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The Florists* Review 



OCTOBBB 16, 1914. 



Vegetable Forcing 



POINTS ON LETTUCE OULTUBE. 



For heating a house 18x40 with hot 

 water, is it not right to run the returns 

 underneath the benches and the flow 

 under the ridge t This house is in- 

 tended for growing lettuce in early 

 winter and for general purj/oses. What 

 is the best fertilizer for lettuce soil? 

 About what distance apart should the 

 plants be set out? Do they require an 

 abundance of water and much stirring 

 or working? • F. B. B. 



LettucOT do not like any bottom heat, 

 and ^or these and general crops you 

 would 'rio better to have the pilW|»g 

 notliBfier the benches, bat hung alimg 

 the sides of the house. Stable manure, 

 half rotted to well rotted and carefully 

 worked in, is the best fertilizer you 

 can use. The distance apart will de- 

 pend altogether on the varieties you 

 are planning to grow. Of the forcing 

 head lettuces, like May King, Arling- 

 ton Tennis Ball, Hittinger's Belmont, 

 etc., the plants should stand at least 

 eight inches apart each way. Big Bos- 

 ton needs more room, 10x10 not being 

 too much. Cos, or Romaine lettuce, 

 being upright growing, can go twice as 

 thick as Big Boston. 



Lettuce does not require abundant 

 watering; especially is this true in 

 winter. When in solid beds a good 

 soaking after planting out will some- 

 times carry the plants to maturity. 

 You must use your own judgment in 

 watering; the condition of the soil 

 should be your guide; always choose a 

 clear morning for the work. In the 

 early stages of growth a little stirring 

 up is an advantage. A night temper- 

 ature of 45 to 50 degrees should be 

 maintained. C. W. 



VEGETABLE OBOWEBS MEET. 



ONION FOEOINO. 



We have a small house in which we 

 wish to grow onions and should like 

 some information on how to raise them. 

 Should they be grown from seed or 

 setst E. P. M. & S. 



It will not pay to grow plants from 

 seed. Sets are all right. Silver Skin 

 and Danvers are the best. Use small 

 sets, not over one-half inch in diam- 

 eter. Plant four inches apart each way. 

 While onions will endure more cold than 

 radishes or lettuce, they succeed best 

 in a temperature 10 degrees higher, 

 55 to 70 degrees suiting them. Give 

 them the warmer end of your house 

 for this reason. They must have a 

 rich soil, containing one-third decayed 

 manure, with some fine bone added. 



G.W. 



TO FOBOE BHUBABB. 



I wish to force rhubarb this winter. 

 Do you think it could be forced under 

 benches three feet highf C. 8. F. 



To successfully force rhubarb you 

 need as dark a place as possible; also 

 a good heat. The rhubarb should be 

 subjected to a sharp freezing before 

 forcing. Provided you can box in and 

 darken a place below your benches, 

 there is no reason why you cannot 

 force rhubarb successfully. Of course, 

 in midwinter it needs a brisk heat to 

 start it. 0. W. 



Officers Elected. 



The new oflScers of the Vegetable 

 Growers' Association of America, elect- 

 ed at the meeting in Philadelphia last 

 week, are: 



President — M. L. Beutenick, of Cleve- 

 land, O. 



Vice-president — Daniel P. Comly, of 

 Bustleton, Pa. 



Secretary — S. W. Severance, of Louis- 

 ville, Ky. 



Treasurer — E. A. Dunbar, of Ashta- 

 bula, O. 



The next meeting probably will be 

 held at Toronto, Ont. 



A Lively Meeting. 



This was the seventh annual conven- 

 tion and one of the best that has been 

 held. The program was as follows: 



TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 8:30 A. M. 



Call to Order— President E. L. Watts, State 

 College, Pa. 



WelcoiTie Addresses: 



On behalf of the Oity of Philadelphia, the Hon. 

 Rudolph Blankenburg, Mayor. 



On behalf of the Philadelphia Vegetable Grow- 

 ers' Association, Howard W. Selby. 



Response — C. W. Wald, East Lansing, Mich. 



President's Annual Address. 



Report of Secretary. 



Report of Treasurer. 



Reports of Standing Committees: 



"Nomenclature and Varieties of Vegetables," 

 Prof. W. R. Lazenby, Ohio State University, 

 Columbus, O., Chairman. 



"Weights and Measures," C. W. Wald, Michi- 

 gan Agricultural College, East Lansing, Mlcb., 

 Chairman. 



"Seed Inspection and Certification," Dr. W. A. 

 Orton, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Wash- 

 ington, D. C, Chairman. 



"Transportation Rates," E. A. Dunbar, Ashta- 

 bula, O., Secretary. 



TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6. 1:30 P. M. 



