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42 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Sei'tembeb 9, 1900. 



the first to be seen in the Providence 

 market that were cut locally. 



Mrs. H. R. Bellows has gone back to 

 her old stand at the Union depot. 



The eleventh annuar flower show under 

 the auspices of the Central Falls Field 

 Naturalists' Society was held September 

 4 and 5 and was successful. A number 

 of entries were made by William Loth- 

 rop, of Brockton. "William Hoffman, of 

 Pawtucket, was one of the judges. 



W. H. M. 



Vegetable Fordog. 



TOMATOES IN ENGLAND. 



I am an English grower, with fruit 

 gardens near Bournemouth. As a sub- 

 scriber to the Review, I should like to 

 ask what is the cause of rot in tomatoes, 

 starting at the flower end. Please in- 

 form me also as to the cause of tomatoes 

 splitting and the cause of tomatoes color- 

 ing up nicely except around the stem end. 

 Some of mine seem to keep quite green 

 while the other part is quite ripe. 



H. Y. 



Blossom end rot or dry rot is generally 

 admitted to be a bacterial disease. It 

 was formerly supposed to be a fungous 

 disease, because fungus (mold) is often 

 seen growing on the black, rotten spots, 

 but this is only because the rotten spots 

 are a suitable place for spores of fungus 

 to locate on and grow. 



Spraying will not keep the blossom end 

 rot away. It is a disease that flourishes 

 only when the plant is not supplied with 

 sufficient moisture at the roots. If the 

 plant is kept well watered, it can fight 

 off the enemy. I have often had the 

 lowest or first cluster badly affected, but 

 by liberal applications of water have 

 prevented loss of fruit on any of the 

 other clusters. The disease does not 

 worry me in the least any more. When 

 a grower reports to me that some of it 

 is appearing among his plants, I say, 

 ' ' Dig down and you will find the roots 

 are dry in the bottom of the boxes or 

 benches. ' ' 



As to the splitting of the fruit, tomato 

 fruit will split if wet very much above 

 ground, especially if they have been very 

 dry previously. In rainy periods in 

 summer they split badly outdoors. 



I think that the trouble of not ripen- 

 ing properly is a fault of the variety. 

 Some growers like varieties that are slow 

 to ripen around the stem, as they stand 

 transportation better. I have never had 

 trouble with them ripening improperly, 

 but would not like them, even if they did 

 ship better. 



I take unusual interest in this inquiry, 

 on account of its coming from a different 

 country. Perhaps my advice will not be 

 found of much value to H. Y., on ac- 

 count of the different conditions, 

 methods, etc. I have had several good 

 English gardeners in my employ, and 

 from them I learn that tomatoes are dif- 

 ficult to grow outside in England, while 

 here any inexperienced person can grow 

 the finest without giving much attention 

 to them. This is the home of the tomato, 

 and it grows as easily as any weed in 

 the garden. In the greenhouses we have 

 more trouble. 



For years American growers have been 

 forcing only English varieties. They are 

 decidedly inferior in size, shape and 

 quality to our poorest American varie- 

 ties, and are never grown outside for 



If You Grow Mushrooms 



and want the best spawn nutde* use 



ANGLO-AMERICAN 



An exceptioaally fine lot of Spawn ready for Bhipment. If 

 your dealer cannot supply you write direct to us. 



Anglo-American Spawn Co., Kennett Square, Pa. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



RAWSON'S HOTHOUSE 

 CUCUMBER 



As a forcing Cucumber is one of the largest and most 

 profitable crops of the Market Gardener, it is essential 

 that the very best possible strain should be sown. 

 With this idea in view we have made selections for the 

 past few years from our Rawson's White Spine, which 

 have resulted in a strain about two inches longer and 

 a darker green in color, with a few light spines showing 

 at blossom end. 'Ihis new strain we confidently 

 believe to be superior to any other on the market. 

 The results we have had at our own greenhouses with 

 the stock conclusively prove the above to be true. ^ 

 oz., 35c; oz., 6Uc; 4 oz., $1.75; lb., $6.00. 



W. W. RAWSON & GO. 



6 UNION STREET 



BOSTON, MASS. 



