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ACQDST aO, 1916. 



The^FIdfists' Rcviet^ 



13 



STEM-ROT STUDIES. 



One of the most serious and trouble- 

 some diseases which must be contended 

 with by carnation growers in this coun- 

 try is the so-called stem-rot due to the 

 fungus rhizoctonia. In July, 1912, a 

 study of this disease was undertaken 

 by George L. Peltier, associate in flori- 

 cultural pathology at the University 

 of Illinois Agricultural Experiment^Sta- 

 tion, together with a thorough investi- 

 gation of those diseases of vegetable, 

 field and floricultural crops which are 

 caused by rhizoctonia, the primary ob- 

 ject being to determine whether infec- 

 tion is brought about by one or by more 

 than one race or species of this fungus. 

 The results of the investigation now 

 have been embodied in Bulletin No. 189, 

 consisting of 112 pages, which will be 

 sent free upon request, addressed to 

 Director, Illinois Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station, Urbana, 111. 



"Kepeated observations in the green- 

 house and field," says Prof. Peltier, 

 "have shown that a certain amount of 

 the mycelium must be present before 

 the fungus is able to attack and kill 

 the plant. A small amount of mycelium 

 has always been observed around a car- 

 nation plant in the bench a week or 

 more before the plant showed any signs 

 of being diseased. In fact, a certain 

 amount of mycelium is always present 

 in the carnation soil in the greenhouse, 

 but it is only when the temperature is 

 high that the fungus is able to attack 

 the plants. This explains why stem-rot 

 of carnations is more severe during the 

 summer months than in the winter. In 

 the field similar conditions are neces- 

 sary to result in the infection of a 

 plant." 



SHADE FOR CARNATION HOUSES. 



Will you please inform me what is 

 the best shading for carnation houses 

 when the field-grown plants have just 

 been set out in the benches? Some 

 claim that plain whitewash is better 

 than if mixed with mud or other color- 

 ing matter, as the white surface does 

 not absorb the heat from the sun. Even 

 if this is true, I object to the plain 

 whitewash on account of the glare 

 which comes through, 



G. L. B. & C— Va. 



We are indebted to William Nichol- 

 son for the following recipe for shad- 

 ing greenhouses, which is the best we 

 have ever tried: Take ordinary Span- 

 ish whiting and stir into it enough 

 water to make a thick cream. After 

 allowing this to stand a couple of days, 

 dilute to the desired state and add a 

 3-inch potful of linseed oil to each three 

 gallons of the spraying liquid. We 

 apply it to the glass with a spray pump. 

 This material will not injure the paint, 

 as a lime wash does, and it will not 

 leave a scum on the glass, as mud does. 



A. F. J. B. 



CARNATIONS FOR MOTHERS' DAY. 



I should like to know when would be 

 the best time for me to plant carna- 

 tion cuttings for Mothers' day. It is 

 difficult to get flowers at that time from 

 the northern markets, and I have de- 

 cided to grow enough to supply our 

 trade. Please tell me, also, which you 

 think would be the best varieties of 

 carnations for the purpose. 



H. C. S.— Fla. 



There is no carnation on the market 

 today that will give enough blooms for 

 one day to come anywhere near paying 

 for the cost of growing them up to that 

 time. It takes about half of a season's 

 crop to cover the cost of growing a car- 

 nation plant up to the first real crop 

 of blooms, and, unless you can make 

 use of the blooms for the rest of the 

 season, you would be likely to lose 

 through the venture. Perhaps the fol- 

 lowing plan would prove successful in 

 your case: Plant your beds in mums. 

 Then pot, and carry along in cold- 

 franies, enough carnation plants to 

 plant these beds after the mums are fin- 

 ished. Carry the carnations along cool 

 and do not allow them to bloom until 

 they are well established. Under such 

 a method, the first real crop would be 

 ready late in spring and probably would 

 cover the Mothers' day period. Use 

 White Wonder and Matchless for white; 

 Enchantress Supreme, Mrs. Ward and 

 Eose-pink Enchantress for pink. 



