July 2, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



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while the raised bench was planted to 

 White Cloud, E. Crocker and The Mar- 

 quis. During the whole season the White 

 Cloud on the lower bed were as good as, 

 or better than, those on the raised bench. 

 The Elma were better than we had them 

 the year before, when they were on a 

 raised bench. 



The next season we added several 

 more beds of this kind and planted with 

 other varieties, such as Lawson, Indian- 

 apolis, Mrs. Joost, Flora Hill, G. H. 

 Crane, etc., and in every instance was 

 the stock as good as, or better than, the 

 same varieties had been on raised 

 benches. So we installed this style of 

 bed as rapidly as the raised benches gave 

 out and needed replacing, and in all our 

 new houses we have installed this style 

 of bed. 



Last year we experimented some with 

 tile, to see whether they would make 

 any improvement over our original style 

 of construction. We buried three rows 

 of 4-inch tile in the cinders, lengthwise 

 of the bed, with the top of the tile even 

 with the surface of the cinders. About 

 every twenty-five feet we put in a cross 

 tile, to connect the three rows with the 

 outside. I am sure these tile did not 

 make an iota of difference in the crop, 

 either in quality or in quantity, and we 

 noted the results carefully. 



Now, it may be argued that these 

 cross tiles were not numerous enough, 

 but in answer to that I will say that the 

 plants growing over or near the cross 

 tiles and those near the ends of the 

 beds showed not the least improvement 

 over those farther away, nor over those 

 in the other beds. If there were any- 

 thing in this tile theory, the plants grow- 

 ing on or near the tile ought to show it, 

 at least in a degree. If there had been 

 even a slight difference in the plant 

 growth, I would be willing to concede 

 the point. And also, if the difference 

 would amount to 5 per cent in favor of 

 the tile bottom, I would hasten to put 

 tile bottoms into every bed on the place. 

 In short, as I have said before, we are 

 convinced that we are making money by 

 using our present style of beds. 



Now as to the arrangement of the 

 heating pipes. First let me say that you 

 seldom find two growers who, when they 

 build, will arrange the heating pipes 

 just alike, even under the same condi- 

 tions, unless the one is copying from the 

 other. The idea is to get your pipes 

 placed so that the distribution of the 

 heat may be even all over the house, and 

 also so that the circulation, and the 

 drainage of the pipes of condensation, 

 may be perfect. We run all our pipes 

 in pairs, each pair making a circuit. 

 One pipe is run overhead, being sup- 

 ported by the purlin posts, while the re- 

 turn pipe runs alongside of the north 

 side of the bed and near the ground. 

 This pipe is fastened to the posts hold- 

 ing the side of the bed. Each 30-foot 

 house has four of these circuits and any 

 one or all of them can be shut off by 

 valves properly placed. This plan may 

 be modified by any one who may prefer 

 less overhead! heat, by using one over- 

 head pipe for two return pipes or by 

 feeding entirely from the far end, from 

 one pipe, etc. 



Baise the lower pipe far enough from 

 the ground so that, in working, the foot 

 may slip under the pipe without com- 

 ing in contact with the pipe. If placed 

 80, they will be very little in the way. 

 Do not be afraid of red spider along that 

 side. We find not the least difficulty in 

 keeping them away. 



We use the soil only one season and 



An Abnormal Digitalis. 



refill every summer, just the same as 

 with raised benches. We use only four 

 inches of soil, so why should it last any 

 longer than it would on a raised bench f 

 I do think, however, that four inches of 

 soil on this style of bed will last as long 

 as five inches will last on a raised bench, 

 because none of the plant food is washed 

 away through watering. A. F. J. B. 



AN ABNORMAL FOXGLOVE. 



I am sending herewith a photograph 

 of a plant growing on my place. It is 

 a Digitalis gloxiniseflora. The photo- 

 graph shows two spikes, which to me are 

 unusual in this plant. Normally, the 

 flower stalks are single, round stems, 

 studded with the bells, but in this in- 

 stance the stalk is flat, fully two and 

 one-half inches wide, and, as can be 

 seen, carries an abnormal number of 

 flowers. The stalk to the left of the 

 picture has the same characteristics as 

 the other stalk, but is not quite so wide. 

 Only the edge of it is shown. There 

 are two normal stalks on the same plant, 

 which do not appear in the illustration. 



This plant has attracted a great deal 

 of interest, but whether it has any spe- 

 cial value, I do not know. It has a 

 wonderful head of flowers, which the 

 photograph does not show to advantage, 

 as the picture was made for the special 

 purpose of displaying the width of stem, 

 but enough is shown to indicate the char- 

 acter of the plant. Lon Hardman. 



Springfield, 0. — The Springfield Flo- 

 rists' Club held its annual outing June 

 20 at Eicholtz park. 



NAMES OF BEGONIAS. 



We are forwarding to you today by 

 mail samples of begonias, for which we 

 would like to have you give us the cor- 

 rect names, if possible. We have received' 

 plants of Begonia Cuprea from a well- 

 known Ohio firm, and plants of B. Haa- 

 geana from Henry A. Dreer, and find 

 that they are identical and would like to 

 know which one of the two names is the 

 correct one. W. B. 



1. Eicinifolia. 



2. Probably a seedling from a small^ 

 spotted-leaved variety. 



3. Schmidtiana. 

 Wisetonensis alba. 

 Zebrina. 

 Diadema. 



Argento -guttata. 

 Albo picta. 



Probably a seedling from argenteo- 

 guttata. 



10. A miniature form of nitida alba. 

 I think B. Haageana is the other be- 

 gonia you speak of having received from 

 two sources. The firm sending it under 

 this name is a reliable one. 



W. N. Ceaiq. 



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Sandusky, O. — On account of a gen- 

 eral protest of the property owners in the 

 neighborhood of West park, the new city 

 conservatory will not be erected in that 

 park, as had been planned, but will prob- 

 ably be located, instead, in Huron park. 

 The residents on West Park street de- 

 clared in strong terms that they did not 

 want the new greenhouse erected on the 

 park facing their property. 



