CARNATIONS IN ILLINOIS 135 



followed on a small scale north of the central part of 

 Illinois, where also the carrying over of stock for a second 

 year is practised, but the latter is very limited even as far 

 north as Chicago. The lack of either of these methods of 

 culture around St. Louis is due mainly to the extremely hot 

 weather during the Summer months. The Summers of 

 191 3 and 1914 were so hot and dry that culture out in the 

 field was carried on under the most trying conditions, and 

 plants housed during the Fall were only about half grown. 

 This had a tendency to make Carnation growing in this 

 section unsatisfactory. 



The stock is usually planted in the houses during the 

 month of August. The bench and solid bed culture are 

 both employed. Bench culture predominates and probably 

 is the most profitable. On our own place we have just 

 resorted to solid bed culture, and we will not be in a position 

 to say positively which is the most profitable way, bench or 

 bed culture, until we have two seasons' records complete. 

 One thing is certain about the Carnation in this section of 

 the country: the average price received must increase over 

 what it has stood at in the past few years, or some cheaper 

 mode of culture must be found in order to make a li\ing 

 profit out of Carnation blooms. This is a bold statement 

 to make, yet we have in mind a complete record from 

 several successful firms contributing to the wholesale 

 market for the past three years. 



THE CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS REGION 



To give an accurate estimate of the number of Carna" 

 tion plants grown in this region is beyond the ability of 

 the writer, but when consideration is taken of the vast 

 territory that to a great extent depends on this section as 



