'•W'iUf^l^.'- 



^^KT^-""'^^*'- 



JULY 10, 1913. 



The Florists^ Review 



Modern Gunation Houses as they are Built by Growers of Cut Blooms in England. 



frequently placed our Enchantress 

 alongside those from Chicago and we 

 could not tell the difference — that is, 

 when the shipped carnations arrived 

 in first-class condition. It must be ad- 

 mitted, though, that my statement 

 about the size is true only with regard 

 to our Enchantress, for one house of 

 our Beacons did not come up to the 

 standard. This, however, I can partly 

 attribute to the fact that the improper 

 piping did not allow us to keep down 

 the temperature in the Beacon house 

 during the first part of last winter. In 

 all other respects the plants are in 

 perfect condition to this day. 



The Value of Fresh Air. 



I should like to remind some of the 

 southern florists of the value of fresh 

 air. Take full advantage of the cool 

 nights where you can enjoy them. Some 

 growers have a confirmed habit of low- 

 ering the ventilators in the evening. 

 Don't do it. It is handicap enough 

 that even some of the so-called mod- 

 «'a greenhouses are far from being 

 I tully effective in their ventilating sys- 

 Items. Leave your ventilators wide open, 

 I as long as you are sure that the frost 

 P"il not kill your plants during your 

 [summer months. ^ 



. A few more words in regard to the 

 r/^i y^^ southern carnations in gen- 

 \t A ^*^® ^° "*i"'i ^^ experiment 



and would invite some other florist to 



\™ ,\^ "P in a small measure. It is 

 I as lollows: 



A Proposed Experiment. 



Ivnn^^t*^* * carnation bench in any of 

 i.vour houses and have a canvas eover- 



le^iil'^P^f®^ ^^''^ ^*' 80 that it can be 

 Ifio^n ^*v °^ "'■ removed. Then, as 

 I on as the hot season comes, or even 



during the early fall if warm enough, 

 have the canvas stretched over the 

 bench — let us say from 10 or 10:30 

 a. m. to 3 or 3:30 p. m., and during 

 these hours spray the canvas on the 

 top every now and then. This is for 

 two purposes: First, it will keep off 

 the scorching sunlight during the hot- 

 test part of the day, and second, the 

 moisture evaporating from the canvas 

 will, to a certain extent, cool down the 

 atmosphere of the house. I am sure 

 this plan will work. Just try it. 



In conclusion I will say that I see 

 no reason why the southern florist should 

 not attain to the modern standard in 

 carnation growing as soon as he is able 

 to discover methods of culture that are 

 suitable to southern conditions. 



Wm. H. Silva. 



CARNATIONS IN ENGLAND. 



When the. American carnation first 

 gained popularity in England the grow- 

 ers used the British method, pot culture, 

 but of late the American system has 

 come into vogue and a constantly in- 

 creasing proportion of the stock is grown 

 planted out in benches. How closely the 

 British growers are following the meth- 

 ods employed on this side of the Atlantic 

 will be seen from a scrutiny of the ac- 

 companying illustration. It shows a view 

 in the plant of AUwood Bros., known as 

 the Wivelsfield Nurseries, Haywards 

 Heath, Sussex, England. One of the 

 members of the firm obtained his train- 

 ing in America, reversing the usual or- 

 der. This is a comparatively new plant 

 and corresponds to the American style 

 ratjigr more closely than do the older 

 ranges, but it shows what is being done 

 in this " directioj^ The houses are de- 

 tached. The one pictured is 50x200, with 

 raised benches to accommodate five 



rows of plants, supported by twine cros- 

 sing wires that run between the rows, 

 lengthwise of the benches. One of the 

 features that will be noted is the ar- 

 rangement for supporting the wires. 

 This consists of uprights of iron pierced 

 with a row of holes into which a cross 

 rod can be inserted at any height that 

 suits the grower's need. The tiers can 

 be added, one by one, as needed. The 

 house is much like those used in this 

 country, but one detail that will be no- 

 ticed is the reinforcement along the 

 south wall, where every seventh bar is 

 bolted to the curved angle iron post. 



THE SOIL AND THE FEED. 



How many pounds of pulverized sheep 

 or cattle manure would you advise me 

 to use to an ordinary wheelbarrow load 

 of rotted sodf Which do you consider 

 the best manure for carnations? Which 

 would you prefer to use in a liquid 

 form? Would you scatter shredded 

 cattle manure on the bottom of the 

 benches, and about how thick? 



A. O. C. 



We use stable manure entirely jn mak- 

 ing up our carnation soil. This is added 

 several months before we want to use it 

 and is thoroughly incorporated with the 

 soil, either by plowing or by turning 

 with shovels if it is piled up. We con- 

 sider this far better than to mix in a lot 

 of manures and fertilizers just before 

 the soil is to be used. We do not use 

 shredded cattle manure at all, as we 

 think that we get equally good results, 

 if not better, from stable manure and 

 pulverized sheep manure. By using the 

 stable manure to build up the fertility 

 of the compost, and later using the pul- 

 verized sheep manure lo stimulate 

 growth, adding an occasional dose of 



