16 



The Florists^ Review 



Fbbkuauy 19, 1920 



aiarket for the fruits of their labor 

 the carnation breeders could not con- 

 tinue their work; hence there is a dou- 

 ble reason why we should purchase the 

 new varieties. Fortunately, those who 

 follow this line of work usually conduct 

 cither a plant or cut flower business and 

 uo not depend entirely on the results 

 of their breeding for their livelihood. 

 Thus they are able to carry on their 

 work until they have produced a variety 

 which they really consider an advance 

 over existing sorts. 



Testing New Varieties. 



That a large percentage of the new 

 introductions fail of success is a well 

 known fact and is often made the basis 

 for complaint. To my mind, this does 

 not indicate that the carnation breed- 

 ers are dishonest. To anyone who holds 

 such opinion, I would suggest that he 

 get personally acquainted with the men 

 engaged in this line of work and I feel 

 sure that his doubts about the honesty 

 and integrity of these men will soon be 

 dispelled. This, I consider, is one of 

 the real problems confronting the in- 

 dustry — to see to it that there shall be 

 no lack of confidence between the grow- 

 ers and the hybridizers. 



Few, if any, varieties are dissemi- 

 nated these days without having really 

 made good with the originator, and, if 

 given similar growing conditions on 

 your place, they will do the same for 

 you. If one of these varieties fails 

 with you, do not blame the dissemi- 

 nator, but rather blame yourself for 

 iiaving failed to provide the conditions 

 most favorable to its maximum devel- 

 (ipnient. We, all of us, are inclined to 

 l)ass final judgment on a variety after 

 one season's trial. This is a mistake, 

 for which the numerous introductions 

 arc largely responsible. If we were 

 privileged to buy, for instance, a new 

 white carnation only once in five years, 

 we would exert more effort to learn the 

 special requirements of each variety 

 purchased. 



Learning Mrs. Lawson's Whims. 



Only a few growers succeeded with 

 Mrs. Thos. W. Lawson the first season 

 after its dissemination, but these few 

 succeeded so tremendously that almost 

 everyone who had bought it resolved 

 to master its whims, and finally, after 

 a few years, every grower was growing 

 his bench or house of Lawsons and 

 swearing by it. Matchless had nearly 

 the same experience. Many growers 

 were disappointed in it the first year, 

 but it showed up so finely at the exhibi- 

 tions and the more skillful growers did 

 it so well that many wore encouraged 

 to try it again and now Matchless is dis- 

 placing all other whites on many places. 

 T do not mean to advocate three or four 

 years' trial for every variety purchased. 

 That would not be practical. But the 

 cases cited show that we should blame 

 ourselves rather than the disseminator 

 when a variety fails with us. 



During the last two years the dis- 

 semination of new carnations came 

 practically to a standstill and, now that 

 new varieties are being offered again, 

 it might be interesting to run over the 

 list of what we now have and see where 

 we may effect improvement by displac- 

 ing the old varieties with the new. In 

 white we have been growing White En- 

 chantress, White Wonder and Match- 

 loss, a trio that is hard to beat. Crys- 

 tal White is now added to the list and 

 is finding favor with many growers. 



In a Class by Itself. 



In flesh pink, Enchantress Supreme is 

 still the leader. Laddie, which comes 

 in the same color class, is really in a 

 class by itself. Its size and general ex- 

 cellence are setting a standard for the 

 breeders to aim at. Naturally, it does 

 not bloom so freely as the standard va- 

 rieties. Don't throw out all your Su- 

 preme to make room for Laddie. You 

 will have use for both. 



In light pink, some are still growing 

 Winsor and Gloriosa, for this is a color 

 the public wants. Our own Euth Baur 

 comes in this class and we shall allow 

 you to pass judgment on it next season. 

 In medium pink, we have Mrs. 0. W. 

 Ward and Eose-pink Enchantress. 

 Neither of these is entirely satisfactory, 

 but nothing has appeared so far to dis- 

 place them. Eosalia is easily the best 

 in dark pink, although a few growers 

 are still doing Eosette extremely well. 

 Washington is also grown by those 

 growers who stick closely to the En- 

 chantress family. In red, Beacon is still 

 holding its own in some localities, but 

 its propensity for splitting in midwin- 

 ter has brought it into disfavor with 

 most growers. Belle Washburn is fairly 



The Editor is pleased when 

 a Reader presents his ideas 

 on any subject treated in 



Si>rsTs' 



As experience is the best 

 teacher, so do we learn 

 fastest by an exchange of 

 experiences. Many valuable 

 points are brought out by 

 discussion. 



