672 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



October 16. 1902. 



water, and allow it to stand until f<>r- 

 mentation takes place. It slionld then 

 be drained through a half inch screen 

 into the larger tank, and water added 

 to reduce it to the required strength. 



The first application should be rather 

 weak, gradually increasing the strength 

 of after applications as the necessities 

 of tlie plants require. Tlie best stage at 

 which to begin feeding is when the young 

 flower stems have attained a length of 

 from four to seven inches, feeding once 

 a week if weather permits, four such 

 applications being usually sufficient to 

 perfect a crop. As the days lengthen, 

 with more sunshine and consequently in- 

 creased root action, the plants will be 

 benefited by increasing the strength and 

 frequency of the feeding. 



Plants which show any signs of being 

 in a back going or xinhealthy state are 

 in no condition to derive benefit from 



ammonia half an ounce to each gallon of 

 water is sufficient. 



In the use of liquid and concentrated 

 foods watchfulness and careful observa- 

 tion play an important part, as an error 

 may result in the absolute ruin of a 

 crop. The grower must put on his think- 

 ing cap, and keep it there, and should be 

 guided by a great many circiunstances, 

 such as weather conditions, health of 

 plants, stage of crops, etc., in regulating 

 the strength and frequency of their use. 



RiBES. 



CARNATION NOTES-EAST. 



Mulching or Top Dressing. 



Which shall it be? Tliis depends on 

 the quality and depth of soil when 

 plants were housed. 



With soil deficient in quantity and 



Funeral Bunches. No. 2. 



liquid food. This but accentuates the 

 trouble. Sheep, pigeon or poulti-y ma- 

 nure are all of a more concentrated and 

 powerful nature than cow manure, and 

 consequent]}' they must be used in more 

 limited quantities, and be much more 

 weakened by dilution. To hasten the 

 development of a crop during the short 

 days, much benefit can be derived from a 

 careful use of sulphate of ammonia. 



All chemicals intended for use when 

 dissolved in water should be tried first in 

 a weak solution and the strength grad- 

 ually increased if results warrant it. 

 For a first application of sulphate of 



quality of plant food, no doubt a mulch 

 would be of benefit after the plants are 

 well under way, but it is preferable to 

 luive soil of such quality, that no ad- 

 dition need be made before Oct. 15 or 

 Nov. 1 and that in the form of a top 

 dressing, the food elements of which will 

 be carried W'ell down into the soil in two 

 waterings. 



My experience leads me to differ with 

 tlie opinion of many, that the carna- 

 tion is naturally a surface feeder. 

 .\t digging time the feeding roots are 

 found well down, performing their work 

 in the manured soil and moisture below. 



often having particles of manure ad- 

 hering to them, proving that they seek 

 where they shall find. Mulching, too 

 shallow benches, and careless watering, 

 where the surface only is wet, tend to 

 make the roots seek the surface. 



Better defer the mulch until early 

 spring, when it will serve the double 

 jiurpo.se of supplying food and keeping 

 the roots moist and cool at a time when 

 the sun is growing stronger instead of 

 weaker. Carnations should not be 

 starved, neither should they be overfed, 

 but of the two extremes the underfed 

 is the easier to remedy, for with too 

 much food in tlie soil it is a hard mat- 

 ter to remove the surplus. 



Our plan is to prepare a mixture of 

 six parts soil, one__ part bone flour and 

 a sprinkle of air-slacked lime, two week.> 

 in advance under cover, turning the pile 

 over every day or two, keeping it evenly 

 moist. This will give you a top dress- 

 ing, the fertilizing qualities of which 

 are practically at once available. 



Choosing a bright day in which you 

 are to water, apply at the rate of a 

 single handful to a row of five or six 

 plants, following immediately ^vith 

 water, giving enough to satisfy the 

 plants, but allowing none to run through. 

 The next watering will carry practically 

 all the remaining elements where most 

 needed. 



Two weeks later a coat of unleached 

 hardwood ashes is applied and watered 

 in the same manner. This will be of great 

 benefit to your Thanksgiving crop, but 

 you mvist be the .judge of the condition 

 of your soil as to its being advisable 

 to top dress again to improve the Christ- 

 mas supply. Watering having much to 

 do with this operation, it is well to re- 

 member ahcai/s in watering, not to 

 drench the soil to the point of satura- 

 tion, thereby allowing valuable food to 

 be carried away in solution. It will be 

 some time yet before feeding with liquid 

 manure need be begun, but get your ma- 

 terial ready and tank or barrels in order. 



Summer Blooms. 



Put in a supply of cuttings soon for 

 summer blooming, selecting varieties 

 such as Crane for red. Joost and Avon- 

 dale for pink, Mrs. Fisher and Queen 

 Louise for white. There may be others 

 you have personal experience ^\ath; as 

 mine is limited I can only name a few. 

 When cuttings are rooted, pot into 2i-in. 

 pots, keep in a cool house, shift to 3 and 

 4 as necessary. In due time I hope to 

 give you my plan for having a supply 

 of bloom next summer. 



Geo. S. Osborn. 



LEAF SPOT. 



The carnation leaves sent by "A Car- 

 nation Grower" are badly affected with 

 what is commonly called leaf spot, and 

 which is caused by a fungus called Sep- 

 toria dianthi. The cause is too much 

 water and a foul atmosphere. 



You have not been giving your car- 

 nations enough ventilation and probably 

 watering overhead too much and too 

 late in the day. If you will dust the 

 plants well with air slaked lime or 

 grape dust and water only at the roots- 

 for a few weeks the trouble will likely 

 disappear. Open the ventilators wide 

 during fair days and leave them up a 

 couple of inches over night even if you 

 have to leave steam on. This is, of 

 course, taking for granted that you have 

 some coal to fire with. Those of us 

 who use soft coal and happen to have a 



