182 



GARDENING. 



Mar. /. 



will be the drj-est soil in the bench. The 

 dryness of the surface of the benches, and 

 of the air throughout the greenhouse, 

 will have a marked effect in preventing 

 and holding in check all kinds of parasitic 

 diseases, both fungous and bacterial, a 

 desirable result that the carnationistsare 

 fully able to appreciate. The causes 

 which prevent the inroad of germs, pro- 

 mote the functional activity of the leaves 

 on the lower parts of the plant and they 

 remain green and healthy much longer 

 than usual, greatly to the advantage of 

 the Dlant. 



It is evident that the writer believes 

 that the proposed system of sub-watering 

 is in many ways a good thing, and nowise 

 injurious. He also believes that it can be 

 made commercially profitable. The trial 

 bench at the Indiana Experiment Station, 

 which has been in use two years, chiefly 

 for lettuce, is fitted with a water-tight 

 lining of zinc, on which soft building 

 brick are placed edgewise, their lower 

 angles having been chipped off to permit 

 freer movement of water between them. 

 On this layer of brick the soil is placed in 

 the usual manner. The water is run into 

 the bottom of the bench through vertical 

 tubes at intervals along the front, and at 

 the rear overflows are provided at an 

 inch above the bottom to guard against 

 accidental flooding. Gauges, consisting 

 of a simple bent tube, show when the 

 water is exhausted, The bricks take up 

 the water, and pass it on to the soil 

 above, slowly and uniformly. By run- 

 ring a water pipe along the bench open- 

 ing into each vertical tube, the whole 

 bench or the whole greenhouse, can be 

 watered at once by turning a single stop- 

 cock, and thus do away with one of the 

 time-consuming features of greenhouse 

 work. Whether this be the best way in 

 which to provide for sub-watering, time 

 will reveal; but it is efficient, lasting and 

 not expensive beyond profitable returns. 



I have pointed out that the plant's 

 greatest need is water; that three-fourths 

 of its substance is made up of water; that 

 it directly controls growth by maintain- 

 ing internal pressure; and that a constant 

 stream through the plant is required for 

 healthful development. I have called 

 attention to the disadvantages in sup- 

 plying the plant, especially carnations 

 under glass, with water in the usual man- 

 ner, and not wishing to be opprobriously 

 called a theorist, laclung practical ideas, 

 have pointed out a better method, which 

 has had some preliminary trial. I shall 

 feel that I havenot misjudged the import- 

 ance of the matter to commercial grow- 

 ers, if any members of this society should 

 find it profitable to make practicable 

 application of the suggestions of the 

 paper. J. C. Arthur. 



LAST SEASON'S INTRODUCTIONS. 



Perhaps the two most notable intro- 

 ductions of the past season are Harrison's 

 White and Flora Hill. The latter has 

 proved to be even more than was claimed 

 for it. The former being sent out as a 

 sport from Scott, raised expectations 

 which it has not been able to meet. Your 

 secretary has had letters demanding that 

 the society take some action on this mat- 

 ter, claiming that the variety was no 

 more a sport from Scott than the writer 

 was a sport from an elephant. If there 

 was evidence of an attempt to defraud, 

 the society would be justified in taking 

 some notice of such letters, but those of 

 us who know Mr. Harrison also know 

 that he honestly thought the variety a 

 sport from Scott, and thinks so to this 

 day. We, as a society, have no evidence 

 to the cgntrary, for while the variety has 



CARNATION MRS. THCS. LAWSON. 



been a disappointment in most places, it 

 has done well with a few, and at this 

 date, February 10, is doing fairly well 

 everywhere. There is a possibility that 

 a variety that can sport color can also 

 produce a bud variation that would 

 change the entire habit of the plant, and 

 there is reason to believe that this may 

 be an instance. 



Nivea seems to be grown more success- 

 fully in the east than anywhere else. 



Of the season's introductions in scarlet, 

 Morello and Jahn's Scarlet have both 

 given satisfaction to the growers. 



In pinks, Mrs. Chas. II. Duhme and C. 

 A. Dana have made many friends, but 

 Victor seems the introduction of the sea- 

 son, as one hears very little of the others. 

 It is a case of a sport that has proven of 

 merit. 



Maud Dean is recognized as one of the 

 beauties of the season, and like some 

 other beauties, very fickle and not to be 

 depended upon. 



Lily Dean is an excellent variety in its 

 class, and seems easier of culture than 

 others of the same class. 



Mrs. Bradt has improved since being 

 sent out and promises to be a standard 

 sort. 



Mayor Pingree has filled a long felt 

 want for a good and profitable yellow. 



Mrs. Mcliurney promises to replace 

 Daybreak, being larger and easier to do, 

 and having other points of merit over the 

 older variety. 



Taken altogether the season's intro- 

 ductions have been such that the intro- 

 ducers can be congratulated. 



Of those being introduced this season — 

 there are certainly plenty of them — and 

 all seem of sufficient merit to try. It 

 would take too much of your time to 

 review all of them, and to have but one 

 man's opinion would not do them justice. 



This society should have a report from 

 one of its members as to the health of the 

 stock being sent out and if it will answer 

 to the description given, this report 

 should be a part of the annual meeting. 

 Albert M. Herr. 



VARIETIES EXHIBITED. 



Fred Dorlier & Sons Co. had on e hi- 

 bition twenty varieties, among them, 

 Uncle John, fine; White Cloud, fineshaped 

 full flower, grand stem; Gold Nugget, fine 

 fringed yellow, full flower, good stem; 

 Mrs. G. M. Bradt, extra fine, as usual; 

 Mary Wood, fine white, slightly penciled 

 pink; Dazzle, fine shaped scarlet; New 

 York, pink, extra good color, fringed 

 flower, good stem; Mrs. James Dean, 

 pleasing shade of pink, seems a little weak 

 in stem; John Young has the appearance 

 of a fine commercial white, fringed flower, 

 good stem; Storm Queen, white, not quite 

 so full as White Cloud, but still a fine 

 thing; G. H. Crane, scarlet seedling, large 

 full flower of lively color, calyx fine, a 

 plant exhibited shows it to be of fine 

 growth; Bon Ton, scarlet, a little small, 

 but of good color and fine stem. 



Mr. C. W. Ward's exhibits are staged 

 jointly with the above making a clean, 

 well-grown lot. 



E. G. Hill & Co., Richmond, Ind., 

 showed a grand vase of Jubilee, fine large 

 flower and good stem; also vase of 100 

 Flora Hill in good form; Painted Lady, 

 fine deep pink, shading lighter on the 

 edges, seems a little weak in stem, but 

 otherwise a fine thing, white; Psyche, white 

 heavily penciled with red, have seen this 

 in better shape than shown here; vase of 

 fifty blooms of Armazindy, fine shape, 

 with extra good stems; America, red 

 seedling, fine shaped flower, even color, 

 good stem; Scarlet Queen, seedling, fine 

 large fringed flower, extra fine as regards 

 color and form, good stem; Arbutus, 

 seedling, Daybreak color, but a little 

 deeper, fine flower with good stem; Prima 

 Donna, pink, similar in color to Triumph, 

 fine shaped flower with good stem. 



From Wm. Swayne, Kennett Square, 

 Pa., Empress, rich crimson, making one 

 of the finest exhibits, stem fully thirty 

 inches long, plant shown indicates extra 

 strong growth, though a dark one the 

 color, is still lively, good stem and calyx. 



Stollery Bros, had on exhibition a fine 

 vase of Argyle, grand in every respect, 

 the color showing well in artificial light. 



