XOVEMBEIt 20, I'jiji; 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



899 



lized. Maybe we can do better with this 

 one another season. 



The Australian people use as their 

 motto "Advance Australia," and the 

 Australian chrysanthemum raisers are 

 certainly acting up to it, for some of 

 the new varieties that they are givin" us 

 are truly wonderful. We have Nellie 

 Pockett, a very distinct sort and a gem 

 m every way. Though it has not 

 enough substance for cominercial pur- 

 poses it can find a place in exliibition 

 collections. Wa.lleroo and Mr. T. Car- 

 rington are also two very telling varie- 

 ties for exhibition and late reports from 

 England on several more varieties now 

 on trial lead us to e.xpect something 

 amazing. ° 



We are getting some very fine things 

 from France, but most of tlicm have the 

 very serious fault of being such un- 

 gainly tall growers and so manv of them 

 coming with long necks. Mine. Deis, 

 a very large reflexed white, pleases us 

 very much. It is very slow to make cut- 

 tings and if this is overcome the variety 

 should prove a winner. M. Chenon 

 dc l.*-che, a ro.sy buflf reflexted, is fine for 

 exhibition and in Europe this variety is 

 considered tlie tiiiest ever raised. Mme. 

 E. Cadbury, a very large showy white, 

 is another grand sort. Mme. Carnot and 

 its yellow sports, Mrs. Mease and Chas. 

 \yarren, we have had with us for some 

 time, and though they require special 

 culture they are still splendid varieties. 



American Varieties Abroad. 



It is quite amusing to read what the 

 European growers think of some of our 

 most popular kinds. One or two varie- 

 ties which we think are top notchers are 

 described there as nothing startling, 

 while many of our early sorts are classed 

 as late. But this is no doubt due to the 

 different climatic conditions. In looking 

 over the English reports it would seem 

 as though Our IMutual Friend is en- 

 titled to first place among American 

 varieties in that country, closely fol- 

 lowed by Modesto, Niveus, Sunstone, 

 Western King, Simplicity, Mrs. E. W. 

 Clark and Geo. W. Childs, varieties that 

 have all made their mark. 



The first year that I was in Chicago 

 we used to grow our chrysanthemums 

 out in the field during the summer, lift- 

 ing them in the fall the same as we 

 now treat carnations, and I believe the 

 first house of single stem chrysanthe- 

 mums around this part of the country 

 was grown at Mount Greenwood. At 

 that time we put the cuttings in along 

 in June or the early part of July and 

 planted in the benches early in August, 

 growing them along as fast as possi- 

 ble, taking the first bud that put in its 

 appearance. We then thought we got 

 fine blooms, but they would not be in it 

 today. Now we have to commence to 

 propagate some of the varieties in 

 March, selecting the best wood attain- 

 able, potting them up as soon as rooted 

 and giving them a light airy space with 

 a night temperature of between 40 and 

 50 degrees. Some of the varieties that 

 need to be propagated early are Mrs. Je- 

 rome Jones and its sports, Brutus, Nellie 

 Pockett, Mutual Friend. Major Bon- 

 nafifon and most of the early kinds. 



Exhibition Blooms. 



Stock that is intended to produce ex- 

 hibition blooms should be planted the 

 last of Maj' or by June the 10th at 

 the latest. We find that we get as 

 good results from six inches of soil as 

 when a greater depth is used, so I would 



not advise planting in any deeper 

 benches than the regulation si.\ inches. 

 Stock planted as early as this needs 

 ample room and should be set nine by 

 ten inches apart. Thuy will al.so re- 

 quire at least .seven feet of head room 

 and a little more if. they can have it, 

 for a gi-cat many of our" best varieties 

 will use lip all of this. 



The question of what kind of soil to 

 use must be decided to a certain extent 

 by the nature of the .soil in the locality 

 where we may be situated. Chyrsanthe- 

 mums respond readily to a good rich 

 compost, but in using a very rich soil 

 greater care will have to be taken to get 

 them started right. A little over-water- 

 ing before the plants have got used to 

 the soil will make a great many of them 

 turn yellow and get diseased and plants 

 so affected will never amount to any- 

 thing. Some seasons our soil in this 

 western country will be as dry as pow- 

 der and if put" into the benches in this 

 c(mdition it is difficult to get the water 

 to work down evenly to the bottom, con- 

 sequently the roots of the plants derive 

 very little benefit from watering while 

 soil is in this condition. The better 

 way is to turn the hose onto the compost 

 pile before bringing it into the house; 

 by doing this you can have the soil in 

 any condition you want. This sea.son 

 we used the prairie sod as found in this 

 locality, mixing it as follows: Two 

 loads of sod, one load of clay, and one 

 of well rotted cow manure, and after 

 on the benches a liberal sprinkling of 

 fine bone meal was forked into it. This 

 has given us e-xcellent results. 



