July 10, 1915 



HORTICULTUEE 



45 



ny at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 



TWO REPRESENTATIVE CARNA- 

 TION GROWERS. 



Frank P. Putnam of North Tewks- 

 bury, Mass., is one of the carnation 

 growers who believe in early plant- 

 ing. His plants are all in the bench- 

 es already, 26,000 ot them all told, in 

 two big houses. He keeps his young 

 stock in pots from April till middle 

 ot June, when ho throws out all his 

 old plants and starts anew-. He is 

 very enthusiastic over Matchless ol 

 which he has two 200 ft. benches and 

 this variety looks ideal with him. 

 Gloriosa, Beacon, White Wonder and 

 Pink Delight constitute the bulk of 

 the otlier varieties he grows. Mr. Put- 

 nam is fond of the single early chry- 

 santhemum of which he grows about 

 seventy-five varieties, many of them 

 of his own production. It may be re- 

 called that he made a sensational ex- 

 hibit of these at the Boston show last 

 fall. A fine crop of tomatoes occupies 

 part of one large house for the time 

 being. These will be thrown out Au- 

 gust 1. 



At Billerica we find in Gustav 

 Thommen, who manages the Backer 

 place, a staunch advocate of the other 

 method of carnation growing. Mr. 

 Thonimen says he sees nothing to 

 gain by very early planting. His 

 young stock is o-.'t in the field and 

 sturdy stock it surely is. The science 

 and practice of plant feeding is one 

 of Mr. Thommen's hobbies and he has 

 got it down to perfection. No finer 

 houses of carnations could l)e seen any 

 where at any time of the year than 

 are in evidence at this place now in 

 mid-July. The market price of car- 

 nations is away down, but at the low- 

 est figure quotable there's a little for- 

 tune in sight in the myriads of tall- 

 stemmed, sturdy blooms that here 

 greet the eye and charni the heart of 

 the admirer of fine carnations. It 

 would indeed take an iron nerved man 



to tear up and throw away such 

 stock. 



HOW TO GROW CARNATIONS IN 

 SOUTHEAST TEXAS. 



A Paper read by Elizabeth O. Weissinger 



before tbe Texas State Florists' 



Association. 



Carnation culture is a comprehen- 

 sive subject — bounded by an infinite 

 diversity of opinion. But, seven years 

 ago when we took our courage in both 

 hands, lacking capital and experience, 

 and handicapped by "skirts," the ulti- 

 matum had gone forth that carnations 

 could not be successfully or profitably 

 grown in Southeast Texas. Nothing 

 daunted, we built a house especially 

 for carnations, 150x28x16, running 

 north and south with roof and side 

 ventilation; raised benches five feet 

 wide, steam heated. We get field- 

 grown plants from Oklahoma — hence 

 we do not have to worry about our 

 stock, and always get the best. 



This season we planted white, light 

 pink and rose Enchantress, also 

 Herald. For our compost we use 

 three or four iiarts good maiden loam 

 to one of well decomposed stable fer- 

 tilizer, which has been prepared at 

 least three months in advance, before 

 putting in benches which have been 

 thoroughly scrubbed and whitewashed. 

 We order plants for September deliv- 

 ery and plant directly to benches, 

 twelve inches apart, and give a good 

 watering to settle the soil about the 

 roots. 



We find many details about carna- 

 tion growing that require constant at- 

 tention and unremitting care. Spray- 

 ing is most important during the 

 warm days we have in the early fall. 

 By this means the temperature can be 

 reduced to a moist growing atmos- 

 phere. We frequently spray the under 

 part of the foliage where the red 



spider makes its appearance, and 

 always spray, quickly. 



We give our plants strong wire sup- 

 port, and though they may wilt a lit- 

 tle during the day, as long as they are 

 erect and crisp each morning, we do 

 not worry over losing them. The way 

 the soil is handled has a great deal to 

 do with what you get out of it. Ju- 

 dicious use of fertilizer and lime, with 

 constant forking to keep in good me- 

 chanical condition, and the "seeing 

 eye" that appraises instantly of lurk- 

 ing danger. 



The Beaumont Floral Co.. owned 

 and managed by women, represents 

 faithful toil and the achievement pos- 

 sible to even unskilled women in "the 

 man-made world." 



"Who digs a well or plants a seed, 

 a sacred pact he keeps with sun and 

 sod; with these he helps refresh and 

 feed the world, and enters partnership 

 with God." 



A QUESTION OF JUDGING. 



Editor HouTu I i.Ti uk: 



At tbe Pennsylvania Horticultural Soci- 

 ety's recent meeting a iiremluin was of- 

 fered for "Tbe Best Display of Hardy 

 Perennials 12 distinct species (not varl- 

 otles)." The winning exhibit was made up 

 of twelve .vases, anions which were one 

 vase of Diantlius barbatus and one of 

 Dlantbns Caryophyllus. 



The question I want to aslc through the 

 columns of your valuable paper is— should 

 the two varletiis of Dianthus have (lis- 

 qunllOcd this exhibit? In this same exhibit 

 <'entaurea cyanus was shown. Do you con- 

 sider that a perennial? 



Yours Truly. 



WM. KOBBRTSON. 



.Tenklntown, Pa. 



Dianthus barbatus and D. Cary- 

 ophyllus are both perennials and dis- 

 tinct species, hence both are eligible 

 in the class relerrod to. Centaurea cy- 

 anus is an annual and its presence as 

 one of twelve perennials would be 

 cause for disqualification. — Ed. 



