

24 



The Florists' Review 



NOTEHBBB 4, 1020 



throwing up from three to five strong 

 shoots from the base. By cutting them 

 back now, shoi^Id we be likely to get 

 a good crop through the winter until 

 about Easter f The bed is in good con- 

 dition and after cutting back I would 

 remove the top soil and top-dress with 

 a good carnation compost. Do you 

 think this method would meet with 

 success? v. N. C. — Can. 



/ 



OIiAT FOB OABNATIONS. 



I am having trouble in getting clay 

 for my carnations. I cannot get a 

 team and wagon to haul clay for me 

 And the only thing I have on my place 

 is a rich, sandy soil. What kind of 

 fertilizer should I use to enable me to 

 g^ow large carnations of strong sub- 

 stance f M, J. — O. 



While a soil containing a small 

 amount of clay is preferable, if it can- 

 not be secured you should use a rich, 

 sandy loam soil. By adding ground 

 bone you should be able to grow good 

 plants. L. E. T. 



OOMFI.ETE CARNATION FOOD. 



,1 am a constant reader of The Re- 

 view and enjoy its contents greatly. 

 In it I have seen articles on carnations, 

 but so far have not seen what are the 

 ingredients that go to compose" a per- 

 fect fertilizer or plant food for them 

 to insure the best results in the produc- 

 tion of first-rate blooms for market. 

 Oan you give me the desired informn- 

 tionf C. 8.— Pa. 



I know of no complete carnation 

 food which can be used on any and all 

 soils. There are a number of' them, 

 which will give excellent results after 

 the carnation plants are under way and 

 making a well balanced growth. I 

 find that at the beginning of each sea- 

 son we must supply whatever the soil 

 may be deficient in, which we are un- 

 ^ able to determine until the plants get 

 into growth and we can see their be- 

 havior. If the growth is slow, the soil 

 may be deficient in nitrogen and we 

 add that in the form of sheep manure 

 or some similar material. If the stem^ 

 are weak, we add bone, and if the soil 

 is inclined to sour, we give a dressing 

 of lime. After the necessary correc- 

 tion is made and the plants are coming 

 along satisfactorily, we employ one of 

 the complete carnation foods offered 

 by the fertilizer firms., Any of them 

 will be glad to give you the analysis 

 and you will find them all good, as far 

 as I have been able to observe. 



A. F. J. B. 



STEM BOSEKS ON PLANTS. 



I am sending a piece of a carnation 

 plant. Please examine it and advise me 

 what is in the heart of the wood and 

 the remedy for it. 



How much salt should I use per gallon 

 for spraying to get rid of red spider? 



D. P. C— Colo. 



I am unable to identify the eggs in- 

 side the carnation/Btem you sent in. It 

 is probably the egg of one of the stem 

 borers. Your statei entomologist could 

 probably assist you in identifying it 

 and probably suggest a remedy. These 

 stem borers are extremely difficult to 



handle. By the time you are aware of 

 their presence, the damage is usually 

 done. Cut out all the affected branches 

 and burn them. In that way you can 

 destroy at least a large part of them, 

 including many eggs. Spraying will dp 

 little, if any, good. Inasmuch as they 

 work on the stems and that portion of 

 the plant is difficult to reach, Spraying 

 is of little value. 



Carnations will stand a good" deal of 

 salt without injury. If you use a com- 

 pressed air sprayer you can use a 3-inch 

 potful of salt to each gallon of water 

 with perfect safety. We use rock salt 

 applied with a standard make of salt 

 sprayer and find it more expedient than 

 the other. A. F. J. Baur. 



CUTTING BACK CAENATIONS. 



A few weeks ago there ^yas an article 

 in The Review on cutting back carna- 

 tion plants for a second crop, written 

 by A. F. J. B. 



I should like -to ask the same writer 

 about the beds of carnations which 

 have flowered since October, 1919, and 

 have always given us good blooms, ex- 

 cept during the hot weather, when 

 the flowers were a little small. 



