APBIL 2, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



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House of Cyclamens at Haugen & Swanson's^ St Paul 



idly. It therefore requires but a small 

 number of nematodes to be introduced 

 into a bench or greenhouse to thoroughly 

 infest the entire bench or house. If it 

 is found that the plant is infested by 

 these enemies, the precaution should be 

 taken to not only sterilize the growing 

 soil, but the potting soil and the sand 

 in the propagating bench, as well, should 

 all be thoroughly sterilized. If any one 

 of these steps is omitted it becomes an 

 easy matter for the nematodes to be in- 

 troduced, either from the sand adhering 

 to the roots of the plants when they are 

 transferred from the propagating bench, 

 or through the soU used in the first han- 

 dling, before the rooted cuttings are 

 finaUy transferred to the field or grow- 

 ing bench. In the northern portion of 

 the United States there is comparatively 

 little danger of contamination from field- 

 grown plants unless the field be mulched 

 or manured with compost or soil which 

 has been removed in the spring from in- 

 fested greenhouses. Soil which has been 

 exposed to repeated freezing during the 

 winter months can be counted upon as 

 free from nematodes. 



In most instances potting soil and 

 growing soil can be rendered free from 

 nematodes by careful precautions during 

 the composting period. This requires 

 that the soil be composted at least ten 

 months in advance of the time it is to 

 be used in the house, so that it may re- 

 main in the open throughout the entire 

 winter, and the heap should be made 

 broad, flat, and shallow enough so that 

 the action of the frost shall penetrate 

 throughout the whole heap. Under ordi- 

 nary conditions, however, the heaps are 

 not made so that frost action will ex- 

 tend from top to bottom of them. It is 

 necessary in the latitude of this city 

 (New York) to make compost heaps that 

 are to be exposed in this way not more 

 than twelve or fifteen inches in depth, 

 and ten inches would be better. There 

 is an objection to this; if the heaps are 

 exposed to the weather, more leaching 

 takes place than in deeper and more 

 compact heaps, so that it is undoubtedly 

 a wise plan to follow the customary sys- 

 tem of composting and make sure of 

 freedom from nematodes by the use of 

 steam sterilization. This, of course, can 

 be carried on quite economically in green- 

 houses heated by steam, but where a 



supplemental boiler must be provided in 

 order to secure steam at proper pressure, 

 a very considerable item of expense will 

 be incurred. 



Another Advantage of Sterilization. 

 There is, however, an added advan- 

 tage in sterilizing the soil over that of 

 mere freedom from nematodes, weeds 

 and disease germs, all of which, or a 

 large percentage of which, are destroyed 

 by sterilization. Sterilized soU, when 

 steam is employed, has been observed to 

 produce a more luxuriant growth than 

 similar soil not so treated. The process of 

 sterilization seems to hasten the libera- 

 tion of plant foods and to render the 

 physical condition of the soil better than 

 that not so treated. The application of 

 moist heat at a high temperature has the 

 effect of digesting a considerable portion 

 of the organic matter in the soil, render- 

 ing it more suitable for the action of 

 the bacteria and the assimilation of plant 

 foods so liberated by the plant. This 

 is perhaps of sufficient importance in 

 greenhouse operations to justify the use 

 of the sterilizer even under conditions 

 known to be free from nematodes and 

 other soil troubles. 



From what has been said, some of the 

 intricate work involved in the transforma- 

 tion of the crude materials of the soil, 

 of plants and animal products, into avail- 

 able food for our crops, can be con- 

 ceive '. The natural processes are going 

 on constantly, and man, by a thorough 

 understanding of them, can in a way sup- 

 plement them and increase their activ- 

 ity. In a great majority of cases the 

 natural processes are beneficial. Only 

 when they become excessive in some par- 

 ticular do they delay or interfere with 

 the preparation and liberation of plant 

 food. The grower should be on the alert 

 to take advantage of every" opportunity 

 offered him to supplement and to stimu- 

 late the work of nature for his own 

 benefit. 



VIOLETS AND CYCLAMEN. 



Among the specializing growers in the 

 vicinity of the Twin Cities there is none 

 more prominent than Haugen & Swanson. 

 The accompanying picture of one of their 

 cyclamen houses shows what can be and 

 is done here in growing this plant. Mr. 

 Haugen saves the seeds from selected 

 plants of his own growing and has one 

 of the best strains in the country. Only 

 ordinary care and attention are given 

 the plants, but ordinary care with him 

 means daily watching and working among 

 them. The specialties of this firm are 

 violets and cyclamens and they are un- 

 doubtedly the violet kings of their sec- 

 tion. They grow only double varieties, 

 but grow them so well that "St. Paul 

 on the Mississippi" will soon be as fa- 

 mous in florists' circles as Khinebeck 

 on the Hudson. Their neat plant, though 

 not large, is well kept and is located on 

 a side hill with a southern exposure on 

 West Seventh street, near the historic 

 Fort Snelling, and only a short distance 

 from the Mississippi river. When the 

 hot weather is on and there is nothing 

 doing at the greenhouses, Mr. Haugen 

 sits on the river bank and catches 15- 

 pound pickerel to while away the time. 

 Mr. Swanson is not now active in the 

 firm. X. Y. Z. 



Lowell, Mass. — The Board of Park 

 Commissioners, of which Harvey B. 

 Greene is a member, has issued a finely 

 printed and handsomely illustrated an- 

 nual report of sixty pages. 



House of Potted Violets at Haugen & Swanson^ St, Paul. 



