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The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



\\2l 



He must also be enough of a mechanic 

 to be able to make simple repairs, and 

 have a good knowledge of the art of 

 firing economically. 



With such a man in charge we can 

 depend on having our orders intelligent- 

 ly carried out, and can look for success 

 to attend our efforts during the day. 



Other Details. 



All soil to be used for winter potting 

 should now be stored and protected from 



rain, and all material required for mulch- 

 ing should be attended to and placed 

 where it will be ready and handy when 

 needed. 



Boilers and piping should be put into 

 good, serviceable condition and tested, 

 so that when wanted they will be ready. 



These and many other duties which 

 can be done now at little cost and effort, 

 but which if performed during the short 

 cold days bring a lot of trouble in their 

 wake, should be attended to while the 

 good weather lasts. Bibes. 



CARNATION NOTES.-EAST. 



Watering. 



Watering is a matter concerning 

 which there probably is as much doubt 

 as any operation connected with the cul- 

 tivation of plants. Betailers of potted 

 plants will bear witness that customers 

 almost invariably press the question: 

 "How often and how much water shall 

 I uset" 



This is not strange when it is con- 

 sidered that care of plants occupies but 

 a small part of their time, but with one 

 constantly at it and devoted to his busi- 

 ness, it becomes second nature to quick- 

 ly perceive a plant's needs in this direc- 

 tion. No effort is required, but to im- 

 part the knowledge to another is prac- 

 tically impossible. Unless one takes 

 pride in the appearance of stock in his 

 care and does some thinking for him- 

 self, no amount of advice will assist in 

 making him more than an ordinary hand 

 with the hose. 



We can point out conditions likely to 

 occur, thereby furnishing food for 

 thought and when up against the real 

 thing, the careful grower already has 

 in his mind what to do. 



It is not many years since the general 

 custom at the tot watering of a newly 

 planted bench of carnations, was to soak 

 the soil to the point of saturation. It 

 took but little reasoning to see that this 

 was detrimental to both plants and soil, 

 to say nothing of its providing ideal con- 

 ditions for an attack of stem-rot. 



Knowing the make-up of your soil 

 and the construction of bench, one can 

 easily judge the natural capacity of a 

 bench to hold moisture, but all parts 

 do not dry out alike, notwithstanding 

 our efforts to maintain an even density 

 of soil when filling, so the safe plan, is 

 to examine at various points. 



The best time to water is in the early 

 forenoon of a bright day, but there are 

 times when spots will be found that 

 need touching up even late in the after- 

 noon; but keep it off the foliage. 



After several days of dark, stormy 

 weather, during which the growth made 

 must necessarily be somewhat soft, judi- 

 cious use of the spray can be made to 

 prevent flagging. You have probably 

 noticed after a sudden shower during 

 the night what an increase of bloom has 

 taken place on outdoor plants in general. 

 The same effect can be produced under 

 glass, but in not so marked a degree. 



Around the holidays, or at some time 

 when an extra demand for bloom is 

 known in advance, considerable advan- 

 tage can be gained by skilful manipu- 

 lation of the hose. 



Discontinue watering under the 

 benches or much in the paths at this 

 time. The nights are growing cooler 

 and it is not desirable to have the houses 

 damp at night. Of course, you will 

 keep the ventilators well up to allow 

 free circulation of air at all times, thus 

 contributing to sturdy growth. 



Geo. S. Osborn. 



DRY ROT. 



All summer while the carnation plants 

 were in the fields, here and there a plant 

 would begin to die. One branch at a 

 time would wither, while the balance of 



the plant appeared to be healthy. An- 

 other branch then would become affected 

 and wither, until the whole plant was 

 dried up but left standing, the stem 

 sound and the last to die. All varieties 

 were affected alike. Now the plants are 

 in the houses. Some twelve or fifteen 

 plants have gone the same way and not 

 one from stem-rot. A remedy or some 

 light upon the subject will be greatly 

 appreciated. C. A. M. 



I regret that I cannot give a remedy 

 that will save for you the plants that 

 show the disease you complain of. The 

 disease is what is commonly called dry- 

 rot or branch-rot. It differs from the 

 common stem-rot in that it does not re- 

 quire moisture to become active, as does 

 the other one. The same remedies can- 

 not be employed to fight it, and, indeed, 

 I cannot say positively that I know of 

 any remedy for it. Its worst feature is 

 that you cannot detect its presence until 

 the plant begins to die, one branch at a 

 time, and after a branch has died you 

 are too late to save the rest of the plant. 

 It attacks close to the stem and by the 

 time the first branch is wilted it has 

 spread through the whole plant in a 

 greater or lesser degree. As a rule it 

 does not spread like the common form 

 of stem-rot, but a plant will -die here 

 and there and the plants around it re- 

 main perfectly healthy. 



This form is not so destructive as the 

 other, so we have not sought so diligent- 

 ly for a preventive as we have in the 

 other case. When a plant shows the dis- 

 ease we pull it up and plant in another 

 if we have some in pots, which you 

 should have. We have never seen a sec- 

 ond plant attacked when planted in the 

 piace where one had died. When coo J 

 weather sets in you will see less of it. 



A. F. J. B. 



r"*- 



MISCELLANEOUS 

 SEASONABLE HiNTS. 



Importance of Providing Compost. 



There is nothing impressing me more 

 at the present moment than the great 

 carelessness which many florists display 

 in regard to the supply of soil for next 

 spring and summer's crops. So impor- 

 tant is it, and so disastrous is neglect, 

 that I feel there is no more important 

 seasonable hint. I am aware there are 

 many wise and industrious men who 

 fully realize the importance of a good 

 compost pile and procure it. It should 

 be had at as reasonable a price as is pos- 

 sible, but if it takes a lot of money to 

 procure it, you may invest knowing that 

 it is the foundation of your business. 



Many a florist, big and little, gets 

 along fairly well in his own opinion by 

 scraping up a load of Mother Earth 

 here and there and adding a large quan- 

 tity of animal manure. Producing fairly 

 good plants and cut flowers, they be- 

 lieve the outlay of possibly a hundred 

 dollars to be a useless extravagance. 

 They are forced to pay a thousand dol- 

 lars, perhaps thoixsands of dollars, every 

 winter to keep their stock at the proper 

 temperature. But the all-important ele- 

 ment that feeds and sustains health an<i 



vigor in the plants receives only a slov- 

 enly and haphazard, attention. 



Various Views. ' 



A young and successful grower, of 

 Cleveland, O., remarked to me last 

 spring, in reply to the question, "Have 

 you good soil?" "Not particularly 

 good, but you can make your soil." 

 Don't you believe it. No chemical in- 

 gredients ever will restore the elements 

 with which Nature blessed the virgin 

 soil. 



Another remark was from a young 

 man, who since his debut in our locality 

 has proved our best rose grower, has 

 made money and been all-around suc- 

 cessful. He called on the writer, and 

 among other questions asked for a 

 good, honest lawyer, then a safe bank. 

 Since that the lawyer whose name was 

 given has been indicted for grand lar- 

 ceny or graft. The bank failed for 

 two millions. He did not ask us for 

 advice on the most important item, 

 "Where will I find good soil!" No, he 

 started out in search of that, left it to 

 no man's judgment, did not buy a little 

 farm because it was cheap, or n<iar a 



