December 8, 1910. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



17 



New Store of Charles L. Baum, Knoxville, Tenn. 



HOW TO GROW SMILAX. 



What is the best distance apart to 

 grow smilax? How many crops can be 

 taken off in twelve months, if grown in 

 a modern house under the best of con- 

 ditions? Will the smilax occupy the 

 house all of the twelve months or can 

 some other crop be grown? If any, 

 what? W. F. 



The majority of growers prefer to 

 plant smilax 8x10 inches, which means 

 eight inches apart in the row and ten 

 inches between the rows, though some 

 plant as closely as 8x8 inches. Four 

 crops per year may be grown under 

 good conditions; but the average prod- 

 uct is three crops. 



The proper culture of smilax will oc- 

 cupy the house for the entire year, to 

 tlie exclusion of any other crop. 



W. H. T. 



FUMES FROM HEATING PIPES. 



Please examine the contents of the 

 lox sent under separate cover and, if 

 possible, tell me what is the matter 

 with my geraniums. I have kept them 

 in an average temperature of 55 de- 

 grees. As to watering, I have tried 

 them two ways, fairly moist and also on 

 the dry side. The leaves do not look 

 right and the blooms do not develop. 

 They die off before the bloom opens up, 

 as you see by the condition of the 

 specimen sent. My cypripediums are 

 getting the same way. The blooms do 

 |iot develop as they ought. They are 

 "1 the same house. Perhaps there is 

 something wrong with the atmosi)here, 

 iJ'it I ventilate freely. 



Three years ago the house was re- 



modeled, and the bench lumber and hot 

 water pipes were treated for preserva- 

 tion by a preparation called chrysolite 

 paint. I soon found, to my sorrow, 

 after starting the hot water system, 

 that the gases from it caused me lots 

 of trouble. The first winter all the 

 leaves dropped off my geraniums, leav- 

 ing nothing but stems. Other plants 

 were affected in the same way. Last 

 year I had better luck, but there was 

 still some trouble. This winter I hoped 

 that everything would be well, but my 

 hopes are already being disappointed, 

 although I can not detect any odor or 

 gases from the paint. My plants were 

 healthy before I fired up the boiler. 

 Can you tell me what to do? 



C. D. 11. 



The appearance of the leaves of both 

 geraniums and cypripediums shows con- 

 clusively that there is something radi- 

 cally wrong with your tiouse. They 

 would never go off in this way if the 

 atmosphere were right. I have not used 

 chrysolite or any other preservative 

 paints on heating pipes, but have seen 

 in a number of cases striking examples 

 of the damage they have caused to 

 plant life. 



A coating of lampblack and linseed 

 oil is a good preservative for heating 

 pipes. Any smell soon passes away and 

 there are no bad effects. If you have 

 occasion to paint any pipes again, try 

 the lampblack. Ventilate a little at 

 night for a few nights until any smell 

 has passed away. 



The fact that your plants were per- 

 fectly healthy before you started firing 

 would seom to indicate that the chryso- 

 lite is the cause of the trouble, and 

 until this can 1 o roni'^'-^d from the 



pipes you are likely to have little suc- 

 cess with your plants. It is possible 

 that other readers may have had your 

 experience. It is also probable that 

 you can obtain some preparation which 

 will remove this from your pipes. This 

 will entail considerable labor, but if 

 some reader can recommend a reliable 

 preparation for removing paint from 

 heating pipes, it Avould pay you to 

 try it. (, Txr 



SHAMROCKS. 



Can you give me any information 

 about growing shamrocks? I wish to 

 keep them in the greenhouse until 

 about .January 1 and then place them 

 ni coldlrames which are set down 

 about a foot. Will thev be ready in 

 time without bottom heat? The plants 

 have their second leaves now. I live 

 in the central part of Massachusetts 



M. C. C. 



You will make a great mistake if 

 you place your shamrocks in cold- 

 trames about Januarv 1. You will 

 assuredly lose the greater part of them 

 It you do so. In so far as growth is 

 concerned, the plants, even if thev 

 lived, would stand still i„ the frames. 

 Ihere is little growth made by plants 

 in frames in your latitude between 

 January 1 and March 17, when they 

 are needed. My advice would be to 

 keep your plants in a cool greenhouse, 

 held at 40 to 45 degrees at night as 

 near the glass as possible. A house 

 which will grow good mignonette or 

 violets will suit the shamrocks. In 

 such a house you are sure of getting 

 good, salable plants. In coldframea 

 tli(\v would be a failure. C. W. 



