Mat 7, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Decoration for Wedding Breakfattt by Bell Floral Co^ Franklin^ Pa. 



THE USE OF CAST GLASS. 



Successfully Tried in Germany. 



Tor several years trials on a smaller 

 or greater scale have been made by Ger- 

 man nurserymen with the use of east 

 glass for roofing their greenhouses. As 

 far as I have been able to discern up till 

 now, all German florists who have during 

 the last few years covered their houses 

 with this glass are well pleased with it, 

 and say they never would make any more 

 use of the old light and thin glass in the 

 building of g^reenhouses. Having heard 

 so many expressions in favor of cast 

 glass by a great number of German flo- 

 rists, I cannot well understand the fact 

 that American florists have not yet made 

 any trials with this sort of glass for 

 roofing their houses. Why not! The 

 use of this glass offers so many great ad- 

 vantages over the old, thin glass, that it 

 is really surprising to know that florists 

 in the United States of America have up 

 to the present not decided to cover their 

 greenhouses with the cast glass and so 

 get hold of the gjeat advantage it gives 

 in a good many ways over the old glass. 

 American florists, as admittedly good 

 business men, are always quick to make 

 use of anything that gives them an ad- 

 vantage in their methods of work and 

 business. Why don't they try cast glass? 



Up to the present I have been visiting 

 a good many German florists' establish- 

 ments where cast glass has already been 

 used on the houses, and I have had 

 plenty of opportunities to hear the opin- 

 ions of their owners. No doubt it will be 

 of some interest to American florists to 

 hear some more details about the cast 

 glass, as it is used over here. To start 

 ^}^\ I must mention that there are two 

 different sorts of cast glass, the simply 

 clouded sort, without any ribs, and the 

 other sort clouded only on one side and 

 covered lengthwise with straight, fine 



ribs on the other side. The last men- 

 tioned sort, I have found, is much more 

 in use than the first one; it is better, too, 

 in every way. 



Points of Superiority. 



The advantage of cast glass is to be 

 found in its greater thickness. In con- 

 sequence it possesses greater power of 

 resistance against breaking, for instance 

 in hail storms. Houses covered with cast 

 glass need only be shaded in the presence 

 of a burning sun, whereas houses roofed 

 with the old, thin glass have to be shaded 

 against the first few feeble sun-rays in 

 early spring. A very great advantage of 

 cast glass lies in the fact that, because it 

 is very thick, panes from four to six 

 feet in length and two feet in width can 

 be used for roofing, by which means, of 

 course, only half as many rafters are 

 needed as hitherto were necessary with 

 the old, thin glass. It goes without say- 

 ing that the rafters themselves have to 

 be stronger and heavier, on account of 

 the greater weight of the cast glass. It 

 is evident, too, that because the panes of 

 cast glass can be used in greater lengths, 

 the number of joints is reduced quite 

 considerably and in consequence houses 

 covered with this glass will hold their 

 temperature far better and more evenly. 



If, of course, the present prices of cast 

 glass are still twice as high as the prices 

 of the old, thin glass, it must be con- 

 sidered that in using cast glass for the 

 building of greenhouses only half the 

 number of rafters is necessary; that, 

 further, this glass is far more resistant 

 against breakage; that the houses cov- 

 ered with it are warmer, and that, of 

 course, a smaller quantity of coal is re- 

 quired for their heating. Furthermore, 

 this glass does not need to be shaded at 

 the first few feeble sun-rays in spring. 



Better Light on Qoudy Days. 



Another point in favor of cast glass 



is the fact that on dull, rainy days it 

 gives better and more light to the houses 

 covered with it. This assertion, no 

 doubt, seems a bit unlikely at first sight. 

 It is, nevertheless, quite true and arises 

 from the fact that this glass breaks the 

 rays of light better and throws them out 

 to all sides. 



My experiences up to the present with 

 cast glass have shown me plainly that 

 the glass finely ribbed on one side is 

 preferable to the sort simply clouded on 

 both sides, and that it is by far the best 

 method to lay the ribbed side downward, 

 because the panes will keep clean much 

 longer in this way than in the other, 

 where the ribbed side was laid upward 

 and so was exposed to dust, soot and 

 rain, and of course the dirt was not so 

 easily removed. 



I should be pleased if American flo- 

 rists would express their opinion on the 

 question of cast glass in this paper and 

 would make trials with it. I am sure it 

 will be worth their while, and I do not 

 doubt that all trials in this direction will 

 bring good results. W. H. 



Erfurt. 



STORING PEONIES. 



At what temperature should peonies 

 be kept in cold storage! I never have 

 tried storing peonies, but mine are now 

 showing color and I want to keep some 

 for Decoration day, if possible. Please 

 give directions for picking, packing and 

 storage. C. P. M. 



The storage of peonies is not so 

 simple a matter as it appears; experi- 

 ence is necessary in order to secure 

 satisfactory results. The buds should be 

 cut at slightly different stages of de- 

 velopment for the different varieties, 

 but generally when they are showing 

 some color while not yet beginning to 

 burst. They, should be bunched in twen- 



