n34 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



MA.BCH 16, 1906. 



Y^etable Forcing. 



A GROWER for the London market 

 writes that "the beautiful little Golden 

 Queen lettuce is pre-eminently the one 

 for frame culture among cabbage vari- 

 eties during the winter and early spring 

 months, and until such time as lettuce 

 can be obtained from the open borders. 

 It is of a light straw color, without 

 the least suspicion of coarseness in the 

 leaves, and practically the whole plant is 

 fit for salad. It is a variety that hearts 

 quickly, and it may be said to be all 

 heart, firm and solid, almost like a 

 ball. The plants are also most even in 

 growth. ' ' 



VEGETABLE MARKETS. 



Chicago, March 14. — Leaf lettuce, 35c 

 to 45c case; head lettuce, $3 to $6 bbl. ; 

 tomatoes, $3 to $5.50 case; cucumbers, 

 50c to $2 doz. 



New York, March 12. — Boston cucum- 

 bers. No. 1, $1.50 to $1.75 doz.; No. 2, 

 $4 to $8 case; head lettuce, 35c to 65c 

 doz.; radishes, $2 to it>^.50 100 bunches; 

 mushrooms, 15c to 50c lb.; tomatoes, 20c 

 to 40c lb. ; mint, 40c to 60c doz. bunches. 



Boston, Mass., March 12. — Cucum- 

 bers, $4 to $12 box; lettuce, 25c to 50c 

 uoz.; mint, 60c doz.; radishes, $1.50 to 

 $2 box; hothouse spinach, 75c box; pars- 

 ley, $1.50 to $1.75 box; tomatoes, 45c to 

 50c lb. ; mushrooms, $1.50 to $2 per four- 

 pound box; rhubarb, 5c to 6c lb.; bunch 

 beets, $1 doz. 



PLANTING TOMATOES. 



We have in our greenhouse a solid bed 

 six feet two inches wide. We wish to 

 plant with tomatoes. Could we plant 

 three rows of plants in the bed, "stag- 

 gering" them, or would they be too 

 close? How far apart should they bet 

 W. C. 



Your room is pretty limited for three 

 rows, but I believe you can accommo- 

 date that number by planting as you 

 suggest and allowing eighteen inches be- 

 tween the plants in the rows. By train- 

 ing to single stem, suflScient light ought 

 to reach the center row to give it a fair 

 show. As a rule we plant fourteen inches 

 apart, but at this distance in your case 

 the center row would be too much shad- 

 ed. W. S. Croydon. 



MUSHROOMS UNDER GLASS. 



I have a range of six houses; five, 

 20x100 feet and one 30x60 feet, at pres- 

 ent occupied with roses, carnations and 

 miscellaneous plants. These houses wih 

 have to be torn down and rebuilt in an- 

 other year; in fact, owing to their con- 

 dition, we ought not to have used them 

 this winter as the sash bars are decaying 

 and the glass slipping. The windy 

 weather has caused us a great deal of 

 trouble this winter in maintaining a safe 

 temperature. I have decided not to op- 

 erate the plant another winter for plants 

 and cut flowers, and will not be ready 

 to rebuild until the spring of 1907. I 

 am trying to decide on the best use to 

 which to put these houses the coming 

 year. I shall fill most of the houses with 

 chrysanthemums this coming summer, as 

 we were very successful with them the 

 past year. I wondered if mushrooms 

 would not be the best crop to grow to 

 follow chrvsanthemums. 



Would the following plan be practi- 

 cal ? I thought of covering the entire 

 glass surface with muslin or cloth, treat- 

 ed with some waterproof solution. It 

 occurred to me this would insure the 

 houses being tight, would prevent any 

 drip and would keep the houses warm. 

 I would plant the spawn in the regular 

 carnation and rose beds. The muslin 

 might be made more opaque by means of 

 some coloring matter, thus excluding the 

 light. The houses are heated by steam. 

 Now, will some one versed in mushroom 

 culture tell me if this plan is practi- 

 cal? H. G. W. 



I don't see why your plan shouldn't 

 work. Would tar paper not be better 

 than muslin? It would serve the pur- 

 pose as regards keeping out wet and cold 

 better and also give you the necessary 

 darkness. Darkness is not absolutely 

 necessary to the growth of mushrooms, 

 but when exposed to light they have a 

 darker color and don't take the market 

 so well. I would not think that the dif- 

 ference in cost would be much between 

 the two materials. W. S, Croydon. 



