purpose of this ac- 

 tion is to keep strikers away, so that 

 work may continue, if possible, with 

 such nonunion men as the coal firms 

 may be able to get into this enclosure, 

 maintaining a regular boarding house on 

 the property. 



All here are fearful that it is to be a 

 serious struggle, for the strikers feel 

 that they will not tolerate or allow any 

 reduction in their wages and that a re- 

 duction can be made in the price of coal 

 at the wages they are now getting. The 

 operators, however, feel the pressure of 

 the public in demanding that there be 

 a reduction in the price of coal, not to 

 pre-war prices, but somewhere in propor- 

 tion to the price of farm products, and 

 that they certainly cannot meet this 

 request until wages shall have come 

 down. It does not require much of an 

 imagination or vision to realize what the 

 probabilities are for the next few 

 months. 



Should this strike continue as long as 

 the other big strike we had, it will be 

 far into the fall before coal would be 

 obtainable. Miners are in a better posi- 

 tion financially to stand a long strike 

 than in 1902. Most of them carry a 

 pretty good-sized bank account and the 

 unions, as well, have larger financial 

 reserves than previously. While these 

 things are going on the dear public will 

 have to suffer. Every greenhouse man 

 should know the condition and act 

 accordingly. The public in the coal 

 regions is laying in a stock, filling coal 

 bins and preparing to face the grim 

 reality of the strike. G. B. C. 



TOMATO CULTURE. 



Can you give me any information in 

 regard to the growing of tomatoes? 

 When must the seed be sown and when 

 must the plants be benched to have them 

 in crop throughout May and June? 

 Will spacing them one foot each way be 

 suflScient? What night temperature do 

 they require? What quantity of fruit 

 in ounces or pounds can be realized from 

 one plant? H. E. O. S.— Wis. 



The tomato seed should be sown in 

 January if you plan to have them this 

 season. Sow them at once. Some good 

 varieties arc Comet, Castle, John Baer 

 and Improved Lorillard. A good temper- 

 ature is 60 degrees at night. It will do 

 no harm, however, if you run the tem- 

 perature a little lower. A dry atmos- 

 phere is needed and the plants should 

 not be syringed. Twelve inches apart 

 each way is much too close for the 

 proper spacing; eighteen inches each 

 way would be better. One successful 

 grower runs two rows sixteen inches 

 apart and then leaves a 24-inch space. 

 All of the plants are trained to single 

 stems, removing all of the side laterals 



as they are produced. A good soil, which 

 will suit carnations, mums and roses, 

 will suit tomatoes. When a good crop is 

 set, a mulch of old manure will prevent 

 the soil from drying out so much and 

 will assist the crop. The larger varieties, 

 like John Baer and Improved Lorillard, 

 will yield fewer fruits, but a rather 

 weightier crop than Comet. The latter, 

 however, sets much the best. A crop per 

 plant of five to eight pounds should be 

 obtained. Heavier yields may be had, but 

 between these figures should satisfy you, 

 especially for a first attempt. C. W. 



QUARANTINE LAWS. 



Where can I obtain information in 

 regard to state and interstate laws con- 

 cerning the shipment of bulbs and 

 plants? E. F. M.— la. 



Apply to the Department of Agricul- 

 ture, Washington, D. C, for full infor- 

 mation. The Federal Horticultural Board 

 is one of the department's subsidiaries 

 and can furnish information covering 

 federal and state quarantine laws. 



EXTERMINATING ANTS. 



How can I kill ants in hotbeds? 



J. A. N.— Utah. 



Ants are hard to destroy. Eemedies, 

 such as follow, will give you consider- 

 able relief, at least: Lay good pieces of 

 marrow bone along the ant haunts. Dip 

 these bones in a can of hot water two 

 or three times a day. Scatter Dalmatian 

 powder (black flag) near the ants' runs. 

 Mix nine parts of sugar and one part of 

 powdered borax and permit the mixture 

 to stand for ten days before usiug, in 

 order that the sugar may absorb the 

 borax. This will destroy a great many 

 of them. Kerosene painted along the 

 woodwork is an effective antidote. Try 

 one or all of these remedies and they 

 will, at least, greatly reduce the number 

 of the ants. 



