August 13, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



soil. I have talked -with growers, how- 

 ever, who claimed to have used the same 

 soil two seasons or more with good suc- 

 cess. In fact, I know of one grower who 

 claimed to have used one lot of soil five 

 consecutive seasons, and at the time of 

 our conversation he expected to keep on 

 using it as long as it gave as good satis- 

 faction as it had up to that time. I 

 know of another firm who used a batch 

 of soil one season, then spread it thinly 

 outside for two or three years, and then 

 used it again. This firm grew good car- 

 nations, but they grew much better car- 

 nations after they purchased a tract of 

 land and began using new soil. So, you 

 see, there are different degrees of suc- 

 cess, and what would seem gratifying to 

 one grower would not satisfy, another 

 at all. ^^ , 



We consider good soil for filling the 

 benches of the greatest importance, and 

 a few extra dollars spent in securing the 

 best you can find, and in getting it in 

 good condition, are as good an invest- 

 ment as you can possibly make. It does 

 not take many blooms to buy the differ- 

 ence between good soil and bad, and the 

 handling costs you just the same. And 

 if you figure up the difference in the 

 price you will get between high-grade 

 blooms and those of a lower grade, you 

 will see that you will soon pay for the 

 good soil. A half cent added to each 

 bloom you cut during the season will 

 make a remarkable difference in your 

 bank account, even if the good soil did 

 not produce any more blooms than the 

 other. 



So I would not advise you to use the 

 old soil if you can possibly get new soil 

 and have it in proper condition for plant- 

 ing in. Your letter would indicate that 

 you have not secured the soil as yet, and 

 it will be almost impossible now, except 

 by chance, to get soil that is properly 

 prepared. The benches ought to be filled 

 at once if it is not already done, and no 

 time should be lost, if you do not want 

 to wait until winter for your carnation 

 blooms. 



The sample you forwarded seems to be 

 in good mechanical condition, and does 

 not have the appearance of having been 

 used a season. Fair success may be had 

 with it, if properly enriched — far better 

 than with most soil taken from the 

 benches. It might be better than what 

 you would be able to procure in new soil. 

 I would add cow manure, sheep manure 

 and bone meal to it and let it lie a 

 couple of weeks before planting. Keep 

 it fairly moist and turn it over once each 

 week before planting. Put on an inch 

 of cow manure and add 100 pounds of 

 bone meal and 300 pounds of sheep ma- 

 nure to 1,000 square feet of bench space, 

 and mix thorougiily, A few top-dressings 

 of lime during the season will be bene- 

 ficial. In conclusion I would warn you 

 not to use this soil under any conditions 

 if you had any stem-rot last season, as 

 it will surely give you trouble, and plenty 

 of it. A. F. J. B. 



W. B. BROVN. 



In the election of W. B. Brown as 

 their chief executive, the members of the 

 Detroit Florists' Club have bestowed 

 quite an honor upon him, inasmuch as he 

 is the youngest man by far who has ever 

 held this position. Still the votes cast 

 were not marked "Brown" just because 

 he is a nice fellow, but because he has 

 earned a standing in the trade. 



Mr. Brown was born in Detroit in 

 1875. His thirty-three years on earth 

 have been more or less of a struggle for 



W. a Brown. 



existence, until finally he has his head 

 above water. For sixteen years he was 

 with the Detroit Floral Co., under the 

 training of Eobert Flowerday. He 

 worked himself up from errand boy to 

 driver, and from driver to head clerk. 

 About five years ago he bought out what 

 was left of a somewhat run down retail 

 business at 308 Woodward avenue. Here 

 began another struggle, but with the as- 

 sistance of Mrs. Brown he soon became 

 master of the situation and now is the 

 owner of a prosperous retail business and 

 father of a nice fat boy of 14 months. 



With the support of the members, 

 there is no reason why we should not 

 have a banner club year. H. S. 



DAHLIAS STUNTED AND YELLOW. 



Can you tell me what ails my dahlias? 

 They are stunted, shriveled up and yel- 

 lowish, I will not be able to cut a 

 flower, I have twelve different varieties. 

 The ground was used for the first time 

 last year, and the dahlias in the same 

 spot did well. The other plants in the 

 same ground are doing well. Is it green- 

 fly or gases from factories near-by? 



C.U. 



The attacks of green aphis should not 

 cause your plants to present such a 

 stunted and yellow appearance. Of 

 course, it is a mistake to allow this pest 

 to get a foothold on any plants. If 

 your plants really have it, give them a 

 syringing of some tobacco extract, di- 

 luted, at once. Very often a cinch bug 

 bites the leading shoots and causes them 

 to become stunted. Possibly you may 



have this. Factory gases are not good 

 for any plants, but, if your other plants 

 are doing well, this can hardly be the 

 trouble with the dahlias. C. W. 



ALLAMANDAS FROM SEED. 



Will you kindly inform me through 

 your columns whether Allamanda Wfll- 

 iamsi is often grown from seed and 

 how long it takes the seedlings to bloom? 

 I have a quantity of young plants thus 

 grown and seeds without number on a 

 specimen plant. M, R, D. 



Although I have never tried allaman- 

 das from seed, there is no reason why 

 they should not be successfully propa- 

 gated in this way. Sow the seed as 

 soon as ripe in a brisk heat. The seed- 

 lings should bloom within a year. Propa- 

 gation from growing wood is simple. 

 These cuttings will root in three to four 

 weeks and make excellent plants in a 

 year. They should have a good bottom 

 heat in winter, but in summer will root 

 freely without it. C. W. 



TO CARRY OVER SVAINSONA. 



Can swainsona planted in solid beds a 

 year ago last spring remain another sea- 

 son? C.U. 



The swainsona is a rank growing plant 

 and we prefer to plant it annually. You 

 can, however, prune your plants .back 

 well, remove some of the old surface soil, 

 .give a liberal top-dressing and carry 

 them over another season, C. W. 



