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The Weekly Florists' Review* 



October 12, 1005. 



does tlio nice ones, but it is promised 

 tliat each and every one shall have close 

 and earnest consideration and that the 

 readers shall have the benefit, in the 

 betterment of the paper, of every idea 

 which has the added merit of practica- 

 bility. 



And you appreciative ones, tell us how 

 we may impress upon the heedless the 

 largeness of the value we are already giv- 

 ing for the subscriber's dollar; there are 

 yet a few remaining to be enlisted. 



TWO BUSY WEEKS. 



The first week in November will be a 

 busy one for those who wish to take 

 advantage of the big shows to put their 

 novelties before the public eye, for in it 



will occur the four largest exhibitions 

 of the year. The shows at Philadelphia, 

 Cnicago and St. Louis open on November 

 7 and continue five days. The Boston 

 shoW^ opens two days later and continues 

 over Sunday and Mpnday of the follow- 

 ing week, which will of itself be no less 

 crowded so far as western exhibitions 

 are concerned, for the Kansas City exhi- 

 bition, after a lapse of one year without 

 a show, is scheduled for November 13 

 to 18 and the Indianapolis affair, on 

 broader lines than ever before, is set for 

 November 14 to 18. It will, indeed, be 

 an active fortnight for exhibitors, and 

 many will wish to take the fullest possi- 

 ble advantage of the opportunities, for 

 prospects were never brighter for a sea- 

 son of successful shows. 



air-slaked lime in these places. Oi 

 bright, warm days each week fill tho 

 house with clouds of grape dust, thii 

 about ten or eleven o'clock in the mori;- 

 ing. Above all do not get discouraged 

 but continue to draw on the supply of 

 plants you potted when housing. 



Geo. S. Osboen. 



CARNATION NOTES.— EAST. 



Disbudding. 



The early flowering sorts will now be 

 showing a disposition to make stems of 

 fair length and substance. Though it is 

 not policy to produce a large cut while 

 the chrysanthemum holds sway, there is 

 a demand for good carnations, as always. 



The returns are comparatively small at 

 this time of year and on this account 

 some growers are apt to neglect disbud- 

 ing, claiming it does not pay. This is 

 on a par with the idea possessed by some j 

 hired help that not being paid to do cer- ] 

 tain work, it should be avoided, with 

 the result we all so well know. 



The primary object in disbudding is to 

 aid in increasing the size of bloom, but 

 this is by no means the only benefit de- 

 rived from the practice. It helps to 

 lengthen the stem and also aids materi- 

 ally in increasing substance or stiffness ; 

 then, too, the removal of surplus buds 

 and growth must necessarily reduce the 

 drain on the plant's resources. 



By all means carry on the operation 

 regularly and persistently from the first 

 if you Avish to reap full benefit. It is 

 important that these side buds be re- 

 moved as soon as they can be readily 

 caught hold of, also by a side pull that 

 no injury be done to leaf or stem. But 

 do not be in too much of a rush, as 

 there is such a thing as erring on the side 

 of too early removal, especially in the 

 case of those clope under the main bud. 



It seems in taking the bud off too 

 soon, more or loss of a wound is made in 

 the stem, causing a contraction of tissue 

 during the process of healing, resulting 

 in the main buds turning to stand at an 

 angle. 



Stem-rot. I 



This Reason has brought the usual 

 trouble from that dread disease, stem- 

 rot, and there have been the customary 



inquiries as to treatment. Prevention [ 



is the best remedy, but with all one can j 



do, weather conditions are sometimes such j 



that we are at a serious disadvantage. | 



Given strong plantf=^, not over-rich soil, j 



ii tight roof and ample means for supply- I 



ing and regulating a constant circula- 

 tion of air through the house at all times, 

 the rest lies with the man behind the 

 gun (water) and he can do more damage 

 in a given time than all the weather 

 men, forecasters, observers, etc., put to- 

 gether. 



A plant once affected is doomed. Pull 

 it out at once, removing also a quantity 

 of the surrounding soil, leaving the ex- 

 cavation open to the sun and air for at 

 least a week before resetting with an- 

 other plant. 



Sprinkle air-slaked lime and sulphur 

 over the soil and do not be afraid to 

 let a little lie up around the necks of 

 the plants. Keep the surface soil open 

 by frequent light rakings. 



Allow no surplus water to lie in the 

 paths or under the benches. Sprinkle 



THRIPS. 



I am sending a carnation bud. Tli;; 

 plants seem healthy but the flowers lool. 

 half asleep when open and do not amouii: 

 to anything. The soil is a sandy loam, 

 to which I have added bone meal quitJ 

 liberally. We have been burning red 

 pepper and tobacco stems for the thrips. 

 Can that have any effect on the blooms f 

 D. A. L. 



Your plants are suffering from the 

 ravages of thrips and you would better 

 get after them in earnest at once. The 

 bud you sent was pretty well dried up 

 by the time it reached me, but I could 

 see that it is a Lawson bud and edged 

 with those white spots. I would advise 

 you to discontinue the burning of red 

 pepper and tobacco, and, in fact, it will 

 pay you to discard the smoking alto- 

 gether as old-fashioned. Use instead one 

 of the tobacco extracts for spraying; you 

 will find them more effective, cleaner 

 and safer for your plants. When you 

 begin give an application every morning 

 for ten days and then ease off by giving 

 an application twice each week until you 

 get rid of the thrips. After you are rid 

 of them once you can keep them down 

 with one spraying each week. Greenfly 

 will never appear on your place if you 

 spray once each week according to direc- 

 tions, I have recommended this method 

 so often and elaborated on its advantages 

 so much that I will not repeat it all 

 again at this time, but try this method 

 and I know you will not return to the 

 back number method of burning tobacco 

 stems. A. F. J. Baur. 



KEEPING THE BLOOMS. 



The continued bright weather this fall 

 is rushing the flowers along very rap- 

 idly, and with some varieties it will be 

 necessary to store them away in order 

 to hold them for the shows next month. 

 When the plants are growing in pots or 

 boxes this storing away is simplified, 

 since all one has to do is to move the 

 plant bodily into a cool cellar. 



Where the plants are growing in the 

 bench the flowers must be cut with good 

 long stems and placed in barrels in the 

 bottom of which is a foot or so of 

 water. If the stem is at all weak a" 

 stout bamboo stake should be tied to it 

 before placing it in the water, so that 

 the flower will stand upright, as the stem 

 will take up the water very much better 

 than if the weight of the flower had 

 bent it over. 



The ideal place to keep the blooms is 

 a moist cellar, with some means of ven- 



tilation, and a certain amount of light, 

 to keep the foliage from turning yellov.. 

 and where an even temperature of about 

 40 degrees can be maintained. In sui 'i 

 a place if the water is kept fresh aid 

 sweet by being changed every few day; . 

 flowers can be kept in perfect conditii n 

 for two or three weeks if necessary. 



It is always better to cut the flowe •? 

 just a shade before they are at thi' r 

 best, if they have to be kept for ai ^' 

 length of time, than to leave them i' 

 the plant until they are past their be^ . 

 They will develop perfectly in water; '■» 

 fact the incurving section build up mu' I' 

 higher centers when finished in this ma'- 

 ner than when left to finish on the plari' 



Feeding. 



Feeding should not be kept up t' ^ 

 long and I think any flower, when t 

 shows color well, should not receive ai^y 

 more liquid nourishment, and in tl ' 

 case of red varieties, even before tli? 



