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8 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



Apbil 16, 1908. 



"fra 



WHALE OIL SOAP. 



Will you kindly give directions for 

 using whale oil soap for cleansing palms? 



E. S. 



The most convenient and safest way 

 in which to use whale oil soap is to dis- 

 solve the soap in hot water in the pro- 

 portion of one ounce of soap to one gal- 

 lon of water, and as soon as the solution 

 is cool enough to avoid all danger of 

 scalding, it is ready for use. A warm 

 soap solution is more effective in loosen- 

 ing scale insects than is a perfectly cold 

 wash, but the temperature of the insecti- 

 cide should not be higher than 120 de- 

 grees. If the soap is shaved up into thin 

 shavings it will dissolve more readily. 



W, H. T. 



GERANIUMS. 



"Will you kindly state in brief detail 

 the best method of handling geraniums 

 after receiving their final shift into 

 4-inch pots? Last year mine came into 

 bloom so slowly that they were satable 

 at too late a date. How close can 

 they stand together before and after 



going into "frames for hardening? Can 

 cotton be used instead of glass for the 

 frames? Could liquid fertilizer be used 

 to advantage in bringing them into 

 good shape? About what would be 

 the right time for getting them into 

 4-inch pots so as to have them ready 

 for planting-out time, the end of May 

 here? Literature on geranium culture 

 seems to be scarce and information on 

 the subject will be highly appreciated 

 by one not long in the business. 



W. A. D. 



Geraniums, after receiving their final 

 shift into 4-inch pots, should have a 

 bench in a sunny house where the night 

 temperature is 45 to 50 degrees, not 

 lower than the former figure. A warm- 

 er house may be utilized for a short 

 time, but geraniums resent coddling 

 and should be removed to a cooler 

 structure before they can become soft. 

 They should not be syringed overhead 

 at all. It is both harmful and unnec- 

 essary. This practice and the use of 

 too much manure in the compost is re- 

 sponsible for most of the leaf-spot so 

 commonly seen. Neither must gerani- 



ums be kept constantly moist at the 

 root. This promotes a soft growth, one 

 not productive of florif erousness. Let 

 your plants dry out well between wa- 

 terings. You will notice, probably, 

 that those which have, been allowed to 

 dry out the most, newer first. 



To do the plants justice, they should 

 be stood so that the leaves of the dif- 

 ferent plants only touch. Crowding 

 them may save some watering, but it 

 will give you more yellow foliage. Cot- 

 ton can be used after the early part 

 of May, but glass sashes are to be pre- 

 ferred. These can be removed alto- 

 gether during warm days. 



In regard to liquid fertilizer, if your 

 plants are of a healthy color, I cannot 

 advise its use. If, perchance, the soil 

 used for them was too poor, a couple 

 of waterings with weak nitrate of soda 

 water at intervals of a week will green 

 them up again. It is unwise to use 

 much animal manure in the potting 

 compost. This induces leaf growth at 

 the expense of flowers. Fine bone is 

 the best fertilizer at the final potting. 



C. W. 



CARNATION NOTES.-EAST. 



Feeding by Top-dressing. 



In naming the various substances used 

 in the preparation of material for feed- 

 ing by top-dressing, we place ground bone 

 first on the list^ as we consider it the 

 most dependable fertilizer that the car- 

 nation grower can employ. 



As is the case with all commercial fer- 

 tilizers, there are many brands on the 

 market and some are little better than 

 sand or sawdust. As a general rule, the 

 low price at which these inferior brands 

 can be bought indicates lack of superior 

 quality. However, it is better to buy on 

 the basis of plant food value than on the 

 cost per ton. 



Available Phosphoric Add. 



Since the value of ground bone de- 

 pends on the amount of available phos- 

 phoric acid carried, it is important when 

 purchasing to see that the guaranteed 

 analysis shows a good percentage in this 

 form. 



Compare the three following analyses: 



Ryw Steamed Dissolved 

 Bone, Bone, Bone, 

 Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. 



Nitrogen 2 to 4 1 to 2 2 to 8 



Available Phos. Add.. 6 to 8 6 to 9 13 to 15 

 Insoluble Phoe. Acid. .16 to 17 16 to 20 



It will be apparent from this compari- 

 son that dissolved bone is the most de- 



sirable, especially for the purpose of 

 feeding. 



Successive Top-dressings. 



We prepare a mixture of six parts soil 

 to one of bone, making it into a flat pile 

 not over six inches in depth. We moisten 

 this slightly, and as soon as the mass 

 begins to heat, which it soon does, the 

 whole is shoveled over several times dur- 

 ing the day. Next morning the mixture 

 is ready for use and is applied at the 

 rate of a 4-inch potful between the rows 

 across a 4-fbot bench. 



It is preferable to plan this operation 

 to occur on the morning of a bright day, 

 immediately following the application of 

 the mixture with a moderate watering. 

 The mixing and shoveling should be done 

 in a shed or house not frequented by Cus- 

 tomers, as the prevalent odor is not par- 

 ticularly attractive. 



After an interval of about two weeks 

 we spread a dressing of ground sheep or 

 cow manure, mixed with an equal quan- 

 tity of soil, and to this is sometimes 

 added a small quantity of pulverized hen 

 manure. A 6-inch potful of this mixture 

 between the rows is suflBcient. 



Soon after this, is applied* a generous 

 sprinkling of unleached hard-wood ashes. 



An Injuriotis G>mbination. 



On no account mix bone meal with 

 wood ashes, neither follow closely an ap- 



plicaticto of bone with one of ashes, for 

 this reason, as the chemists tell us, that 

 lime present in ashes causes available 

 phosphoric acid to revert; that is, to be- 

 come insoluble. 



There has recently been placed on the 

 market what is termed shredded cattle 

 manure, and while I have never had any 

 experience with this product, I should 

 imagine, from reports of others, that it 

 is a very convenient form in which to 

 use cow manure, as it is usually called. 



Geo. S. Osborn. 



ROOTING RED CHIEF. 



I have had poor success rooting Eed 

 Chief carnation cuttings and would be 

 glad to get some advice as to how they 

 should be treated to get a better strike. 

 I know of others having the same trouble 

 as I. W, J. K. 



We have not found Red Chief a difll- 

 cult one to root, although it has not been 

 as easy or possibly as satisfactory to root 

 as some varieties. We have found that 

 it takes considerably longer to root than 

 the average variety, but we succeeded in 

 rooting practically every cutting we put 

 in. Our last batch was put in sand Feb- 

 ruary 25 and they are now ready to pot 

 off and every one rooted. Earlier batches 

 took even longer to root and were in- 

 clined to take a little rust toward the 



