J 208 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



.Makcii 22, 190G. 



degrees Avhile the greenliouse stays at 

 40 ilcgrcf'S to 50 degrees during 35 de- 

 grees Ik'Iow zero weather, both dwelling 

 and jirecnhouse being heated by the 

 saiii(> boiler? During the past severe 

 weatlier; both dwelling and greenhouse 

 kept :it the same temperature, 45 de- 

 grees. .Would you advise using a sep- 

 arate iLser for the dwelling, or change 

 the ]tresent 3-inch riser to a 3 '4-inch or 

 4-in(h riser? W. K. 



Jf you add fifty feet to the length of 

 your present greenhouse, making it 100 

 feet long, it should be provided with 

 about 740 square feet of radiation with 

 water at 180 degrees to maintain the 

 temperature you desire. This can be 

 provided by extending each of the 2- 

 inch branches of the riser to the distant 

 €nd of the house and there dividing to 

 return by six l^/^-inch returns on each 

 side. Tliis Avill give two 2-inch risers 

 the leiigth of the house and twelve l^/j- 

 inch returns, which will give the piping 

 desired. In the dwelling the space 

 heated is about 2,900 cubic feet, which 

 makes your present radiation about one 

 to thirty. It should, in my judgment, 

 be about one to twenty. If you add a 

 50-foot radiator, this will give the addi- 

 tional radiation necessary to heat the 

 room. L. C. C. 



SHOULD HAVE LARGER BOILER. 



I am building a house 27x100 feet 

 for carnations, seven feet two inches and 

 six feet to eaves and fourteen feet to 

 ridge. I will use two 2V4-inch flow- 

 pipes and ten 2-inch returns, placed 

 three each under north and south bench 

 and two under each of the two center 

 benches. Do you consider that plan 

 sufficient to maintain a temperature of 

 52 degrees, zero weather outside? My 

 boiler is a horizontal tubular, firebox in 

 one enrl, eight horse-power. Do you 

 think it large enough to heat above 

 bouse? A. K. W. 



I do not think you have sufficient 

 radiation in the house to maintain a 

 suitable temperature for carnations. 

 The house "should iiave about 1,000 

 square feet of radiation to maintain 60 

 degrees during severe weather; yon liave 

 proviiled aViout 750 square feet, which 

 leaves about 250 square feet to lie sup- 

 plied. You can undoubtedly keep frost 

 out in severe weather, but I believe it 

 would be safer and better to add four 

 more 2-inc}i returns, one under each 

 bench. Such an arrangement Avould add 

 24S square feet, and would make the 

 radiation about normal. The boiler in 

 question, if eight horse-power, is not 

 large enough for the house piped as 

 above suggested. A fifteen horse-power 

 boiler is about right. L. C. C. 



PERFECT HEATING SYSTEM. 



Since the publication of that little 

 piece about my system of heating, 

 February 22, I have received communica- 

 tions from so many that I again appeal 

 to you as a means of communication, 

 hoping that I will not burden you. 



My houses are small compared with 

 some estalilishnients. The tank and the 

 pipes flowing to and from the tank 

 should correspond in capacity or size to 

 the dimensions given in that issue. Have 

 the tank as near over boiler as possible, 

 with the bottom of tank ten feet above 

 the floor of tlie greenhouse; then con- 

 nect -^-inch pi])e to return, just before 

 it turns down to boiler. I^t this run 

 to top of tank, then run ^A-inch pipe 



from bottom of boiler to bottom of 

 tank, with check valve near boiler to 

 keep water from backing up when steam 

 is higher than weight of water in the 

 pipe. The bottom of the boiler should 

 be three or four feet lower than the 

 floor of the greenhouse. This will give 

 three or four pounds of steam pressure 

 and let the condensed steam return at 

 the same time. If the pressure runs 

 higher than four pounds the water will 

 just stay up in the tank till the pressure 

 slackens, then it will come to boiler. 

 This is a very simple arrangement and 

 easy to handle and no danger attached 

 to it if you keep your boiler to the high 

 gage with water. J. W. Perry. 



El Reno, Okla. 



