3J4 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



.lAXLARV 30. 1002. 



irrigation. Artificial watering, however, 

 is not to be advised except in extreme 

 cases. Thorough stirring of the soil 

 around the plants after each rain will 

 keep the plants moving. 



From planting out to housing, con- 

 tinual attention and systematic cultiva- 

 tion should be carried on. No rule can 

 be laid down governing the topping or 

 cutting back of plants; each variety must 

 be studied as to its habit of growth. A 

 few illustrations may be in order: The 

 variety Mrs. G. M. Bradt is one of the 

 most diflScult to grow into shapely plants, 

 while Mrs. Joost, Lawson and Marquis 

 naturally take on a shapely habit. Day- 

 break, White Cloud and "others of the 

 sprawly habit need close watching. 



Soil. 



Some growers advocate a sandy soil, 

 claiming the water passes off quickly 

 when watering; soil capable of retaininlr 

 moisture is best as explained later un- 



make the most of this sixty days to get 

 the plants in the best possible condition 

 to stand the strain of winter work, for 

 with poor plants in the benches Novem- 

 ber 1st means an unpaid board bill. 



House Culture. 



In planting carnations in the bench 

 the orders must be "Come, boys," not 

 "Go, boys." Dig a hole in the soil about 

 six inches in diameter and two to three 

 inches deep, forming a small hill rising 

 in the center of the hole to within an 

 inch of soil level ; on this hill arrange 

 the roots, letting them fall naturally in 

 all directions, scatter a small handful 

 of soil among the roots, shake the plants 

 slightly, draw in the remaining soil, 

 pack down firmly, leaving the plant 

 about one-half inch higher than it stood 

 in the field. Water thoroughly, seeing 

 to it that every part of the bench is wet; 

 syringe overhead several times daily un- 

 til it is seen that root action has corn- 



New Variegated Carnation Gaiety, as Exhibited at Chicago Last Week. 



der house culture, consequently the soil 

 should contain a small percentage of 

 clay. Soil should be prepared some time 

 in advance leading the bone meal out un- 

 til placed in benches. This getting in 

 soil today and planting tomorrow is all 

 wrong. It is better gotten in two or 

 three weeks in advance in order that it 

 may become settled by watering. A crop 

 or two of weeds may also be destroyed. 

 In using bone meal get the best you can ; 

 it is none too good. One-half the bone 

 meal offered for sale should, like patent 

 medicines, be thrown into the sea, where 

 it would do the most good. 



Housing. 



Shade the houses on the inside by ap- 

 plying a mixture of whiting and water, 

 either by brush or syringe; this daub- 

 ing the outside with thin mud is not in 

 keeping with recent improvements. 

 Housing should begin as near July 30th 

 as possible and be completed by August 

 loth; this gives the plants time to get 

 well established by September 1st, and 

 it is during this month that we are 

 quite sure of having good growing weath- 

 er inside. October will likely be a still 

 better Tuoiitli. and it behooves us to 



raenced, when the shading can be grad- 

 ually removed, commencing on the glass 

 admitting the first and last rays of the 

 sun during the day. With plants well 

 established give full sun and all the 

 ventilation possible without letting the 

 temperature go below 50 degrees at 

 night. About November 1st, a little heat 

 should be turned into the houses, for it 

 is better with the thermometer at 40 de- 

 grees outside to have heat on and ven- 

 tilators open than no heat on and ven- 

 tilators closed. 



In order to understand watering car- 

 nations, one must study the structure 

 and general make-up of the whole plant. 

 Some authorities tell us that the carna- 

 tion is a surface feeder, but I believe 

 this is more due to conditions than to 

 natural habit. Insxifficient or untimely 

 watering, too shallow benches and un- 

 suitable soil tend to make the plant a 

 surface feeder. Six inches of soil is 

 none too much and should be of such 

 nature that water will penetrate every 

 part quickl.v without an unnecessary 

 volume passing through, as this carries 

 out in solution valuable elements which 

 should be held in readiness for the needs 

 of the plant. 



It will be clearly seen that, when th« 

 soil is wet to a depth of only one or two 

 inches, leaving the lower part on the dry 

 side, the roots will seek the surface, 

 while if the moisture were where it 

 should be, this would not be the case. 

 The bloom on the leaves and stems is 

 taken on for the purpose of resisting 

 disease and should in no case be removed 

 by syringing or otherwise, but on bright 

 mornings the plants are benelited great- 

 ly by a gentle shower all over them, 

 opinions to the contrary notwithstand- 

 ing. 



The average temperature for carna- 

 tions at night is 55 degrees, some re- 

 quiring two to three degrees higher, 

 others two to five degrees lower. On 

 bright days let the houses run up to 70 

 degrees, while on cloudy ones 00 degrees 

 is sufficient. 



Insects are caused by shiftlessness, 

 and no amount of excuses offered can 

 place the blame elsewhere, especially in 

 these days when we have at hand so 

 many preventives. 



Many of the diseases peculiar to the 

 carnation arc caused primarily by the 

 leaves being punctured by aphis or other 

 insects, leaving the door open for disease 

 to enter. Stem rot is classed as a fun- 

 gous growth and can be in a great meas- 

 ure prevented by using the carbonate of 

 copper and ammonia solution in the cut- 

 ting bench, also by spraying the plants 

 after housing. 



In the case of a variety known to be 

 subject to stem rot, it is advisable after 

 housing and watering for the first time 

 to make a shallow trench between the 

 rows of plants and water in this until 

 vigorous growth commences. Rust is a 

 constitutional disease which seems to 

 crop out in the finest varieties. It is 

 best treated by picking off affected 

 leaves and keeping the plants in a high 

 state of cultivation. 



To me the fact that a variety is liable 

 to rust is evidence of blue blood, so 

 prevalent does it seem among our finest 

 sorts. This brings us to the point of 

 harvesting and disposing of the finished 

 product, a subject which can only be 

 treated in a separate paper. 



CARNATION E. CROCKER. 



I notice in the Review that Mr. N. H. 

 Gano likes Crocker. Will he please tell 

 us through the Revtew whether his soil 

 is heavy or light, the night temperature 

 he gives this variety and whether he 

 feeds it much or not? By so doing he will 

 oblige some of us who like this carna- 

 tion but cannot get enough blooms from 

 it. W. Bros. 



Our soil is a light loam naturally quite 

 fertile. When filling the benches mix 

 thoroughly into the soil 1-5 of good cow 

 manure, not fresh nor yet very old. In 

 feeding them I never put on a heavy 

 mulch at one time but frequently top- 

 dress with cow manure one time and 

 sheep manure pulverized another, with 

 an occasional sprinkle of lime and once 

 or twice a season a good dusting of hard- 

 wood ashes heavier than the lime is put 

 on. I always see that the beds are in 

 condition for a good watering when any 

 fertilizer is put on and select days that 

 it is safe to water and syringe. 



I keep the temperature usually at 55 

 degrees at night, with a little air on 

 except in very cold weather, and occa- 

 sionally drop to 50 degrees for a few 

 nights. This lowering of the tempera- 