The plants are^ still strong and 

 healthy and a good many are atill 



You do not give the names of the va- 

 rieties you are growing on these two 

 beds, but, under the circumstances as 

 described in your letter, you can prob- 

 ably run these beds over quite suc- 

 cessfully, provided you will arrange 

 to keep the plants supported prop- 

 erly. In your cooler climate carna- 

 tions will naturally carry through the 

 summer more easily than farther south. 



I suggest that, if you use the wire 

 and string method of supporting, you 

 restretch the wires and put on new 

 strings. The old strings may seem 

 fairly good, but they will rot and give 

 way long before the end of next sea- 

 son. Once the plants begin to lie over, 

 you will have no end of trouble. Keep 

 them upright by all means. Instead of 

 removing any more than just the loose 

 material on top of the soil, I should 

 merely replace what can be raked np 

 easily with a mulch or dressing of com- 



Sost and manure, or manure alone. 

 not heap it around the plants, but 

 make a ridge of it through the center 

 of the row and when watering let 

 the water run through it. You will have 

 to do more feeding throughout the sea- 

 son than is required with young 

 stock, but that is comparatively simple. 



A. F. J. B. 



THE ACID TEST 



[From HUUboro, III., newspaper.] 



Ken Pohlman is a florist 



And he don't pretend to know 

 The workings of an auto 



Or what makes the critter go. 

 Tills week his battery ran down 



And Ben poured out the juice 

 To see If he could fix the thing 



Or find what might be loose. 

 He dumped the acid on some rags, 



Then used these as a bed 

 When he crawled underneath the car 



Out in the auto shed. 

 Upon his back for one long hour 



Ben laid beneath that car 

 And tightened np the bolts and things, 



All smeared with dust and tar. 

 While Pohlman worked and sweat nnd cussed, 



The acid in those rags 

 Got busy on Ben's underclothes 



And turned them into tags. 

 The damage done to Pohlman's pants 



Was all done in the rear. 

 And when Ben crawled out from the car 



He felt the atmosphere. 

 His acid-eaten pants and coat 



And also underwear 

 Dropped from his back and left poor Ben 



With aU hla rear view bare. 

 Ben never realized his plight 



And yet he wondered why 

 The women in that neighborhood 



All blushed as they walked by. ' 



And all the men they laughed and askod. 



If he was not "afeerd" 

 Jack Frost would nip him in the bud. 



Said Benny: "I'm not skeerd." 

 Ben washed and polished up his car 



And as his neighbors laughed, 

 He shook and shirered and then said, 



"By gosh, I feel a draft! 

 In front I ani all warm and nice. 



But down my back I freeze. 



I think that I must have the flu; 



Just listen to me aneeael" 

 Ben went back In his greenhouse then 



And worked alone awhile 

 And soon his sunny countenance 



Broke out in one big smile. 

 "By gosh, I gness I ain't so sick. 



That flu has changed Ita mind. 

 And now I feel all warm and nice 



Both in front and behind." 

 Just then a customer came in. 



Ben bowed and smiled and said: 

 "What do yon wlab, a floral piece, 



For living or for dead?" 

 "I'd like a set piece of some kind," 



The customer replied, 

 And when Ben turned to show his goods. 



That buyer like to died. 

 Slie fled from out that big greenhouse. 



Where air is moist and close. 

 While Pohlman stood in blank dismay 



And yelled, "My goodness, vass ist los?" 

 He leaned against a hot steam pipe 



And then let out a yell, 

 "Dunder and blitzen, that d — ^n pipe 



Is hotter than all hell!" 

 He backed into a cactus plant. 



Which pricked his tough old hide. 

 But didn't hurt him half as bad. 



As his iwor wounded pride. 

 For when Ben viewed himself ere long 



Before a looking glass, 

 He said: "By gollv, I am glad 



I don't raise tickle grass, 

 'Cause I would still be laughing 



And scaring off my trade 

 And never realize the cause 



The women were afraid. 

 Henceforth, I'll stick to roses. 



To the violet and fern. 

 And if that auto balks again 



I will not give a dern. 

 Somebody else can fix it np; 



No more I'll take a chance. 

 For next time that there acid may 



Eat deeper than my pants!" 





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