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HORTICULTURE 



April 5, 1913 



Biggest Thing z Trade Section 



Oar Display at the International Flower Show will be a Stunner. 



Come and Look It Over 



YOU ARE ALL INVITED 



to make our Stand your Headquarters in the Grand Central Palace 

 during show week. All trade visitors will receive a cordial welcome 

 and every possible courtesy and hospitality. After the show take an hour 

 in Philadelphia and inspect our mammoth manufactory and warerooms 



Stocked with up-t^-date goods 

 for the Florists' Trade 



I H. BAYERSDORFER ®. CO. 



I Tti£l rUOKlSTS' SUPPLY 



HOUSE OF 



AMERICA 



^ 1129 ARCH STREET, FHII^ADELPHIA. PA. 



"CARNATION CULTURE." 



Extracts from a paper read before the 

 Morris County Gardeners' and Florists' So- 

 ciety by J. Dunn. 



Propagation. I advocate an early 

 start in December as soon as good 

 cuttings can be secured, as a strong 

 plant cannot be expected from an in- 

 ferior cutting. The best cuttings are 

 those found near the base of the 

 flower stem, being more wiry than the 

 softer growths and not so likely to 

 damp off. 



Prepare the propagation bench in 

 the usual way, which must be lime- 

 washed, also good clean sand is neces- 

 sary. Press the sand down firmly and 

 turn on the bottom heat to warm the 

 bed for the reception of the cuttings. 

 The temperature, however, should not 

 exceed 55 degrees and have suflicient 

 air to avoid damping, also to induce 

 a stocky growth. 



Directly they are rooted no delay 

 should take place, but prepare clean 

 pots 2 ',2 size, using at this potting 

 three parts loam and one part half 

 soil and sufficient sand to keep porous. 

 After potting see that they are not 

 checked in any way from draught oi 

 Bim and during bright parts of the day 

 shade lightly with paper, removing 

 when the sun has declined. After 

 they have commenced to root, place 

 in the carnation house where they will 

 get the proper amount of air and light 

 so essential for a healthy growth, but 

 they must not experience a check in 

 any form. Water with care and on 

 all favorable occasions spray overhead 

 lightly and see that they are dry be- 

 fore closing time. This is one of the 

 secrets of keeping away rust, so much 

 dreaded by the grower. As time goes 



on they will need to be moved into a 

 size larger pot, using at this stage a 

 little stronger compost to which may 

 be added a dash of bone meal to try 

 to maintain a healthy growth. When 

 nicely rooted take out the points to in- 

 duce them to break and form good 

 bushy plants before their final pot- 

 ting. 



The next shift will be into 4 or iVz 

 inch pots, using a compost three parts 

 loam, one part cow manure, bonemeal 

 and a light sprinkling of soot and 

 fine lime rubble if procurable; if un- 

 obtainable sand can be used. Give a 

 good watering from a rosed can and 

 try to keep your night temperature 

 not more than 50 to 55 degrees. 



Plants started in December will be 

 ready for their final quarters about 

 the first week in May, and a decision 

 must be made as to their summer 

 quarters. I recommend indoor cul- 

 ture. Some prefer outdoor planting 

 because they object to throwing out 

 their old plants at this time of the 

 year when they are blooming freely, 

 but to my mind they are of inferior 

 quality and flowers are getting plenti- 

 ful outdoors to replace them. Given 

 indoor culture throughout the plants 

 do not experience the check they 

 would if planted outdoors because in 

 the latter case they are lifted from 

 the field during August, when the 

 weather is hot, which necessitates the 

 plants being shaded because of the 

 loss of roots. 



Final planting. On having the 

 benches ready, which should be well 

 limewashed and the house thoroughly 

 cleaned, prepare compost. using 

 coarse loam three parts and one part 

 cow manure, a little bone meal, sand 



and lime rubble, also a sprinkling of 

 soot is beneficial. One very important 

 feature must not be overlooked, name- 

 ly, the carnation is a lover of potash 

 and to give this item of food we must 

 have wood ashes and give a fair 

 sprinkling throughout the compost. 

 Having prepared the soil by turning 

 several times to thoroughly mix the 

 ingredients and placed same in 

 benches, water your plants the pre- 

 vious day so they will be in good con- 

 dition for planting. Be careful to 

 avoid deep planting, which is a sure 

 cause of stem rot. Press firmly 

 around the ball of the plant and if the 

 soil is in good condition, no water is 

 necessary for three or four days, and 

 then do not water the whole bench, 

 but water each plant individually, be- 

 cause the soil becomes sour before 

 the roots penetrate it and the carna- 

 tion dislikes stagnant soil. When 

 planted, lightly spray several times a 

 day during the hot weather, keeping 

 the ventilators and doors wide open 

 day and night, with the exception of 

 during a thunder storm, when they 

 must be closed down; as soon as it Is 

 over, however, they must again be 

 thrown open. A close atmosphere is 

 fatal to success. The plants now re- 

 quire heavier syringing, but avoid get- 

 ting your soil sodden, examining It 

 from time to time to ascertain the 

 condition of the roots. 



When well rooted and the plants 

 show by the paler green in their foli- 

 age that they have almost exhausted 

 the food in the soil, we must aid na- 

 ture by artificial feeding. Begin first 

 with weak cow manure, but a change 

 in diet Is very important and two 

 weeks later give a light top dressing 



