July 23, 1914. 



The Florists^ Review 



17 



USE OF COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS 



IN GROWING CARNATIONS AND ROSES 



I HE University of Illinois has 

 just sent to press the report 

 of experimental investiga- 

 tions on the use of com- 

 mercial fertilizers in grow- 

 ing carnations and roses. 

 This material has been 

 brought together by the floricultural 

 division, of the departiaeat of horticul- 

 ture, and embraces the research work in 

 floriculture which has been in progress 

 at the experiment station during the 

 last six years. Since the reports are 

 voluminous, they will probably not be 

 ready for distribution before the first 

 part of next October. In the meantime, 

 the department of horticulture is giving 

 to the press, for the immediate informa- 

 tion of the growers, some of the con- 

 clusions which have been reached as a 

 result of this experimental work. 



It has been shown without doubt that 

 excellent carnations can be produced in 

 as large quantity by the use of com- 

 mercial fertilizers as with farmyard 

 manure. The quality of the flowers, 

 as measured by their size, length of 

 stem, strength of stem, and keeping 

 quality, is not changed by the use of 

 commercial fertilizers. The splitting of 

 carnations cannot be directly traced to 

 the application of commercial fertilizers 

 in moderate amounts. The results show 

 that commercial fertilizers may be suc- 

 cessfully used for the production of 

 carnations; whether it is desirable to 

 use them, depends in large part on the 

 cost of manure and of labor. 



Compaxative Ck>st. 



A careful florist will calculate the 

 relative cost of manure and commercial 

 fertilizer by figuring the plant food con- 

 tent of manure — averaging ten pounds 

 nitrogen, two to three pounds phos- 

 phorus and eight pounds potassium per 

 ton — at the market price of these ele- 

 ments in commercial fertilizers. These 

 prices are: First, for nitrogen pur- 

 chased in dried blood (thirteen per 

 cent nitrogen) or ammonium sulphate 

 (twenty per cent nitrogen), about 18 

 cents per pound; second, for phosphorus 

 in acid phosphate (six and one-fourth 

 per cent phosphorus), 12 cents per 

 pound; third, for potassium in sulphate 

 of potash (forty per cent potassium), 

 about 6 cents per pound. At this rate, 

 a ton of manure supplies plant food 

 costing as commercial fertilizer about 

 $2.50. In the case of prepared manures, 

 which contain less water than barn- 

 } ard manure, the value in terms of com- 

 mercial fertilizers can be calculated 

 from the guaranteed analysis which 

 should be required of the dealer. 



The method outlined for the use of 

 f'ommercial fertilizers involves a pre- 

 liminary preparation of the soil, fol- 

 1 >we(l by three applications of fertilizer 

 'Viroughout the year. Comparison of 

 'ue labor involved in these operations 

 *';ith that in the weekly application of 

 '■quid manure will show a saving of 

 " bor where commercial fertilizers are 

 '— !ed. 



No attempt has been made to grow 

 carnations without the addition of 

 manure to the soil, because it was be- 

 lieved that some additional humus 

 would be necessary. Whether or not 

 this is true has not been proved, but 

 the amounts recommended below are 

 based upon a small addition of well 

 rotted manure. 



Dried Blood for Carnations. 



From the past experiments it seems 

 certain that dried blood or sulphate of 

 ammonia, supplying nitrogen to the 

 plant, is the commercial fertilizer most 

 needed by the carnation. Some indica- 



SIX YEABS' WOBK. 



By the University of Illinois. 



Editor The Beview: I am hand- 

 ing you herewith a brief statement 

 of some of the results which have 

 been reached by the experimental 

 work which has been in progress in 

 the division of floriculture of the 

 department of horticulture, Univer- 

 sity of Illinois, during the last six 

 years. This work has been under 

 the immediate direction of Profes- 

 sor Domer, Mr. Nehrling and Mr. 

