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AuGtST 24, 1905. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



767 



WM. FENDLEY. 



Wm. Fendley, president-elect of the 

 Canadian Horticultural Association, start- 

 ed in the cut flower business twenty-one 

 years ago with the late H. Dale. After 

 working for that gentleman for a few 

 years, he started for himself, building a 

 small greenhouse 10x12 feet the first 

 year. The fonowing year he built one 

 more, 20x50 feet, growing carnations and 

 violets and since then he has increased 

 his phint every year up to the present 

 time. He now has nineteen houses, aver- 

 aging 200 feet in length, which are near- 

 ly all devoted to carnations and violets. 

 Eight t>f these houses are the latest im- 

 proved iron construction and all the up- 

 to-date improvements, having cement 

 sides to beds and glass partitions be- 

 tween every four houses. Some six years 

 ago he became a member of the C. H. A. 

 and has never missed a meeting, attend- 

 ing every session and, to quote Mr. Fend- 

 ley, "Often thought I maae myself too 

 much heard by wanting to thresh out 

 every argument that would arise." Mr. 

 Fendley will make a good president and 

 well deserves the honor that has been be- 

 stowed upon him. 



FERTILIZERS IN GREENHOUSES. 



[A paper by Win. Downing, foreman for H. L. 

 Janzen, Berlin, Oct., written for the Canadian 

 Horticultu^l* Society at.<tlie Montreal meeting, 

 August 8 to 10. 1905.] 



(CONTINLTEI) KllOM LAST WEEK.) 



The next most important of manures 

 is the phosphatie class. We have seen 

 that the present day guano is largely of 

 this class of manure, so need only add 

 that it may be used for either purpose. 



The usual fertilizer of this class is 

 some of the various preparations of 

 bone. It is common to apply bone meal 

 as a fertilizer, but being . only slowly 

 available it is not to be unreservedly 

 recommended, as it is to supply immedi- 

 ate wants that we require in a fertilizer. 

 Superphosphate of lime is the best to 

 recommend and is made by the treating 

 of either bone or some mineral phosphate 

 with sulphuric acid, thereby causing a 

 reduction of the tricalcic phosphate into 

 a monocalcic which is readily soluble in 

 water and which can be taken up by the 

 plants. All th*bone products are valu- 

 able as phosphatie fertilizers but in com- 

 parison with the superphosphate are slow 

 in action. 



Of the fertilizers used to increase the 

 quantity of potash in the soil the one 

 with ■ which I am best acquainted is 

 kainit, having used this in conjunction 

 with basic slag as a slayer of ell-worm. 

 But as to results, as far as this is con- 

 cerned I am not prepared to state. One 

 individual remarked the kainit tickled 

 their tails and the basic slag chocked the 

 ell-worms when they laughed. This is 

 by the way. The manure is of consid- 

 erable value, containing about twenty- 

 five per cent of potash and is the base of 

 sulphate of potash, which when pure 

 contains fifty-four per cent. 



Wood ashes are very commonly used 

 as a means of supplying potash, but may 

 be made of much greater value by mix- 

 ing with organic matter and lime. Dur- 

 ing the decomposition nitric acid is 

 formed, which combines with the lime. 

 This again is decomposed by the car- 

 bonate of potassium (wood ashes) form- 

 ing the nitrate. The whole mixture forms 

 an excellent fertilizer. 



In giving the various staple products 

 offered as manures, I do not wish to 

 imply that other chemical manufactures 



are .not of value, for many are perfect, 

 while none of those mentioned in this 

 paper, probably excepting some of the 

 fish refuse manures, could in themselves 

 be considered to contain all the require- 

 ments of a plant food. It is only by 

 the use of combinations that perfection 

 can be obtained. As an example, liquid 

 manure only containing nitrogen in solu- 

 tion, it is necessary to add phosphate to 

 produce the greatest benefit. In fact, 

 nitrogenous manures cannot be so readily 

 taken up, if the soil does not contain 

 phosphate in some quantities. 



It is only by attention to the experi- 

 mental side of the subject that we can 

 become conversant with what is most re- 

 quired by the different plants and also 

 by the various soils at one's disposal. A 

 grower having a clay loam to work upon 

 would not need to add potash, except 

 under exceptional circ^umstances, while 

 one with a sandy loam would derive con- 

 siderable benefit therefrom. 



In conclusion, as florists we do not 

 take sufQcient interest in the chemical 

 composition of our working apparatus 

 and if all are as ignorant of the sub- 

 ject of fertilizers as I find myself upon 

 tackling this paper I would suggest that 

 a course of lectures be delivered at the 

 various clubs during the winter, thereby 

 elevating the status of the profession 

 above the grubber of soil. 



Frankfort, Ky. — Henry Krebs has 

 rented the greenhouses of E. C. Henry 

 and will continue the business. 



HOW TO GROW NEPHROLEPIS. 



[A paper by Joseph Bennett, of Montreal, 

 read before the Canadian Horticultural Society 

 lit the Montreal convention, August 8 to 10, 

 1905.] 



I suppose this question refers to the 

 varieties of nephrolepis that we florists 

 grow for sale, and commonly known as 

 the sword or Boston fern and its sports. 

 I do not pretend to be an expert on this 

 question, but will tell you how I gener- 

 ally grow them. 



In the first place, if you want to get 

 up a stock, plant out some on a 

 bench and let all the runners grow. You 

 can get a large number of young plants 

 from 100 square feet of bench. Use any 

 ordinary soil with some grit or sand in 

 it. Three inches of soil on the bench 

 is quite sufficient. Don 't shade the plants 

 unless the glass is bad, and then as lit- 

 tle as possible. If planted early in the 

 spring you will soon get a lot of runners 

 large enough to take off and replant in 

 another bench, or pots if desired. 



Having young stock ready, you must 

 make up your mind whether you will re- 

 plant in a bench or put in pots. If you 

 use the bench just plant as at first, shade 

 for a few days, and keep all runners cut 

 off. By the first of September they 

 should be ready to pot, and you can then 

 make up different sizes by putting some 

 singly in pots and some two or three 

 plants together, according to sizes 

 wanted. I think bench plants should be 

 potted not later than the first week in 

 September, in order to give them a good 



Wm. Fendley. 



(President Elect Canadian Hort. AsHOciiition.) 



