March, 1920 
t3l)e3 r lower (Brower 
Queries and Answers Department. 
“ All questions asked in good faith and which are of general interest will have careful attention. | 
5 The full name and address of the writer must be given, but not for publication.” 
Hu 
Unsatisfactory Behavior 
of Bird Nest Fern. 
To the Editor 
If you will, I would like to have some ad- 
vice relative to a Bird Nest Fern. I have 
had it in my home for about two and a half 
years. It seems to grow, i.e., produce leaves 
O. K., but they do not remain perfect but 
seem to develop notches in the leaves. The 
notches seem to rust in the leaves or pos- 
sibly the leaf seems to die out in notches 
and thereby destroys its beauty. Couldn’t it 
be due to sour ground? I have repotted the 
plant and it produces the leaves, but do not 
keep as they were when I originally pur- 
chased the plant. I read that lime water 
was good to put on soil of house plants. I 
assume this is to correct the soil. If this is 
good how can I obtain this lime water? Any 
advice will be appreciated. 
W. A. T. 
Answer :— I suggest that you examine 
very closely the foliage of your Fern 
and if the leaves are found infested 
with insects or the scale, cut the leaves 
down close to the surface of the soil. 
Burn the infested foliage, remove some 
of the top soil, replacing it with porous 
leaf mould if obtainable or light sandy 
soil, then place some tobacco dust or 
chipped tobacco stems over the surface 
of the soil. Water the plant and keep 
in a cool, partially shaded place until 
new healthy fronds come up. 
The hot, dry air of the average room 
combined with poor drainage will cause 
the edges of the fronds to turn brown. 
If the roots have been injured by 
watering too freely, the plant should 
be repotted in fresh “woodsy” earth 
and the plant kept in partial shade 
until it recovers. 
An occasional application of liquid 
manure or of lime water will be found 
beneficial to ferns. Lime water may 
be purchased ready to use or prepared 
by placing about one pint of quick lime 
in about one and one-half gallons of 
water, and after the lime has been 
well stirred and allowed to settle to the 
bottom of the vessel, using the water 
when the soil in the pot is quite dry. 
To rid the soil of earth worms, a 
stronger solution (say one pint to one 
gallon) will be found effective. 
Bertha Berbert-Hammond. 
Brown Tip on Gladiolus Foliage. 
To the Editor 
Is the brown tip on the leaf of Gladiolus 
foliage a blight, or a normal condition? If 
the former, will spraying correct it? 
W. G. N. 
Answer : — The brown tip on the foli- 
age of the Gladioli does not necessarily 
mean disease. During extremely hot 
weather some varieties are inclined to 
sunburn in this way, especially during 
hot, dry weather following a cool, wet 
and cloudy spell. Brown tips which are 
the result of disease are usually fol- 
lowed by brown streaks running down 
the foliage, sometimes as far down as 
the ground. If the brown tips re- 
ferred to are quite universal through 
your plantings or even through any 
particular variety it is doubtless owing 
to weather conditions and not to dis- 
eased corms. 
Spraying with Bordeaux mixture has 
been recommended for this trouble, 
but we have never found it necessary 
to use anything of this kind in our 
garden. 
Madison Cooper. 
Caterpillars Eat Gladioli. 
To the Editor:— 
What is the little insect that nibbles the 
tip of the Gladiolus spike, chewing out the 
end of the first flower, and will arsenate of 
lead kill him? 
W. G. N. 
Answer : — It is probable that cater- 
pillars are responsible for the damage to 
the tip of Gladiolus spikes. Some years 
like 1917 caterpillars are very numer- 
ous and they are of all sizes and 
colors and they all have about the same 
chewing characteristics. Very little 
damage from this source was noted 
during the past two years. Arsenate 
of lead ought to kill anything that eats 
like a caterpillar. 
Crooked Stems in 
Chicago White Gladiolus. 
To the Editor 
I have a thousand Chicago White just 
coming into flower and about half of them 
are bent over in the middle of the flower 
spike. The corms were rather red and sore 
looking, rusty perhaps, and I felt somewhat 
dubious about planting them, but got them 
from one of the leading growers and thought 
they must be all right. Is it the nature of 
this particular variety to lop over or is this 
due to some other condition? 
W. G. N. 
Answer : — The crooked spikes re- 
ferred to are not at all common to 
Chicago White. Chicago White, in fact, 
is ordinarily extra straight and, there- 
fore, the trouble may be caused by 
diseased corms or unusual weather 
conditions. Most any variety is likely 
to have crooked spikes during a very 
hot spell of weather following cool 
rainy weather. Some varieties are 
given to crooked spikes while others 
have few or none. 
