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Sbptembeb 6, 1912. 



The Florists^ Review 



15 



Establishment of E. T. Wnazex, Intensive Cullurist, Wheaton, IlL 



and are giving them a little water once 

 or twice a week. If it would pay us 

 better to buy new, we can easily use 

 these plants outdoors. G. V. W. 



It will not pay to attempt to force 

 any of these spiraeas a second season. 

 You would get few flowers from them. 

 Plant them out on a rich piece of 

 ground and let them stay there a couple 



of years, after which they will force 

 splendidly and the clumps will be so 

 large that it may be necessary to divide 

 some into two and three pieces before 

 potting. The extremely low price at 

 which imported spiraeas can be pur- 

 chased makes it a pure waste of time 

 and energy to attempt to carry any 

 stock over and force it. C. W. 



UNDER DrPFIOULTIES. 



I had an order for a wedding bou- 

 quet of valley and white roses for the 

 middle of July. In middle Georgia we 

 expect hot weather in July, and always 

 get it, too, but as I had such success 

 with the valley I will describe my 

 method. 



The pips were ordered from a whole- 

 sale ieed house in Philadelphia and 

 reached me July 4. Although they had 

 been carefully packed in damp moss, 

 growth had started and several showed 

 the bud, which made me fear that the 

 whole batch would be spoiled by the 

 heat, causing the flowers to open before 

 the stem had grown long enough. I 

 planted them at once, in pots of coarse 

 sand, and set each pot in a saucer of 

 water. Each pot was covered wjjth a 

 paper ^ag to keep the light from the 

 pips. Twice a day^ the bags were re- 

 moved and the pips given a thorough 

 spraying. But the weather was so hot 

 that after the fourth day I kept them 

 in an ice-box through the day, putting 

 them out in the open after the sun had 

 set and putting them back in the ice- 



box before breakfast. They grew fast. 



The bells were of good size, with stems 



from six to eight inches long, and were 



ready for the wedding in fourteen days. 



Cost of pips and express charges |2.35 



lee, eight days 65 



Totia $3.00 



As a result, I had nine dozen fine val- 

 ley. I also had the satisfaction of know- 

 ing it could be grown in spite of the 

 great heat and will be ready for future 

 orders. M. B. 



n 



A TYPICAL ILLINOIS PLANT. 



Overwork in a Chicago oflSce caused 

 E. T. Wanzer, whose home was at 

 Wheaton, 111., to buy a tract of seven- 

 teen acres just outside that town, for 

 the purpose of starting in the green- 

 house business. He has now been at 

 it for "ft matter of ten years, and has 

 been eminently successful. B. Schef- 

 fler was engaged as grower, and Mr. 

 Scheffler's abilities in this line, coupled 

 with Mr. Wahzer's business experience 

 and executive qualities, have resulted in 

 building up the establishment shown in 

 the accompanying illustration. There 



are six houses,* each 23x200, with a 

 lean-to on the south side, 24x200, and 

 another smaller one on the north side, 

 broken by the boiler shed, packing 

 room and office; which stand at the 

 center of the range at that side. 



The photograph from which the illus- 

 tration was prepared was made early 

 in August. In the foreground the field 

 of carnations is shown, for carnations 

 are the principal crop grown in the es- 

 tablishment. The picture sl^ows t*ree 

 lines of the Skinner system: of irriga- 

 tion, which has been found W impor- 

 tant adjunct. The pipes aie spaced 

 about forty feet apart, the- distance 

 being regulated by the water 'pressure. 

 The spacings are such that with the 

 pressure available each pipe throws to 

 the center between the lines, thus 

 bringing every plant in the field within 

 reach of water. The pipes ^re 400 

 feet long, and are fed from one end. 

 The system works so perfectly that the 

 pressure is as good at the far: end as 

 at the near end. The system is oper- 

 ated by a six horse-power gasoline en- 

 gine, and a new Challenge pump re- 

 cently installed. The apparatus was 

 manufactured by the Cfhallenge Co., 

 Batavia, 111., and the entire equipment 

 gives splendid satisfaction. 



Just beyond the field of carnations is 

 a big bed of stevias. The handling of 

 this crop shows especially well the sys- 

 tem by which Mr. Wanzer has made his 

 establishment so highly profitable. 

 Every inch of greenhouse space is kept 

 busy in the most productive way. The 

 steyia is planted . oi* in the field, and 

 makes fine growth. With autumn ap- 

 proaching, the plants are transferred 

 to_ boxes of convenient size for han- 

 dling, about five plants to the box. 

 Whatever space is available in' the 

 lean-to* houses, or in ^the greenhouses 

 themselves, is used f* tbese-boxes of 

 stevias. The balance of the boxes are 

 protected from frost in a cheap struc- 

 tiire roofed with hotbed sash. Here 

 they remain until the chrysanthemums 

 are cut. Then, as fast as space becomes 

 available, the boxes of stevias are 



