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ACGUST 20, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



37 



ami iiicToase in fruitfulness from year to 

 year. In looking for an explanation 

 which explains, we naturally recall the 

 fact that all living things in the course 

 of their growth use only certain portions 

 of the crude material which is taken into 

 their systems, and reject other portions 

 more or less changed in character. These 

 rejected, waste or by-products may be 

 thrown off from the organism or packed 

 away in some unoccupied corner. These 

 refuse portions are often useful as a 

 food for other organisms, though some 

 are very poisonous, particularly to the 

 organism which produced it. You will 

 doubtless remember that the bacteria and 

 other micro-organisms are notorious in 

 this direction; they not only give off 

 refuse matters which are excessively poi- 

 sonous t« some other forms of life, but 

 in the end they destroy the bacteria from 

 whence they came. 



These secretions of waste matters have 

 been given the name of ptomaines, and 

 instances of severe illness or even death 

 from the use of ice cream or cheese con- 

 taining these ptomaines will perhaps be 

 more or less familiar to you. 



Now, it is possible that our "clover 

 sickness" and other like occurrences ard 

 due, not to exhaustion, , l)ut to the pres- 

 ence in the soil of tUj^e ptomaine poi- 

 sons. Perhaps the cl<;^to itself may not 

 be the direct victim, wBfc' the uutrifying 

 bacteria so necessary to the growth of 

 the plant may be killed by their own 

 toxic refuse. If this is true of clover, it 

 may be true of other plants Mhich de- 

 cline to succeed themselves for any length 

 of time. 



If this theory of ptomaines is tenablej 

 we have an explanation of a puzzle. 

 There is, of course, a great difference in 

 various plants in the character of their 

 secretions. The Rothamsted experiments 

 showed, if I remember rightly, that 

 wheat could be grown on the same land 

 for at least twenty years and the yield 

 be on the increase. 



Some other crops are known to do well 

 year after year in the same soil, a fact 

 well known to gardeners, and I can recall 

 one instance of rye being grown on the 

 same field for twenty successive years 

 without any apparent loss of vigor. 



Renewal of Greeohouse Soil. 



Regarding the behavior of many of 

 the flower crops which are grown under 

 glass, we have but comparatively few 

 facts available. The general impression 



is, I think, tiiat tliey will not do their 

 best unless the soil is entirely renewed 

 each season. Whether this is due to poi- 

 soning of the soil or to the exhaustion of 

 some food element, or to a change in the 

 physical character of the soil, has not 

 been determined, as far as I am aware. 

 If the loss of fertility of the soil in our 

 greenhouses is due to physical changes, 

 it is a serious matter, for it means the 

 removal and renewal of the soil once or 

 twice a year, an operation both laborious 

 and costly. In the broader practice of 

 field work these losses can be more read- 

 ily corrected; at least, we do not have 

 to move our soil to the crops, but can 

 move, our crops to the soil, a compara- 

 tively easy matter. Fertility can be 

 maintained by proper rotation aiid the 

 recuperative forces of nature. 



We staijd, in need of more work in the 

 investigatioii of the losses in our green- 

 house work, and it seems to me that the 

 experiment statiok* mi^t help us in 

 thdt direction. •'"*._^ . "^ , 



horticulturists have, 4t is true, done' a ■ 

 gr^at deal of experimenting along these 

 lines, but most of '^e.AfOirJi has, not been 

 done in such a manner as fo i^der the 

 results of any great value to tlie public; 

 nor have there been records kept' »f the 

 work which are available for study and 

 comparison. ». 



These are some of the factora^^fl^ili? 

 wo' have to consider when attetnptii^ .to ■ 

 increase the fertility of our gardens. We if' 

 do not know just what is the Bbst thing?* 

 to do; we must still experiment a HtUe.' 

 Fertilizers do not act just the pame every 

 time, but we must continue to use them, 

 and our experience is a pretty goT)d, 

 though often costly, guide in their ap- 

 plication. .- . _ 



We must remember that fertilizers do 

 not always mean fertility; we need good 

 tillage, good cultivation " arid common 

 sense mixed with them. 



It seems to me that we stand today 

 upon the threshold of the door which will 

 not only lead us to a vastly better un- 

 derstanding of the processes of assimi- 

 lation, but also to a more perfect knowl- 

 edge of the economical production an(^ 

 use of fertilizing elements. 



Johnstown, Pa. — T. Malbranc has 

 completed plans for the erection of an- 

 other greenhense, which will be located 

 on a large plot of ground secured by 

 him some time ago, a short distance 

 above Morrellville. 



DAYTON, OHIO. 



Condition of Business. 



I'ractically there was no change in 

 last week's business as compared with 

 our former report. Trade would be quiet 

 Konio days and brighter the next, thus 

 making the average business good dur- 

 ing the week — that is to say, good for 

 this season of the year, funeral work be- 

 ing its main support. 



Roses can be had in any quantity and 

 they are exceptionally good considering 

 the extremely hot Aveather with which 

 they have to contend. Asters arc plen- 

 tiful, and also good in quality, but Can 

 be had at almost any price, the best 

 selling at $1.50 per hundred. Carna- 

 tions from the new jjlants are becoming 

 a little more numerous each day, but of 

 course the market is by no means 

 crowded with them. Longiflorum at 

 present is a little scarce. 



>v ^eatlier Conditions. 



"A 'tWnjyerature of 104 degrees in the 

 shade — such was the condition of the 

 cliirtate in .Dayton August 16. Those of 

 our tradesmen who left -for Niagara on 

 that;. dat<j' '• may , consider themselves 

 lucky to fee^Qut of it. Good rains still 

 continue to be a necessity. 



• • Various Notes. 



Several of the Richmond, Ind., broth- 

 ers joined our Dayton delegation and 

 left August 15 for the convention. On 

 August 16 they were guests of the De- 

 troit florists. 



John Boehner has just returned from 

 a trip to Kenton, O. 



Katherine Young is visiting friends 

 at Franklin, O. • 



Wni. Kiefaber and family are enjoy- 

 ing a two weeks' outing at Atlantic 

 City. 



Alice Le Baron and Florence Culver, 

 of Chicago, arc the guests of Ruby Bar- 

 tholomew. 



Wni. Rittcr and wife returned August 

 16 from the Thousand Islands, where 

 they had a most enjoyable time. 



R. H. B. 



La Crosse, Wis. — The La Crosse Floral 

 Co. has completed its new greenhouses 

 and has planted 5,000 roses and 12,000 

 carnations. The firm is composed of 

 C. E. Schaefer and AV. R. Filers, both 

 of whom were with the Salzer Seed Co. 

 for a number of years. 



Outing of the Baltimore Gardeners' and Florists' Club, at Blenheim. 



