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August 8, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



CARNATION NOTES.- WEST. 



Pukh the Housing. 



By this time you should have your 

 beds all ready to plant and, unless you 

 have, you should rush it to completion 

 as rapidly as possible. Many houses are 

 already planted and this cool weather 

 is just the thing for them. In fact, it 

 will be the maldng of the first crop, 

 which usually depends largely on the 

 kind of a start the plants get after being 

 housed. 



In looking over the plants in the field 

 I see that most of the varieties have 

 made a splendid growth and the plants 

 are in that well-matured condition which 

 means quick reestablishment and little 

 wilting. 



Use of Bone Meal. 



Before you plant, mix in your bone 

 meal at the rate of about twenty-five 

 pounds to 500 square feet of bench 

 space. Some growers recommend more 

 than this amount, but we consider it 

 suflScient for the start. We prefer to 

 add later on, with the mulch, whatever 

 quantity seems to be needed. It is easier 

 to err by adding too much than too 

 little. You will find, however, that the 

 coarser the meal is the less danger there 

 is, because only the finely powdered par- 

 ticles will become soluble at once, while 

 the larger particles will require some 

 time to decompose. Chop it into the 

 soil with a rake, only as deep as the 

 teeth will go. In watering it will soon 

 be washed down to the roots. 



A day or two before you wish to 

 plant, examine the soil and see that it 

 is in the proper state of moisture. If 

 too dry, water it sufficiently to moisten 

 properly clear to the bottom. It is 

 wrong to set a plant into dry soil, but 

 it is worse to have the soil moist on 

 top and dry at the bottom. 



Shading Freshly Planted Stock. 



We are planting this season with only 

 a light lime shade on the houses, in- 

 stead of a heavy mud shade. While it 

 is yet too early to say how it will work, 

 we expect good results. We have seen 

 others do it, so I guess we can do it, 

 too. There is no doubt that if one can 

 manage to reestablish the plants in the 

 full Tight it will be better for them. 

 There will be less weakening of the 

 plants and normal growth will be re- 

 sumed quicker. It takes more syringing 

 and closer watching, though, on account 

 of the more rapid evaporation. 



For the inexperienced, however, I 

 think a fairly good mud sha^e on the 

 house is the safest plan, and until I can 

 give you full particulars I would recom- 

 mend that method. Do not make it too 

 adhesive, so that when you want it oflF, 

 it will come off readily. Just today I 

 was called by 'phone by a local grower 

 who was overzealous when he applied a 

 lime shade some time ago. To do things 

 well does not always mean a full meas- 

 ure of permanency. 



Save the Rootlets. 



When digging the plants be sure you 

 get as many of the roots as possible and 

 be especially careful not to break any 

 of the larger roots. Save a clump of 

 earth as large as your fist, whenever pos- 

 sible, but do not let it worry you if all 

 the soil crumbles off. Get them planted 

 as quickly as possible after digging. By 

 dividing your force properly, some dig- 

 ging and others planting, you need never 

 have many out of the soil at one time. 

 If they must be hauled a considerable 

 distance, then you would better dip the 



your plants are crowded in February, 

 there will be trouble for you before 

 spring. 



In arranging the different varieties on 

 your benches, bear in mind the tem- 

 perature best suited to each variety and 

 also which varieties like the strongest 

 light, and those that prefer a rather 

 subdued light to bring out the best color. 

 Also, the amount of headroom required 

 by the tall growers. The modern car- 

 nation house has no benches with less 

 than five feet of headroom, but there 

 are many carnations grown in the old 

 style houses, and that is wliere con- 

 siderable forethought is required. In 

 fact, there are many things to bear in 

 mind and they differ on each place, ac- 

 cording to the stock grown. 



A. F. J. Baur. 



PROnTS IN CARNATIONS. 



In growing a good, average quality of 

 carnations for the wholesale market, what 



Joseph Heacock. 



(Cbairman Hotel Committee, Pbiladelphla Flortsts' Club.) 



roots in water and cover the plants well 

 while en route, to keep the drying winds 

 off them. 



Spacing. 



Plant on the benches as near 10x12 as 

 you can, for most varieties. Do not 

 be tempted to plant closer because your 

 plants may seem slightly undersize. You 

 will be surprised how they will spread 

 out along toward spring, and that is 

 the time you must keep in mind when 

 figuring how much space to allow each 

 plant. Few plants would really need 

 that much room up to March 1, but if 



could I expect to realize per hundred 

 throughout the season, say from October 

 1 to July 1? M. W. W. 



I can give you no definite answer to 

 this question, as there are too many 

 things that will affect the price. Differ- 

 ent markets will differ materially in the 

 returns they will give you for the same 

 stock. Then there is the inexorable law 

 of supply and demand, which affects the 

 price more than any other factor, and 

 this is in turn affected by the weather 

 and other conditions. Then, too, the price 

 you should get will depend somewhat on 



