Decembek 17, 1903. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



J 75 



The Asmus False-bottomed Indoor Window Box. 



A stop cock is inserted in the bottom of 

 the wooden box by means of which the 

 water may be drawn off. Thus perfect 

 drainage is secured. It is Mr. Asmus ' 

 intention to put the box on the market 

 through the supply houses. 



CARNATION NOTES— WEST. 



Caring for Cuttings in Sand. 



After your cuttings are in sand the 

 one point to be striven for is to keep 

 them from wilting. If you can keep 

 them in a fresh condition for four weeks 

 you may feel certain of success. Shad- 

 ing, of course, is necessary on all bright 

 days; in fact, the sun should not strike 

 the cuttings full at any time during the 

 first four weeks. A little sun in the 

 morning and a little in the evening, 

 when it is quite weak, will do no harm 

 and in many cases much good. You can 

 root them successfully in a house or 

 bench where the sun does not strike them 

 from the time they are put in until they 

 are taken out. 



It is in the spraying that you need to 

 exercise judgment, in that and the water- 

 ing. We sometimes hear some one sav 

 to water the cuttings thoroughly at least 

 once each day. That is a mistake. It 

 would not take you long to get the sand 

 into a soggy condition, which would 

 cause the cuttings to rot. You want the 

 sand constantly wet but only wet enough 

 so that tlie cuttings can draw what water 

 they need. It should not show dry at the 

 surface. If it becomes soggy the mois- 

 ture will rise from it and where the cut- 

 tings are the least bit close it will adherc 

 to tlie leaves and cause damping. If it is 

 kept in that state very long the sand is 

 apt to turn sour, too, and your cuttings 

 are .doomed. The finer the sand the 

 easier it is to bring about these condi- 

 tions. The coarser the sand the more 

 water it will take to keep it in the proper 

 state of moisture and the less danger 

 there will be of sour sand. 



The spra.ving is as important as the 

 watering. During cloudy, cool weather, 

 when tlie atmosphere is naturally brae- 

 intr, not near so much spraying is neces- 

 sary as during bright, warm days, whcM 

 even the growing plants are inclined to 

 wilt. For about a week or ten days after 

 the cuttings are pur into the sand a vers- 

 light spraying will dn them good, even 



in cloudy w'eather, but it should be litt'" 

 more than a mist. After they are cal- 

 lused they will draw enough moisture 

 from the sand to keep them fresh in 

 eloudj- weather and it will be better for 

 tlie cuttings if the tops are kept dry. 

 Too much spraying will often develop a 

 case of rust on cuttings that would nat- 

 urall.y come out clean. There is no bet- 

 ter stimulant in cases of emergency to 

 prevent wilting, but as I said befcre get 

 along with just as little spraying as you 

 can. 



A good illustration would be our ex- 

 perience with the variet.y Mrs. Nelson. 

 This variety made a record for itself as 

 a hard rooter and this fact caused sev- 

 eral gra.v hairs in several heads I know. 

 Last year we grew a lot of it and tho 

 first batch of cuttings caused us to fear 

 that we would lose money on it. After 

 the cuttings were in about fifteen days it 

 began to wilt and the more we sprayed it 

 the worse it got, until it began to rust 

 and we had to fire the whole batch out. 

 Tiio second batch we handled differently 

 and with great success. When they be- 

 gan to look wilted we spra.ved -them hut 

 once each morning and then vei-y liglitlv, 

 but wo were very careful to keep -them 



shaded and to keep all draughts away 

 from them. After about ten days of this 

 wilted look they began to straighten up 

 and we took out fully ninety-live per cent 

 of well rooted healthy cuttings. Tho?e 

 who grew old Buttercup will remember 

 what a time we used to have with that 

 variety and when we took out over fifty 

 per cent of rooted cuttings, what a 

 feat it was thought to be. Mrs. Bradt 

 also had just a little streak of this in it, 

 too. You will find more difficulty root- 

 ing these varieties along toward spring 

 than you will during this month and the 

 next two. 



When you spray it should always be 

 early enough in the day so the tops can 

 dry off again before night. As the cut- 

 tings root you can gradually inure them 

 to the light and sun again by letting 

 down the shade later in the morning and 

 raising it earlier in the afternoon. This 

 will help to harden the foliage, which has 

 become rather soft during the four weeks 

 of constant shade. They will not wilt 

 so much after thev are taken from the 

 sand and potted. Especially should this 

 be done with cuttings that are shipped. 

 A. F. J. B.WR. 



CARNATION NOTES— EAST. 



Minor Details of Propagation. 



There are several operations connected 

 with propagation that, while perhaps con- 

 sidered by some as of little importance, 

 nevertheless have a bearing on the ulti- 

 mate result. Starting w'itli the removal 

 of the cutting from the parent plant, it 

 is not only important that it be taken 

 otf without injury to either but that a 

 receptacle be provided to receive the cut- 

 ,ting and preserve it from wilting. A 

 flower vase of good depth and medium 

 diameter, previously rinsed with cold 

 water, answers every purpose; it is easily 

 carried about and its depth prevents the 

 circulation of air among the cuttings. 

 It will be readily seen tliat rinsing witli 

 cold water just previous to using, aids m 

 prevention of wilting. Where a vej-y 

 large quantity is being gathered and 

 nimble fingers are preparing them for the 

 sand as fa.st as gathered, a basket, con- 

 taining a thin layer of damp sphagnum 

 mess at the bottom may be used to good 

 advantage. In any case make the batches 

 small, rather than large, and as soon as 



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House of Chrysanthemums Grown by D. Chisholm, Hamilton, Scotland. 



