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The Weekly Florists' Rcviewi 



Sbptemdek 19, 1907. 



ferns with cut flowers, but if the cus- 

 tomer insists on asparagus, then charge 

 extra for it. 



Educate (he Public. 



One question that might be raised is, 

 can asparagus and smilax be sold profit- 

 ably, cheaper than at present! The larg- 

 est and most extensive growers of these 

 greens tell us that the present price is 

 as low as these can be sold for and leave 

 a fair margin. It is, therefore, up to 



the retailer to educate the public to eith- 

 er one system or the other. Either charge 

 a price so as to be able to put in the 

 green, or make it a rule to charge extra 

 for the green. Which system is the best 

 is a question that has many debatable 

 points, each system having its advan- 

 tages and disadvantages. One thing, 

 however, I do know — that the retail 

 florist who gives the asparagus and smi- 

 lax gratis uses the most; does he sell the 

 most cut flowers t 



STEM-ROT. 



I am growing carnations of many va- 

 rieties and have been troubled with stem- 

 rot to a great extent. I have lost 4,000 

 plants this summer and am still losing 

 them. Enchantress is the most affected. 

 I have never before had. any disease 

 among these plants. I had them in pots 

 and did not lose any. They did not 

 start to die until they were extra large 

 plants. There is plenty of lime in the 

 field and I have been giving the plants a 

 good deal of lime since they were in the 

 benches, but have not yet succeeded in 

 checking the trouble. F. J. B. 



It is frequently diflScult to advise in 

 case of stem-rot trouble, as it is brought 

 on in so many different ways. The fact 

 that your soil contains considerable lime 

 is no guarantee against stem-rot. While 

 your soil will likely be naturally free 

 from fungus, yet the lime will not pre- 

 clude the possibility of its being intro- 

 duced in a number of ways. Then, again, 

 it may be present and lie dormant until 

 a heavy rain comes,™ followed by a spell 

 of hot, sultry weather. It may have 

 been introduced with the manure or it 

 may have been in the soil you brought 

 out with the young plants. In the house 

 the chances in its favor are all the great- 

 er, and during the first week the atmos- 

 pheric conditions are always highly 

 favorable to the disease. 



Dusting the plants and the soil with 

 lime and sulphur or grape dust is the 

 best remedy I know of. This is better 

 than spraying with fungicides, because 

 the lime and sulphur dry up, whereas 

 the liquids supply one of the chief ele- 

 ments the fungus requires to become ac- 

 tive, namely, moisture. Stirring the soil 

 frequently, to allow the air and sun to 

 penetrate, will also help considerably. 

 Bordeaux mixture and formalin, the lat- 

 ter used about 400 of clear water to one 

 of the solution, are about the best fungi- 

 cides we know of in the liquid class, and 

 may be resorted to in case of extremity. 

 When cool weather sets in, it will Vje 

 easier to check it. When you begin fir- 

 ing, paint one of your steam pipes with 

 a thick paint made of lime and sulphur, 

 in equal portions, and water. This should 

 not be made too strong, however, when 

 the crop is on, as it will cause the blooms 

 to fade. A good plan is to have on a 

 crack of air the first twenty-four hours. 

 By that time its strength will be some- 

 what spent. Plenty of ventilation should 

 always be supplied, however. 



You may also have planted too deep. 

 When mulching be sure you keep the ma- 

 terial away from the stems. Leave a 

 space about six inches in diameter 

 around each stem. A. F. J. B. 



and not at all unless good growing 

 weather prevails. I would break it up 

 as fine as possible, mix it with about six 

 times its bulk of soil and apply it to the 

 bench about a quarter inch thick. Along 

 toward spring it can be applied twico 

 as heavy without injury. If your car- 

 nations are growing strong it will per- 

 haps not injure them now, but I would 

 prefer to wait until about the middle of 

 October. By that time the roots have 

 worked through the soil pretty well and 

 the plants are thoroughly reestablished 

 and able to take up rich food. 