COMMERQAL GUANO. 

 As the Peruvian guano beds are ex- 



Ferdinand Boulon. 



hausted, what brand of commercial guano 

 is the best and where can it be bought? 



W. E. B. 



There are several brands of commer- 

 cial guano made, but I don't think it 

 would be quite fair to recommend here any 

 one brand over another. Probably you 

 might get some information among your 

 intimate friends; if not, try two or three 

 of the brands and prove them for your- 

 self. Most seed stores of any size han- 

 dle it, and there are several companies 

 which sell this line of goods, some of 

 which will no doubt have agents some- 

 where in your locality. 



W. S. Croydon. 



DESTRUCTION OF ANTS' NESTS. 



The following method of destroying 

 ants' nests with bisulphide of carbon is 

 recommended: Make a hole eight to 

 twelve inches deep in the nest, or two 

 linlcs if the nest be very large, by means 



of a stick or iron bar. Pour into these 

 holes two ounces of bisulphide of car- 

 bon, and immediately cover the holes 

 with earth. The bisulphide of carbon 

 will vaporize, and its fumes will kill the 

 ants. The work should be carried out 

 at night or towards the close of the 

 day, but under np circumstances must a 

 naked light be brought near the bisul- 

 phide of carbon or an explosion will 

 occur. Care must also be taken by the 

 operator not to breathe the fumes, and 

 if these two points be borne in mind the 

 use of the material is both safe and 

 effective. If an ants' nest should be 

 found alongside a valuable plant, the 

 bisulphide of carbon must be applied so 

 that the liquid does not touch the roots 

 of the plant. 



SEA CLIFF, N. Y. 



Death of F. Boulon. 



On March 6 pneumonia claimed the 

 life of Ferdinand Boulon, one of the 

 best known men in the trade on Long 

 Island. Mr. Boulon was born in France 

 in 1841. At an early age he entered the 

 nurseries of Andre Leroy, at Angers. 

 Later he for a time had charge of some 

 of the noted places in his native country. 

 After working for a short period at his 

 profession in Africa and in Europe, in- 

 cluding the establishment of Van Houtte 

 in Belgium, he came to the United States 

 in 1881, starting in business at Home- 

 stead, N. J. Later he took charge of 

 Dosoris, the famous estate of Charles A. 

 Dana. 



In 1884 Mr. Boulon purchased prop- 

 erty at Sea Cliff, L. I., and there found- 

 ed the Sea Cliff Nurseries. The estab- 

 lishment now includes fifteen green- 

 houses. Mr. Boulon planned and laid 

 out many of the beautiful estates in that 

 locality. Mr. Boulon was an expert 

 plantsman. He was famed for many 

 specialties, and as a violet grower had 

 few equals. 



Mr. Boulon leaves a widow, two sons, 

 Ferdinand, the junior member of the 

 firm, and Paul; and one daughter. 



CHICAGO PREMIUM LIST. 



The preliminary list of premiums for 

 the annual autumn exhibition of the 

 Horticultural Society of Chicago has 

 been issued. Incorporated with it is 

 the calendar oi the exhibition. The 

 most notable change is that a six-day 

 exhibition is provided for, opening on 

 Monday and closing Saturday night> To 

 carry a show for such a time it has been 

 necessary to arrange the premium list for 

 fresh exhibits for each o-y; otherwise 

 the show would not only wane in inter- 

 est but the condition of the exhibits in 

 the later days would be anything but at- 

 tractive. 



Last year's great financial success has 

 emboldened the society to add consider- 

 ably to the premium list, the total sum 

 carried being close to $5,000. In a large 

 number of classes something has been 

 added to the premiums and in many 

 cases they have been much enhanced in 

 value. There are four classes for 100 

 blooms of chrysanthemums, with three 

 premiums, aggregating $100 in each 

 class. The rose premiums have been in- 

 creased. For 100 Beauties premiums of 

 $100, $75, $50 and $25 are offered. For 

 100 Liberty or Richmond the sums are 

 $35, $25 and $12. Other classes for 

 100 will receive $25, $12 and $8. Vases 

 of 100 Beauties arranged for effect wil> 



