104 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



June 9, 1904. 



Practically all greonhouBes have a 

 hose instantly available; if not other 

 protection must be provided or the rate 

 goes up another 25 cents. If the green- 

 houses are outside the public fire pro- 

 tection the rate is increased at the dis- 

 cretion of the superintendent. If used 

 for any other purpose than as a green- 

 house the rate increases, a stable at- 

 tached costing not less than 25 cents 

 each year on each $100 of insurance^ 



In the matter of exposures the florist 

 frequently has no control, but he can at 

 least see that his own stable and other 

 outbuildings are a safe distance from 

 the greenhouses. Buildings across a 

 sixty-foot street may or may not be 

 counted as exposures according to wheth- 

 er or not they are of themselves poor 

 fire risks. But buildings close to a 

 greenhouse, as on the same lot, adjoin- 

 ing or across an alley, add to the haz- 

 ard. Instance governs, but of course a 

 blacksmith shop is a greater danger 



than an ice house, a stable worse than 

 a dwelling. In any event the rating of- 

 ficer adds to the premium charge accord- 

 ing to his discretion. 



The rate on the contents of green- 

 house structures is, according to this 

 schedule, in all cases to be $1 higher 

 than on the buildings themselves. 



The Chicago Underwriters' Associa- 

 tion has published for its members a 

 list of ratings on many classes of build- 

 ings and on many large properties, in- 

 cluding several greenhouse plants. The 

 rate on the Peter Eeinberg greenhouse 

 establishment, figured on this schedule, is 

 $2.15 per annum per $100 of insurance, 

 a rate materially lower than in com- 

 paratively recent years and a rate 

 which Mr. Eeinberg will still farther 

 reduce this year by. virtue of the excel- 

 lent methods of construction he is em- 

 ploying in rebuilding the seventeen 

 houses in the oldest section of his plant. 



THE USE OF BONE MEAL. 



The question of bone flour as a fer- 

 tilizer for rose culture under glass is 

 at the present time a very pertinent 

 one, as the majority of growers will 

 within the month be using it in large 

 quantities. 



Containing, as it does, many of the 

 elements necessary to plant life and 

 which roses in Uieir confined quarters 

 are debarred from seeking for them- 

 selves, it should be ofl'ered to the plants 

 in as pure and assimilable form as pos- 

 sible. That pure bone flour when prop- 

 erly applied, is beneficial is without 

 question, but how to secure the pure ar- 

 ticle is another question, and that the 

 adulterated article, or the pure bone cut 

 by poisonous acids is in every way un- 

 fit for this work is also unquestioned. 



There are few rose growers who have 

 been long enough in the business to 

 show the silver threads in their locks, 

 where any are left, but have had some 

 unpleasant experience with these raw or 

 low grade fertilizers and from such ex- 

 perience have learned to exercise caution 

 even with the best recommended article. 

 That caution is necessary is evidenced 

 by the fact that there are still brands 

 on the market which even in the hands 

 of experts cannot be used with safety. 



Some years ago I had the misfortune 

 to handle a consignment of just such 

 stuff and had the mortification of see- 

 ing my young stock shed the whole of 

 their leaves within a week after being 

 planted. A complaint to the firm sup- 

 plying the material elicited the stereo- 

 typed reply that the material was of 

 the same grade as formerly supplied 

 and insinuated, of course, that the 

 whole trouble was in the careless man- 

 ner in which it had been applied. On 

 reviewing the matter I could not see 

 how it could, if of the same grade, act 

 so differently on the plants when used 

 in the same manner and quantities as 

 formerly. Not being in a position to 

 fight such a strong corporation I had 

 to grin and bear it. I am glad, however, 

 to see that one firm, the Elizabeth Nur- 



sery Co., of Elizabeth, N. J., who have 

 had a similar experience, had the temer- 

 ity to bring the question to an issue. 

 The outcome of the case in their favor 

 is of much importance to the trade. 



Where the gases have no means of 

 escape but must accumulate when the 

 ventilators are shut, especially prepared 

 bone should be secured from some re- 

 liable house in our own trade, as many 

 of these chemical preparations from gen- 

 eral fertilizer works, while safe enough 

 when applied to field crops, where the 

 gases can escape freely, are simply fatal 

 when applied to greenhouse crops. 



As a matter of safety I have for years 

 provided the supply of this material 

 some months previous to using, thus 

 giving ample time to allow the delete- 

 rious gases to escape and during that 

 period have had no trouble even when 

 using it in large proportions. 



