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The Florists' Review 



JCLX 24, 191- 



CAENATIONS FOE EUROPE. 



The publication of some recent notes 

 by W. Wells, concerning the packing 

 of stock of new varieties of carnations 

 to be sent to Europe, has resulted in 

 some interesting correspondence. It 

 appears that Mr. Wells bought a certain 

 variety from Peter Fisher, Ellis, Mass., 

 and, on arrival of the stock in Eng- 

 land, commented that the packing was 

 "not top notch." It happened that 

 Mr. Fisher personally had packed the 

 shipment. This is what he says of the 

 methods of packing for long shipment: 



"I think it is only just towards the 

 packer to state that the plants in ques- 

 tion were lifted from the benches in 

 which they were growing, and packed 

 Just exactly as Mr. Wells directed, and 

 that against the judgment of the pack- 

 er, who is also the writer of this article, 

 stating incidentally that my method in 

 l)acking foreign shipments was to pack 

 in sphagnum moss containing a faint 

 trace of moisture. Mr. Wells replied 

 that it was necessary to soak the moss 

 in water, wring it by hand and apply 

 to the roots; the plants were also headed 

 back as instructed. It was the excess 

 of moisture that caused all the trou- 

 ble." 



Mr. Fisher says that at the same time 

 he shipped stock of Gorgeous to Eng- 

 land packed in sphagnum containing 

 only a trace of moisture and the ship- 

 ments arrived in excellent shape. 



TIME TO BENCH. 



I should like to know if I can soon 

 bench my carnations t I have nothing 

 in bloom and want to bench as soon 

 as I can for good results. B. A. A. 



There is no reason why you should 

 not bench your carnation plants right 

 away if you have good, strong, well 

 branched stock in the field. It is not 

 the date that governs benching, but the 

 condition of the stock to be trans- 

 planted from field to house. A few 

 years ago benching generally was left 

 until the latter part of August or the 

 first part of September, but gradually 

 the larger growers have come to plant 

 as soon as they have developed in the 

 field good, strong, well branched plants. 

 In a year when conditions have been 

 favorable to growth in the field, hous- 

 ing begins right after the Fourth of 

 •luly holiday. Planting is now being 

 vigorously prosecuted by most of the 

 large growers and will be completed by 

 the middle of August. 



HOUSING ANTIEEHINUMS. 



When should antirrhinums be put in 

 the greenhouse, and what kinds of antir- 

 rhinums are best? Mrs. J. A. W. 



The earliest lot of antirrhinums, 

 which should flower well for Christmas, 

 can be housed any time after the middle 

 of August. Some fine special strains are 

 now oflfered. New England Pink has 



great popularity. It is the best, selling 

 color on the list. Giant White and 

 Giant Yellow are other good varieties. 

 The dark shades do not take well. 



C. W. 



PLANTING FEEESIAS. 



Jn growing freesias, should I place 

 the 6-inch pots with the bulbs in a dark 

 place, such as a cellar, until they head, 

 or in a shady place at the north side of 

 the house, or in the sun? I have heard 

 so many different opinions about the 

 planting of freesias that I concluded to 



Rudolph Lestak, the Flying Florist. 



ask for your advice, which I have found 

 always good. P. C. M. 



The pots or pans should be placed 

 either in a cellar, or in a coldframe 

 where they can be covered with board 

 shutters until they are started, after 

 which full light can be given them. 

 Some growers give the pots a covering 

 of moss, removing it when growth 

 starts, but you will not go far wrong if 

 you will simply give them a covering 

 of boards to prevent the sun from dry- 

 ing out the soil too rapidly. C. W. 



INSECTS ON GERANIUMS. 



I am enclosing some geraniums and 

 also some specimens of insects which 

 have done considerable damage to them. 

 Any information as to how to get rid of 

 this pest would be greatly appreciated. 



J. C. L. 



I did not find any leaves or insects 

 in your letter, but should judge that the 

 damage referred to was probably caused 

 by a small hairy caterpillar, which is 



at times destructive and almost skel 

 etonizes entire plants. Where only j 

 few pests appear, the best meth jd of 

 extermination is to squeeze then be 

 tween the fingers. When they aii> too 

 numerous for this, poisoning should be 

 resorted to. Spray with arsenate of 

 lead, one pound to twelve and on .-half 

 gallons of water. This will whiten the 

 foliage somewhat, however, and ii this 

 will be objectionable try white helle 

 bore, one pound to five gallons, or Paris 

 green, one ounce to twelve and one 

 half gallons. Add a little lime to the 

 Paris green and there will be little dan 

 ger of burning. 



Do not spray when the sun is hot; 

 a cloudy day or toward ey«ning on a 

 clear day is a suitable time. Try to 

 get the spray below the foliage, as this 

 is where most of the pests will be 

 found. . C. W. 



AVIATION. 



Quite a few florists are known as high 

 fliers, and there are others who go up in 

 the air at the slightest provocation, but 

 so far as is known Budolph Lestak is 

 the first working florist to procure an 

 aviator's license. Mr. Lestak removed 

 from the east to Chicago and entered 

 the employ of H. N. Bruns, where he 

 was a grower of lily of the valley 

 Later he took a position on a private 

 estate at Lake Geneva, but for the last 

 year he has been employed at Klimmer'v 

 Greenhouses, at Forest Park, now under 

 the management of Frank J. Klimmer. 

 Mr. Lestak obtained his aviator's li 

 cense last week and the accompanying 

 illustration was prepared from a photo 

 graph taken as he was landing after hU 

 first flight. 



AN ENGLISH ROSE SHOW. 



The annual summer show of the Eng 

 lish National Rose Society was held at 

 the Royal Botanic Gardens, London, 

 July 4. There was a wonderful dis 

 play of top-quality blooms, and new 

 varieties were exhibited in large num 

 bers, Hugh Dickson, Belfast, probabb 

 eclipsing everything in this line by 

 staging twenty-six novelties and an 

 nexing several gold and silver gilt 

 medals. His gold medal varieties wert 

 Brilliant and Mrs. J. Lynas, thf 

 former a grand decorative scarlet crim 

 son flower, and the latter a pretty 

 soft shade of pink. The varieties that 

 won the silver gilt medals were Muriel 

 Dickson, hybrid briar, bright cherry 

 red; Ulster Gem, single, pure yrllo*. 

 quite striking; Mrs. Hugh Dickson, » 

 large white bloom, shading to yi Ho*' 

 Mrs. J. W, Parker, a full flower, ')lu9h 

 white, and William Cooper, a 'iirg*^ 

 bright crimson. Cards of commend ;itioi 

 were received for Duchess of Abeicoru. 

 Mrs. Godfrey' Brown and Mrs. W. Sai 

 gent. Among the others from tho Bel 

 fast grower were some promising -^orts 

 which looked like winners at f 't'*'^ 

 dates. 



Alexander Dickson & Sons, ^^^" 

 Newtownards, Ireland, received a golf' 

 medal for Queen Mary, a rose of van_ 

 ous tints, after the style of Juliet and 

 silver gilt medals for Conway JoiiCS) » 

 superb cerise crimson, and Red Lette' 

 Day, rich crimson. Cards of comm 'nd*' 

 tion were awarded for Mary Greer, ^ 

 superb lemon white, and Mrs. MoyD*' 

 blush white. 



Mrs. Ambrose Ricardo, cream, flusb*'^ 

 yellow, from S. McGredy & Son. Port* 

 down, received a silver gilt medal, * 



