Mat 23, 1912. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



21 



ke a novice a 

 d with all of 

 almost every 



ium and vic- 

 sfully in our 



state in the 

 ew; they are 

 y want full 

 btion against 



native hybrids. It wills 

 little time to get acqua| 

 these; suffice it to say. tlf 

 known nymphaea, neh ' 

 toria can be grown, sU| 

 state and almost ev^ 

 Union. Their wantS) 

 ill sun-loving plants^ 

 exposure to the sun,' J 

 strong winds, a rich soil and plenty of 

 it. Here is where many failures are 

 made. Water lilies grow in water? Yes, 

 but in their native waters, natural 

 ponds and sluggish streams, there is a 

 rich soil at the bottom and plants in 

 artificial ponds must be provided with 

 ample soil of a rich, mellow loam, en- 

 riched with thoroughly rotted cow, sheep 

 or horse manure. The hardy nymphseas 

 may be planted in May, when growth 

 is active or assured. Nelumbiums are 

 better deferred a while longer; they are 

 impatient of being disturbed. The ten- 

 der varieties should not be planted un- 

 til the end of May or beginning of June. 

 Don't forget that they are tropical and 

 we are not living in the tropics. 



Their Flowering Season. 



Among the hardy water lilies we have 

 our first flowers early in May, and I 

 have had some in June, but in July and 

 August, our hot months, they decline 

 somewhat, the flowers being smaller, but 

 in June the tender varieties commence 

 to flower and increase in color and size 

 until they eclipse the hardy varieties, 

 and they hold their own until the cool 

 nights of September are upon us. The 

 lotus is generally at its best during July 

 and August. 



As to the depth of artificial ponds, I 

 have had excellent results where the 

 water was two feet deep, allowing boxes 

 one foot deep to be submerged one foot. 

 The boxes may be made of ordinary 

 lumber or packing cases. Where a good 

 plant is desired, it would require from 

 four to nine cubic feet of soil, and a 

 tender or tropical variety would cover 

 about seventy-five to 100 square feet of 

 surface. The hardy varieties are not so 

 vigorous and I would plant three hardy 

 where I would plant one tender — the 

 lotus in about the same proportion as 

 the tender nymphseas. 



All natural or artificial ponds, tubs, 

 etc., should have goldfish in the water, 

 to keep down the mosquitos. The water 

 will not, of necessity, have to be 

 changed. An overflow pipe is desirable, 

 although the plants oxygenize the water. 

 There will occasionally be a scum on 

 the water, which can be washed off. Do 

 not have running water, or cold spring 

 water running all the time; fill only to 

 replace loss by evaporation. 



GAS IN WATER SUPPLY. 



Gas has leaked into my water supply. 

 Will the plants be injured if I use this 

 water for them? The gas company 

 denies that there is gas in the water, 

 but the odor is strong and the taste is 

 dreadful. The water supply has been 

 in constant use for twenty-eight years 

 and the gas has reached it only within 

 the last six months. Any advice you 

 can give me will be appreciated. 



A. L. S. 



Whether coal gas in water will injure 

 plants will depend upon the thorough- 

 ness with which it has been washed. 

 Ordinarily, with a good grade of gas, 

 the amount that could be absorbed by 

 water would not injure plants, but if 



Presentation Vase of Beauties by Art Floral Co., San Francisco. 



it contains much coal tar, serious re- 

 sults might follow. The water appears 

 to be stored in a cistern, and if it is 

 shut away from the air it might have 

 an offensive odor without the presence 

 of any coal gas. If the water has a 

 yellow tinge and has an unmistakable 

 coal tar odor, it should not be used for 

 watering plants. 



In case the odor is of a putrid nature, 

 it could be lessened by spraying fresh 

 water into the cistern, or by adding a 

 solution of blue vitriol at the rate of 

 one pound to twenty to 100 barrels, the 

 greater dilution being necessary if it 

 is to be used for drinking purposes by 

 man or beast. 



IS OOAIi TAB HABMTUIi? 



A customer of mine, who is a car- 

 penter, has built a large window box 

 and applied coal tar freely, both inside 

 and out, to act as a wood preservative. 

 I declined to fill the box, fearing the 

 coal tar would be injurious to plant 



growth. Am I right? If not, why 

 have I not heard of coal tar being used 

 to preserve greenhouse benches? If in- 

 jurious, what can be used to offset its 

 effects? L. K. 



Coal tar is injurious to plant life. 

 Whether it will be hurtful to plants 

 placed in a window box which has 

 been painted with it, will depend large- 

 ly upon the amount of tar which has 

 been used. It has been demonstrated 

 many times that when greenhouse 

 benches or heating pipes, especially the 

 latter, have been painted with coal tar, 

 it is impossible to grow plants suc- 

 cessfully in such houses, even though 

 the tar is scraped off and they are 

 repainted. 



While tar used upon a window box, 

 where the plants will be growing in 

 the open air, will probably not be fatal 

 to them, it would be safer not to use 

 the boxes if much tar has been applied, 

 unless it can be burned or scraped off. 