If you begin with good soil at plant- 

 ing time it will contain all the food the 

 plants will want until the roots have 

 worked through it. During this warm 

 weather the blooms will not come large, 

 whatever food may be available, but 

 when cool weather sets in the plants will 

 take it up and return it to you in the 

 blooms. A. F. J. B. 



HEN MANURE FOR CARNATIONS. 



How strong is it safe to use hen ma- 

 nure as a mulch for carnations, and at 

 what time should it be applied! My 

 idea is to mix the fertilizer with soil 

 and apply to the surface of the benches. 

 In what proportions ought I to mix it 

 and how deep should it be applied! Car- 

 nations housed August 10 are now be- 

 ginning to throw up the first crop of 

 buds. G. W. P. 



Poultry manure makes a splendid ar- 

 ticle for feeding greenhouse crops if 

 used judiciously. It is very strong and 

 should be used rather sparingly at first, 



POSITION OF VENTILATORS. 



In east and west houses with but one 

 run of ventilators, opening at the ridge, 

 on which side of the ridge should they 

 be put! H.F. C. 



In houses running east and west the 

 ventilators should be on the south side 

 of the house. Eibes. 



Palestine, III. — Ernest T. Oldham 

 says this has been one of his best years, 

 both in the gardening department and 

 in the plant and cut flower trade. 



Mt. Steeling, Ky. — The Mt. Sterling 

 Floral Co. has been purchased by Arno 

 Graser and J. H. Humphreys, of Joliet, 

 HI., who will conduct the business under 

 the same name, Graser & Humphreys, 

 proprietors. Both the new owners have 

 been with Joseph Labo. 



MUMS FOR EXHIBITION BLOOMS. 



By Thos. McHugh, or Dorval, Que. 



[Read before the Canadian Horticultural Asso- 

 riatlon, la convention at London, Ont., August 

 29. 1907.] 



Your secretary has insisted on my 

 writing a short paper on exhibition 

 blooms. I have nothing new to tell you 

 about their culture. Everyone knows 

 that it is more a matter of personal at- 

 tention and enthusiasm on the grower's 

 part than any secret formula. There is 

 no secret whatever about growing first- 

 class mums nowadays. 



In March clean, stout young cuttings 

 should be selected. Avoid any that are 

 yellow or otherwise unhealthy. Insert 

 the cuttings in a bed of clean sand — no 

 bottom heat is needed — in a temperature 

 of about 50 degrees. Shade from strong 

 sunshine and spray lightly on bright days 

 until rooted. When the roots are about 

 one inch long, the plants should be 

 potted at once, or they will get hard. 

 Pot them in 3-inch pots in a compost of 

 good loam, three parts to two of leaf 

 soil, with a good dash of sand. Spray 

 lightly for a few days until the roots 

 take hold and grow on in a cool house. 



say 45 or 50 degrees. Give all the air 

 possible and syringe every bright day, 

 but avoid giving them an excess of water 

 at the roots. 



Repotting. 



The plants must never be allowed to 

 get potbound until in their flowering 

 pots. When the roots show freely around 

 the ball of soil, shift the plants at once 

 into pots two sizes larger, unless it is 

 intended to plant them in the bench. 

 The writer's practice is to pot the cut- 

 tings, when rooted, in 3-inch pots, from 

 thence into 5-inch, and into 7-inch or 

 8-inch pots to flower. At each repotting 

 the soil should be made stronger. Four 

 parts good fibrous loam to one of de- 

 cayed cow manure, with the addition of 

 a little bone meal and wood ashes, and 

 enough sharp sand to make it porous, is 

 a good compost. 



Proper Feeding. 



Towards the end of July the plants 

 may show the need of feeding. This con- 

 dition is easily recognized by the foliage 

 turning a lighter shade of green and 

 the new leaves coming smaller. Begin 

 by using a weak liquid made from cow 



