142 CARNATIONS IN ILLINOIS 



is another of the very large estabhshments around Chicago 

 that grow many thousands of Carnations both for cut 

 flowers and rooted cutting trade, while Emil Buettner, 

 Park Ridge, III., has long been noted for the very high 

 quahty of the stock grown in his place. 



The climatic conditions of this region vary somewhat, 

 according to the location. Around Chicago near Lake 

 Michigan the days and nights during the Summer are 

 cooler than the more inland parts of the State. The rain- 

 fall during the Summer is usually ample for the plants' 

 needs during the time they are in the field. The period 

 from April 20 to May 15 is the time the young stock is 

 planted out, and from this time on to the middle of June 

 we generally have abundant rains to thoroughly establish 

 the young plants so that they are well able to withstand 

 the hot dry weather later on. 



The question of watering the plants during the season 

 they are in the field has long been a question in the minds of 

 the growers. Some of the growers of this section favor 

 watering during the hot, dry weather, while there are 

 others with just the opposite view and resort to frequent 

 surface cultivation to preserve the moisture at the plants' 

 roots. We are following the latter method and have not 

 watered the plants during the time they are in the field for 

 many seasons. We used to think it best for the plants to 

 keep the ground moist, and if it showed the least dryness 

 turn on the water and then allow the plants to remain out in 

 the field as late as the month of September so as to get as 

 big plants as possible, but we soon found that these large 

 plants, planted at this late date, did not have time to get 

 enough control of the soil to produce long stemmed fancy 

 flowers before very late in the season, the blooms of the 

 first three months being mainly small, with short stems. 



