252 , STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



signifies, and is the most profitable white up to the present time. Ivory 

 is another new variety which is a verv fine white. This being its first 

 winter away from its birthplace, it is very difficult to say what its future 

 will be. In red we have the old standard varieties, Portia, President 

 Garfield, and Emily Pierson, — President Garfield being a late-blooming 

 vaiiety while the other two varieties are early bloomers. But all the 

 red varieties of carnation must bow their heads and step aside to allow 

 Murillo to enter the competition world. It is by far the finest and 

 grandest red carnation that has ever been grown. \Ve have taken a 

 great interest in this variety, as it was originated by a Grand Rapids 

 fir-m. It has all the good qualities required — a good grower, good 

 bloomer, and is sure to be a profitable variety. It will I believe be dis- 

 seminated the spring of 1807. In yelloAv we have Goldfinch as the best, 

 with Mayor Pingree as a close second. I might go over the list and name 

 fifty varieties which have been tried, but I have named the very best. 



The disease to \Ahich the carnation is most subject is what is called 

 carnation rust. Now, we have all lived in dread of rust. I know I have, 

 and kept it from my houses for three years after all my brother florists 

 had it, but at last it crept in; and I do not think there is a carnation- 

 grower in the country but has had more or less fear of its ultimate results 

 in the cultivation of the crop in his greenhouses. Present experience 

 goes to show that an arsenical preparation will absolutely annihilate 

 rust. Fowler's solution is dissolved arsenic. Use at the rate of one 

 ounce to eight gallons of water. This solution can be obtained at my 

 drug store, the prescription being as follows: Arsenious acid, 616 grains; 

 bicarbonate of potash, 1,236 grains; water, four ounces. 



Cuttings can be taken any time from October to April, but I would 

 advise early propagation, say December 1 to 15. Use four inches of 

 clean, white, and tolerably coarse sand, then place your cuttings in; after 

 they have been in about four weeks they will be well rooted, and can then 

 be put into boxes about three inches deep. The cuttings should be 

 planted out in the garden about the first of ]May, in rows about twenty 

 inches apart and one foot in, the rows. They will now need constant 

 attention, keeping the weeds down and cultivjiting- them about every 

 two weeks. Disbudding should be done at intervals during the summer, 

 ^\henever the buds ap])oar, until the 10th of August, at which time the 

 plants should be stocky, well' set with blooming shoots. It will now be 

 time to begin to prepare the greenhouses for them, your soil having been 

 previously prepared of three parts dark, sandy loam and one part well- 

 rotted manure, ^'ow comes the particular part of canuition-growing, 

 that of lifting; it can not be expected that we should all think alike, or 

 that the same way of lifting carnations would give the same results with 

 the grower. The soil, variety, manner of lifting, and transplanting, are 

 all important factors in determining the success of the operation. .Most 

 of the varieties can be taken in with but very little soil on their roots. If 

 the soil is sandy, it is much better to have it off, but care should be taken 

 not to let the roots become dry. If the soil is heavy it will natuially 

 cling to the roots, and it would be injurious to the plant to try to take- 

 it off. I most assuredly recommend that, when it is possible, all the soil 