TROUBLE WITH CARNATIONS. 



We have been having a little trouble 

 with our carnation blooms. The stems 

 are too weak and thin to hold the flow- 

 ers. They are in a new house, which 

 was constructed late, and they were not 

 benched until October 1. Cow manure, 

 well rotted, was put on the bench and 

 made soil was placed on this. The 

 plants took hold finely, made fine growth 

 and had plenty of buds. We kept them 

 quite wet, with a temperature of 50 de- 

 grees at night. We are letting the 

 benches dry a little and watering scant- 

 ily. Will this procedure correct the 

 trouble? W. G. B.— O. 



The late planting is probably at the 

 bottom of your troubles. Setting the 

 plants into rich soil and keeping them 

 on the wet side caused them to make 

 a rapid, soft growth, which would not 

 have been the case if they had been 

 benched in July or August. The lack 

 of sunlight, while the plants were mak- 

 ing that rapid growth, prevented a nor- 

 mal development of the fibrous tissue 

 in the stems. Keeping them slightly on 

 the dry side for a time will help to 

 correct this condition. Give them abun- 

 dant ventilation at every opportunity 

 and keep your night temperature as 

 near 50 degrees as possible. A. F. J. B. 



Edward W. Fengar. 



Edward W. Fengar, proprietor of a 

 range of greenhouses at Arlington, N. J., 

 died at a New York hospital Thursday, 

 February 9. Mr. Fengar took up the 

 florists' business about twenty years 

 ago, but never was wholly engaged in 

 it. He was for a number of years and 

 at the time of his death connected with 

 G. E. Dickinson, New York, in the coal 

 business, and the greenhouse venture 

 was a hobby of his. The culture of car- 

 nations and bulbous flowers chiefly en- 

 gaged his attention and with these he 

 was quite successful. He was highly 

 esteemed among the florists and took a 

 great deal of interest in trade affairs. 

 He had a charming personality, which 

 made him many friends, and his appear- 

 ance at trade gatherings was always 

 welcomed. He was a member of the 

 New York Florists' Club and the S. A. 

 F. His death was due to an operation 

 for tumor. Funeral services were held 

 Sunday, February 12, at the Home for 

 Services, Clinton avenue, Newark. He 

 leaves a widow, Emma Mape Fengar, of 

 the Robert Treat hotel, Newark, N. J. 



Gustav F. Walther. 



Gustav F. Walther died at his home, 

 3645 Iowa avenue, St. Louis, Mo., Feb- 

 ruary 9, at 7 p. m. A short illness from 

 a cold which resulted in pneumonia 

 caused his death. 



The deceased, a young man, was in 

 business with his father and brother, 

 George, in the firm of J. M. Walther & 

 Sons. The deceased was known to all 

 as the daily buyer on the wholesale 

 market. He was born at St. Louis 

 twenty-eight years ago and was single 

 at the time of his death. 



The funeral was held Sunday, Feb- 

 ruary 12, at 2 p. m. in the home. Many 

 in the trade were in attendance and 

 beautiful floral tokens expressed the 

 sympathy felt. Interment was in Con- 

 cordia cemetery. J. J. B. 



Hiram M. Munk. 



Hiram M. Munk, founder of the Munk 

 Floral Co., Columbus, 0., died suddenly 

 from acute indigestion and was buried 

 February 13. Born at Fostoria, 0., Mr. 

 Munk was in his seventieth year and full 

 of vigor up to within a short time of his 

 death. 



The funeral was largely attended and 

 the wealth of floral tributes bore mute 

 testimony of his worth. 



Two daughters and three sons sur- 

 vive, Edmund A.; Eobert W. and E. 

 Ralph Munk, all members of the Munk 

 Floral Co. w. M. 



EXTERMINATING MEALY BUGS. 



I am having a great deal of trouble 

 with mealy bugs on my coleus and other 

 tender plants. What would you recom- 

 mend as a method of disposing of these 

 rests? J. R. A.— Ga. 



A stiff spray of cold water will usually 

 hold mealy bug in check. Nicoteen- 

 oleate is effective where the cold water 

 spray is insuflacient. Your state ento- 

 mologist will advise you how to make it. 



A. P. J. Baur. 



