Janoaet 28, 1904. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



453 



A House of White Cloud Carnations Grown by Wietor Bros., Chicago, Where it Seems Perfectly at Home. 



Prosperity, 



Chicago Carnation Co.: — Indispens- 

 able; can be grown at a profit if blooms 

 sell for 5 cents average for season. 



J. F. Wilcox: — We do not find it 

 profitable, but will continue to grow a 

 limited number. , 



Wietor Bros.: — Best variegated for 

 size of flower, stem and keeping quali- 

 ties. 



Peter Reinberg: — Good flower but 

 rather shy bloomer. 



Lakeview Rose Gardens: — Shall plant 

 5,000 ntxt season. 



Bassett & Washburn: — Best varie- 

 :gated. 



Mrs. Bradt. 



Lakeview Rose Gardens: — Of 9,000 

 variegated next year, 3,000 will be 

 Bradt. 



Bassett & Washburn: — Will discard 

 it as the demand is so small, also the 

 stems come too weak. 



Chicago Carnation Co.: — Discarded for 

 Stella, wliich will try again. 



Peter Reinberg: — Still the best varie- 

 gated. 



J. F. Wileox: — Shall discard this sea- 

 son for Stella, which does much better 

 "with us. 



Other Variegated. 



Bassett & Washburn speak highly of 

 ■Gaiety. Lakeview Rose Gardens will 

 plant 1,000 Stella next season. Chicago 

 ■Carnation Co. says Dorothy Wliitney is 

 a wonderfully profitable variety, the only 

 yellow in commerce worth growing. Bas- 

 sett & Washburn say Ciold Nugget is the 

 best yellow with them. Lakeview Rose 

 Gardens have 5,000 Eldorado this year. 



Novelties. 



The Lakeview Rose Gardens will plant 

 Indianapolis, Flamingo, Albatross and 

 others next year. Bassett & Washburn 

 will try Crusader, Flamingo and Lady 

 Bountiful. .T. F. Wilcox will plant Cru- 

 sader, Flamingo, Lady Bountiful, The 

 Belle and some others, not yet fully de- 



cideil on. Tlie Chicago Cam;5ition Co. 

 will try Lady -.Bountiful, White Lawson, 

 Reliance and The Belle, for white ; dis- 

 card all but Adonis for Crusader in sear- 

 let; Flamingo will be tested; a few 

 plants of Indianapolis lead to a larger 

 trial. Wietor Bros, will plant Lady 

 Bountiful, Flamingo and others. 



CARNATION NOTES-EAST. 



Feeding. 



Witli the holiday strain well over and 

 the plants back to normal conditions, the 

 time has arrivenl when it is but natural 

 that the plants will relish an addition to 

 the bill of fare in the shape of food in 

 liquid form. I wish to state, however, 

 that this statement applies to healthy 

 plants only. 



The soil in the benches should by this 

 time be filled with a network of roots eag- 

 erly in search of food, and if the product 

 is to be kept up.ito the , standard as re- 

 gard.s size, brilliancy of color, stiffness 

 of stem and, in fact, all that goes to 

 make up high grade blooms, it is evi- 

 dent that those elements which have been 

 taken from the soil, must be replaced. 



To supply the needs of the plants thus 

 far, I have advised the application of top 

 dressing, principally for the reason that 

 I am not in favor of using liquid man- 

 ure while the days are growing shorter, 

 but we are now coming to the point where 

 the plants will begin to teel the influ- 

 ence of the sun 's increase in power, 

 growth will naturally be more rapid, food 

 consumption greater, and if this can be 

 supplied in a form easily assimilated 

 there will be a perceptible gain. 



My objection to the use of liquid man- 

 ure during the darkest days of winter 

 is based on the principle that complica- 

 tions arising, or apt to arise, from over- 

 watering cannot be too strictly guarded 

 against during the time mentioned. Every 

 grower knows the operation of watering 

 to be an art learned only by close obser- 



vation ajj'i^-" thorough knowledge of the 

 requirements of the varieties under care 

 and as the real object of using liquid 

 food is not inteneleel to serve the double 

 purpose of supplying food and water at 

 the same time, it is obvious that the safer 

 plan is to defer this operation until more 

 bright weather may be expected than 

 generally occurs during the short days 

 of winter. O'f course, one cannot feed 

 in this way without wetting the soil 

 but the meaning I wish to convey is that 

 the plants should not be suffering for 

 water when an application is made. On 

 the other hand, it is often the case that 

 although not in want of water, there 

 would be a lack of nourishment had not 

 a top dressing been applieel, the good 

 elements of which have reacheel the roots 

 through necessary watering. 



It is important that due consideration 

 bo taken of how the plants have behaved 

 since housing, of the quality of the soil 

 when benched, also their present appear- 

 ance as regards health, for, as I before 

 remarked, it is only healthy plants that 

 will be benefited by liquid food and it 

 is assumed that your judgment will tell 

 you that if for any reason a variety has 

 not given good returns in suitable soil, 

 it would be a waste of material to in- 

 crease the food supply, to say nothing 

 of the danger likely to occur through over 

 . feeding. 



Various manures can be employed for 

 this operation, either separately or in 

 combination, but from experience I am 

 of the opinion that a combination gives 

 the best results, for the reason that the 

 opportunity is afforded of maintaining 

 a better balance between the different 

 fertilizing elements. But this is a sub- 

 ject which requires careful study, not only 

 in order that those varieties with which 

 we feel quite familiar may be properly 

 cared for, but we must be prepared to 

 judge the needs of new introductions 

 which in course of time are bound to dis- 

 place the present standard sorts. 



Cow manure is without doubt the best 



