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The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



▲fbil I, 1909. 



Green, Warwick, R. I.; E. Gardner and 

 A, Griffin, Newport, R. L; W. F. Gude, 

 Washington, D. C; G, F. Struck, New 

 York; H. Wild, Greenwich, Conn.; Jo 

 seph Manda, West Orange, N. J. ; W. A. 

 Man da, South Orange, N. J.; T. McCar- 

 thy, Providence, R. I. ; C. S. Strout, 

 Biddeford, Me.; T. Mellstrom, St. Al- 

 bans, England; A. T. De La Mare, New 

 York, N. Y. ; R. Ballantyne, Canandai- 

 gua, N. Y.; F. McMahon, Seabright, 

 5f. J.; J. F. Hubs, Hartford, Conn., and 

 J. M. Keller, New York. 



W. N. Craig. 



BAKER AND HIS BACKGROUND. 



If there is any part of this country 

 which is developing faster than the rest, 

 it is the soiithwest. George C. Baker is 

 one of those first on the ground at San 

 Antonio, Tex., and already is doing an 

 excellent business, with prospects of rapid 

 increase. The accompanying illustration 

 shows Mr. Baker beside his delivery out- 

 fit, with his residence and greenhouses at 

 the rear, and at the left of the green- 

 houses a slat house, which is used as a 

 shade. for chrysanthemums and roses. 



THE BEDDING STOCK. 



The removal of lilies and other Easter 

 flowering stock from the houses will give 

 an,, opportunity to spread out the now 

 rapidly growing bedding geraniums. If 

 you leave them overcrowded now, it will 

 materiallj' decrease their selling value. 

 Space the plants so that sunlight and air 

 can strike in among them. This is the 

 best of preventives for blight and other 

 fungoid diseases. 



If any of the plants in 4-inch pots 

 show signs of yellowing, it probably 

 means that with pots crammed full of 

 roots they need a little tonic. Weak doses 

 of cow manure water or a little nitrate 

 of soda will soon tone them up. 



If you are anxious to utilize bench 

 space now occupied by geraniums, pre- 

 pare a gentle hotbed, which should be 

 fairly tramped. Lay three to four inches 

 of fine coal ashes over this and partly 

 plunge your geraniums in it. You will be 

 surprised to note how well they will 

 thrive in such a place. 



GERANIUM LEAVES DISEASED. 



I enclose leaves taken from some of 

 my geraniums. They were growing nicely 

 in 4-inch pots. This disease attacked 

 them some time ago and is spreading 

 fast. The south side of the house is the 

 worst, the north side being almost free 

 from it. Not all the south side is badly 

 aflFected, but a large part of the leaves 

 are affected. What is the matter and 

 the remedy? E. B. 



The foliage received was quite badly 

 diseased. The cause of the trouble I 

 could not state, without understanding 

 more of your cultural conditions. A num- 

 ber of reasons can be advanced for this 

 geranium trouble. Among these are over- 

 propagation, extreme fluctuations in tem- 

 perature, improper soil, lack of proper 

 air and sunlight, keeping the soil and 

 foliage too damp, and last, but not least. 

 a failure to keep decaying or affected 

 foliage removed. Cleanliness below the 

 boncheg, as well as above, will do much 

 towards keeping away these blights. 



I would advise throwing away the 

 worst affectM plants. Keep the leaves 

 showing disease carefully picked from 

 the others. Also remove any which are 

 drying or moldy. Space the plants so 

 that they do not crowd each other. Tjet 



them have full sun, a free circulation of 

 air and a temperature of 48 to 50 de- 

 grees at night. When you water, soak 

 thoroughly, but let them dry out well be- 

 fore applying any more. Do not make a 

 practice of spraying the plants overhead, 

 and avoid the use of chemicals or liquid 

 manure unless the plants are starving 

 for it. 



Geranium blight probably often has its 

 inception in the cutting bench, but if 

 conditions conducive to the proper cul- 

 ture of the plants are followed, even al- 

 most hopeless plants can be galvanized 

 into new life. I have not found any ad- 

 vantage from the use of Bordeaux mix- 

 tures or other fungicides for this trouble. 



C.W. 



GERANIUMS IN SOLID BEDS. 



How will geraniums do grown in solid 

 beds for propagating purposes? Will it 

 be all right to put in small plants this 

 spring and pinch to grow for cuttings 

 this faliL We have always grown our 

 stock in benches with bottom heat, and 

 have had more than satisfactory results, 

 but we want to make some changes in the 

 use of our benches, and so we desire, if 



possible, to grow the geraniums in solid 

 beds in the future. F. P. F. C. 



While we would prefer benches for 

 geranium culture, they will do well in 

 solid beds. They will require more care- 

 ful watering in the dark winter months. 

 You can plant out young stock and pinch 

 them^ as suggested. Water carefully, so 

 as not to get the soil in a sour condition. 

 Afford ample drainage and do not give 

 over six inches of soil. Use fibrous loam, 

 with some decayed horse or cow manure 

 added to it, and rough sand to make it 

 porous. The geraniums want all possible 

 lig'ht and no shade. C. W. 



PINCHING GERANIUMS. 



Please tell me when is the best time 

 to quit pinching geranium buds, so as to 

 have them blooming nicely from May 10 

 to 30. The varieties are: S. A. Nutt, 

 Montmort, Ricard, Beaute Poitevine, 

 Marvel, Jean Viaud and Mme. Buchner. 

 Do different varieties require different 

 treatment? H. D. H. 



If you discontinue pinching the flower 

 shoots from three to four weeks before 

 they are wanted o^ such varieties as you 

 name, they will be all right. Be;tter give 

 them the longer period, so as to; discount 

 any spells of dark weather, when they 

 would make slow headway. The ivarieties 

 named all succeed well under the same 

 treatment. C. W. 



GERANIUMS FOR MEMORIAL DAY. 



What kind of fertilizer ie best to use 

 to make geraniums bloom for Memorial 

 day? H.G.N. 



If you have still some gei-eniums to re- 

 pot for Memorial day, use a 5-ineh pot of 

 fine bone to each barrowload of loam. A 

 little spent hotbed manure may also be 

 used with advantage, but «ow manure 

 promotes too strong a leaf growth at the 

 expense of flower, as does the use of the 

 majority of chemicals. 



If your plants are all potted and well 

 rooted, give them an airy, sunny house. 

 Run a little on the dry side at the roots. 

 A light topdressing with Clay's fertilizer 

 or Bon Arbor, or a little of either di- 

 luted in water, I have found to be ex- ' 



George C. Baker and Hi* Eftablishment, San Antonio, Tex. 



