8 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



JCNB 18, 1908. 



CARNATION NOTES.-EAST. 



Toppins. 



In topping plants through the sum- 

 mer, one should keep constantly in mind 

 the three chief objects for which the 

 operation is carried on. Stated briefly, 

 these objects are the conserving of plant 

 energy, promotion of shapeliness in habit 

 and encouragement of continuity in 

 blooming. 



It is obvious that if young stock is 

 allowed to bloom during the summer 

 months, we can expect but indifferent 

 results the following winter, under 

 forced conditions. But topping does 

 not consist of merely removing buds 

 as formed, neither can a certain day in 

 the week or month be set apart in which 

 to make a wholesale massacre. 



The removal of a large quantity of 

 growth from a plant at one time serious- 

 ly impairs that very desirable property 

 of the carnation we so much wish to pre- 

 serve — continuity in blooming — without 

 reckoning the severe check given. 



Study the Habit of Each Variety. 



Each variety's natural habit of growth 

 must be taken into consideration. Those 

 of neat, bushy form by nature, require 

 little effort on the part of the grower, 

 while those of the sprawly, let-me-lie- 

 down sort need close attention and no 

 little study to manage them well. 



All, however, can be trained in the 

 way they should grow. To break off buds 

 or shoots in a hit or miss fashion is to 

 pave the way for unwieldy, misshapen 

 plants, difficult to handle at housing 

 time. 



Go over the field at least every other 

 day, cutting back those shoots quite well 

 advanced toward formation of a bud. 

 Topping too soon is liable to cause a 

 break of numerous weak growths. 



Bemember that growth in the field is 

 different from that under glass. Field 

 growth gives less length between joints, 

 consequently plants can be cut back 

 somewhat higher than if growing inside. 



We prefer not to do any topping dur- 

 ing rainy periods or immediately after. 

 "We choose, instead, bright, sunny days. 



Under no circumstances pull out the 

 center of a shoot, as this is not only pre- 

 mature but an invitation for trouble. 



The Use of the Knife. 



The idea has been advanced that the 

 use of a knife in removing tops is liable 

 to communicate disease from one plant 

 to another, but, while this may be pos- 

 sible, I confess to being skeptical in re- 

 gard to it. We always use a sharp knife 

 and recommend others to do likewise. 



We know an open plant wound af- 

 fords an excellent lodging pla^e for 

 germs, ever present in the atmosphere, 

 but it seems doubtful that the sap from 

 a plant to all appearances healthy, al- 

 though perhaps not absolutely so, will 

 in any way affect one in every way vig- 

 orous, and certainly an admittedly dis- 

 eased plant has no place in the patch. 



On a brf^t day the clean cut of a knife 

 soon closes against intruders. 



Keep the cultivator going, going, go- 

 ing. Geo. S. Osboen. 



CARRYING PLANTS OVER. 



I intend to carry over some old carna- 

 tion plants of a new variety. When is 

 it advisable to cut back the longer bloom- 

 ing shoots? If before replanted, then 

 how soon? If after, kindly state the 

 time. I should like to hear from one 

 who has tried this successfully. 



E. O. 



Carrying over carnation plants is like 

 carrying over rose plants, only worse. 

 While it can be done and is done suc- 

 cessfully, occasionally, I would not ad- 

 vise anyone to depend on such stock alto- 

 gether for his season's cut blooms. In 

 fact, it is seldom that such stock gives 

 as good blooms as strong young stock will 

 give. They will, however, give a fine 

 lot of splendid cuttings, if the plants 

 have come through in good shape. 



Preparations for this should have 

 begun several months ago, instead of 

 now. If the plants have been blooming 

 up to now, the chances of success are 

 against them. They should have been 

 cut back hard in March or April, so 

 that the. plants could have made breaks 

 along the older wood and made fine, 

 bushy plants by this time. Then trans- 

 planting would be an easy matter. But 

 with all the season's growth on them, 

 transplanting could hardly be done suc- 

 cessfully, and to cut them back hard 

 now would mean to kill many of the 

 plants. 



This is the most trying time of the 

 year on inside stock and the plants ought 

 to be growing vigorously as they enter 

 this period. We frequently carry over 

 seedling plants the second year, but they 

 invariably have been shortened back to 



induce breaking for cuttings, and at the 

 end of the cutting or propagating season 

 the plants are again gone over and 

 trimmed into shape, with a view to get- 

 ting a lot of young breaks to grow 

 through the summer. 



You do not give much data on the con- 

 dition of your plants, but I will presume 

 that they have been blooming up to now. 

 In such case, I would not attempt re- 

 planting at all. I would rake off all the 

 loose material from the bed and scrape 

 out as much soil between the rows as 

 seems safe without injuring the roots too '^ 

 much, and then replace with a compost 

 made of two parts good soil and one part 

 old manure. This will practically answer 

 the same purpose as transplanting, with- 

 out being such a severe ordeal for the 

 plants. In fact, there will be no danger 

 whatever to the plants. 



Before you do this, clean off all the 

 dead foUage, and if the plants are at 

 all crowded, cut out some of the growth 

 so the air can get between the plants 

 readily. I would not cut back any of the 

 blooming shoots, but as you cut the 

 blooms do it with a view to getting good 

 breaks to follow. There will be less 

 cropping next season. 



Keeping the plants properly supported 

 and free from red spider will be your 

 most trying problems. The former will 

 be found essential if you would succeed 

 in the latter. Abundant ventilation also 

 is essential. If you must syringe fre- 

 quently for spider, which should be done 

 thoroughly whenever it is done, you will 

 do well to keep on hand a can of Bor- 

 deaux mixture. By applying this once in 

 about each week or ten days you will 

 be 'comparatively safe from the spot dis- 

 eases, such as fairy ring, Septoria Dian- 

 thi, etc. This is a great preparation and 

 is put up for us now, by the supply men, 

 in such convenient form that every car- 

 nation grower should keep on hand a 

 can of it. By keeping the can tightly 

 corked, its properties are preserved for a 

 considerable length of time. 



After the heat of the summer is over, 

 handle these carried over plants much 

 the same as you do your young plants, 

 except that more feeding will be neces- 

 sary to sustain the quaS.ty of the cut. 

 Do not put much shade on the glass over 

 them, but a little will do them good dur- 

 ing July and August. A. F. J. B. 



I 



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A TEST OF PEONIES. 



What we want is plants that will stand 

 everything without being discouraged — 

 those that will be prolific and sure 

 bloomers. 



We had the most remarkable spring 

 on record. April and May changed 

 places and the mischief was to pay. 

 Warm days brought out the buds and it 

 seemed as if we would have flowers in a 

 few days. Then, early in May, we had 

 a succession, not of frosts, but of freezes 

 which froze the ground. It was a fearful 

 test. Then came mild days to encourage 

 them. Many recovered and we thought 



they would be all right. Then a bitter 

 freeze caught everything unawares and 

 we asked, Can any living thing endure 

 this? Our old favorites gave it up: Of 

 1,000 Festiva Maxima, not a dozen decent 

 blooms. The faithful L'Esperence, our 

 dependence for Decoration day, gave up 

 the struggle. Calls poured in, but most 

 of the peonies were nipped in the bud. 



Yet there were some that just gloried 

 in tribulation and paid no attention what- 

 ever to little trisds like those. Golden 

 Harvest maintained its never-fail rep- 

 utation and ought to stand away at the 

 front — hardy everywhere in Manitoba 



