i^\:7 



Matt 11, 1905. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



J 503 



floor in the center of the houBe will re- 

 main stagnant. If the pipes are ar- 

 ranged as they should be, namely, one or 

 two at the side of each bench or bed and 

 returning on the other side, then there is 

 not only a much more effective radiation, 

 but every part of the house gets heated 

 and a circulation of air takes place. I 

 feel sure, backed up by some experience, 

 that four 1-inch steam pipes at intervals 

 of four or five feet apart are fully equal 

 to six 1-inch pipes bunched close together 

 on a side wall. 



Use of Cement. 



If you should use cypress for benches, 

 don't fail to use plenty of water lime 

 (hydraulic cement). The expense is not 

 worth considering. A barrel at 75 cents 

 will go a long way. Use it pure and 

 just thin enough so that it can be spread 

 on the wood with a stiff whitewash brush. 

 Where wood lies on wood is the place 

 that rotting occurs. The tops of the 

 cross-pieces should receive a heavy coat, 

 as well as the surface of the boards. 



Some weeks ago I had occasion to say 

 something in answer to a correspondent 

 about concrete for cellar walls and floors. 

 Now, making these low walls for the 

 sides of benches is the same thing. They 

 are much less expensive than brick. Sand 

 in many locations is hardly worth con- 

 sidering and cement good enough for this 

 purpose is worth from 75 cents to $1 per 

 barrel. You can use four parts of sand 

 to one of cement and, when that is thor- 

 oughly mixed (but be careful not to over- 

 wet it) you can add as much crushed 

 stone as you had of sand. This makes 

 really one part of cement to eight of 

 other materials, but you must remember 

 that the stone has added to the bulk, 

 has occupied space, but has not in the 

 least weakened your concrete. The stone 

 has absorbed no cement. It has only 

 added to bulk. The smaller the wall, the 

 finer the stone should be. If the wall is 

 to be eight inches thick, stone as big as 

 your fist can be used, but if only three 

 or four inches thick then it should be 

 smaller. The crushed stone I have in 

 mind is that used by the asphalt pave- 

 ment men. Concrete is daily growing in 

 use in all structural work, and so it 

 will in ours. 



These remarks may seem premature to 

 many who are just "now driven to their 

 utmost with the plant business, yet many 

 also are pondering over beds or benches 

 for roses and carnations. 



William Scott. 



THE USE OF SULPHUR. 



Dusting. 



This chemical is commonly known as 

 flowers of sulphur, sublimed sulphur and 

 brimstone. Sulphur is an element, and 

 is remarkable for its abundant occur- 

 rence in nature, in the uncombined 

 state, and is found in combination with 

 iron, as iron sulphide. In plants sul- 

 phur is also found in thef form of sul- 

 phates, and as a constituent of the 

 vegetable albumen present in the sap. 

 Sulphur is entirely volatile at a high 

 temperature, but very slightly volatile 

 at ordinary temperature'. It is insoluble 

 in water, but soluble in carbon bisul- 

 phide. Sulphur has been known to 

 horticulturists from the beginning of the 

 twelfth century, and has been used ex- 

 tensively as a remedy against light 

 fungoid diseases. It is used against 

 mildew on vines, crops, strawberries 



Basket Arrangement by The Ernst Wienhoeber G>., Chicago. 



and greenhouse plants, by dusting or 

 blowing by means of bellows over the 

 leaves. The action of sulphur is very 

 mild and slow, and is only suitable for 

 applying to slight fungous attacks and 

 can be conveniently replaced with ad- 

 vantage by other more energetic fun- 

 goids as the copper salts, etc. Sulphur 

 l)eing non-poisonous is an advantage in 

 its favor for applying to fruit crops. 



Vaporizing. 



The vapor of sulphur is very much 

 more effective! than the powder itself, 

 and this is now being taken advantage 

 of by many growers. The gas evolved 

 from burning sulphur is very harmful 

 to plant life; great care must be taken 

 when sulphur is being vaporized that it 

 does not catch firef, as sulphur vapor is 

 very inflammable. Sulphur when burnt 

 with free access of air forms a chemical 

 compound with the oxygen of the air, 

 forming sulphur dioxide, and this com- 

 pound as stated above affects the plants. 

 The sulphur should be placed in a re- 

 ceptacle which allows for no free access 

 of air; the vessel must be capable of 

 being heated to 836 degrees F., at this 

 stage the sulphur boils and is converted 

 into a brownish red, very heavy vapor, 



which, when disseminated into the air 

 deposits minute microscopic particles of 

 sulphur in every crevice and portion of 

 the house which is being vaporized; the 

 deposit of sulphur can hardly be per- 

 ceived with the naked eye. This form 

 of sulphur is the most powerful fungi- 

 cide, and can also be recommended lor 

 killing red spider. — Horticultural Trade 

 Journal. 



HEATING IN THE SOUTH. 



I have a house 25x70 feet running 

 north and south. Running east from it 

 are two houses, one 21x110 and the other 

 20x75, the latter separated from each 

 of the others by several f(;et. The 

 boiler stands in a line with the long 

 house but on the west side of the first 

 house. There is about ten feet fall from 

 east to west. There is no heat needed 

 here, in Florida, while the sun is up, say 

 from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. The coldest is 

 about 20 degrees above zero, the average 

 about 32 degrees. What will be the most 

 economical system of piping and heat- 

 ing, with steam or hot water t 



H. V. B. 



Your conditions and lack of details 

 make your problem somewhat perplexing 





