Jdns 26, lOl^i 



The Florists' Review 



OSUBWOBMS IN MANUBC. 



We have a lot of well rotted cow 

 manure that we wish to use in our 

 mum benches, but it is full of grub- 

 worms. Is there any way to get rid 

 of these without injuring the manure 

 for early use? W. V. F. C. 



It is somewhat difficult to know ex- 

 actly what is meant by grubworms in 

 this case. If they are the common 

 earthworms, there need.be no uneasi- 

 ness regarding the use of the rotted 

 cow manure, as an application of lime 

 will easily destroy them. If, however, 

 the worms mentioned are the larvae of 

 the May bug or cockchafer, Melolontha 

 vulgaris, the proposition is an entirely 

 different one. These grubs are about 

 an inch and a half long, dirty white in 

 color, with a black head and black tail. 

 These are a destructive pest and the 

 only absolutely certain way of getting 

 rid of them is to pick out every one 

 of them from the soil or manure, be- 

 fore- using, or they will go all through 

 the bench and destroy every plant. This 

 picking out will take some time, but it 

 will be time well spent. Heavy appli- 

 cations of Scotch soot or lime on the 

 manure will kill many of the grubs, 

 but not all. Hand-picking, as far as 

 I know, is the only remedy. 



Chas. H. Totty. 



TABNISH BUGS ON MUMS. 



Please tell me what I can do to stop 

 the ravages of a brown fly which de- 

 stroys my mums. Some call it the 

 tarnish bug. I have been picking the 

 pests off in the morning and at nighty 

 but can not get rid of them. In the 

 daytime they fly from one plant to 

 another or drop to the ground. I no- 

 tice that they are working more on 

 some varieties than on others. Would 

 Paris green do any good? I have about 

 10,000 chrysanthemums planted outside 

 here, a short distance south of Califor- 

 nia, and covered with cheesecloth. 



C. M. 



The tarnish bug is a difficult pest to 

 control. We have had fairly good suc- 

 cess by using Paris green, spraying the 

 plants copiously in the evening and 

 using the most minute quantity of Paris 

 green. Half a teaspoonful in a pail, 

 so that the water is tinged ever so 

 slightly, is sufficient. Paris green con- 

 tains arsenic in its composition and 

 burns badly if not used with extreme 

 caution. Tobacco extracts, sprayed in 

 liquid form, are good, but unless the 

 insects are directly hit by the solution 

 it does not accomplish much, whereas 

 Paris green will remain on the leaves 

 and tips and sooner or later will do 

 its work. Chas. H. Totty. 



Hebron, Neb. — Mrs. Mary F. Lindsey 

 says riiat each year shows an increase 

 in the demand for plants and cut flow- 

 ers, especially at Memorial day. The 

 sales this year far exceeded anything 

 in her experience. 



A CONCBETE TAMPING BLOCK. 



Where is there a greenhouse that 

 does not see frequent need for a tamp- 

 ing block, a soil firmer? Probably there 

 is no more universally used instrument; 

 it is almost as necessary as the coal 

 scoop. If a batch of cuttings is to 

 turn out a good strike the sand must be 

 firmed, and frequently the young stock 

 in the benches does not take hold as it 

 should until the soil is gone over and 

 given another firming. 



When the average grower wants a 

 tamping block he hunts around for a 

 brick; when he is through he throws it 

 down, and when he wants it again he 

 finds another. But a brick is not the 

 nicest of things to work with, perhaps 

 for hours at a stretch. To W. C. Sco- 

 vell, of Malta, O., it appeared that 

 there was plenty of room for improve- 

 ment, so he made a brick with a handle. 

 First he made a form of wood, 2x4x8 

 inches. This was placed on a pane of 

 window glass and partly filled with a 

 rich, soft mixture of concrete. Then a 

 handle from an ordinary flatiron was 

 set in the concrete and the mold filled 

 up. When the concrete had set the 

 mold was knocked away and the tamp- 

 ing block set out to dry thoroughly. 

 The glass bottom gave a perfectly 

 smooth surface. The block, 2x4x8, 

 weighed five and one-half pounds. This 

 was found much more convenient to 

 use than the rough, handleless brick, 

 and it can be hung up by the handle, 



would bring the handle to the point to 

 give the right balance, it would provide 

 a wood handle open at one end. 



FANI|Sr QUEBIES. 



I should like to ask you a few (jues- 

 tions about pansy plants for co;nmer- 

 eial use. I would like to raise quite a 

 number this fall and next apnng for 

 spring sales. Is there any difference 

 between Improved Ti^iinardeau and 

 Gtrant Trimardeau? What is another 

 good variety besides Giant Trimardeau? 

 What is the best winter protection for 

 pansy plants in the field? I have heard 

 that straw will rot t'lo plants if heavy 

 enough for protection. Would muslin 

 sashes be much protection for those in 

 coldframes? About what date could the 

 protection be removed? Will a frost 

 kill thfe young plants? W. D. M. 



Improved Trimardeau and Giant Tri- 

 mardeau are probably one and the aame. 

 The seedsmen usually add such words 

 as Improved, Specially Select, Giunt, or 

 Superb to draw special attention to 

 their strains. While a really good se- 

 lection of Trimardeau is hard to beat, 

 there are others which are fine. The 

 Mme. Perret giant hybrids, with lung- 

 stemmed flowers, mostly red or wine 

 shades, are superb. So are Cassier's 

 and Bugnot's, but the strains of some 

 of the American specialists are har«l to 

 beat. ' 



For protection, fresh leaves are ideal 

 if they 'Can be kept in place. Next to 

 them comes meadow hay. Straw cau be 

 used, but is not so good as hay. Pine 

 needles are splendid if you only have 

 a small area to cover. In coldfrnmes, 

 scatter a few dry leaves over the plants. 

 Burlap would make a stronger cover 

 than cheesecloth or muslin, which would 

 not stand snow. Glass sasho.-^ are, of 

 course, the best. Sashes could be re- 

 mpvQd with safety about April 1. By 





:'. ';■ ■. ' '.tV' >i-r 



A G>acrete Tamping Block with Iron Handle. 



out of the way, but where it will be 

 right at hand when wanted — provided 

 this is one of the establishments where 

 everything has a place and everything 

 is in its place. 



Another good way would be to use an 

 ordinary plasterer's trowel for the 

 handle. If the mold were partly filled 

 with concrete and the trowel set with 

 the blade partly cut off, so that it 



leaving them on later, however, you 

 could secure earlier flowers. Young 

 pansy plants withstand severe frost. 

 The hot sun and constant thavin^s and 

 freezings which heave the ground in 

 late winter do the real damage. 



C. W. 



Hartford, Conn.— Carl Peterson re- 

 cently secured a permit to build a green- 

 house at the rear of 115 Adams street. 