Inspection Trip to Bustleton Market Gardens. 



TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 7:30 P. M. 



Popular Open Meeting under auspices of Phila- 

 delphia Vegetable Growers' Association. 



Subject for Discussion: "Standardization." 

 Prof. Clyde L. King, Uniyersity of Pennsylvania, 

 Philadelpliia, Pa., Leader. 



Ill'istrated lecture on seeds, by Walter P. 

 Stokefr. Philadelphia. 



WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 7. 9:80 A. M. 



Appointment of Committees. 



Subject for Discussion: "Soil Problems for 

 Vegetable Growers." Dr. Jacob G. Llpuan 

 Director, New Jersey Agricultural E^iteriuient 

 Stations, New Brunswick, N. J., Leader. 



WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1:80 P. M. 



In8pecti)n Trip to South Jersey Truck Faim» 

 at Bridgeton, N. J. 



- WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7. 7:30 P. M. 



Popular Open Meeting under auspices of Pbila- 

 delpliia Vegetable Growers' Association. 



Subject for Discussion: "Marketing." Piof 

 Clyde L. King, University of Pennsylvania" 

 Philadelphia, Pa., Leader. Discussion by E. t' 

 Butterworth, Philadelphia Branch, Na'tiotiai 

 League of Commission Merchants, and others. 



THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 9:30 A. M. 

 Subject for Discussion: "Cooperation." Prof 

 Paul Work, New York State College of Agricul- 

 ture, Leader. 



Addressf'B ■ by — Prof. T. C. Johnsonr Director 

 |ia X«Mck Experiment Station, Norfolk, Vn.. 

 IbeiB. 



M. 



HURSDAY, OCTOBER 8. 1:30 P. 

 Report of Committee on Resolutions. 

 Report of Committee on Nominations. 

 ■iPCtlCHjiK OflScers. 

 UnfiniawCp.BusineB8. 



THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8. 7:30 P. 

 Annual Ba'nquet at the Hotel Walton. 

 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9. 



M. 



Iron Age 



Inspection Trips to Philadelphia Wholesale and 

 Retail Markets, to C. W. Skinner's Farm at 

 Newfield, N. J., and to oth^r points of Interest. 



The Exhibits. 



The exhibitors were as follows: 



Ball Mfg. Co., Glenside, Pa., Lightning celery 

 bleacher. 



Bateman Mfg. Co., Grenloch, N. J., 

 farm, orchard and garden Implements. 



Bowker Insecticide Co., Boston, insecticidea 

 and fungicides. 



R. G. Brnner, Olinda, Ont., onion weeding 

 machines. 



W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Philadelphia, seeds, 

 dahlias and asters. 



Henry A. Dreer, Inc., Philadelphia, seeds. 



Lord & Burnham Co., Philadelphia, greenhouse 

 designers and builders. 



Kroeschell Bros. Co., 

 boilers. 



Keller Bros., Toledo, 0. 



National Bundle Tyer 

 bundle t.vers. 



Skinner Irrigation Co. 

 systems. 



New York Stable Manure Co., Jersey City, 

 N. J., fertilliers. 



C. W. Skinner, Newfield, N. J., irrigation 

 systems. 



Chicago, greenhouse 



onion seeds and sets. 

 Co., Bllssfleld, Mlcb., 



Troy, O., Irrigation 



SEASONABLE SUOOESTIONS. 



Decreasing the Shade. 



We have reached the middle of Octo- 

 ber, and, while a year ago we expe- 

 rienced long spells of damp, sunless 

 weather, the reverse has been the rule 

 this season; day after day for many 

 weeks we have had cloudless skies, and 

 the sun still shines with almost mid- 

 summer brilliancy. The bright skies 

 are favorable to nearly all varieties of 

 orchids, especially if the amount of 

 shading has been much reduced; this 

 applies particularly to cattleyas. Never 

 mind if the stronger light makes the 

 plants appear a trifle more yellow in 

 hue; they will have hardier growths, 



and such plants invariably flower more 

 profusely than the dark green plants 

 which have been kept under too heavy 

 shade. Where the shading still is too 

 heavy, remove it at once. The beft 

 plan is to wash the glass clean; theu, 

 when it dries, give it a new but light 

 coating of kerosene and white leail, 

 unless perchance the fortunate culti- 

 vator has lath shades, which are tie 

 finest of all shades for orchids, as thev^ 

 can be removed entirely in sunless 

 weather. 



Cattleya Labiata. 



A good many of the Cattleya labiata 

 already are flowering, and others wiil 

 come along and make a succession unt 1 

 December. At one time this cattleya 

 was quite cheap; now it is advancing 

 steadily in price, and the size of the 

 plants diminishes as the value soar:^- 

 This beautiful fall cattleya is indi:^- 