While exercising as much care as pos- 

 sible to secure the pure article every oth- 

 er precaution should be used to elim- 

 inate the element of danger before ap- 

 plying it to the stock. Ribes. 



THE ROSE BEETLE. 



The rosebud curculio occurs very com- 

 monly on wild and cultivate'd roses in 

 many parts of the country. The beetles 

 are rather shy when discovered, and 

 though their movements are not quick, 

 they soon disappear under a leaf or stem 

 when a person approaches. In common 

 with many other insects, they have the 

 habit of drawing in their legs when in 

 danger and allowing themselves to drop 

 to the earth, where they remain motion- 

 loss for a short time, or until the dan- 

 ger has passed. 



The colors found on the beetle are red 

 and black. The wing covers, which make 

 up the greater part of the upper surface 

 of the body, and the thorax (prothorax) 

 are red. while the head, including the 

 beak or snout, the antennae, the legs, and 

 the entire under surface of the body 

 are black. F. H.' Chittenden, assistant 

 entomologist in the United States De- 



partment of Agriculture, reports that ii) 

 Colorado specimens are found in which 

 the greater part of the head, legs and 

 antennae are red, like the upper surface 

 ol the body. 



The beak or snout is long and slender, 

 as indicated in the accompanying illus- 

 tration (a and d). The antennae are 

 club-shaped and are attached near the 

 middle of the snout, one on each side. 

 The mouth parts are situated on the 

 extreme end of the beak, and are made 

 up of a number of pieces, the most for- 

 midable of which are the mandibles, 

 which are toothed on both the inner and 

 outer edge. The mouth parts viewed 

 from beneath are illustrated (g). Ex- 

 clusive of the beak the beetle measures a 

 little less than one-fourth of an inch in 

 length. 



The injuries for which the species is 

 responsible are done by the adult or bee- 

 tle, and so far as is known by the writer, 

 the larva does no harm to the plant in 

 aEv way. The principal injury accom- 

 plished by the beetle is done by boring 

 small, deep holes into the buds. Many 

 holes are often bored into a single bud. 

 Though such a bud may open, the result- 

 ing rose is of no value. Other buds 

 cease to develop when eaten into, and 

 soon wither and dry up. The beetles also 

 bore holes into the stems of the roses at 

 right angles to the axis. Buds affected 

 in this way wilt, and hang from the 

 stems, and later dry. 



Complaints of the injuries caused by 

 (his beetle have reached the Experiment 

 Station from various parts of the statr. 

 The injuries are scarcely less serious and 

 extensive than tnose of the rose chafer 

 (Macrodactylus subspinosus), m the 

 eastern states, and a number of cases 

 have come under the writer's attention 

 in which persons have given up an at- 

 tempt to grow roses on account of the 

 injuries of this insect. Various writers 

 have reported it as a troublesome pest on 

 roses in widely separated parts of the 

 United States. It occurs in the north- 

 ern tier of states from ocean to ocean 

 and as far south as Mexico. 



The beetles appear early in June and 

 continue until the latter part of August. 

 The eggs are deposited in various places. 

 Most of those found by the writer were 

 in the buds, either in the unexpanded 

 petals or in the young fruit. One egg 

 was found in the tender extremity of a 

 new cane and one in a cynipid gall. In 

 all cases the eggs were found in the 

 hcles made with the beak, and were 

 p.aced well down in the holes, below 

 the surface. The form of the eggs is 

 shown (c). They are semi-transparent 

 and almost colorless. The egf^ hatch 

 m a few days, probablv about a week 

 or ten days. We have never been able t.. 

 find larvae except in the rose hip or fruit, 

 and this is doubtless the normal plac^' 

 for their development. 



The larva or grub (b) is yellowish 

 ^hite, with- a rosy tint, and instead of 

 being straight has the back arched. It 

 has no legs. The head and mouth parts 

 viewed from above are shown (f) We 

 have never found the larvte in abun- 

 dance. A large plant bearing manv bins 

 seldom has more than two infested fniits. 

 though many have the external mark that 

 would indicate them to be infested. 



The grubs finish feeding and disap- 

 pear early in October. 



In many cases hand picking is all that 

 IS necessary to get relief from the in- 

 juries caused by this pest. In a previous 

 paragraph we have mentioned the fact 



