

October 25. 1006. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



1473 



Beauty House, MeUirie Ridge Nursery Co., Planted Two Months. 



offering them for sale, transmit to the 

 minister of inland revenue a sample of 

 the fertilizer, together with a state- 

 ment setting forth the nature of the 

 materials which enter into its composi- 

 tion and the manufacturer's certificate 

 of analysis of such fertilizer. This 

 sample is submitted to the chief analyst 

 for analysis, and shall be preserved by 

 the department for the purpose of com- 

 parison with any samples of the fertil- 

 izers of that brand which may be col- 

 lected during the next twelve months. 



If the fertilizer is put up in packages 

 every package shall have the certificate 

 of analysis placed upon or attached to 

 it; if it is sold in bulk, such certificate 

 shall be produced and a copy given to 

 every purchaser. Every certificate shall 

 also contain a statement of the nature 

 of the materials entering into the com- 

 position of the fertilizer. In this way 

 the government obliges the seller to 

 stamp the percentage composition on 

 his goods, and seeks to see to it that the 

 goods are kept up to the standard. 



Home Mixtures Sometimes Best. 



It may often occur that home mix- 

 tures of fertilizers can be made which 

 will better meet the requirement of the 

 particular soils and crops under cultiva- 

 tion than any mixture that can be pro- 

 cured on the market. Eeliable authori- 

 ties have estimated that the charges of 

 the manufacturers and dealers are, on 

 the average, $8.50 per ton. It is evident 

 that this, together with the extra freight 

 on and cost of handling the make-weight 

 substances commonly added, would leave 

 a fair margin to pay for labor involved 

 in making the mixture at home. The 

 offal from our pork-packing houses, if 

 properly ground, could well be used as 

 the basis of many of such mixtures. As 

 it is, practically all of this valuable fer- 

 tilizer is shipped out of the country, 

 where it is ground, mixed with other 

 substances, rebagged, and much of it 

 finds its way back into this country 

 under the name of many special brands 

 of fertilizers. 



From the few points mentioned in 

 connection with the subject of fertiliz- 

 ers, it is evident that a man must have 



an intimate knowledge of the require- 

 ments of his soil and crops and the va- 

 rious kinds of fernlizers on the markets 

 before he can hope to use commercial 

 fertilizers economically. They have a 

 place with the florist and in agriculture 

 in general; but it is as an adjunct, and 

 they should be used only after every 

 care has been taken to get the best re- 

 sults from the farmyard manure, and in 

 conjunction with most thorough cultiva- 

 tion. 



AIR-PLANTS AND AQUATICS. 



Will you tell me something about air- 

 plants and vines: their names, habits, 

 etc.; also something of the water-vines? 



J. C. B. 



So-called air-plants are plants which 

 live upon other plant tissues, though 

 deriving their moisture and a large part 



of their nourishment from the air. They 

 are truly orchids, and belong to the class- 

 known as epiphytal orchids. There are 

 many species of plants belonging to this- 

 group with varied habits, some with al- 

 most no foliage, others with broad,, 

 fleshy leaves and with blossoms varying, 

 quite as markedly as do the leaves. 



The so-called resurrection plants are 

 very curious, because, seemingly dry anti 

 dead, they can be brought to life. Of 

 these, the rose of Jericho, Anastaticai 

 Hierochuntica, which means resurrection! 

 plant, is one of the most interesting.. 

 The dried stems and fruits are the parts 

 of this annual which are of special in- 

 terest. As the plant matures, the leaves 

 fall off, the stems dry and roll up, form- 

 ing, as it were, a ball, inside of whichj 

 the seeds are held. These balls become- 

 loosened from the ground in their natrve- 

 country, are blown about by the wind/ 

 much as are tumble weeds in the west- 

 ern states. They are very hygroscopic, 

 and when put in a moist place take up 

 enough moisture to cause them to unroll 

 and assume a normal plantlike form. The 

 bird's-nest moss, of Mexico, is attractive 

 because it does much the same thing,, 

 but when given proper treatment andi 

 suitable conditions, growth may actuaUj- 

 be revived. This plant is known as 

 Selaginella lepidophylla. Another plant, 

 sometimes also called rose of Jericho, is 

 Asteriscus pygmaeus. 



The one aquatic that will probably be 

 worth attention is the parrot's feather, 

 Myciophyllum proserpinacoides, a half- 

 hardy plant from Chile, frequently usecJ 

 in drinking fountains, aquaria, globes, 

 etc. It can also be used in hanging bas- 

 kets, if a little mud is placed in the 

 bottom and the surface continually kept 

 covered with water. The plumelike M- 

 liage will grow up and fall gracefully 

 over the edge of the basket. L. C. C- " 



Baltimore, Md. — Edwin A. Seidewit? 

 has leased the entire first floor of 323 

 North Charles street for a flower store. 



Oklahoma City, Okla.— Edward S. 

 Johnson, of Colorado Springs, Colo., has 

 been here in the interest of his firm, the 

 Pike's Peak Floral Co., who are doing a 

 wholesale business. 



Asparagus, Cochet Roses and Munu at Papworth's. 



