

October 15, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



White Chrysanthemums and Birch Bark in a Church Decoration. 



"How often should I water this plant?" 

 or, "How many times a day does it need 

 water!" or, "Should I set it in a dish 

 filled with water?" 



This query is not more sensible than a 

 question asking a doctor, "When should 

 a person sleep?" or, "When should he 

 eat?" If the reference in either case 

 were to a plant that needed particular 

 treatment or a person whose health was 

 not up to the mark, it would be justi- 

 fiable, but when it is attached to every- 

 thing sold it ceases to have any meaning. 



If the purchasers used judgment in 

 watering, they would know that prac- 

 tically all plants sold for indoor decorat- 

 ing are well established, and, if the con- 

 ditions are at all favorable, they should 

 be watered whenever they need it. Thig 

 is the proper answer to give to all such 

 queries, and whether the soil dries out 

 once a day or once a week makes no dif- 

 ference if the plant is not sillowed to get 

 too dry. *N 



The situation in which the plant is 

 kept has the greatest influence on the 

 moisture required. Draughty rooms, prox- 

 imity to glass windows or doors, absence 

 of light, quantity of gas burned, heat 

 radiation from steam or other methods 

 of heating, glazed plant-jars and many 

 other conditions have much more effect 

 on the health of the plant than the 

 simple watering. Yet it is rare that 

 anyone asks about any of these things 

 and it is only when the disgruntled cus- 

 tomer drags the poor, suffering plant 



back to whence it came, or comes in to 

 scold the plantsman for selling a palm 

 that was "sick" when delivered, that a 

 few of these salient points are brought 

 out. The customer usually prefaces the 

 remarks by saying, "I took care of the 

 plant just the way you told me to. I 

 watered it once a day and it kept getting 

 worse and worse all the time, until I 

 have brought it back for you to see it. 

 I guess it was sick when you sold it to 

 me." 



When the poor florist timidly inquires 

 about the conditions in the lady's home, 

 he always brings forth the information 

 that the plant had been put into a fancy 

 jardiniere, kept in a room in which gas 

 had been burned every night and in a 

 dark corner or a draughty hallway, and 

 he is really surprised that the misused 

 specimen kept as long as it did. 



The public should be made to under- 

 stand, if possible, that plants are anxious 

 to live as long as they can, and, if given 

 just a fighting chance, will do their best 

 to keep themselves as pretty as their 

 surroundings. But, when the effort is 

 too much, the plants will sadly droop 

 their leaves, in a feeble protest against 

 too great odds to be overcome, and, 

 strange to relate, it is always the fault 

 of the florist for having sold a "sick" 

 plant. G. 



Grand Forks, N. D. — E. O. Lovell 

 has ordered material for the construction 

 of an extension to his greenhouse. 



FERTILIZER FOR PLUMOSUS. 



Will you please let me know which is 

 the best fertilizer or manure for Aspara- 

 gus plumosus, on land not very well sup- 

 lied with humus? The land is principally 

 made up of a sandy soil and is quite 

 heavy. The asparagus is grown under a 

 slatted shed. 



What causes A. plumosus to have a 

 blighted appearance? What causes ■ the 

 fronds to turn brown or yellow? What 

 treatment would you recommend? 



S. H. 



The best fertilizer for Asparagus 

 plumosus is good, well rotted stable 

 manure, and this may be used liberally 

 in preparing the bed for this crop. The 

 soil may also be improved by plowing in 

 a crop of cowpeas or clover in the 

 autumn previous to planting the aspara- 

 gus, this being one of the best ways to 

 supply humus and also nitrogen to the 

 soil. 



Without seeing the plants and the 

 conditions under which they have been 

 grown, it is difficult to give an opinion 

 regarding the blighted appearance, but 

 it is quite possible that it is caused by 

 getting dry at the root. W. H. T. 



Pekin, III.— At the State Fair at 

 Springfield, HI., Geo. A. Kuhl distin- 

 guished himself as a winner of prizes. 

 Out of nine entries of plants, he carried 

 off six premiums. Out of eight cut 

 flower designs, he received six premiums. 



