790 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



IICH.BFR S. 1'.<0r, 



early, allowing more space for the 



i to develop fully. An annual 



mulching of half-decayed stable manure 



in Juno will be advantageous if the 



[ E dry for any length of time. 

 Copious supplies of liquid manure when 

 erowth is in full flush will induce lux- 

 uriance of leafage, which is a proem-.., 

 of fine flower heads. A top-dressing, 

 too, in April of half-decayed manure. 

 wood ashes, road grit, or decayed vege- 

 table refuse will aid growth a1 a time 

 when the succulent shoots are showing 

 well above the soil, -ays E. MoUm "v 

 the well known writer in the Gardeners 

 Magazine. 



Deeply-dug and well-manured soil is 

 the first essential to success. Where the 

 soil is heavy, therefore cold and retentive 

 of moisture, planting in spring is pref- 

 erable to any other time. In such a soil 

 slu<*s are too troublesome when autumn 

 planum' is practiced. The succulent 

 crowns~-cem t".. tempting to be passed 

 over. When dividing old roots a com- 

 mon'mistake is that of -electing the por- 

 tion nearest the center for planting, 

 whereas this is weakened by exhaustion. 

 The stocky, vigorous growths at the out- 

 side are much more preferable, as they 

 quickly grow into plants calculated to 

 give extra strong flower spikes. 



Mr. Molyneux advises everyone to prop- 

 agate a few plants annually, as he finds 

 single-stemmed stock most useful for fill- 

 ing up gaps in the fronts of herbaceous 

 shorter than 



established p hints, give one good truss, 

 and are quite effective in every respect. 

 Such plants, too, are available for taking 

 the place of those worn out in the mid- 

 dle or the back of the border, as the case 

 may be. 



This grower has about 100 varieties 

 but the average man can use but a few. 

 He places Tapis Blanc at the head of 

 the white-flowered varieties. The habit 

 of growth is dwarf— eighteen inches; the 

 blooms measure quite two inches in diam- 

 eter, forming a compact, solid spike. 

 Amazone, three feet, is a charming va- 

 riety; the flowers are of good form, and 

 of the purest white, Josephine Gerbaux, 

 four feet -ix Inches, has a deep crimson 

 eye, surrounded with white, and is a 

 striking variety. Pantheon, three feet, is 

 rosy-salmon, extra large blooms. Eclair- 

 eur, two feet six inches, has enormous 

 flowers, compact spike, carmine, suffused 

 with primrose, the center salmon-rose, 

 veined carmine. L 'Aiglon is rosy-car- 

 mine, with carmine eye. Miss Pember- 

 ton, one foot six inches, sal- 

 mon-pink, crimson eye, he says, 

 is quite the best of dwarf-growing 

 kinds. Flambeau, two feet, orange-scar- 

 let, has a deeper eye. Gourdan, three 

 feet, rose, lighter eye, makes a good spike. 

 Etna, three feet six inches, orange-scarlet, 

 maroon center, quite one of the best of 

 bright-colored varieties, better than Co- 

 cmelieot. Edouard Lockroy is velvety vio- 

 let, extra large blooms fully one and 

 three-quarter inches in diameter. 



CARNATION NOTES-WEST. 



Disbudding and Feeding. 



1 hope it is not necessary for me to 



urge you to look after the disbudding 



from ii. - sense will tell 



you its necessity. Not only will it en- 

 large the bloom, but il will also help to 

 stiffen the stems and on such varieties 

 son it will help to lengthen 

 them if it is done as soon as the buds 

 can be handled. If disbudding 

 needed i.1 'his time of the 



season, when the eai na1 ion i natural! 

 not at its best, as a result of trans 

 planting, etc. You will also notice that 

 varieties which come a trifle single in 

 the fall will till out considerably if dis- 

 budded when the buds are qui- 

 Remove the side shoots as low down as 

 where you want to cut the stem, as it is 

 .,, hj to I" J'" striking cuttings 



m ral planting out. Y..n should 

 also get the second tier of wire and 

 string supports on your beds, so the 

 -i, ,,.. .... ill gron -" o- s " and 



Some of the taller ones will also soon 



need the third support to keep them 



y u can pu1 it on just as 



easily nov> as later and it is not in the 



o out it in plat o -i- so. 

 venient. 



