February 2. 1905. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



591 



Visitors at Joliet, IIL, on January 27, 1905. 



He urged united effort in behalf of the 

 society, which is the most active of 

 the special trade organizations, and pre- 

 dicted that in Boston next year we shall 

 have even a better meeting than the 

 very successful one held in Chicago last 

 week. Other speakers were President 

 James Hartshorne, E. G. Hill, J. C. 

 Vaughan, C. W. Ward, E. C. Miller, F. 

 B. Pierson, Fred Dorner, Lewis Ullrich 

 and P. J. Hauswirth. W. J. Lawrence, 

 a member of the Canadian delegation, 

 sang. 



At the close of the evening Geo. A. 

 Backham, for the committee on final 

 resolutions, read a report expressive of 

 the society's appreciation of its hos- 

 pitable entertainment. The Lawson 

 medals were presented to the winners by 

 President Rudd. 



On the same evening the ladies, num- 

 bering twenty-one, were entertained at 

 dinner and at the theater. 



TRIP TO JOLIET. 



Nearly all the convention visitors re- 

 mained in Chicago for a couple of days 

 after the convention to visit ths large 

 carnation growing establishments of the 

 vicinity. On Friday morning, January 

 27, a carload went to Joliet on the 

 Bock Island, arrangements having been 

 made to stop the train at the ^een- 

 houses for the accommodation of the 

 party. Four hours were given to the 

 inspection of the establishments of the 

 big carnation growers there. Fiancee 

 and Eobert Craig were the centers of 

 interest, but the condition of the other 

 stock was such as to attract the favor- 

 able comment of the visitors. 



The accompanying illustration is from 

 a photograph taken in the propagating 

 house of the Chicago Carnation Co. and 

 shows the visitors and a bench of cut- 

 tings of Fiancee. 



Many went to the establishments of 

 Peter Beinberg, Bassett & Washburn, 

 "Wietor Bros., J. A. Budlong, Poehlmann 

 Bros, and others and a number made the 

 trip from Chicago to Bichmond to see 

 Mr. Hill's new rose. 



YouNGSTOWN, O. — It is reported that 

 a large range of glass for cut flowers 

 is to be erected at Oakland, about five 

 miles south of here. 



CARNATION NOTES.-EAST. 



Liquid Food. 



Commercially speaking, the most prac- 

 tical manures to use in forming the 

 base of liquid food are those from the 

 cow or sheep. Additions of other ma- 

 nures or fertilizers are needed in par- 

 ticular cases to supply some certain ele- 

 ment not present in the base in the de- 

 sired quantity; therefore it is well to 

 have at hand such fertilizers as hen 

 manure, unleached wood ashes, soot and 

 bone meal. Some people hold hen ma- 

 nure in very high value, rating it near- 

 ly on a par with Peruvian guano, but 

 it has no such value, as will be seen 

 when it is considered that hens live 

 chiefly on grain, while the birds fur- 

 nishing guano subsist almost wholly on 

 fish and meat. Besides, guano con- 

 tains decomposed bodies of dead birds. 

 Hen manure is rich in nitrogen and 

 owes its value to the fact that the ex- 

 crement from the kidneys is passed with 

 the solids. With other animals this is 

 separated and mostly lost. 



Some sort of receptacle must be or- 

 vided in which to prepare the liquid 

 and it is best to provide means for hav- 

 ing it free from sediment when used, 



as it is not only more easily handled 

 when distributed by a pump or other- 

 wise, but it is objectionable to spread 

 this sediment on the soil. I have used 

 with success a number of large barrels 

 connected at the bottom by pipes. Into 

 each or any number of barrels, accord- 

 ing to the strength of liquid desired, 

 is placed a stout sack containing about 

 a peck of ingredients. When filled with 

 water and kept, preferably, in a fair- 

 ly warm place the liquid is soon ready 

 for use. 



No precise rule can be given for mak- 

 ing liquid food, as much depends on 

 conditions, but it is imperative that 

 the first application be a weak solution, 

 the strength being gradually increased 

 as the plants demand and can assimilate 

 it. To start with, a mixture in the pro- 

 portion of a handful of wood ashes to 

 a peck of cow or sheep manure in fifty 

 gallons water is strong enough. This 

 will give a liquid about the color of 

 medium strength tea and as the quanti- 

 ty of manure is increased or water de- 

 creased the color deepens, but do not 

 rely too much on color. 



Close observation will tell you when 

 and how much to increase the strength 

 of the liquid, also what fertilizer to 

 add to the base, remembering that wood 

 ashes help stem and brilliancy in flow- 

 ers. Bone meal is almost a complete 

 manure but is valuable particularly in 

 increasing size of bloom. Hen manure, 

 being rich in nitrogen, induces growth 

 of foliage, while soot improves its color. 



It is better to feed at intervals of a 

 week or ten days and moderately than 

 at long intervals and heavily. 



Geo. S. Osborn. 



CARNATION SENATOR CRANE. 



This fine carnation was raised by E. 

 Dolby, gardener to Zenas Crane, Palton, 

 Mass., by crossing Lawson and Bradt 

 and is now in its third year. The plant 

 is vigorous growing, producing long 

 and strong stems early in the season. 

 The calyx is as near perfect as pos- 

 sible. The flower has a fine fragrance 

 and averages over three and one-half 

 inches in diameter. In form the flower 

 somewhat resembles Mme. Diaz Alber- 

 tini, but is rather more double and has 

 a fuller center. The color is deep flesh, 

 being evenly distributed all over the 



House of Camation Mrs. W. L. Lewis at Mai-lboro, Mass. 



