DKCSMBfiB 10, 1914. 



The Florists^ Review 



89^^ 



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Baxwood, Pine Canes, Thistles and Red Berries Leave the Holly Wreath Little Chance with a Prosperous Customer. 



from them, I would not advise you to 

 try this treatment. Give the plants a 

 cool greenhouse if you want them in 

 presentable condition for spring sales. 

 Cutting back the long shoots somewhat 

 is permissible, but the plants should 

 not be headed back hard. Their great 

 value as vase, window box and basket 

 plants lies in the long, drooping shoots. 

 C. W. 



SOIL ABOUND TBEE TBUNKS? 



I have been planting a large num- 

 ber of forest trees, such as pin oaks, 

 white ash, sugar maples, cut-leaved ma- 

 ples, etc., and I notice that in this 

 city it is customary to heap up a big 

 mound of earth around the tree and 

 then top-dress with a thick layer of 

 manure. On inquiring why this is done, 

 I am told that it is to protect the 

 trees from cutworms and borers. I 



should think that this would have the 

 opposite effect, as the heaped up mound 

 would afford shelter and protection to 

 the cutworms and borers. A practice 

 here, also, is to tie flexible boards 

 around the stem for the same purpose. 

 I shall be glad to have your opinion 

 on these points, and also as to the best 

 way to protect the trees from borers 

 and cutworms. T. J. 



I should certainly agree with you in 

 saying that mounding up soil and 

 manure about the stems of such trees 

 as you name would make an ideal har- 

 bor for borers rather than prevent their 

 attacks. There may, however, be sonve 

 special benefit in this protection which 

 some reader can inform us of. Cut- 

 worms are hot in the habit of attack- 

 ing the stems of trees. They prefer 

 soft flcwer and, vegetable plant growth. 



Cutworms do not appear until late 

 spring and can be destroyed by sprink- 

 ling a poisoned bran mash about their 

 haunts. The free use of lime and soot, 

 and fall plowing, leaving the ground 

 rough over winter, helps to reduce 

 their numbers. Borers are less easy to 

 handle. They must be systematically 

 searched for. They can be killed by 

 running a wire up the holes, and can 

 also be suffocated by injecting a little 

 carbon bisulphide in the holes and im- 

 mediately closing up the ends with 

 putty. Any shoots or branches cut off 

 by' "them should be picked up and 

 burned. . C, W. 



Danville, HI.— Bottorff Bros, have 

 opened a store at 147 North Vermilion 

 street. C. M. Bottorff, recently with 

 F. B. Smith's Sons, will be manager of 

 the concern. 