Pretty soon the fall shows will be hold 

 and perhaps yi - "'« some 



essentia] to a fine carnation as a fine 

 bloom. If your soil is too light or if 

 some of your varieties lack a trifle in 

 stiffness in the stem, give them a light 

 sprinkling of air-slaked lime or wood 

 ashes every two weeks, watering it in 

 cell. Spraying the plants overhead with 

 salt water will also help to stiffen the 

 steins a little. About a two and one-fourth 

 inch j.ot full of table salt to three gal- 

 lons of water will do. Be sure yon pick 

 .;[! the blooms first. If the plant- were 

 housed early in August or in July and 

 you muhhed them last month a dose of 

 bone flour will do them no harm at 

 this time. We mix it with soil, about 

 one to eight, and let it lie a couple of 

 days, turning it over two or three times 

 to keep it from hooting. A good hand- 

 ful to a row across a five-foot bench is 

 enough, and water it in well. We prefer 

 the fine bone flour, as it dissolves much 

 quicker than the coarse brands do. We 

 also find Clay's fertilizer valuable to 

 use in the same way. Don't do any of 

 this feeding, though, unless your plants 

 are in good growing condition and the 

 roots active and strong. First get your 

 plants well established and then you ean 

 push the growth bv extra feeding. 



A. F. J. Batik. 



CARNATION NOTES— EAST. 

 Preparations for Propagation. 

 It is time well spent and much labor 

 saved to make preparations for propa- 

 gation at once, while the weather permits 

 of handling material to the best advan- 



tage, as later, when pressure of business 

 demands all attention, important details 

 arc. apt to be left out. 



First of all prepare a sufficient quan- 

 tity of soil to be used expressly for 

 potting the cuttings as they come from 

 the sand. Use entirely new soil, discard- 

 ing that which has at any time been 

 used in the houses for any crop or upon 

 which carnations have ever been grown. 

 Rotted sod, from good grass land, that 

 has lain in a pile for a year or more, and 

 to which no animal or chemical manure 

 has been added is the ideal soil for the 

 purpose. 



The cutting as it comes from the 9and 

 should be put. on the plainest kind of 

 diet, the object being to obtain a slow, 

 sturdy growth, the effect of which will 

 be to' produce a season of partial rest. 

 Temperature will, of course, play an im- 

 portant part, but this subject of rest will 

 be enlarged upon in due season. 



Locate the pile outside within con- 

 venient reach of the hose in case the 

 soil should become dry. If you have an 

 indicated soil shed, so much the better; 

 if not, cover with straw, as soon as the 

 frost forms a crust on the surface, to 

 prevent , further freezing. Later add a 

 covering of boards, tar paper or other 

 material to shield from rain or melting 

 snow. Left in this state it is an easy 

 matter to get in a supply of perfectly 



-■ t -oil when needed. 



The propagating sand should be got- 

 ten on the ground and if necessary 



-on e 1 to remove gravel, stones or other 



objectionable matter. It will be best to 

 leave it exposed to the action of several 

 frosts before putting in the bench. 



Last year I described the construction 

 of a brick-bottomed propagating bench 

 which we have used with great success 

 and, while not absolutely necessary, brick 

 give a great advantage over boards. Be- 

 sides being indestructible, the drainage 

 is perfect, preventing the sand from 



no in the least soggy. The heat 



from the pipes underneath is absorbed 

 by the brick and imparted to the sand 

 in a uniform gentle manner very de- 

 sirable. 



Before filling with sand the brick 

 should^ be coated with lime wash to 

 which 'pulverized sulphur was added be- 

 fore boiling ceased, and applied hot. 

 The action of hot lime on sulphur is 

 about the only means by which a sulphur- 

 ous solution ean be obtained and when 

 applied to a porous surface like brick, 

 its fungus-destroying qualities are in- 

 creased or made more available. 



By the way, paint some of your heat- 

 ing pipes with this same lime and sul- 

 phur wash as soon as regular firing be- 

 gins. With steam heat less surface need 

 be coated than if hot water is used. 

 Cover enough surface to give a faint 

 odor of sulphur through the house when 

 the pipes are well warmed. 



Prices. 



The question of prices on carnation 

 blooms is a matter which I believe the 

 average grower has not given the amount 

 of thought it deserves. Considering the 

 rapid improvement made in the divine 

 flower during the past few years, the in- 

 creased cost of building materials and 

 fuel, also the extra amount of labor in- 

 volved in the production of the grade of 

 stock now demanded, let us see if the 

 horny-handed grower has come in for his 

 share. 



The latest wholesale New York quota- 

 tion on roses ranges from $1 for low 

 grade to $8 for fancy Brides. Carna- 



