OCTOBBB'18, 1006. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



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In the Retail Store of A. H. Schneider, Oak Park, UL 



but this 18 usually at the sacrifice of 

 more or less glass, as the breakage is 

 usually greater in the house constructed 

 in this manner. 



Ventilation* . 



Continuous ventilation on both sides 

 of the ridge gives the best results. If 

 one places top ventilators one light apart, 

 there is more space for air to be ad- 

 mitted than if the sashes are continuous, 

 but there is also more liability of a 

 draught. Side ventilation, while desir- 

 able for violets or cool plants, is in de- 

 creasing demand for use. in carnation 

 growing. 



Material Important 



The durability of the woodwork in a 

 greenhouse depends on the wood, the 

 method and thoroughness of drying, the 

 manner of applying tne lirst coat of 

 paint, the manner in which joints are 

 made, and the thoroughness with which 

 it is kept painted after erection. Red 

 gulf cypress, from the swampy southern 

 states, stands the test of durability in 

 greenhouse construction better than any 

 other wood. This, however, must be 

 free f Jj^pi sap^ af d should be thorouguiy 

 air-drieat". •"■'*''• "iKi^y, 



To insure the oeSrYesults, the first coat 

 of paint should be applied to the wood- 

 work by dipping, rather than by paint- 

 ing it with a brush, for in the dipping 

 process the wood absorbs several times 

 the amount of oil that is retained in the 

 grain by the other processes. This gives 

 a durability and a foundation for fu- 

 ture coats of paint that cannot be se- 

 cured in any other way. 



Milling and construction should be 

 such that there will be as little chance 

 of water lodging at joints as possible. 



The purchasing of glass, putty and 

 white lead for paint to be used after the 

 priming coat, are matters to be as care- 

 fully looked into as any other part of 

 the construction. If a poor grade of any 

 of these is used, they may materially 

 affect the dividends of the florists ' busi- 

 ness. 



There is hq class, of building Qonstnjc- 



tion exposed to more trying conditions 

 than a greenhouse; consequently there is 

 every reason for making the structure 

 as durable as possible consistent with a 

 reasonable outlay. The majority of suc- 

 cessful florists, if they have not pre- 

 viously built of a durable construction, 

 are fast learning that a small additional 

 cost for durable members in the con- 

 struction pays them a large percentage 

 on their investment. I have seen many 

 florists kept from deserved advancement, 

 because of the constant outlay for re- 

 pairs on buildings erected in what at the 

 time seemed an inexpensive manner. 



THE READERS' CX)RNER. 



More About Cyanide* 



Concerning the article in the Rbiview, 

 on cyanide gas for plant fumigation, 

 Mr. Summey calls attention to one of 

 the important points in the use of chem- 

 ically-pure cyanide. By using this grade, 

 one ounce, by weight, two liquid ounces 

 of sulphuric acid, with three or three 

 and one-half liquid ounces of water, 

 forms a proper combination, as found 

 by considerable experiment on the Pa- 

 cific coast, where we are using tons of 

 the material successfully. An additional 

 amount of water retards combustion, 

 thus forming gas more slowly. I find 

 that an essential point in the use of 

 cyanide is that it must be used at night 

 to avoid burning. Another important 

 point is to have plants as dry as pos- 

 sible. Moisture on the foliage is in- 

 jurious, causing the plants to absorb 

 the gas, rendering it less effective upon 

 the insects. Moisture in the air has 

 a similar effect. O. M. M. 



It is peculiar that, while so many 

 florists are anxious to obtain informa- 

 tion regarding the use of cyanide, few 

 seem to be aware of the valuable bul- 

 letins on this subject issued by the De- 

 partment df Agriculture in Washington. 

 In Bulletin No. 27, Department of En- 

 tomology, is given detailed instruction 



as to its use and management; and if 

 the instructions are carefully followed 

 out, there will be no disappointment in 

 the results. Much stUl remains to be 

 learned, as the results seem to be more 

 or less influenced by surrounding con- 

 ditions, such as presence or absence of 

 light, varying temperatures and de- 

 grees of humidity in the houses, the 

 stage of growth of the various plants, 

 etc., but for all practical purposes the 

 fumigation will be found satisfactory if 

 done as advised in the bulletin. 



I have used cyanide for several yean 

 with success. The first year was about 

 1900, and some experiments carried out 

 then proved its value in the destruction 

 of San Jose scale. Later I used it on 

 double violets to kill black aphis, using 

 at the rate of fifteen one-hundredths of 

 a gram (twenty-eight grams equal one 

 ounce) per cubic foot; single violets at 

 ten one-hundredths per cubic foot. The 

 amount used for the double varieties 

 will burn the foliage of the single. 



Last winter a peach and apricot house, 

 badly infested with San Jose scale and 

 red closer mite, was treated with two 

 very heavy doses, the result being that 

 they are now absolutely clean and 

 healthy, though last year, when I first 

 saw the trees, several branches were 

 dead and others dying. 



I do not believe that roses will stand 

 a suflSciently strong fumigation to kill 

 any of the insects injurious to them. 



Tomato and cucumber vines will stand 

 without injury a sufficient strength to 

 destroy white fly or to stupefy them so 

 that they will drop oflf the leaves, when 

 they can be washed away by the hose. 

 The actual amount I used for this was 

 not more than five one-hundredths of a 

 gram per cubic foot. 



Now a gram, being only one twenty- 

 eighth part of an ounce, is a very small 

 amount, and T find it difficult to get 

 men to understand that a pinch or two 

 of the cyanide may mean death to the 

 plants; so, if the florist is unable to 

 make these accurate measurements him- 





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