66 



HORTICULTURE 



January 13, li)u'i 



SPLIT CARNATION FLOWERS. 



Improved methods in growing car- 

 nations and the Introduction of im- 

 proved varieties have not as yet miti- 

 gated to any great degree the provok- 

 ing habit of tlie divine fiower of pro- 

 ducing malformed blooms, commonly 

 termed "splits." How to mend these 

 flowers so as to enable the dealer to 



BKFoitu Mexdim;. 



obtain as high a price for them as pos- 

 sible has no doubt engaged the best 

 thoughts of not a few-carnation spe- 

 cialists. Split carnations are likely 

 to be a product of every carnation 

 growing establishment for some years 

 to come, and what careful cultural 



Aktkk Mending. 



methods fail to accomplish while the 

 blooms are developing on the plants 

 must be provided for after they are 

 cut. The clumsy method of applying 

 a rubber band around the calyx is 

 open to serious objection and makes 

 the buyer suspicious that the flowers 



Till'. 1'INCKK.S. 



are not fresh. A little device has been 

 recently invented, and a patent ap- 

 plied for by the inventor, A. J. Baur, 

 which it is hoped will fill these re- 

 quirements. It consists of a little 



wire clip which serves to hold to- 

 gether the two broken edges of the 

 split calyx, in natural position, 

 bringing the petals into the arrange- 

 ment that they would have occupied 

 had the calyx not split. The accom- 

 panying illustrations give a good idea 

 of the device mentioned. The first 

 two illustrations are photographs of 

 the same flower of Mrs. Thos. W. 

 Lawson, before and after mending. 

 The wire clip, being made of galvan- 

 ized wire, is almost invisible against 

 the color of carnation foliage. The 

 third picture shows a wooden model 

 of the pincers used in applying the 

 clips. The device will be on exhibi- 

 tion at the Toronto Carnation meet- 

 ing. See the full-page advertisement 

 in this issue for further description of 

 I his useful little device. 



WHOLESOME CHESTNUTS. 



Now is the time to make as accurate 

 a calculation as possible of the stock 

 required for spring sales or for plant- 

 ing: growing year after year quantities 

 of stuff for which there is little or no 

 demand is about as futile as giving 

 house room to old leafless plants that 

 can never be of satisfactory service 

 again. 



Azaleas require great care now, that 

 they may be in the desired condition 

 when tlie time comes that they are 

 needed. It is always much safer to 

 treat azaleas on the cool sid« than 

 otherwise until it is well nigh ab- 

 solutely certain that they will not be 

 ahead of time, 



Spireas should receive attention in 

 a very short time, and when they are 

 once well under way they should 

 never be allowed to get in the least 

 dry at the roots, because if they do 

 disastrous results will result. 



Deutzias well grown are most desir- 

 able plants for Easter, and they are 

 well adapted for forcing, because if 

 occasion and necessity require a little 

 extra prompting in the matter of heat 

 does not work injury to them. 



Keep all eyes continually on lilies, 

 always remembering that after Easter 

 the same as before that festival these 

 plants and flowers are but moderately 

 profitable. 



In making preparation for the prop- 

 agation of dahlias, it will be well to 

 have a clear idea of what is wanted 

 and the quantity for each purpose; 

 that settled, with the varieties decid- 

 ed upon, push ahead with the propa- 

 gation. Keep the stock and the cut- 

 tings rather cool than otherwise and 

 do not shaile either for long. 



It is always well to thoroughly wash 

 all woodwork in graperies before 

 starting the vines, and if a good coat 

 of paint can be given in addition so 

 much the better. It is surprising how 

 mealy bug manages to hide in small 

 crevices 1 ordering the glass and other- 

 wheres. There is nothing that is so 

 effectual in stopping their heart action 

 when hidden in such places as a coat 

 of good white lead and linseed oil well 

 worked in and spread over. 



If mealy bug was at all noticeable 

 on the vines, it is desirable to remove 

 the loose bark and carefully examine 

 around the eyes to ascertain if any 

 still remain, and if so as carefully re- 

 move the same. After this work of 

 dry cleaning the vines is completed, 



they should be painted with a rather 



thick solution of whale oil soap, sul- 

 phur and a little kerosene, made thick- 

 er for adhesion by the addition of, a 

 reasonable quantity of red clay and 

 row manure. 



The exhausted soil on the surface of 

 I he border should be cleared away and 

 the roots laid almost bare, then good 

 tibrous turf, enriched accoiding to dis- 

 cretion, placed instead of what was 

 taken away. The vines need a good 

 watering shortly after heat has been 

 applied, but care should be taken not 

 to overwater immediately afterwards 

 until growth has made considerable 

 progress. Undue excitement is very 

 injurious even in early forcing. 

 Peaches and nectarines should by this 

 time have all superfluous wood re- 

 moved from them and all fruiting and 

 other necessary wood neatly and care- 

 fully tied on before the buds begin to 

 swell too much and expand. If San 

 Jose scale is in evidence, lose no time 

 in applying the most approved and 

 reliable remedies. 



THE PEONY MANUAL. 

 The first edition of the Peony Man- 

 ual was of necessity imperfect. The 

 issue of 2000 is now exhausted. We 

 presume the Peony Society some time 

 in the future will issue a work on the 

 subject. But something is needed 

 now. A new edition is in the hands 

 of the printer. Great pains have been 

 taken to have it up-to-date in every 

 way. Descriptive lists from France, 

 Holland, and America have been gath- 

 ered, and about 200 of the leading 

 sorts are given with originators and 

 dates. Peonies have been placed in 

 three classes: 



1. The indolent, or lazy, that won't 

 bloom. 



2. The sensitive — affected by late 

 frosts. 



3. The free bloomers, the most val- 

 uable of all. 



Especial attention is paid to raising 

 from seed. Minute directions are 

 given for preparing ground, dividing 

 roots, planting, etc. 



C. S. HARRISON. 



A DESIRABLE GIFT FOR YOUR 

 EMPLOYEE. 



There can be no more useful and ap- 

 propriate present than a subscription 

 to HORTICULTURE. The more he 

 -eads HORTICULTURE the better 

 service he will render you. If you 

 want to give five or more we will be 

 glad to make a special discount, on 

 application. 



Other Useful Books. 



The Dahlia. By L. K. Peacock. 

 Price, 30 cents. 



The American Carnation. C. W. 

 Ward. Price, $.3.50. 



Manual of the Trees of North Ameri- 

 ca. C. S. Sargent. Price. $6,00. 



The First County Park System. F. 

 W. Kelsey. Price, $125. 



The Horticulturist's Rule-Book. 

 Bailey. Price. 75 cents. 



Chrysanthemum Manual. Smith. 

 Price, 40 cents. 



The Chrysanthemum. Herrington. 

 Price, 50 cents. 



How to Make Money Growing 

 Violets. Saltford. Price, 25 cents. 



Dwarf Fruit Trees. Waugh. Price, 

 50 cents. 



