March 28, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



I45J 



Tufa Stone Rockery in Conservatory of I. L, Ellwood, De Kalb, III. 



say it tlopends somewhat on tln> variety 

 and the young plant, too. Some va- 

 rieties, when they are topped, will break 

 from nearly every eye above the soil, 

 while others will break from only three 

 or four eyes, and you nmst top them ac- 

 cordingly. The tirst named should be 

 topped as high as possible without leav- 

 ing any eyes that will throw flow<'r 

 buds. These usually need not be topped 

 more than about twice to make fine 

 plants. The other kiiiil must not be 

 topped too high, as they always break 

 from the eyes nearest the end, and if 

 yon get too much stem below the body 

 of the plant it is likely to get top-heavy 

 and fall over before digging time. I'litil 

 you become familiar with your varieties 

 it would be advisalde to top all of them 

 about medium and then be guided in the 

 future by the way they break away this 

 time. Leave five or six joints al)ove the 

 soil. 



Some growers top all varieties as high 

 as possible, thinking it advantageous to 

 have considerable stem between the soil 

 and the crown of the plant. One argu- 

 ment is that it helps to prevent stem-rot, 

 but I do not agree with tliat theory. 

 You will find that when a plant breaks 

 from an eye below the surface the 

 growth Vjolow the surface will be the 

 same as that of the plant between the 

 roots and the surface, and it will not 

 decay like a branch that is cdvcred after 

 it is grown. 



As for stcin-rot. if the fungus is in 

 the soil and the atmosplnM-iir conditions 

 are right, it will attack the plants, and, 

 whether tlw sterns are hmy or short. 

 will make nu difl'cri'ncc. ( )n th<» other 

 hand, if the stems arc short, there is less 

 <langer of too deep planting, as the 

 plants will stainl np better. 



A. 1". J. li. 



TUFA STONE. 



Tufa is a material which has come to 

 be largely usetl for rockeii<>s. grottoes, 

 fouTitains and the like, wheie ;in irregu- 

 lar ('(feet is desired, a natural nv in- 

 formal etVect, in C(Uitrast to tlie icgnlar 

 and artificial. Tufa .stone is niainifac- 

 tured by the Tufa I ncrustatinu ( <>., ;m 

 'Jliio cdiicern, and is shi]>pec| in any de- 



sired (piantity, being easily placed in 

 position by any builder or gardener. 

 The accompanying illustrati(Ui was pre- 

 pared from a photograph made in the 

 con.servatory of Isaac l-lllwood. the 

 b:!rbed-\vii'e magnate, at 1 )e Kalli. HI. 

 This rockery was built by I'robst A: 

 < "hristianson. the horticultural build(>rs. 

 who are the side western agents fer tufa 

 stone. 



BY A GROWER. 



I know, liliie. iiiixlcst vinlots. 



iJIcaiiiini; wilh dew at uiorii 

 I kiiDW tlu' place .vmi conu' fivmi. 



Anil the wa.v tliat .vim are born I 



When <;oil cut holes In liejiven - 



The liiiJeK the stars liwik Ihicnmh- 



Ile let the scraps fall ilowii t.. earth: 

 The little scraps aie }<pii. 



PLANTS FOR FRAMES. 



Wliat is the best manure ;ind what 

 kind iif fertilizer slmuld 1 use en the 

 gl'nUIIij fill' violets tn be M't out this 

 spring.' Tliey will becnxered willi ciWd 

 frames in tlie ;mtimin. Which make the 

 best plants, the new runners ur tlic 

 crowns.' W'h.at is the best w;:\' tn keep 

 dnwii red spider.' .).' r. W . 



There is nnthiny better t'nr vinlets. m 

 till' way of fertilizer, than well iMited 

 cnw manure. ()f cmirse it' it ie;div is 

 im|>(issible ill |iriicnre this, we would 

 use well-rotted horse manure, but it 

 must be well rotted; for instance, smdi 

 as has been used in hotbeils and the 

 heat all s|iciit. and in fine. <;ood, work 

 ing comlilioii. .1. 1'. \V. docs not s.-iy 

 what kind of soil he has, but the chances 

 are that when ho is spreading his ma- 

 luire a dustiny of lime would be bene- 



ficial, as would also m little salt, say 

 about a j)int to .•( l.tisiiid of manure. 

 This helps to fine the tnaiuire and kills 

 the white yruljs tliat breed in the ma- 

 nure. Xcw rnnners are preferred, b.v 

 all menus. Note our remarks only a 

 .short time ago. Hut it is getting late in 

 the season, so that if you have not al- 

 I'cady w(u-ked uji your stock you may 

 lia\e to di\ide the clowns. 



The best way. by far. to kee[) down 

 red s|iider is not to let it get a foothold, 

 as it takes time, as \m'I1 as lots of water 

 sprayed on with force, to eradicate the 



pest \\hen oiicc it yets cstablisliecl. And. 

 too, it is so iiiiii'li li.-'ider to do in frames 

 than where yon yrow your \ inlets in the 

 house. 1{. E. S. 



TEACHING HORTICULTURE. 



I'nd'essor L. II. Uailey, director of the 

 Agricultural Department of Cornell I'lii- 

 \ersity. has been giviny some excellent 

 tidvice on the allimportant ijiiestion of 

 training young men who intend engaging 

 in horticultural jiursiiits. Speaking at 

 ;i meeting of hort iculturist.s, he said that 

 ' * the time is [last when mere expository 

 work — instruction by means of lectures 

 and books -is suftiident to meet the de- 

 mands. The botanist and the chemist no 

 |on;^er teach by lectiiics and literary 

 means alone; they have i.-iboratories in 

 which the students work tor themselves 

 and develop their own experience. 



"'The iiiu'ticiilturists also teach by lab- 

 oratory Work, but we lia\e not yet como 

 to a fill! reali/.atioii of the ciuupetent 

 horticultural laboratory. Ir is useful to 

 li;i\e laboratory exercises mi grafting, 

 pfopaeat ion and on pniiuiio- aii<l sjirav- 

 ing. and snnie of the operations of plant 



lileeijiiiw; but these ;ii(ii|i' ;ue illeidetl- 



tal. ai;d they really tiitje wiiji a great 

 subject. The ial'oratoiy Work should 



cover tlie wiiole tl ry and process of the 



given art. In the pomological division 

 it should be a laboratory of. sav. fiftv 

 acres of actual orchards, in which all 

 ph.ases of the work, fri'in start to finish, 

 may be in natural o|,eratioii; and if 

 these jiliases caiiiint be tMiiglit at the 

 time of yea'' when the ^tiuhnts are in 

 tlie habit ot' coniine to cidleee. Ilie time 

 of i-oiiiine sjidiilil lie ehaneed. for the sea- 

 sons and the ep'iatioiis that follow the 



