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132 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



JuNS 8. 190B. 



on for over three months, a multitude of 

 facts have been gathered, many, very 

 many, observations recorded; but I am 

 not ready to draw definite conclusions. 

 It is my purpose to show some of the 

 striking facts obtained, let you draw 

 your own conclusions, and then by next 

 year's work tell you whether you were 

 right or not. In these days when every 

 new truth has to undergo such close 

 scrutiny, it is not advisable to draw con- 

 clusions until you are ready to back 

 them up by repeated demonstrations. 



Two houses were used in my work, 

 one a cool house and one a warm house, 

 to suit the different classes of plants 

 dealt with. As the cool house was the 

 one first started and the one from which 

 I obtained the most of my results, I will 

 confine myself to it. The results from 

 the other house in every way corroborat- 

 ed the facts given. 



A small greenhouse was divided into 

 two sections by a curtain impenetrable "to 

 Ught. A * ' Dissolving Process ' ' genera- 

 tor was used with twelve thirty-five can- 

 dle power burners of various makes. The 

 lights were run all dark hours, making 

 from fourteen to nine hours each night, 

 depending on the season and day. Every 

 precaution was taken to make the sun, 

 soil, temperature and moisture condi- 

 tions the same on each side of the cur- 

 tain. The lights were well distributed in 

 one-half the house and suspended about 

 four feet from the level of the beds. Or- 

 dinary tin reflectors were used to throw 

 the light down. ^ 



Each plant on the lighted side had 

 its exact duplicate on the opposite side 

 of the curtain. In cases where the exact 

 duplicate could not be found the better 

 plant was in every case placed on the 

 dark side. Every effort was made to 

 eliminate everything but the effect of the 

 acetylene light. With this thought ever 

 before you I will pass to some of the re- 

 sults obtained. 



There was a marked accelleration of 

 growth under the influence of the acety- 

 lene light rays, Easter lilies attaining 

 twice the height and blooming ten days 

 to two weeks earlier than unlighted 

 plants. 



The marked difference in vegetative 

 growth suggested that this increase 

 might be made at the expense of the root 

 development. To test this, radishes 

 onions and several other plants were tak- 

 en and comparisons of weights of the 

 root and vegetative systems were made, 

 with results shown in case of the rad- 

 ishes. The other plants substantiated to 

 more or less degree these results, so I 

 only give the radishe?, the variety being 

 Non Plus Ultra: 



Lighted. Dark. 



Number 37 38 



Weight Tops 63 grams 26 grama 



Weight Roots 83 grams 35 grams 



Total weight 146 grams digrams 



Photographs show the great difference 

 in vegetative growth of all the plants 

 and, in the case of the alyssum, the dif- 

 ference in the infloresence. On the light 

 side of the curtain the sweet peas hav9 

 been in bloom for several days, and op 

 the garden peas good sized pods have 

 formed, while on the dark side not even 

 buds are showing on either the sweet or 

 garden peas. Not all the difference in 

 height is due to the lengthening of the 

 internodes. 



The closing of the experiment at this 

 time was due to the commercial side of 

 the question. If the use of the light is 

 of value commercially, it will be of great- 

 est value during the short, often cloudy, 

 days of winter; hence it was deemed ad- 

 visable to close for this season and take 

 it up again next fall and then run it 

 through the winter. 



If the acetylene with sunlight causes 

 such difference, what will it do alone? 

 This is one of the most interesting of all 

 the questions from the scientific stand- 

 point. Experiment has shown some of the 

 things it will do, as plants have been 

 flowered that never had seen daylight. 

 They were never brought into the house 

 until it was dark and were taken back 

 to the dark room before daylight, yet the 

 narcissus produced its flowers and these 

 flowers lasted over a week on the plant. 

 All the other plants were doing well when 

 the experiment closed. This work will be 

 carried out much more fully next year. 



I have thus sketched for you some of 

 the main facts, not wearying you with 

 detail and figures. Each plant was 

 watched from day to day and any 

 change noted. At intervals of from two 

 days to a week or more, depending upon 

 the needs, complete notes were taken of 

 everything and photographs made of all 

 the more important features. Nothing 

 was taken for granted where proof could 

 be obtained, but even with all that care, 

 I do not wish to draw conclusions until 

 I have still further proof. 



In the above list of facts I have said 

 nothing of the effect the light had upon 

 cuttings, buds, foliage plants, flowers and 

 various other things concerning plant 

 growth. Perhaps if deemed sufficiently 

 interesting I shall at some future time 

 treat of them, but I can say that all the 

 results obtained harmonize very well with 

 the ones given. 



Are you now ready to answer the first 

 question? Have we found a light that 

 will perform all the sun's functions in 

 plant growth? Who can say, in the face 



of facts given, what acetylene cannot 

 do! 



THE GLASS MARKET. 



A New York report says that the mar- 

 ket for window glass has been somewhat 

 disappointing. Business which should bi' 

 active is only moderate at best, put there 

 is less disposition to force a miarket by 

 indiscriminate cutting, and prices are 

 firm upon the basis of 90 an4 20 per 

 cent off the list for the first two brackets 

 single B and 90 and 25 per cent for ma- 

 chine glass. All other sizes are quoted 

 at 90 and 10 per cent off the lisi. Nearly 

 all the factories have gone out .bf blast, 

 but a few are still running on A glass, 

 of which the market is rather bare. 



The American Window Glass Co. will 

 likely continue on machine glass through- 

 out the summer if the men will agree. The 

 low prices at which they offered pis glass 

 some time ago invited such a h^avy vol- 

 ume of orders that the price has been 

 withdrawn and they are not offering any 

 stock at present. The manufacturers of 

 all grades have been well sold up and 

 have almost completed deliveries, leaving 

 the stock altogether in jobbers' hands. 

 Very little glass will reach the market for 

 distribution during the balance of the 

 summer. The jobbers will now hold their 

 annual conventions and size up the situa- 

 tion. 



CLEANING GREENHOUSES. 



When greenhouses are about to be 

 emptied, so that no loss is caused by 

 damage to plants, or after the house is 

 emptied and before replanting, the struc- 

 ti^res may be cleansed of insect life either 

 by applying hydrocyanic acid gas or by 

 burning sulphur. 



To cleanse by the gas the following 

 materials are needed: Potassic cyanid 

 (98 per cent) .25 gram per cubic foot; 

 sulphuric acid, one-half more by measure ; 

 water, one-half more than sulphuric acid. 

 Multiply the number of cubic feet to be 

 fumigated by .25, giving the number of 

 grams of cyanid; divide the answer by 

 28.35, giving the weight of the cyanid 

 in ounces. Take one and a half times as 

 many fluid ounces of acid and two and 

 a half times as many fluid ounces of 

 water as ounces by weight of cyanid. 

 Mix water and acid in ' an earthen or 

 granite ware jar, then by loose bag and 

 string drop in the cyanid after closing 

 tightly the house to be fumigated. Leave 

 closed forty minutes; then open from 

 the outside and air thoroughly for at 

 least ten minutes before entering. 



To cleanse an empty house by sulphur, 



Chicago : The Shipping Market. A Small Part of the Shipments May 28. 