A. F. J. B. 



jecting his little say-so into the discus- 

 sion, Mr. Hill points out an interesting 

 difference in the essential requirements 

 in the two countries, as follows: 



"The one point to be borne in mind 

 in a discussion of this sort is the fact 

 that climatic and trade conditions are 

 quite different in the two countries. We 

 in America must have varieties of car- 

 nations that will give good bloom in 

 the late autumn and early winter, and 

 they must produce flowers in quantity 

 at this particular season of the year, 

 and especially at Christmas time. 



"If I understand British conditions 

 aright, the height of the carnation sea- 

 son begins in March and ends in the 

 latter part of June. I think I can state 

 truthfully that hundreds of fine carna- 

 tion varieties have been thrown aside 

 in this country simply because they did 

 not produce sufficient bloom to be prof- 

 itable during autumn and winter, and 

 most of the British varieties that have 

 had trial in America have not given 

 bloom in sufficient quantity during the 

 periods mentioned above to prove of 

 commercial value to the growers in the 

 United States. Britain has produced 

 some most excellent sorts, gauged by its 

 trade requirements, but they have not 

 measured up to our American standards 

 for American trade purposes. 



"It must not be imagined for a mo- 

 ment that there is any prejudice in 

 America against English raised vari- 

 eties, for such does not exist; neither 

 sentiment nor prejudice counts in the 

 judgment passed upon a valuable new 

 carnation having trade possibilities for 

 our country, no matter what its origin. 

 Growers on this side have tried all the 

 British varieties, or nearly all, but with 

 disappointment over their failure to 

 make good during the winter months." 



WHAT WE WANT. 



E. G. Hill, of Richmond, has been 

 greatly interested in the pros and cons 

 of American vs. British carnations 

 which have been spread before the read- 

 ers of a British trade paper of late. In- 



AMERICAN CARNATION SOCIETY. 



Carnation Thenanthos has been regis- 

 tered by Anton Then, Chicago, III., who 

 supplies tLe following description: 

 Parentage, Enchantress x red seedling; 

 color, brilliant scpHet; size, three and 

 one-half inches; prolific bloomer and 

 entirely free from disease, never being 

 troubled with rust; raised by John A. 

 Then. A. F. J. Baur, Sec'y. 



.«uPi 





M 



Lynn, Mass. — Greenhouses at Lynn 

 were damaged by hail that fell Inde- 

 pendence day. 



Lowell, Mass. — The city purchasing 

 agent is receiving bids for supplying 

 the park department with 12,000 tulip 

 bulbs. 



Portland, Me.— The store of E. J. 

 Harmon & Co. has been purchased by 

 Donald R. Fogg, of Biddeford. Although 

 a young man, Mr. Fogg has seen much 

 service iu one of the New York stores. 



Stoneham, Mass.— By order of the 

 trustee of the John L. White estate, the 

 Wright street greenhouses and 12,000 

 square feet of land have been sold to 

 Christine C. Drewett, of Roslindale, 

 Boston. 



..mAwaltll liAbl 



Worcester, Mass.— More than 1,000 

 plants, comprising azaleas, cosmos, nas- 

 turtiums and geraniums, recently were 

 contributed by H. F. A. Lange to the 

 city gardens. 



Hartford, Conn.— The Rose Hill Floral 

 Co. has filed a certificate of organiza- 

 tion with the secretary of state. The 

 officers are: President, iLouis L. Barton, 

 of West Hartford; vice-president, A. P. 

 Pitner, of Hartford; secretary-treasurer, 

 Ralph M. Grant, of South Windsor. The 

 capital stock authorized is $50,000, di- 

 vided into 2,000 shares of common 

 stock, par value $25. The amount paid 

 in is $50,000 in property other than 

 cash. The president holds 1,998 shares 

 of stock. 