Good pentiianshiu, spelling and 

 grammar, though desirable, are not 

 necessary. Write as you would talk 

 when doing your l)est. 



WE SHALL BE CLAD 

 TO HEAR FROM YOU 



Jroo and fine in quality. Nebraska is 

 t'rccr in flowering, but not so good in 

 •inality. As Merry Christmas is our 

 own i)roduction, we naturally think it 



is "it." 



New Scarlet Carnations. 



Potor Fisher is giving us Ethel Fislior, 

 a scarlet which he considers superior to 

 Beacon, and the Dorners are getting a 

 fine scarlet ready for dissemination next 

 year. Nic Zweifel's Edna, which w- 

 have on trial, is a splendid scarlet. We 

 also have a fine scarlet sport of Eosalia 

 and expect to have it readv for vou in 

 the winter of 1921-22. 



In crimson, Pocahontas rules in point 

 <>f quality, while Samuel Goddard's 

 Doris leads in production. Donald, as 

 shown by Strout 's, looks like a winner 

 and Bernice has made a splendid show- 

 ing at the exhibitions. Benora has no 

 rival in the variegated class and Maine 

 Sunshine is a yellow that will find a 

 welcome wherever things out of the 

 ordinary are appreciated. Just at this 

 time, there is no flaked variety offered, 

 but Strout 's flaked Matchless will soon 

 fill this gap. There will soon be a sup- 



ply in all colors and the improvement of 

 the carnation will again catch its stride. 

 Within the last two years, prices on 

 cut blooms, cuttings and plants have 

 increased materially. There can be no 

 disputing the fact that the increased 

 cost of production of both plants and 

 cut flowers justifies this increase. The 

 extraordinary demand, brought on by 

 abnormal conditions, has shot prices sky- 

 ward. This, however, need not cause 

 undue alarm. 



Adjustment of Prices. 



But let us, as soon as possible, get 

 our prices adjusted, keeping them as 

 reasonable as may be, figuring on a 

 basis of cost of production. On the 

 other hand, we owe it to our employees 

 to see to it that prices remain high 

 enough to keep their wages where they 

 now are. Greenhouse employees have 

 never received the wages they were en- 

 titled to, as compared with wages in 

 other industries where the intelligence 

 required is no greater and where the 

 acquirement of skill and proficiency de- 

 mands no more time and patience. 

 Wages in other industries are high and 

 probably will be reduced in the future, 

 but greenhouse wages must remain 

 where they now are. 



Greater effort should be made to pro- 

 duce in each growing establishment its 

 maximum yield, rather than to raise 

 prices unduly. There are too many 

 houses that produce only a half crop. 

 In every large flower market you will 

 find a few growers who are making 

 money, selling their product in the same 

 market that consumes the product of 

 numerous growers who barely make 

 both ends meet. The prosperous ones 

 do not get higher prices for the same 

 grade of stock, but they, produce a 

 higher quality and at the same time se- 

 cure the maximum yield from their 

 houses. Better growing methods are 

 needed, rather than radical increases 

 in prices. 



Carrjring Carnations Over. 



Along this line, I might mention the 

 possibilities in carrying carnation 

 plants through a second season. This 

 question has been discussed pro and 

 con on many occasions and, as we have 

 practiced the method more or less dur- 

 ing the last ten years, our experience 

 might be of interest to you. We have 

 not found all varieties amenable to this 

 treatment. Some varieties will not bear 

 the summer heat as well as others, and 

 therefore are not so good for this pur- 

 pose. We have carried over success- 

 fully White Enchantress, Enchantress 

 Supreme, Pink Delight, Good Cheer, 

 Beacon, Euth Baur, Eosalia and a num- 

 ber of seedling varieties. We have 

 failed with Gloriosa, White Wonder 

 and Benora. We find that the key to 

 success in this is to avoid cutting back 

 the plants too hard at one time and to 

 get them restarted before the summer's 

 heat sets in. 



Having a considerable rooted cutting 

 trade, we are able to work to better 

 advantage than the purely cut flower 

 grower. We select a bench or house for 

 carrying over and begin propagating 

 early in December, taking off all the 

 young breaks as fast as they reach the 

 proper size for cuttings. We continue 

 this until the end of the propagating 

 season, by which time the crop of 

 blooms is beginning to thin out, and by 

 May the crop will be entirely off. We 

 then go over the plants and trim back 





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