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:JANDABT 21, 1915. 



The Horists' Review 



15 



florists' business. Traveling, as I have 

 been for the last nine months, never 

 has the fact been brought home to me 

 more forcibly that thought never was 

 more greatly needed in the business we 

 are engaged in than at the present 

 time. Under no circumstances should 

 a man travel the country at the pres- 

 ent time looking for employment. 



Charles J. Davis. 



HEBE'S TO THE LADIES! 



Under the heading "The Box and the 

 Bagging Needle," on page 39 of the 

 December 17 issue of The Keview, I 

 read how the man had to resort to a 

 woman to help him out of the slow, an- 

 noying process of tying flowers in boxes 

 which he had followed for years, and 

 she solved the problem instantly, and 

 undoubtedly saved many a cuss word 

 from issuing from his mouth in the fu- 

 ture. The same process was followed 

 by the men in my employ until I took 

 charge of the houses myself, ten years 

 ago, when, seeing the struggle my assist- 

 ant was having in using the knife and 

 string method, I instantly sent for a 

 large needle and have had no difficulty 

 since. My husband thought he had dis- 

 covered a better tool in the form of a 

 stmight affair with a handle and an 

 eye, but that had to be unthreaded and 

 threaded again each time it went 

 through the box, and it Was used but 

 little. This is but one instance where 

 men have struggled for years with a 

 problem that a woman could solve at a 

 glance. 



I have tried the several carnation 

 menders, with much ftxpense and no suc- 

 cess, and continue to use my own "in- 

 vention," which is no expense to speak 

 of, and the job is far more satisfactory 

 to myself and consumes less time — for 

 me — than any I have tried. I have no 

 "patent pending" for the use of the 

 mender. M. E. G. Ventres. 



STABT THE BALL BOLLINO. 



Ealph M. Ward's "Gum and Flow- 

 ers," in tho December 24 issue of The 

 Keview, opens the door to what ought 

 to be an interesting and necessary agi- 

 tation. 



Even if we make the sum $20,000 

 as a start for publicity, it will pay 

 everyone; $200,000 would pay still bet- 

 ter. The best way to apportion it would 

 be to make a rate on the glass area, 

 with a minimum of a certain amount. 



The influence of the Cleveland and 

 Columbus florists' adveitisements help 

 us here in Canal Dover. People who 

 read the city pap«rs largely are in- 

 fluenced by these advertisements, so 

 that when our advertisements are read 

 by them, they have greater results 

 through the cumulative influence. 



We must consider this outlay as an 

 investment, not as an expense. It seems 

 to me that the S. A. F. is hardly awake 

 to the greatest interest of the greatest 

 number of our calling. 



We must be more aggressively pro- 

 gressive; we must have more boomers 

 who understand thoroughly what 

 "brass tacks'' are. 



Mr. Ward is right; let us all help 

 boom flowers. Let us got a start now. 

 At least, such is the view of 



C. Betscher. 



W. C. Whelchel and a Load from his Irrigated Gardens. 



Vegetable Forcing 



FBOM. UNCLE JOE'S TOWN. 



A load of produce from the Pleasant 

 View Greenhouses & Gardens, at Dan- 

 ville, 111., which is shown in the illus- 

 tration on this page, furnishes to the 

 observer reason for the fact that the 

 season of 1914 has been a fine one for 

 W. C. Whelchel as well as for his fel- 

 low-townsman, "Uncle Joe" Cannon. 

 The automobile has literally displaced 

 the horse in this particular case, giving 

 an increase in power and capacity. This 

 method, although not a usual one among 

 truck growers, Mr. Whelchel finds most 

 convenient for putting the produce from 

 his irrigated gardens on the market. 



DISEASED LETTUCE. 



We are enclosing herewith a lettuce 

 plant that is badly affected with some 

 disease which has a dwarfing effect 

 upon the plant. The soil is light and 

 rich. We are planning to grow toma- 

 toes in the soil after the lettuce. Will 

 the same disease affect the tomatoes? 

 How shall we rid the soil of this dis- 

 ease? Formaldehyde has been recom- 

 mended as a sterilizer, in the propor- 

 tion of 1 to 2,000. Would you advise 

 us to treat the soil with- this before 

 planting to tomatoes? If it is not 

 necessary, we do not wish to go to the 

 expense. S. F. 



Hagerstown, Md. — William Coss, Star- 

 town, is erecting a greenhouse 20x40 

 feet, which wiir be completed shortly. 

 He has two houses 20x50 feet. 



The specimen plant arrived much 

 shriveled. Without knowing more 

 about your culture, temperature, soil, 

 etc., it is difficult to say what has 

 caused the plants to be so starved and 

 stunted. Lettuce wants loose, light, 

 but rich soil. It dislikes clay, but 

 likes plenty of sand. The soil, if in 

 solid beds, should be eighteen to twfn- 

 ty-four inches deep. It should never 

 bake, but should hold moisture so well 

 that one good watering will finish a crop, 

 supplemented by a few light sprin- 

 klings. The surface soil should be al- 

 ways loose, and even if it appears dry 

 there may be ample moisture beloW. 

 Be sure your night temperature does 

 not run too high; 45 to 48 degrees 



is ample, with a rise of 10 degrees on 

 dull days and 15 to 20 degrees on clear 

 days. Lettuce needs a rich soil. After 

 each crop is cleared, give a dressing 

 four inches thick, of horse manure. 

 This need not be completely rotten. 

 In six or eight weeks this food, when 

 well worked in, will be completely used 

 up. 



I doubt whether formaldehyde will 

 cure any soil affection. A good freez- 

 ing would do more good, but the only 

 real cure for fungoid affections is 

 steam sterilization. I do not think 

 that the fungi or bacteria which may 

 bo harming your lettuce will be likely 

 to have any adverse effect on the toma- 

 toes. C. W. 



TOO HOT FOB BADISHES. 



Enclosed you will find a radish leaf 

 affected by some disease which is un- 

 known to me and to all the growers 

 whom I have asked about it. The 

 radishes have been grown in a tempera- 

 ture of about 70 to 75 degrees and are 

 kept on the dry side as much as pos- 

 sible. I have been spraying them with 

 Bordeaux mixture, but it does not check 

 the disease at all. Please let me know 

 what this is and how to stop it. 



O. E. H. 



You are keeping your radishes much 

 too warm. A nFght temperature of 45 

 to 50 degrees is ample, rising 10 degrees 

 on dark days and 15 to 20 degrees on 

 clear, sunny days. Heat will simply 

 ruin them. They cannot be forced like 

 cucumbers or tomatoes. A moderately 

 heavy soil is best. If it is too reten- 

 tive, add sand or some other gritty ma- 

 terial to render it more porous. Never 

 allow the plants to become dry, and 

 then soak them, as it will cause many 

 roots to crack. A solid bed is better 

 than a raised bench for them. Always 

 water with great care in winter. The 

 real cause of your diseased foliage I 

 cannot state, but it is probably due to 

 having the plants in an atmosphere too 

 hot, stuffy and moist, C. W. 



Montreal, Que. — Business is good in 

 Canada; everyone heard from had a 

 satisfactory holiday trade. In Ottawa, 

 as in Montreal, all blooming plants were 

 sold out; cut flowers did not move so 

 well. 