Mention The Review when you write 



that reason, but somehow they yield a 

 little more heavily and seem to do a little 

 better than our own varieties in winter 

 under glass. Perhaps it is because they 

 are from breeds of hothouse grown varie- 

 ties. However, some native sorts are now 

 being forced inside, and about all im- 

 ported varieties have been discarded, ex- 

 cept Comet and Sutton's. I think that 

 another season will be their last. 



I wish H. Y. or some other progressive 

 English grower would try some of our 

 best varieties and report how they do 

 over there. I will furnish the seed sam- 

 ples if requested, and would be pleased 

 to hear from the inquirer again. We 

 have looked to the English for many 

 good things, and I believe we can return 

 the favor in no better way than by giv- 

 ing them a tip on tomato varieties. It 

 might be possible that they would act 

 differently over there, but it does not 

 seem possible that the difference would 

 be great. 



I was somewhat amused recently to 

 see a write-up in an English paper on 

 the Dwarf Champion, an American va- 

 riety, which is now so far outclassed that 

 it is nearly extinct. It was formerly our 

 best earliest sort, and last winter it 

 seemed to make a good impression on 

 the English writer. I have been wonder- 

 ing what he would think of our good 

 varieties. 



I have grown many acres of tomatoes 

 in the fields, and of about all known 

 varieties. After another careful test of 

 thirty varieties this season, I have de- 

 cided on five varieties as best for me — 

 two early, one medium and two later: 

 Earliana, earliest large; Early Jewel, 

 about ten days later, decidedly better in 

 shape and quality; Globe, a pink variety, 

 third in rotation, and Improved Stone 

 and Matchless for late varieties. Another 

 year I will grow no others, except a few 

 new ones to test them out. H. G. 



Louisville, Ky. — Mrs. M. D. Eeimers 

 has returned from a western trip of two 

 months' duration. After visiting the 

 Seattle exposition she spent a week in 

 Santa Bosa, the home of Luther Burbank, 

 whose place was most interesting. San 

 Francisco, Salt Lake City, Denver and 

 Colorado Springs were visited on the 

 homeward route. 



No Grower of Vegetables under glass can 

 afford to do without the Wittbold system of 



Watering 



—because with it a boy can do as much 

 as two men can do in a whole day with 

 the hose— and do it better. 



The Bystem is equally valuable out- 

 doors, and for many other crops besides 

 vegetables— wherever you need water. 



Send for our booklet— with testimon- 

 ials-read and you'll send in your order. 



E. H. HUNT 



EzclnalTe Sales Acent 

 76-78 Wabash Ave., CHICAQO 



Menttcn The Review when vou write. 



THE cost of labor saved 

 ' in six months will buy 

 and install a Skinner Sys- 

 tem of Greenhouse Irri- 

 gation. 



The Skinner Irrigation Co. 



TROY, O. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



VECrTABLE PLANTS 



CABBAOK— Succession, Flat Dutch and Savor, 



Sl.OO per 1000; 18.50 per 10,000. 

 CXLKBT— White Plume and Oolden Self 



Blanchingr, $1.00 per 1000; $8.50 per 10.000. 

 PARSLXT— 25c per 100; $1.25 per 1000. 

 Casta with order. 



R. Vincent, Jr., & Sons Co p''"^?."'*- 



Mention The Review when you write. 



PLANTS FOR NAME, 



F. J., Springfield, Mass. — Campanula 

 isophylla. 



North Dakota. — Ehus Canadensis. 



NAME OF PLANT. 



I am mailing you, under separate covgr, 

 a sprig of fern, of which we boug 

 collection about four years ago 

 bought it for an Asparagus plumosus 

 nanus, but it is unlike the plumosus 

 proper. We have never seen it catalogued, 

 and we do not know anyone who has 

 seen one like it. Please tell me whether 

 there is any such fern on the market or 

 not, and if so, please state the name of 

 it. E. M. 



ovgr, 



The plant in question is Asparagus 

 tenuissimus, a variety that has been in 

 cultivation since 1882. Like A. plumosus, 

 this plant was introduced from South 



