Jolt 18, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



IS 



■ ■ , I 



Table of Rotes Exhibited at Newport, July 9 and 10, 1907, by Colin Robertson. 



Lager & Hurrell were also awarded a 

 like gratuity. 



Paul Volquardson was awarded a 

 bronze medal for a new rose, Grass an 

 Zabern, and a certificate of merit for 

 another new rose, Trier. 



The judges were John T. Allan, Daniel 

 Coughlan and Alexander MacLellan. All 

 the visitors and the more prominent of 

 the exhibitors, with the judges, dined at 

 the Perry House just before the judges 

 entered upon their labors. 



Max. Reilly. 



VHALE OIL SOAP. 



What is the best way to prepare whale 

 oil soap, for spraying? A Beiader. 



To prepare whale oil soap for spray- 

 ing purposes, take one pound of the 

 soap and slice it into shavings; add one 

 gallon of water and boil until it is dis- 

 solved, stirring briskly. From ten to 

 twenty gallons of water can then be 

 added, or according to the strength de- 

 sired. BiBES. 



BACTERIOSIS OF GERANIUMS. 



In the annual report of the Massachu- 

 setts Agricultural College, George E. 

 Stone writes as follows: 



* * In a previous publication of this sta- 

 tion (tenth annual report. Hatch Ex- 

 periment Station) a short note was made 

 of a bacterial disease of geraniums oc- 

 curring in this state. Since that time 

 we have made yearly observations on the 

 prevalence of this disease in various sec- 

 tions. It has appeared every year since 

 it was first noted here in 1898, and has 

 also been reported from various other 

 sections of the United States within re- 

 cent years. 



"Our observations have shown that it 

 has frequently been abundant and gen- 

 erally distributed, so much so at times 

 that gardeners have been more or less 

 concerned about it. We have also no- 

 ticed this disease in greenhouses each 

 year, it having apparently been brought 

 in with outdoor stock, although it does 

 not appear to be serious under glass. Our 

 observations have shown that the trouble 

 is more frequently found on plants ex- 



posed to bright sunshine than on those 

 growing in shade, and is evidently more 

 severe farther south, where the light is 

 more intense than in Massachusetts. Gera- 

 niums require comparatively little light 

 for their best development, and a strong 

 light may favor the development of this 

 disease. 



* * The disease affects the leaves, caus- 

 ing spots to appear on them. The spots 

 are often numerous and sometimes coa- 

 lesce, which causes the diseased por- 

 tions to dry up and turn brown. The 

 spots are about one-eighth of an inch in 

 diameter, and resemble blisters. No 

 other portion of the plant is affected. 

 Examination of a large number of dis- 

 eased sections shows only a few bacteria 

 present in the tissues except in those 

 cells bordering on the outer portions of 

 the spots. 



"The geranium is a very hardy plant, 

 and one of the freest from disease. No 

 attempt has been made to treat this 

 disease, to our knowledge, and should it 

 become more troublesome some remedy 

 for it will have to be discovered." 



THE READERS' CDRNER. 



Thrips in the South. 



We hear of more thrips in the south 

 every year, and this year the pest is 

 causing us a great deal of trouble. We 

 use compost from the cow lot, and in the 

 soil heap we find an abundance of 

 thrips, which we are unable to get rid 

 of except by sterilizing the soil. If 

 anyone knows of any other remedy, we 

 should like to be informed about it. We 

 can keep it in check in the houses by a 

 constant use of tobacco extracts. We 

 think the thrips that we find in the soil 

 is the same refined gentleman that saps 

 the delicate petals of the flowers. Are 

 we correct! Boses in the field have been 

 almost a failure in this section on ac- 

 count of this pest. J. L. O'QuiNN. 



Making Flat Bunches. 



In the Beview of June 27 I saw the 

 picture illustrating how to hold and 

 make flat bunches. Well, I wish to 

 state that I find it much handier and a 



saving of time to use florists ' wire. 

 Start your bunch as you always do, 

 and don't keep on winding, but lay a 

 doz^n or more carnations flat and 

 fasten them with wire tied underneath. 

 You will find that you have made your 

 bunch in less time and also that you 

 have made it more firmly and much 

 more conveniently than if holding a 

 spool of thread in your hand while do- 

 ing the work. Mes. Frank Floto. 



VERBENAS. 



With clean, healthy stocks to start 

 with, there is little diflSculty in growing 

 verbenas, but like many other easily 

 grown plants, they may be spoiled by 

 a little neglect or injudicious treatment. 

 Some seen in the market are grown sin- 

 gly, being stopped until they have formed 

 bushy plants, but they may be got into 

 flower earlier by growing five or six 

 plants in each pot, and most of these 

 that have been coming into the market 

 this season have been treated in this 

 manner. 



I find some growers fail to keep ver- 

 benas well through the winter, says a 

 writer in the Horticultural Advertiser. 

 When I had to keep up a collection of 

 named sorts, I grew late struck cuttings, 

 potting them into large pots, and keeping 

 all flowers cut off; and I have also 

 propagated from cuttings in August, but 

 the older plants are the most reliable. 

 They may be left in the open as long as 

 it is safe, and when they are taken in, a 

 shelf up close to the glass in a cool 

 house is the best position to keep them 

 through the winter. I have seen many 

 failures through giving too much warmth 

 during the autumn. Put into warmth in 

 January, they will soon give good cut- 

 tings, and once get a start plenty of 

 stronger cuttings may bo had from the 

 top. With such vigorous growing sorts 

 as Miss Willmott, propagating may be 

 begun in December, but there is not much 

 gained by being in too great a hurry. 

 During the early stages young plants may 

 be grown on in warmth, but for flower- 

 ing they must have plenty of light and 

 air; under shade the flowers fail to 

 open. Soil is not of such great- impor- 

 tance; good loam with a liberal addi- 



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