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August 16, 1906. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



761 



condition in spite of repeated waterings, 

 but precaution should be taken against 

 Its souring also. All weed seeds, worms, 

 insects, fungous spores and other ob- 

 jectionable matter should be destroyed or 

 killed by exposure to strong heat. 



Although elaborate to a degree almost 

 British, a mixture in the following pro- 

 portion has given invariably good re- 

 sults: One bushel new soil made of well 

 rotted sod from medium to light land, 

 one peck le^f-mold or rotted peat, a 

 6-inch potful of finely broken, not pul- 

 verized, charcoal, the same of clean, 

 coarse sand, not gravel, and a double 

 handful of air-slaked lime; no manure 

 should be used. 



Pass the soil and leaf-mold through a 

 sieve of i^-inch mesh, mix all ingredients 

 and bake two hours in a quick oven. 

 When cool, sift again to reduce any 

 lumps which may form by the heating, 

 fill flats even full, press with a board to 

 firm the soil, leaving a level surface 

 about half an inch below the top edge 

 of the flat. 



Using one corner of a square stick six- 

 teen inches long, make eight or ten 

 V-shaped depressions or furrows about 

 one-quarter of an inch deep, running 

 lengthwise of the flat ; into these drop the 

 seeds about half an inch" apart, and cover 

 to a depth not to exceed four diameters 

 of the seed when the soil is firmed. Sown 

 at this rate, a flat of the dimensions 

 given will accommodate from 250 to 325 

 seeds, according to the number of rows. 



Place where the temperature does not 

 vary much from 70 degrees, also where 

 they cannot fail to come under daily 

 observation; but do not allow any drip 

 on them or do not place on a bench con- 

 taining soil. 



Water as occasion demands, keeping 

 the soil evenly moist but not sosdied. 

 An occasional slight stirring of the 

 soil between., the rows as soon as the 

 seedlings are well up, also the removal 

 of any mossy growth liable to appear 

 on the surface, will aid in keeping the 

 soil sweet, and will encourage sturdiness. 



Transplanting. 



By December or January the seedlings 

 should be large enough to prick out. 

 Remove the detachable side, cut midway 

 between the rows with a knife, when the 

 whole or part of a row as desired can be 

 taken out intact and the soil carefully 

 broken away without loss or injury to the 

 roots. 



Some plants of extra size might be put 

 at once into thumb pots, but experience 

 has shown that better results are ob- 

 tained, also less care and attention are 

 required, by transplanting all into similar 

 flats, keeping those of a size together to 

 encourage more even growth. 



Soil for this operation need not be 

 heated, but should consist of the same 

 ingredients as that used in sowing seed, 

 with the addition of a 4-inch pot of 

 finely ground sheep manure; or, if this 

 is not obtainable, use sod with which a 

 small amount of stable manure has been 

 incorporated when rotting. 



When pricked out, the geeillings should 

 stand about two inches apart each way, 

 and should be at 70 degrees as before. 



Subsequent treatment will be described 

 in an early issue. Geo. S. Osbokn. 



NOTES FROM ENGLAND. 



For many years past the Royal Sover- 

 eign strawberry, probably Messrs. Lax- 

 tons' greatest success in any new va- 

 riety, has been the great money maker 

 for the fruit growers in all parts of the 



ALL READY AT DAYTON 



United Kingdom. The only fault of this 

 valuable variety has been that it is more 

 liable to the attacks of mildew than any 

 other sort, and this year the disease has 

 had the best of the growers. 



I notice an inquiry in the Review of 

 July 5 as to whether lilies can be had in 

 bloom in first-rate condition in Novem- 

 ber, and a reply that November is the 

 most diflScult month of the year to get 

 liliums in bloom. This may be so in 

 America, but in England it is one of the 

 best blooming months for retarded longi- 

 florum and auratum. They would come 

 out of cold storage during the last week 

 in June, and would not have been in stor- 

 age more than about four months. That 

 time would hardly commence to affect 

 the bulbs so far as future successful 

 growth was concerned. It is when 

 liliums have to be kept in cold storage 

 until along in October, and are required 

 to bloom in February and March, that 

 the effect of cold storage is the worst. 

 One of the greatest points to observe 

 is to induce the bulbs to make ample 

 root growth before the top growth gets 

 many inches high, and in England this 

 is accomplished by covering the pots with 

 six or eight inches of dry straw and 

 standing them in a shady place outside, 

 unless a large and lofty house can be 

 spared during the growing period. This 

 forms an ideal place to grow retarded 



liliums, when heavily shaded during the 

 summer months. A small house, where 

 the atmosphere is confined, tends to make 

 the bulbs make too much top growth 

 before sufficient roots are formed, and 

 this is always at the expense of satisfac- 

 tory flowering. J. B. 



TROUBLE VITH SMILAX. 



I am having trouble with something 

 eating- the leaves on the young shoots 

 of smilax. It seems to be a small black 

 fly, as that is the only insect I can find 

 in the greenhouse. I have chrysanthe- 

 mums. Asparagus plumosus, Sprengeri 

 and some other plants in the same house, 

 all doing well. The smilax is the only 

 thing attacked. Could some one give a 

 remedy f M. B. F. 



I am not acquainted with any black fly 

 that troubles smilax. There is a worm 

 that is often troublesome. If it is a fly 

 or aphis, try successive fumigations with 

 tobacco dust, but not too strong, as the 

 tender growths are easily hurt. If that 

 does not do the trick, then fumigate 

 with hydrocyanic acid gas. W. S. 



Denver, Col.— F. L. Reid is starting 

 on plans for a $1,000 addition to his 

 range of houses on West Thirty-fifth 

 avenue. 