COLEUS THYRSOIDEUS. 



When grown under the best conditions, 

 tills comparatively new plant forms one 

 of our most distinct and beautiful win- 

 ter-flowering subjects. Blue flowers are 

 extremely rare, compared with those of 

 some other colors, and consequently this 

 adds nuich to their value. Coleus 

 thyrsoideus I have seen grown under 

 many conditions, and in some cases one 

 would hardly believe it to be the same 

 ])lant, so varied has been the coloring 

 of the flowers. At its best, the color is 

 a beautiful blue, but treated under ad- 

 verse conditions the plants present a 

 poor, weedy appearance, and the flowers 

 are strikingly poor. 



lake other coleuses, this is one of the 

 easiest plants possible to cultivate, as it 

 strikes roots most readily, and grows 

 rampantly. A few notes concerning its 

 treatment may, says the Gardeners ' 

 Magazine, be of some service to any 

 who have been unsuccessful with it. 

 Though it is easily raised from seed, by 

 far the most satisfactory way is to in- 

 sert cuttings singly in small pots in 

 sandy compost during April and May, 

 or even later, and place in the forcing- 

 house. Immediately these are rooted, 

 arrange them on a shelf near the glass 

 in an intermediate house. Pinch out 

 the growing points and pot as required, 

 and during the summer and early au- 

 tumn the plants should be treated as 

 greenhouse rather than stove subjects, 

 giving them all the light and air pos- 

 sible, as the riper the wood becomes, and 

 tlie more sturdy the growth, the more 

 beautiful and intense will be the color- 

 ing of the flowers. 



As winter approaches remove the 

 plants to an intermediate house, a tem- 

 perature of about 55 degrees suiting 

 them admirably. At that season the 

 plants should be liberally fed with liquid 

 manure. Excellent plants for table 

 decoration may be grown in 5-inch and 

 6-inch pots by inserting good strong 

 points singly in 3-inch pots early in Au- 

 gust, potting them when ready, and 

 growing them in an intermediate house 

 on shelves. 



be hastened to completion for planting 

 to roses. 



KOKOMaS KAISERINS. 



W. W. Coles, of Kokomo, is famous 

 for his Kaiserins. For many years he 

 lias been growing blooms of this rose 

 which have been the envy of all who 

 liave seen them. One of the most un- 

 usual features is the fact that he has 

 l)een cutting from the same plants 

 grown under glass for thirteen years. 

 Only once in this long period have the 

 plants been replanted. This was last 

 autumn, and Mr. Coles says it was dur- 

 ing his absence in Europe, or he might 

 have let well enough alone awhile longer. 

 The result is tliat the blooms now being 

 cut are about tlie finest in the whole life 

 of the plants. They have taken a fresh 

 liold and are producing splendid flowers 

 on stems three and four feet long. The 

 prospect for a summer crop is some- 

 thing to give any grower joy. 



Mr. Coles has bought the material for 

 an extension of one house and for one 

 new structure. The extension will be 

 23x80 and will be devoted to carnations. 

 The new house will be 30x300 and will 



NUMBER OF BLOOMS PER PLANT. 



IIow many flowers per plant ought 

 each of the following roses to bear dur- 

 ing a season when grown as they should 

 be and given first-class cultivation : 

 American Beauty, Bride, Maid, Killar- 

 ney and Eichmond? 



Although seasons vary, what ought 

 each of the above varieties clear over all 

 expenses per square foot of bench? Also 

 what ought novelties in carnations and 

 standard varieties clear per square foot 

 of bench? I desire only some general 

 idea about the flowers mentioned, as- 

 suming that they are grown by expe- 

 rienced men who can put out first qualitv 

 cut flowers. E. S. B. " 



Roses which are planted early, having 

 a longer growing season in which to 

 form a plant before the harvest begins, 

 by reason of their greater strength, 

 more extended root area and greater 

 number of flower-bearing eyes, under the 

 .same treatment, will produce a much 

 Ijetter average, especially of firsts, 

 than those where planting has been de- 

 ferred till late in the season. 



If planted late in May or early in 