After planting chrysanthemums will 

 stand all the sunshine and ventilation 

 they can get, al.so liberal syringings 

 should be given them two or three times 

 a day. After the plants are well stiirted 

 keep the soil open by scratching the sur- 

 face every little while and keep the beds 

 clear of weeds. This, together with pick- 

 ing the lateral shoots out and attending 

 to the tying will be the general routine 

 of the work in earing for the plants 

 from the time they arc planted until the 

 buds are ready to take. While mapping 

 out the plan for planting the character 

 of growth and time of flowering of the 

 several varieties should be taken into 

 consideration, the tall and dwarf grow- 

 ers kept separate, also the early mid- 

 season and late ones planted in sections 

 by themselves. 



A great deal has been written about 

 the proper time to take the buds and this 

 most important matter must be governed 

 by the variety in question, also consid- 

 ering the time of planting. Early plant- 

 ed stock if kept growing actively can 

 be timed to form a bud between the mid- 

 dle and end of July. This one must be 

 rubbed out, throwing the plants into 

 growth again, giving them time to make 

 another bud from August 20tli, which 

 according to my experience in nearly all 

 cases will make the finest i>looms. I 

 timed several varieties this season on 

 various buds. Col. Appleton buds taken 

 between Aug. 26 and Sept. 10 have de- 

 veloped magnificent blooms, with cen- 

 ters full ready to cut Oct. 25. Mrs. 

 .Jerome Jones buds taken at same time 

 are showing full flowers solid to center 

 ready to cut Oct. 30. Our experience 

 with Timothy Eaton being ver}' limited 

 until this season, I was a little doubtful 

 about taking an August bud. so had 

 them removed, excepting about 50 

 plants, buds of which were taken the 

 last week in August: these have devel- 



oped into inuHHivc bluonis and are ready 

 to cut Nov. 1. 



The plants of which the August bud 

 was rubbed out went right into growth 

 again and added anoltii-r two feet of 

 stem with the result that Nov. 1 not 

 any of them are ready and the blooniR 

 are not nearly bo good. The lirst lot at- 

 tained a height of .(J feel and Hit latter 

 ones 0} feet. With the variety .Mrs. 

 t'ooinbes buds taken the hist of August 

 made wonderful blooiiiH, read to cut Oct. 

 20, of very much greater depth and full- 

 er flowers than on the plants where n 

 later bud was taken. I ilo not wish to 

 be understood that this bud is the only 

 bud lo take ami am only giving my ex- 

 perience, hoping other growers will do 

 the same. 



Referring to liquid manures, I do not 

 use the commercial fertilizers to any 

 great extent, except an occasional dose 

 of nitrate of soda and a dressing of 

 Clay's fertilizer. In applying liquids 

 we always u.se a Kinney pump. We give 

 just as much attention to temperature 

 and ventilation in our ehrysanthemuin 

 houses as we do in the rose, palm, 

 or fern houses, and aim to have the 

 night temperature as nearly as possible 

 50 degrees, especially when the petals 

 are unfolding. After the flower is part 

 way out, we sometimes have to raise 

 this slightly to keep the moisture from 

 settling on the blooms. Wlien they are 

 half open we shade the glass a little; 

 this we find a great help in keeping 

 them from burning; it also develops the 

 blooms slowly and hence gives them 

 greater substance. 



Now, gentlemen, in conclusion, I must 

 beg that you accept this paper in the 

 sense that it is intended, it being only 

 my experience. 



SOQETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS. 



Plant Registration. 



L. J. Stankowiez, Niles. III., registers 

 new carnation, Mrs. Phoebe Hearst, a 

 cross between Lizzie McGowan and Ar- 

 gyle. White, fragrant. Flower very 

 large and partaking somewhat of the 

 form of McGowan. 



H. Weber & Sons, Oakland, JId.. reg- 

 ister new carnation Governor Lown- 

 des. Color pure white. Size ."{ to 31 

 inches diameter. Stem strong. 1 to 

 2; feet during the sea-^on. Odor spicy. 

 Vigorous grower, but makes very little 

 grass and will stand close planting. 



The H. Dale Estate, Brampton, Ont., 

 ri'gister new rose Canadian Queen. A 

 sport from Mrs. Pierpont ]Morgan. Col- 

 or shell pink: foli;ige dark green: clean 

 fit; habit vigorous; free flowering. 

 Wm. J. Stewart, Secretary. 



THANKS. 



We wish to assure the host of friends 

 who write such encouraging commenda- 

 tory words about the EEnEW when re- 

 newing their .subscriptions that their 

 kind words are very much appreciated. 

 We promise still further improvements 

 in the paper at an early date. 



It may interest them lo know that the 

 commendation is general and that it is 

 very substantially reflected in our sub- 

 scription receipts, which have each month 

 during the past year shown an increase 

 of more than 50 per cent over the same 

 month of the preceding year. And the 

 general average of increase has been 

 over fiO per cent. 



