Makcu 3, 1921 



The Florists' Review 



31 



Ck. 



^ SIM'S WAY WITH SOIL 



CARNATIONS AT CLIFTONDALE. 



Boston Florists Examine Sim's Methods. 



When tlie Gardeners' and Florists' 

 Club of Boston held its first field day 

 of the year at William Sim's, Clifton- 

 dale, Mass., PVbruary ■ 19, some sixty 

 f^rowcrs from lea<linji; eommcreial ami 

 ])rivate establishments were able to ex- 

 amine the unusual methods by which he 

 has obtained marked success in grow 

 in^ carnations this season. 



Mr. Sim li.'is been located at Clifton- 

 dale for over twenty years and has 

 earned a national reputation for the 

 various crops he has grown. He was the 

 first grower to plant violets in big mod- 

 ern houses and at one time grew '200 OfiO 

 Princess of Wales of grand quality in 

 houses and frames. Still later sweet 

 peas of marvelous c|uality were pro- 

 duced, which created a sensation at a 

 number of exhibitions. At the Phila- 

 delphia national sliow, Mr. Sim's poly- 

 anthus was one of the features of the 

 sliow, just as his mammoth jiansies, 

 which were awarded a gold meilal, riv- 

 eted attention at New York, (ilailioli 

 were at one time featured and, until- the 

 advent of the corn borer, some 40,000 

 hills of early sweet corn startiMl under 

 glass provided the earliest in the Bos- 

 ton markets. Tomatoes, chii'fly Comet, 

 were for y<'ars produced by the scores 

 of tons, filling the beds o<-.<-upied by vio- 

 lets in winter. 



Carnations Supplant All Else. 



La-st year Mr. Sim, owing to labor and 

 other conditions, turned a luimher of 

 his lious?s into carnations, ainl tliis win- 

 ter all houses are jjlanted with them, to 

 the exclusion of all other crops. Of 

 s])ecial interest to (lower growers are 

 the facts th.'it Mr. Sim has never steril- 

 ized any of his soil, that all plants ;ne 

 on solid b(>iis containing two feet or more 

 of loam with excellent drainage below, 

 that the soil has never been change<l 

 even in the oldest houses, although con- 

 tinuously cropped for eighteen or twenty 

 years in some c;ises. The soil is deeply 

 forkeil and liberally manured before 

 each crop is p'anti'il. .\|| the larger 

 houses are e.|iiipped with tlie Skimur 

 watering system and are also jiiped with 

 faucet connections for spraying under 

 high pressure with nicotine to keep 

 the jdants clean through the summer 

 months. 



Never Changes SoO. 



It is truly remarkable to see house 

 ;ifter house of wonderful carnations and 

 to think that for years these same houses 

 have never had a change of soil after 

 growing crops of chrysanthemums, roses, 

 sweet [leas, violets, tomatoes, ])o'vaii- 

 thus, pansies ami auriculas. Earlc 

 planting is practiced here and the first 

 houses are cnniplcted befnic Memorial 

 day: the last in July. Stock for the 

 earlier houses never uoes luitdoors. No 

 flats or pots are used for young stock. 

 From the cuttinjj houses thev go info 

 solid beds, spaced 4x4 inches. From hero 

 they go into their permanent (pi.irters 

 in other housos or outdoors for a time. 

 For the later planted stock, when out- 



side, the sprinkler system is used to 

 kee[) the iilants growing steadily. In 

 one large house (iS.OOO young plants were 

 to be seen iuid .Mr. Sim remarkeil that 

 he would [)ropayate about four times 

 that number. Of these about 200,000 

 would be for his own jilanting. The re- 

 mainder would be sold. 



A variety of types of houses are used, 

 from those forty to sixty feet wide to 

 the older and narrower tyf>e in vogue 

 two decailes ago. It was remarked by 

 many th;it the jilants in the old houses 

 were equal in quality to those in the big, 

 wide, modern houses. The paths in I ho 

 houses are some fifteen inches wi le, but 

 j)lants are not set close to the edge 

 boards. Practically all disbudding is 

 done by one woman. On Laddie one or 

 two side buds are left. Customers pre- 

 fer this variety branched in this way 

 and leaving the buds on helps to prevent 

 bursting. 



Varieties Grown. 



Of the 200,000 plants grown at Clif- 

 tondale, some 40,000 ai=e white. Of these 

 three varieties are grown. Matchless, 

 White Benora and White Delight. The 

 last named seemed to be more vigorous 

 than Pink Delight and produces cuttings 

 more freely. Of some- .'{.'),000 cuttings put 

 in, about .'jOO failed to root. White Do- 

 light Mr. Sim finds to be jin earlier and 

 more jiersistent bloomer than Matchless, 

 wlien the latter comes at its best. Plants 

 here are being thrown out in getting 

 ready for the new plantings. White 

 Benora is fine, but not free enough. 



Of Laddio some 1.^,000 are planted at 



Cliftondale and they are extremely fine. 

 ■In early fall there is considerable split- 

 ting, but now few sjiiits are to be seen. 

 For a big, fancy type, this is a remark- 

 ably free bloomer. Pink Delight is 

 lieavi!}' grown. Enchantress Supreme 

 will be drop[)ed; it will not st-ll in com- 

 ]ietition with Pink Delight. Mttrning 

 (ilow is well liked an<l is a wonderful 

 l>roducer, although somewhat small. Mr. 

 Sim has good exjiectations of a cross 

 between Laddie and Morning Glow. 

 Kuth Baur will be droi)i)ed. 



Pinks and Scarlets. 



:Mrs. C. W. Ward is really the only 

 medium [)ink and, while it splits a good 

 deal, it is of a po[iular color and helps to 

 sell other varieties. There are largo 

 plantings of both liosette and Rosalia. 

 For d.'irk i)ink (he first named is much 

 the best here. 



Few crimsons are grown, as the de- 

 mand for these is limited. Of the four 

 scarlets. Aviator is liked much better 

 than any other ami is quit<' free. Belle 

 Washburn has a fine color and produces 

 a fancy flower, but does not produce as 

 freely as Laddie and fewer will be 

 planted next scl^^on. The Herald is a 

 steady bloomer, but is too single. Ethel 

 Fisher has proved disappointing. It is 

 now coming bull headed and will bo 

 dropjied. Plantings of scarlets will be 

 much cut down the coming season. Such 

 varieties as Rosette and Rosalia sell far 

 better than scarlets. 



Benora is still the best variegate. 1, but 

 considerable batches of Gay Gordon and 

 Fairy, two Cliftondale seedlings, were 



Willi 



am ^im. 



