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November 22, 1906. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



the only cause of them I am not ready 

 to admit. I have always entertained the 

 idea that oftentimes this breaking down 

 of the cells may be caused by improper 

 nourishment of the plants. A lack of 

 scientific botanical knowledge prevents 

 me from carrying on any elaborate ex- 

 periments to determine the correctness 

 of this theory, but nevertheless it has 

 clung to me and I am not ready at this 

 time to give it up. 



One of the greatest obstacles in such 

 investigation is that we can never be 

 absolutely certain that there are not 

 some of the pests present in the house, 

 even though we may not be able to see 

 them. Greenfly you can usually see by 

 examining the plants closely, but thrips 

 are so small and active that they may be 

 present in considerable numbers without 

 our knowledge. We never think to look 

 for them unless they attack the blooms, 

 and the idea is quite prevalent that this 

 is the only damage they do, which of 

 course is a mistake. "While they seem 

 to get closer to your pocketbook when 

 they attack the blooms, yet experienced 

 growers know how they will weaken a 

 plant that is badly infested. 



We have had varieties which would 

 show this disease every winter, begin- 

 ning in November and getting worse un- 

 til midwinter, and after that get better, 

 and finally by spring no trace of it could 

 be found. In the same house would be 

 such varieties as Mrs. Lawson and Jubi- 

 lee, which were especial favorites of 

 thrips, and these would show no signs of 

 that pest in the blooms. Of greenfly we 

 were positive there were none. The 

 darker the season, the worse the disease 

 •would be. This led me to believe that 

 in the absence of sufficient sunlight the 

 process of building up and maintaining 

 the plant tissue may be impaired and 

 cause the balance between that and the 

 root action to be disturbed, preventing 

 the proper nourishment of the plant. 



We have long ago noticed that if 

 plants which show these spots are 

 watered too liberally or fed very much it 

 will aggravate the trouble. So all the 

 advice l can give is not to push your 

 plants too hard, but run them just a 

 trifle on the dry side. Give them an 

 abundance of air, as much as possible. 

 Keep the atmosphere sweet by using 

 sulphur and lime as recommended in 

 these notes for leaf-spot, etc. In fact, 

 you should encourage a moderate, well- 

 matured, robust growth and keep them 

 free from insects. - A. F. J. B. 



FEEDING. 



I benched my carnations September 10 

 in some poor soil to which was added 

 one-fifth cow manure. When should I 

 begin to feed them with ground-bone 

 and how much should I use on a bench 

 100 feet long and four and one-half feet 

 ■wide? bhould I apply any hardwood 

 ashes and how much to a bench of the 

 same size? A. R. W. 



Whether you should give your plants 

 any additional food, besides what the 

 soil contained at planting time, will de- 

 pend entirely on the condition of the 

 plants. If they are nicely established 

 and healthy and the roots have run 

 through the soil pretty well, then a light 

 dressing of bone and a light mulch of 

 talf rotted cow manure will do them 

 good. First scratch the soil lightly all 

 over the bench. Then sprinkle the bone 

 on, about twenty-five to thirty pounds to 

 a bench of the size you mention. Then 



Qjnation Winsor. 



cover about one-half inch thick with old 

 cow manure which has been broken up 

 well. After that water thoroughly once 

 and after that water as before, except it 

 will not require as frequent watering on 

 account of the mulch. Wood ashes is 

 used mostly to stiffen the stems, and we 

 apply it about three times as heavy as 

 we do bone, measuring the bulk instead 

 of tne weight. Better wait until about 

 January 1 if you apply the bone and 

 manure now. A. F. J. B. 



AMERICAN CAHNATION SCK3ETY. 



The Chicago Carnation Co., Joliet, 111., 

 registers Carnation Bed Riding Hood, in 

 color a bright scarlet, in form well built, 

 nicely fringed and well filled, with a 

 calyx that does not burst; stem long and 

 strong, perfectly straight; in substance 

 the keeping qualities are of the best; in 

 productiveness it is early, free and al- 

 ways in crop; in habit it has strong, 

 clean growth, with wide, heavy grass, 

 establishing itself readily and making 

 rapid advance. 



J. D. Thompson Carnation Co., Joliet, 

 111., registers Carnation Lucile, a large 

 white bloom overlaid with pink, with a 

 long, stiff stem. 



H. Weber & Sons Co., Oakland, Md., 

 registers Carnation Toreador, white over- 

 laid with pink, after the style of Pros- 

 perity, but showing more and deeper 

 color, particularly the inner portion of 

 the flower, bounded on the outer side of 

 the petals with a distinct white zone; 

 flowers fully as large as Prosperity at its 



best; a strong, vigorous grower, with no 

 surplus grass, and will stand close plant- 

 ing; August 1 planting will give first- 

 class blooms by October 1. 



Albert M. Herr, Sec'y. 



NOTES FROM ENGLAND. 



In England many acres of chrysan- 

 themums are grown in the field, and when 

 cold weather is expected a light frame- 

 work of posts and crossbars is erected 

 and over this is laid lightly constructed 

 sashes, which are kept firmly in their 

 places with a few bolts. These are fixed 

 high enough from the ground for work- 

 men to walk underneath. In this way a 

 whole two-acre lot or more can be 

 cheaply and rapidly covered and pro- 

 tected from frost and rain, the latter 

 probably being the worst enemy of out- 

 door chrysanthemums. This protection 

 is quite enough to bring the bloom on to 

 best condition. In some cases a run of 

 piping for heating is hung on the up- 

 rights around each span, a portable 

 boiler being used. When this plan is 

 adopted the bloom can be kept in per- 

 fect condition even as late as Christmas. 



I notice a writer in an American trade 

 paper is wondering why wholesalers in 

 the States do not send roses, carnations, 

 etc., to the English markets, and thinks 

 a very profitable trade could be built 

 up in that way. No doubt they could 

 be packed so as to arrive in perfect con- 

 dition; but what about the English 

 growers? We have enough and to spare 

 of all kinds of cut flowers in Covent 



