W^' 



AcGi-ST 6, 1909. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



n 



Fronds of the New Fluffy Fern> Nephrolepis Pruessneri. 



clinsanthemums. I have tried several 

 methods, but never succeeded entirely in 

 destroying this pest. F. W. Z. 



After repeated experiments, I have 

 fixed on tobacco dust "as the cheapest 

 and best agent for killing black fly 

 and green liy. I use the fumigating 

 kind, as advertised in the Review, and 

 at a trifling cost am enabled to keep my 

 plants clean all summer. 



The spraying mixtures are good, but it 

 takes more or less time to apply them, 

 while with the dust it is simply a matter 

 of setting it on fire and closing down the 

 house. If the plants are treated to sev- 

 eral fumigations shortly after being 

 planted, they can be got perfectly clean, 

 and then, with the friendly aid of the 

 ladyViugs, they will keep clean till well 

 into September. 



I have never seen the foliage burnt to 

 any extent when using tobacco dust, but 

 We a-^id to have trouble often when using 

 ine old stems, not to mention the 

 nuisance of staying in the house while 

 tumi;>;iting, 



A gdod grade of tobacco dust, bought 

 ironi :■ reliable dealer, will work just as 

 eflectuaJly in a carnation house, but it 

 Bnouhi not be used with roses, as it will 

 Qiscoirr pink joggg g.^^ render the buds 

 wortlii.ss for weeks. I mention this so 

 tnat i\ \v. Z. may not conclude that 

 ^'^'■^^ s sauce for the goose is also 

 ??"ce j„r the gander, and use it on all 

 "'s Pl' nts the same way. 



C. H, TOTTY. 



Co. 



Cromwell, Conn.— The A. N. Pierson 



No 9' ^*^"^^°g two greenhouses at Plant 



iofe^^"^^' ^^^•— Ed Dusinbery, formerly 



'lereT'^ of the Kuhl greenhouses, was 



'rom Kalamazoo, Mich., on a visit. 



NEPHROLEPIS PRUESSNERI. 



For some time there have been reports 

 in the trade of a new crested fern 

 grown and used by a florist in the south- 

 west. The stories of its character were 

 so favorable that the Keview hunted up 

 the grower, who was found to be J. D. 

 Pruessner, Galveston, Tex., and secured 

 the photograph of the fronds reproduced 

 herewith. 



Mr. Pruessner states that the variety 

 originated with him some four years ago. 

 He has been working up stock of it, and 

 found that it made an excellent specimen, 

 showing full character, in small pots. 

 The fronds are thick and fluffy, tripin- 

 nate in their makeup. Whitmani is gen- 

 erally considered among the best of the 

 crested or fluffy variations from the orig- 

 inal Boston type, but Mr. Pruessner 

 thinks his new variety an improvement 

 on Whitmani, because of its broad and 

 double fronds, and its habit of growth 

 in small pots. He has been using it in 

 his retail trade at Galveston, and has 

 done a large business with it as a table 

 fern. 



DISEASE ON GERANIUMS. 



I am sending sample of geranium 

 foliage, which is diseased. Will you 

 name the disease and give remedy, if 

 possible? Will it be necessary to de- 

 stroy all my stock plants 1 D. B. 



Unless you have the disease in a viru- 

 lent form, there would seem to be no 

 good reason for your destroying aU your 

 stock plants. This is a common disease 

 and the best growers are just as liable 

 to have it as the small and less expe- 

 rienced ones. Outdoors it is usually due 

 to spells of hot, moist, sunless weather; 

 indoors, to an excess of nitrogenous ma- 

 nure in the soil. The remedy in each 



case is to pick over badly affected plants. 

 If the plants seem hopeless, destroy them. 

 Drier conditions at the root and in the 

 atmosphere tend to check the disease 

 and plants usually recover. It is better 

 not to propagate from the plants most 

 diseased. It is much too early to com- 

 mence this, and if your stock in Septem- 

 ber is not in good shape, better buy from 

 a reputable source. I rather think, how- 

 ever, that your plants will grow out of 

 the trouble before the time to take cut- 

 tings. C. W. 



REPLANTING CALLAS. 



1 have a raised bed of callas which 

 I am drying off. After they are thor- 

 oughly dried, should I take them out 

 and change the soil? 



J. H« S. 



By all means lift your callas when 

 dried off, and renew the soil. You will 

 find there are many small bulblets that 

 are of no use. A number of others of 

 medium size will soon develop into 

 strong flowering roots. From the middle 

 to the end of August is a suitable time 

 to replant the callas. Use for compost 

 two-thirds fibrous loam and one-third 

 decayed cow manure, adding a sprin- 

 kling of bone meal to it. Prepare the 

 soil at once, if not yet mixed. I have 

 had the best success in starting the cal- 

 las in 5-inch pots and later transferring 

 them to the bench. C. W. 



East Rochester, N. H. — E. A. Corson 

 is erecting another greenhouse. 



NOHRISTOWN, Pa. — Adolf Muller con- 

 ducts his business as the Acorn Flower 

 Shop and his printed matter bears an at- 

 tractive reproduction of a wax seal, with 

 the name in a circle surrounding a raised 

 acorn and leaves. 



