Fbbbuabx 1, 1906. 



ThcWcckly Florists' Review. 



705 



The Entries for the S. A. F. Medals at Boston Last Week. 



state how to prepare it. I find it im- 

 possible to procure upland soil heavy 

 enough for the above plants. J. B. 



I cannot tell you what causes carna- 

 tion plants to run to grass instead of 

 making buds as they should. Occasion- 

 ally we find such a plant in the midst of 

 plants that are in fine condition and 

 blooming freely. This proves that it is 

 not the soil or the treatment. It may 

 have been in the cutting. Do not take 

 any cuttings off such plants, by any 

 means, as they will produce just such 

 plants the next season. Perhaps that is 

 how you came to have so many of them 

 this season. These plants usually look 

 robust and strong and as there are plenty 

 of cuttings on them the novice is apt 

 to take all the cuttings he can get from 

 them. 



I remember a few years ago seeing a 

 bench of Lizzie McGowan that was that 

 way from one end to the other, and on 

 questioning the grower I found that he 

 had propagated from such plants, be- 

 lieving that he had obtained a strong 

 growing McGowan. It is not caused by 

 the variety running out, because I have 

 seen such plants among new varieties the 

 first or second year we had them on our 

 place. All you can do is to avoid these 

 plants when selecting your cuttings. But 

 why grow White Cloud any more when 

 you can get plenty of white varieties that 

 are so far superior to what "White Cloud 

 ever dared to be in its palmiest days? 



There is no reason why your black 

 loam should not be made to produce good 

 roses and carnations, even though it may 

 be not an ideal soil for either one. 

 Around Chicago the soil is all black, 

 though some of it may be heavier than 

 yours and there are no better roses grown 

 than are grown in that vicinity. If it is 

 inclined to be too light, use cow manure 

 altogether, as it will tend to make the 

 soil heavy, while stable manure will 

 lighten the soil. A. F. J. Baur. 



SOIL LACKS STRENGTH. 



Can you give me any idea what I 

 ought to put on the soil in my carnation 

 beds to give it the growing quality it 

 seems to lack? I unfortunately took the 

 soil for my compost last year from near 

 some large oak trees, and I think the 

 trees must have taken the strength out of 

 it. Have given, in the last two months, 

 two light applications of wood ashes. 



and in the last month, three applica- 

 tions of liquid cow manure. The plants 

 look better, but grow very slowly and 

 lack strength in stem and size in the 

 bloom. I thought perhaps you could 

 suggest some chemical. J. L. D. 



If your plants are healthy and the soil 

 is in good condition, except that it lacks 

 in richness, I would advise you to give 

 your carnations a light mulching instead 



of using liquid manure. Pulverize some 

 old cow manure and mix into it a 4-inch 

 potful of ground bone to each bushel of 

 manure and spread this on the bench a 

 scant half -inch thick. Water well after 

 spreading it on and then water when the 

 plants need it. That is about all you 

 can do until the plants get to growing 

 strong and along toward spring, when 

 you can give them a good mulch of cow 

 manure, or liquid. A. F. J. Baur. 



CONVENTION AFTERMATH 



A Few Impressions. 



For once ideal weather favored the 

 Boston convention ; no loss in travel of 

 flowers and all on time. Horticultural 

 hall was in all respects the most fitting 

 place that we have ever had for the ex- 

 hibition. It is so lofty and spacious 

 that the carbonic acid gas expelled by 

 so many lungs made little difference to 

 the volume of oxygen and the blooms on 

 the second day were in fully as fine con- 

 dition as the hour they were staged and 

 in some notable cases much improved. 



Last week's Review contained a most 

 complete report of the convention, so 

 only a little can be added. It is doubt- 

 ful if the exhibition contained more 

 flowers than some previous shows, not- 

 ably Detroit and Chicago, but in quality 

 there is no doubt there were never so 

 many fine flowers brought together. In 

 fact, it was bewildering to determine 

 which was the best pink, or white, or 

 scarlet. The labors of the three regular 

 judges were so large that three addi- 

 tional judges were called in and there 

 was a merry time in awarding the Law- 

 son gold medal. It took all six judges 

 to carefully inspect and weigh all the 

 points. At last four votes were cast in 

 favor of Mr. Ward's Elsa Struss, Frank 

 R. Pierson's Winsor second and the 

 splendid scarlet, Robert Craig, third. 

 There were eight contestants for these 

 much coveted prizes, and each one was 

 worthy of a gold medal and a very few 



years since would have won it. Alma 

 Ward is a wonderful white for size and 

 form and one or two of the judges would 

 have given it the gold medal. 



Aristocrat arrived showing signs of 

 fatigue and Mr. Witterstaetter thought 

 it best not to stage it against flowers 

 that had traveled but a few miles. Aris- 

 tocrat was packed on Sunday afternoon. 

 No wonder the long, warm journey had 

 made it weary, but it speaks volumes for 

 this fine variety that these very dowers 

 had wonderfully recovered on the second 

 day and looked as bright and fresh as 

 any in the hall. Flowers of Aristocrat 

 grown in the neighborhood by Mr. Nich- 

 olson easily took the first in its class. 



Robert Craig as exhibited was grand, 

 and Victory is a splendid scarlet. There 

 is yet another scarlet which will not be 

 sent out until next spring. It figured 

 high wherever shown. It is Peter 

 Fisher's Beacon. We saw it growing. 

 It is not scarlet, but a bright orange red, 

 and has all the earmarks of Mr. Fisher's 

 varieties that have made him immortal 

 in the carnation world. 



There were a few varieties that have 

 not had the advertising benefit of having 

 been sold at fabulous prices, yet are 

 proving standard, money-making va- 

 rieties. Of these Helen Goddard showed 

 up in magnificent form, a light pink that 

 I believe is a money-mak»^r ; and Lieut. 

 Peary, a splendid white which has proved 

 a much greater carnation than its raiser 