If diseased corms are planted and 
you get a good healthy sprout it should 
not have any bad effect on the flower 
spike, but we have known cases where 
the corms were weak although not dis- 
eased, and a weak growth may result in 
crooked spikes in such cases. 
Madison Cooper. 
47 
Catalogues and Price Lists. 
Derby Garden Gladioli— Retail list for 1920— Stand- 
ard varieties and novelties, all home grown. John H. 
Umpleby, Lake View, N. Y. 
Derby Garden Gladioli for 1920— Grown by John H. 
Umpleby, Lake View, N. Y. Wholesale list of a 
few selected varieties and seedlings. 
F. A. Wetzel, Syracuse, N. Y.— Catalogue and price 
list of Gladioli. Some of the very best standard varie- 
ties and novelties are listed. 
W. L. Crissey, R. F. D. 1, Boring, Ore.— A really 
artistic catalogue of Gladioli, finely illustrated and 
with good descriptions. Also hardy plants. 
The National Bulb Farms, Inc., successors to Michi- 
gan Bulb Farms. Benton Harbor, Mich. Very com- 
plete catalogue of Gladioli with brief descriptions. 
Also Dahlias. 
J. W. Seiler Co., Ravenna, Ohio— Retail price list 
for 1920. A selected list of standards and Austin 
varieties with good descriptions. 
Brookland Gardens, S. E. Spencer, Prop., Woburn, 
Mass.— Retail catalogue and price list of an especially 
well balanced selection of Gladioli; also Irises and 
Hardy Phloxes. 
Howard Gladiolus Gardens, Mrs. Anna Howard, 
Prop., Republic, Mo.— Retail list of Gladioli, Dahlias, 
Irises, Hardy Chrysanthemums, Phloxes and Hardy 
Perennials. 
Flora-Croft Gladiolus Gardens, 121 Island Ave., Lan- 
sing, Mich.— 1920 descriptive price list of Gladioli. 
The old standards and some of the best new things. 
Also perennials, etc. 
D. W. Peckham, Middlefield, Conn. — 1920 price list 
of Dahlias and Gladioli. An especially attractive list 
of Dahlias carefully classified. 
Oronogo Flower Gardens, Benjamin C. Auten, 
Prop., Carterville, Mo.— Price lists, both wholesale 
and retail of Irises and miscellaneous plants. 
Thos. M. Proctor, 71 South St., Wrentham, Mass. 
1920 retail list of Gladioli with good descriptions. 
Prices by the dozen only. 
Howard M. Gillet, Lebanon Springs, N. Y., 1920 
retail catalogue of a very select list of Gladioli. 
Some unusual varieties are listed. 
W. J. Tubbs, Elkhorn, Wis. Price list of Dahlias, 
Gladioli, Peonies, Irises, etc. A very complete retail 
list. 
M. F. Wright & Daughter, Sturgis, Mich. Price 
list of Gladiolus corms with unusually good descrip- 
tions. Also color illustrations of the variety Louise. 
C. Louis Ailing, 251 Court St., West Haven, Conn. 
Catalogue of Dahlias; descriptions are especially good 
and the list a very complete one. 
A. E. Kunderd, Goshen, Ind. 1920 catalogue of the 
Kunderd varieties. Finely illustrated and with valu- 
able descriptive matter. Many testimonials. Hints 
on culture, etc. 
N. A. Hallauer, Ontario, N. Y. 1920 catalogue and 
price list of Gladioli, Dahlias, Roses, Peonies, hardy 
plants and shrubs. Good descriptions and well ar- 
ranged throughout. 16 pages and cover. 
Forest Heights Gardens, 1815-26th Ave., North, 
Minneapolis, Minn.— Retail price list of Gladiolus 
corms, priced singly and by the dozen. A very care- 
fully selected list. 
Rosedale Nurseries, Tarrytown, N. Y. S. G. Har- 
ris, Prop., 1920 spring price list, 32 pages. An unusu- 
ally well arranged and complete catalogue of trees, 
shrubs, plants, vines, bulbs, etc. Also fruit trees, and 
small fruits. 
GLADIOLUS 
CRIMSON GLOW 
All growers agree is the one best red. A 
glorious, glowing crimson color Largest size, 
tall, robust, early, free. 
"The one” gladiolus supreme — the "A No. 1” 
out of acres of seedlings. 
S1.00 ea„ $10.00 doz. $75.00 100 (postfree) 
Many fine sorts and mixtures. 
Gladioli— Cannas— Dahlias — Peonies 
QUALITY OVER ALL. 
A request will bring our list. 
C. BETSCHEK, Dover, Ohio, U. S. A. 
L. B. 67 
