Januakv (i, 1898. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



27J 



Warendorff's Window. 

 NEW YORK STORES AT CHRISTMAS. 



elements. As I have said before, I am no 

 chemist, and will onl}- speak of material 

 that we generally have on hand, and in 

 which we are lessliable to make mistakes, 

 as is sometimes the case with the chemical 

 compounds, and the highly concentrated 

 commercial fertilizers. 



Nitrogen is supplied in all animal ex- 

 crements, in horn shavings, night soil and 

 the offals from the slaughter houses, of 

 the latter principalh- in the form of blood. 

 Phosphoric acid is plentifully supplied in 

 bone black and bone meal. .\11 the other 

 materials mentioned contain phosphates 

 but in smaller quantities than nitrogen; 

 they also contain nitrogen, but in much 

 less quantity. This eltment is best sup- 

 plied in wood ashes. 



I have already mentioned of what a 

 good mulch should consist. I will only 

 say again that the staljle manures should 

 be well decomposed, as the carnation 

 does not like raw food. In regard to 

 liquid it is quite different. There we best 

 use the fresh manures, free from anv 

 litter or straw, for when properly handled 

 decomposition is effected so much quicker, 

 and thus we derive all the benefit of the 

 nutritions elements they contain. 



To make a good liquid manure, fresh 

 cow droppings should furnish the bulk. It 



has, in my opinion, alwa5's a neutralizing 

 effect upon other stronger manures, when 

 used with it. Of these stronger ones sheep 

 and hen manure are the most desirable, 

 but should be added in small quantities, as 

 should also bone meal and horn shavings. 

 Soot from wood or coal is another ma- 

 terial highh- recommended to use in the 

 liquid form, as is also dried blood, both 

 being rich in nitrogenous matter. All these 

 ingredients can be used together in the 

 preparation of liquid manure. 



I have always used some wood ashes to 

 supply the potash, but in a recent con- 

 versation I had with Professor Huston, 

 State Chemist of Indiana and Professor 

 of Agricultural Chemistry at the Experi- 

 mental Station at Lafayette, in relation 

 to the preparation of liquid manure he 

 cautioned me about using wood ashes. 

 He said that wood ashes will set free 

 ammonia, which would be a direct loss, 

 and, further, it may bring free ammonia 

 in contact with the roots, which might 

 cause injury. In place of wood ashes, to 

 supply the potash, he recommended sul- 

 phate of potassium, which furthermore 

 has the property to bind the ammonia. 

 In place of using one-fourth of a bushel 

 of wood ashes he recommended using one- 

 fortieth of the sulphate of potassium. 



So far I have not found any bad effects, 

 but if that theory is correct, which it un- 

 doubtedly is, I have weakened my liquid 

 manure in nitrogen considerably. I will 

 heed the warning and supply my wood 

 ashes in another way ; I have nmch faith 

 in it, for in my experience it strengthens 

 the stem and gives the flowers a brighter 

 and more brilliant color. 



At our place liquid manure is the main 

 fertilizer. We have two good .sized tanks 

 in which we prepare it and have the 

 houses piped to supply them, by a force 

 pump at the tanks. We apply it ou the 

 benches in the same manner as we do 

 water, and use about the same quantity 

 as water; it always answers for a water- 

 ing. The first material used should 

 stand for about two weeks before being 

 used; it should be thinned with water 

 and stirre<l up frequently When ready, 

 fill up the tank, let it settle, and use the 

 clear liquid from the top. After that, 

 new material in small quantities can be 

 added from time to time as the liquid is 

 wanted, to keep it up to the same consis- 

 tency; and some of the old removed so 

 the mass will not become too cumber- 

 some to handle. The stuff we take out 

 is thrown over the ground pile and made 

 use of in this way. It is es.sential that 

 the tank should be in a warm place, or 

 fixed in any way .so the contents can be 

 kept quite warm, in order to hasten the 

 decomposition. Nitrate of soda is often 

 mentioned as a good fertilizer for carna- 

 tions. I have never made much use of 

 it so far, but suppose it could be well 

 mixed in with the liquid. From time to 

 time I use some common salt in the clear 

 liquid, as in small quantities it is con- 

 sidered beneficial, in large quantities is 

 injurious. 



This is our mode of operation and the 

 materials which we employ for feeding. 

 The selection of food is yet a very much 

 undeveloped part of our work, for lack of 

 practical knowledge in agricultural 

 chemistry. I may be wrong in .some of 

 my views, and if so, will thankfully stand 

 correction. Fred Dorner. 



THE NEWER CARNATIONS. 



By Albert M. Herr, Secretary American 



Carnation Society, Lancaster, Pa. 



[Re:ul befoi'L' the Florists' Club, Philadelphia, 

 January 4, 1898.] 



There are so many of the newer carna- 

 tions that it is hard to talk about them 

 without making a descriptive catalogue 

 out of your talk. So if there are too many 

 names and too nnich descriptive matter 

 blame it on the originators. 



In the first place, from a cut flower 

 grower's point of view, there are too many 

 new carnations. If the number could be 

 reduced to say four each season, there 

 would be more in it for everyone 

 concerned. As it now stands the general 

 grower simply cannot afford to try them 

 all, and the consequence is, very often he 

 does not try any. This is a loss both to 

 the originator and to the grower. It 

 limits the sales for the respective origina- 

 tors and causes them an extra expense in 

 the matter of advertising, etc., to get 

 their carnations before the growers. The 

 grower frequently misses a very good 



