APBil. 8, 1»09. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



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The Hyslop Crab Apple^ Photographed May 16, 1908. 



GREENHOUSE FOUNDATIONS. 



We are planning to build anew after 

 our fire, and the walls of the new houses, 

 we think, will be either cement or stone. 

 In case of using either, how far is it 

 necessary to go below the surface of the 

 ground with the wall? In this Wisconsin 

 climate, of course, in some winters the 

 frost goes down deep, and if it is neces- 

 sary to get below that line, it would be 

 pretty expensive. Is it necessary? 



Z. K. J. 



Modern greenhouses are seldom built 

 with solid walls, because of the fact that 

 the intensity of frost during hard win- 

 ters has a tendency to heave the founda- 

 tions. The usual method is to use iron 

 posts to support the roof and walls. 

 These are set in concrete and can be 

 placed deep enough to be beyond the in- 



fluence of frost at little expense. Foun- 

 dations for solid walls should be beyond 

 the depth of frost, to be secure. 



Any of the horticultural builders who 

 advertise in the Keview will gladly mail 

 you literature covering this and many 

 other points which will certainly be of 

 great interest to you. Kibes. 



WANTED-IMPROVED ZINNIAS. 



Universal gratitude, from the small 

 country retailer, is awaiting the man who 

 produces a pure white and a baby pink 

 zinnia. We get good asters, but their 

 season is limited. The zinnia blooms all 

 the time and is most useful for funeral 

 work, only the colors are not good. I 

 have tried seed from the best seedsmen 

 all over the country, with the same poor 

 results. J. A. W. 



DISEASED GERANIUMS. 



Enclosed you will find some diseased 

 geranium leaves. I would be pleased to 

 know what the trouble is, its cause and 

 cure or prevention. The plants are in a 

 Jettuce house where the night tempera- 

 ture carried is about 45 degrees. 



S. A. C. 



The leaves forwarded have a disease 

 "ot uncommon on plants grown both out- 

 doors and under glass. In the open air 

 the trouble usually comes on during spells 

 ?. ^<^t> steamy weather, when there is 

 'ittle sunshine, and invariably affects 

 pJants grown in the full sun more than 

 those grown in partial shade. Under 

 8'ass it appears to make little difference 

 ^hether plants get full sun or are some- 

 "'hat shaded, but I have noticed that 

 P'a«ts grown for some time in shade and 

 emoved to a sunny location are more 



susceptible to this leaf disease than oth- 

 ers differently treated. At first I con- 

 cluded that it was a case of sunburn, 

 owing to the leaves being rather soft and 

 tender, but the same trouble has oc- 

 curred on plants always in the sunniest 

 possible spot, which upsets that theory. 



Geraniums, at least those grown for 

 bedding out, are better never shaded at 

 all. The hardier . they can be grown, the 

 less the liability to disease. It is better 

 to avoid using barnyard manure in the 

 soil, unless it is old and well decayed. 

 Bone meal is safer to use. It also pro- 

 motes floriferousness, as against leaf 

 growth. Plants should never be kept 

 constantly wet. A good drying out once 

 or twice a week hardens them, and the 

 tougher the leaves the less the chances 

 are of disease striking them. Decaying 

 foliage should be carefully removed, and 

 not thrown under the bench, to help keep 



the plants healthy. Cleanliness is of 

 paramount importance in plant culture. 

 A night temperature now of 45 degrees 

 should be all right. I prefer 48 to 50 

 degrees during the winter. 



I have probably not given any direct 

 answer to your question as to the cause 

 of and cure or prevention for geranium 

 disease. I believe it is usually due to 

 improper soil, a too wet root condition, 

 a neglect to keep the plants properly 

 spaced and cleaned, too much moisture 

 on the foliage and growing the plants in 

 a shaded house. A dry atmosphere is to 

 be preferred to a moist one. One or two 

 of the state experimental stations have 

 taken up this subject, but so far as can 

 be learned have been unable to throw 

 any new light on it. C. W. 



ORNAMENTAL CRAB APPLES. 



Their Increasing Popularity. 



The pyrus, or crab apples, are among 

 the most beautiful of our low growing 

 trees. Their flowering period immedi- 

 ately precedes that of the lilacs, and, 

 while their blooms are a little more fleet- 

 ing, they have the advantage of carrying 

 profuse crops of ornamental little fruits, 

 which hang in some cases until Thanks- 

 giving. The various crab apples usually 

 flower from the beginning until the mid- 

 dle of May in southeastern Massachu- 

 setts, with the exception of Bephtel's 

 double-flowered variety, which persists 

 until early June. 



There would seem to be a fine field for 

 the extended culture of these beautiful 

 and in every way satisfactory flowering 

 trees. Many nurserymen have too much 

 neglected them, and are just waking up 

 to the fact that they must increase their 

 stock of them, owing to the growing de- 

 mand. Many commercial florists do a 

 considerable business in trees and shrubs, 

 yet how seldom do we find them plant- 

 ing any of the pyrus! Let them secure 

 a few trees and plant one on their own 

 lawn, and once their customers have seen 

 its beauty, they will have no trouble in 

 selling all they can raise. 



Must Have Ample Room. 



Spring is the best time to plant the 

 ornamental crab apples, although they 

 can be successfully moved in fall also. 









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