1402 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



April 5, 190G. 



times, as nothing will so use up a flower 

 spike as a hot, dry wind in August. It 

 also must necessarily affect the young 

 spike just coming into bloom. 



A medium £ize corm, one about one 

 and one-fourth inchas in diameter, that 

 has not bloomed, is the most likely to 

 produce the finest spike, all conditions 

 considered. Some of the finest spikes 

 I ever grew came from corms not over 

 three-fourths of an inch in diameter. 

 Corms planted very early take a longer 

 period to come into bloom than those 

 planted later. If the first month after 

 planting be cold and wet, plantings 

 made the middle of April will not bloom 

 earlier than those planted the middle of 

 May. After May 15 a planting of corms 

 every two weeks up to July 1 will usu- 

 ally secure a succession of blooms un- 

 til October 1. Some varieties bloom 

 much earlier than others. The differ- 

 ence in blooming between Shakespeare 

 and May over ' * 1900 ' ' is about two 

 weeks. 



The gladiolus should, for convenience 

 in cultivating and cutting the blooms, 

 be planted in furrows or drills about 

 three feet apart and from two to three 

 inches apart in the rows. Large corms 

 may be planted four inches deep, and 

 smaller sizes less. An inch less in heavy 

 soil will be about right. The cultiva- 

 tion should be most thorough and not 

 very deep after the plants have attained 

 six inches in height, as by that time the 

 roots will be occupying the ground and 

 should be disturbed as little as possible. 



Varieties and Cultivation. 

 The varieties most sought for in the 

 flower markets are the Ught and soft 



shades and ^e brilliant and rich- colors. 

 Ail colors <ikn be toned down some by 

 cutting when the first flowers begin to" 

 open and allowing them to develop in a 

 place free from the direct light of the 

 sun. Many varieties attain a most deli- 

 cate coloring when opened in this way 

 and when a nearly white variety is al- 

 lowed to bloom entirely in the sun it 

 takes on more color. Light varieties 

 vary some. This is quite noticeable in 

 the May. A light strain of it is very 

 beautiful, but an equally true May 

 growing beside it nay contain so much 

 color that to a novice it would be de- 

 clared a distinct variety. 



The best stage of growth to cut a 

 spike for express shipment is whien the 

 first flower is opening.- The best time of 

 day is early in the morning, placing the 

 cut in water in a plaoe free from draft 

 and direct sunlight. If the flowers are 

 to be used near-by and :the delivery is 

 made by wagon, it is quite satisfactory 

 to allow the spike to develop three or 

 four flowers before cutting. 



Tying the spikes in bunches of twen- 

 ty-five is desirable where they are to be 

 handled by the commission houses. These 

 bunches should be packed in crates suf- 

 ficiently high to allow them to stand up- 

 right and of a size tc hola the bunches 

 compactly, preventing chucking about. 



Valuable information as to the proper 

 handling of the cut stock can be ob- 

 tained by visiting svj of the wholesale 

 houses during the season and witnessing 

 the condition of stock as it arrives from 

 the different growers and seeing how the 

 wholesalers and retailers handle it. 



E. H. CUSHMAN. 



CARNATION NOTES.— EAST. 



Seasonable Notes. 



This is the time of year when many 

 duties present themselves for considera- 

 tion by the carnation grower. The sun's 

 increased power already begins to show 

 its effect on the more delicate shades of 

 color, especially in the large glass and 

 light bar house of today. Buds de- 

 velop much faster than during the dark 

 <iays of winter, the surplus side ones 

 being no exception. The plants, being 

 possessed of more extended root system, 

 require more water and March winds 

 necessitate close attention to the matter 

 of ventilation; varieties which have 

 bloorned heavily all winter must needs 

 have drawn correspondingly on the food 

 supply of the soil. 



The regular work of harvesting, pack- 

 ing, marketing, attention to young stock, 

 late propagation, etc., added to the 

 above, keep one busy if things are to 

 run smoothly. 



Shading serves the double purpose of 

 lowering the temperature and protection 

 against fading of color in the blooms. 

 Although to a certain extent unnatural, 

 it must be resorted to if we are to tem- 

 per the likewise unnatural conditions 

 produced under glass during a portion 

 of the year. Cheese-cloth suspended well 



up over the -plants and arranged so as 

 to be easily removed during stormy or 

 cloudy periods, also, in such manner that 

 the sun's rays are obstructed for three 

 or four midday hours only, will serve as 

 a good beginning. This manner of shad- 

 ing prevents bleaching of color, affect- 

 ing temperature but little. 



