THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



51 



of disbudding is to have only one bud 

 receive the whole strength of the 

 shoot. If you allow two or three buds 

 to share its strength till they are 

 nearly full size you have done little 

 good. 



Tying. 



The matter of tying is of the great- 

 est importance and a considerable part 

 of the expense of growing carnations. 

 Thirty years ago and for many years 

 thereafter nothing better was thought 

 of than the primitive straight stick, 

 and in the days of short-stemmed, or 

 really stemless, flowers, it did very 

 well. Now-a-days it is useless, and 

 the advent of the long-stemmed flower 

 has compelled us to use some better- 

 method. 



A great many devices have been 

 thought of and many arrangements 

 in the shape of wire supports invented, 

 mostly all useless. There is, however, 

 one device of wire that seems pre-emi- 

 nently ahead of anything yet invent- 

 ed, and which it seems to me is about 

 perfect. I do not say this to favor any 

 manufacturer, but in justice to my 

 readers must say that the support 

 known as the "Model," made in 

 Brooklyn, is about perfection. The 

 immense quantities used by our larg- 

 est growers is evidence of this. The 

 straight, simple stake, the large stiff 



each row of plants crosswise two 

 strings are needed, one against each 

 row. The common white string used 

 by grocers, which is very inexpensive, 

 is good enough for this purpose. 



Each plant is then confined in a 

 square made by the wire and string. 



its cost spread over three years would 

 make it the cheapest of all methods. 



Insects and Diseases. 



For many years we had no pests to 

 contend with except our common ene- 

 mies, the aphis and red spider. A few 



Mr. Dorner's Method of Tying. 



wire, bent into a gigantic hairpin, the 

 wire netting and many other schemes 

 are good. 



The plan used first by Mr. Dorner, 

 and now generally adopted, is very 

 good, and with many varieties answers 

 the purpose well. It is to stretch a 

 strong wire (No. 14 or 16) along both 

 sides of the bench about six inches 

 above the soil, and between each row, 

 lengthwise of the bed, a lighter wire. 

 Then from the two outside wires a 

 string is run across the bed and near 

 the plants, carrying the string around 

 each wire as it is passed. Between 



To keep the wires from sagging you 

 will want a lath across the bed at 

 intervals, and strong wooden supports 

 to fasten the wires to at each end of 

 the bed. Another tier of this arrange- 

 ment must be added as the plants 

 grow, and with some varieties even 

 a third will be needed 18 inches above 

 the soil. This plan answers every 

 purpose, is very inexpensive, is quick- 

 ly applied and altogether satisfactory, 

 but it is not nearly equal in neatness, 

 convenience, or for the growth of the 

 plants as the "Model" support, whose 

 only defect now is its first cost. But 



years ago the "Rust" was imported 

 and became a great scare. Several 

 other diseases were lectured upon, and 

 the disease and its causes illustrated 

 till we thought the cultivation of the 

 carnation was doomed. 



Tobacco smoke destroys the aphis 

 and a light fumigation should be often 

 given. The fly is often very trouble- 

 some to the buds. We have not seen 

 red spider for several seasons, al- 

 though never syringing. More air, 

 more room, and perhaps the sulphur 

 which is put on the heating pipes ev- 

 ery fall, may have helped to prevent 

 the spider from flourishing. If it does 

 appear in May, syringing is the best 

 cure, but it is difficult to dislodge. 



The rust was a few years ago most 

 discouraging. There are few varieties 

 that it does not attack, but there are 

 some; Flora Hill and Scott are two 

 that I have never yet seen troubled 

 with it. There have been many mix- 

 tures advocated for its cure or preven- 

 tion, chief of which is the Bordeaux 

 mixture with which we sprayed the 

 plants. Little heed is now given to 

 any cure for the rust, many believing 

 that the cure was as bad as the disease, 

 yet the rust is disappearing, and 

 troubles us little; not because we have 

 killed the disease or its spores, but 

 because we have better understanding 

 of the conditions least favorable to the 

 rust's existence, chief of which are ab- 

 sence of moisture on the leaf, air and 

 light between the plants, more and 

 better ventilation, earlier planting and 

 more vigor of growth. 



With the exception of dipping the 

 cuttings before and after being in the 

 sand we leave fungicides alone. We 



