CARNATIONS IN THE NORTHWEST 121 



Carnations for the cut flower markets. This rapid increase 

 has been owing to a wave of prosperity in this territory. 

 The improvement in the quahty of Carnations offered to 

 the buying pubhc also has had a tendency to stimulate 

 the demand for this flower, and growers have enlarged 

 their places everywhere and many new estabhshments 

 have sprung up. The crop is mostly grown by larger 

 firms who retail their own products and also purchase 

 from smaller growers. No central market has been 

 established so far. 



Growers who dispose of their Carnations at wholesale 

 have been receiving an average of about S2 per 100; some 

 may average a little better, especially where quahty is 

 high. Overproduction and glutted markets have been 

 rarely experienced, yet occasionally prices have dropped 

 very low for a short time. 



Cuttings are usually taken by the middle of October 

 up to the middle of February, in some instances even until 

 April. A temperature of 65 deg. is kept in the sand of 

 the propagation bench, with 50 deg. overhead, as far as 

 possible. After potting the cuttings into 2 in. pots, they 

 are, after rooting through the pots, planted out into 

 Chrysanthemum benches a distance of 5 in. apart. By 

 pinching back once or twice, well branched plants are 

 obtained, which are then set into their permanent benches 

 during June. Many growers, however, set out their 

 stock from 2 in. pots in the field during the latter half of 

 April. Frequent cultivation and pinching back produce 

 plants ready for benching from the middle of June to the 

 middle of July. Early planting has always proved more 

 satisfactory in this climate, owing partially to the extremely 

 dry Summer weather, which favors the development of 

 thrips and red spider in the field, where they are much 