 Muncie. Valuable advice and criti- 

 cisms have been given the depart- 

 ment by members of the floricul- 

 tural advisory commdttee. This 

 statement has been prepared for me 

 by our Mr. Muncie, upon my per- 

 sonal request for something which 

 might be used by you immediately. 

 I am sorry that it takes so long a 

 time to get our material through 

 the press, but it seems there is no 

 way of avoiding that. I hope, 

 therefore, that this material will be 

 found of use to you and your read- 

 ers. J. C. Blair, 

 Head of Dept. of Horticulture. 



tions, which are being tested during 

 this year, have been found that acid 

 phosphate, applied with one of the 

 above, results in still further increase 

 of production. No benefit has been 

 observed up to the present time from 

 the use of sulphate of potash. Before 

 these conclusions were reached the mix- 

 ture of manure, dried blood, acid phos- 

 phate and sulphate of potash given in 

 the following table was tried and found 

 to produce excellent flowers in as large 

 quantity as by culture with natural 

 manure. The phrase, "100 sq. ft.," in 

 the heading of the third column, means 

 100 square feet of a bench five inches 

 deep. 



Quan. Quair. 



per en. per lOO' 



Fertilizer yd. soil sq. It. 



Manure 80 lbs. 125 lbs. 



Dried blood (13% nitrogen)... lbs. 8 Ibc. 

 Acid phosphate (7% phos- 



pborus) luit* an*.. 



Sulphate of potash (40% 

 potassium) 1% Iba. 2 Iba. 



All of the above were mixed with the 

 soil before setting in the plants, with 

 the exception of the dried blood, which 

 was applied in four installments — two- 

 pounds with the others and two pounds 

 at each of three different periods- 

 throughout the year. 



Excessive Use of Fertilizers. 



No exceptional crops of carnations 

 have been produced by tlie use of com- 

 mercial fertilizers. Good crops have 

 been produced, however, by the use of 

 moderate amounts of them. The use of" 

 excessive amounts will result in markedi 

 lessening of production and injury to« 

 the flowers, so that warning must be- 

 given not to attempt to produce larger 

 crops by the use of more fertilizer than, 

 the trials have shown to be safe. Those- 

 commercial fertilizers from which there- 

 is greatest danger, when used exces- 

 sively, are in the order named: First,, 

 sulphate of ammonia; second, sulphate- 

 of potash, and third, dried blood. Up 

 to the present time no injury has re- 

 sulted from heavy applications of acid 

 phosphate. 



During the experiments an attempt 

 was made to regulate the time of heavy 

 crop production by variation in the- 

 time of application of the fertilizers. 

 No change in the time followed, show- 

 ing that the time of application of the- 

 fertilizers does not influence the time of 

 heavy crop production. 



A report on the rose experiments^ 

 which have been in progress since 1910, 

 is now nearly complete, and may be- 

 summarized at this time. 



Dried Blood for Boses. 



During seven months, November to* 

 May inclusive, of 1910-11, and eight 

 months, October to May inclusive, of 

 1911-12 and 1912-13, 3,840 first-year rose- 

 plants were grown with varying quanti- 

 ties of commercial fertili-zers and a rec- 

 ord was kept of the number of flowers- 

 produced and the length of stem of 

 each flower. The amount per hundred 

 square feet of bench space of dried 

 blood was varied in different sections- 

 from none to thirty-two pounds, of acid 

 phosphate from none to eight pounds, 

 and of potassium sulphate from none to 

 eight pounds. In addition, well rotted 

 manure was added to each section at the 

 rate of 115 pounds per hundred square 

 feet of bench space, regardless of the 

 amount of commercial fertilizer applied. 



One-half the number of roses each 

 year was Killarney; the other half 

 Bride. Of these, one-half the number 

 was own-root stock and one-half grafted. 

 During the three seasons mentioned 

 above, 95,013 roses were produced, an 

 average of about twenty-five flowers pa* 

 [OoQtlaaed on pace tO.y 



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