Later in the season a light shading 

 on the inner surface of the glass with a 

 mixture of whiting and water, or on the 

 outer surface with white lead and 

 naphtha, or gasoline, will be necessary. 

 Either of these mixtures should be 

 about the consistency of milk when ap- 

 plied, preferably with a wide brush. 

 White lead as commonly sold (ground in 

 oil) is inclined to give the mixture too 

 much body, as will be found when it is 

 desired to remove it, which objection 

 can be overcome by using the dry lead 

 in powdered form ; mix with the naphtha, 

 adding a suspicion of linseed oil to 

 facilitate blending and stir briskly. 

 Why this works as it does I do not pre- 

 tend to know, but I discovered acci- 

 dentally that much labor can be saved. 



The secret of success in shading is to 

 proceed gradually, keeping pace with 

 the weather, not the season. Disbud- 

 ding, if neglected for a time, not only 

 lowers the quality of bloom and unneces- 

 sarily taxes the plants, but the work of 

 getting back to normal conditions is 

 discouraging to the operator in propor- 

 tion to the time neglected; see to it 



that attention to this detail is religious- 

 ly observed. Watch for any spots in the 

 soil that dry out before a general wa- 

 tering is needed; touch these up in 

 advance, endeavoring thereby to remedy 

 any tendency to unevenness of moisture 

 in the bench. 



The soil next to the side of bench will 

 particularly bear close watching. There 

 is nothing so beneficial to the carnation 

 as a constantly changing atmosphere, 

 but this can be easily overdone during 

 windy spells, causing too rapid trans- 

 piration, resulting in the plants flagging. 



Opinions differ on the question of sup- 

 plying additional plant food to those 

 varieties which have given good returns 

 thus far in the season, but certain it 

 is that the soil must be somewhat de- 

 pleted. If we are to maintain good 

 quality bloom, the question would seem 

 to be simply what and how to apply; a 

 matter to be taken up in my next. 



. Geo. S. Osborn. 



CARNATION NOTES.— WEST. 



Preparation for Easter. 



Ten days after these notes come off 

 the press will be that biggest of all busi- 

 ness days for the florist, and prepara- 

 tions are already being made all over 

 the country to meet the greatest rush of 

 the season. If indications count for 

 anything, the biggest sales on record are 

 expected this Easter. With any kind of 

 weather there ought to be an abundance 

 of stock in all lines, and the main ques- 

 tion will be about the ability of the 

 craft to handle the business offered. 



The past month has not seen any 

 warm, bright spell of weather, such as 

 is usually experienced in March. This 

 has upset the calculations of the grower 

 of cut flowers in his endeavor to have a 

 big crop for Easter. As I said before, 

 with an average amount of bright 

 weather during the next ten days there 

 should be a big cut of blooms. We hear 

 of some of the smaller growers, whose 

 crops of carnations are just past the 

 heaviest mark, but those who grow a 

 larger variety and quantity all will have 

 a good cut. It is well that the cut of 

 blooms is naturally heavier at this time 

 of the year than it is at Christmas, be- 

 cause not only is the demand greater, 

 but the blooms cannot be stored up so 

 long. If the weather remains cool as it 

 has been during the past few weeks, 

 you will have no trouble in holding up 

 your blooms a week or more; but if it 

 turns warm, they will not keep in good 

 condition that long. 



In my last week's notes I advised cirt- 

 ting the blooms close every day, and it 

 is needless for me to repeat that it is 

 quite as necessary during this time. In 

 fact, you will be able to save up a much 

 larger cut in that way, because by keep- 

 ing the earlier cut ones a few degrees 

 cooler they will develop slower, and those 

 cut the latter part of the week, if kept at 

 about 55 degrees, will develop more rap- 

 idly and all will be in fine shape. 



I want to caution you to offer only 

 such stock as is in first-class condition. 

 By this I do not mean that it should all 

 grade as fancy. There is always a cer- 

 tain percentage of inferior stock among 

 the cut and these must be marketed. 

 However, if this grade of blooms is 

 fresh and will stand handling, it will in 

 many cases prove more satisfactory than 

 blooms that graded as fancy when cut 

 but have been kept so long that every 

 little knock leaves a bruise which, in 



