OCTOBEB 1, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 











T''.;'!- 





OUTDOORS IN COLORADO. 



There is always much howling during 

 what we, in the mountains, speaking of 

 the game laws, call our "closed season" 

 for carnations, when they are not to be 

 had. I have seen the suggestion that 

 outdoor carnations be brought into bloom 

 to fill this vacuum. Can you tell me how 

 this is done? How are plants propa- 

 gated to get them to bloom outdoors at 

 this time of the year? Your paper is 

 invaluable. M. E. 



Outdoor carnation culture for summer 

 bloom has never proven profitable in 

 Colorado. In this dry and absorbent at- 

 mosphere half the growing season is oc- 

 eapied in the efforts of the plant to get 

 a foothold in the soil; consequently the 

 season, which is climatically short in 

 growing period, is almost past before 

 wood of a productive character is devel- 

 oped, and at this stage of the plant most 

 of the commercial growers who still prac- 

 tice this system, begin transferring into 

 the greenhouses. Most of this work is 

 done by the first part of September, as 

 after that date frost is uncertain and, 

 .although the best wood is made after 

 that date, none of it is considered equal 

 for producing good flowers to the wood 

 made in the greenhouse. 



As this experience is based on prac- 

 tical work and observation — at an alti- 

 tude of 5,000 to 7,000 feet during the 

 last quarter of a century, it would seem 

 totally impractical to attempt the cul- 

 ture of carnations out of doors in the 

 more mountainous regions, where the sea- 

 sons of growth are naturally shorter. 



To overcome or partially relieve this 

 shortage in the summer months I would 

 strongly recommend the planting up of 

 the carnation houses as early as possible 

 in spring, with plants propagated in the 

 fall and grown on in pots or on benches. 

 Under the influences of liberal -ventila- 

 tion and a natural temperature the plants 

 may be induced to produce a partial 

 crop in summer, which, if they^ do not, ^ 

 will not in any manner affect their au- 

 tumn and winter usefulness, if treated 

 as recommended herein. John Berry. 



LEAF SPOT. 



I enclose herewith some carnation 

 leaves. Please state, if you can," what is 

 wrong with them. First, small, black 

 spots appear, not larger than pin heads; 

 the leaves dry up^ I have had 



then 



all picked off by hand and have dpstroyed 

 the plants. They have been benched 

 about three weekk T. J. W. 



The leaves vqw forwarded are affected 







with the common leaf spot. This is a 

 fungous disease and, if taken in hand 

 early, will not prove very serious, but if 

 left to go unchecked it will do immense 

 harm under conditions which are favor- 

 able to its development. The chief of 

 these conditions is a close, humid atmo- 

 sphere. That is why this disease usually 

 makes its appearance soon after the 

 plants are housed and while the plants 

 are constantly kept moist overhead and 

 the atmosphere kept heavily charged with 

 moisture, to prevent wilting. You will 

 also find this disease more frequently in 

 cases where heavy shading is practiced. 

 So you can readily see what the nature of 

 the remedy must be — just the opposite 

 of the conditions you maintained while 

 the plants were reestablishing themselves. 

 You did right in picking off all the 

 affected leaves; continue doing it. Dust 

 the plants with slaked lime and sulphur 

 in equal portions. Do not spr^y over- 

 head any more than is absolutely nec- 

 essary until the trouble disappears. If 

 any shade remains on your glass, remove 

 it entirely. When you fire, paint one of 

 the steam pipes with sulphur and lime, 

 made into a thin paste by adding water. 

 Grape dust is a splendid article to dust 

 the plants with, to keep down all such 

 diseases. Bordeaux mixture is splendid, 

 too. A. F. J. B. 



PFEIFFER*S CARNATION PATCH. 



Charles Pfeiffer is a successful carna- 

 tion groM^r at Fort Thomas, Ky., where 

 there is a colony of prosperous florists. 

 The accompanying illustration shows one 



corner of his field of carnation plants 

 and gives a good idea of his surround- 

 ings. He had 28,000 carnation plants in 

 this patch before he be|[an benching his 

 own stock. 



SWEET PEAS. 



I would like to know something about 

 sweet peas. In the issue of September 

 17, under Seasonable Suggestions, you 

 say sweet peas should be planted two 

 or three inches apart. Does this mean 

 both ways, and what is .the best support 

 for sweet peas? C. P. 



Sweet peas under glass should be 

 grown two to three inches apart in the 

 rows. The rows should contain only a 

 single line of plants. If the plants can 

 be sown in line with the supports of the 

 house, soft brown or white twine can be 

 stretched between these and makes the 

 best possible support for the plants. A 

 stout wire can be run near the ground 

 and another one at any desired height. 

 To run upright strings to this is de- 

 cidedly preferable to wire netting or 

 brush of any kind. It will be necessary 

 to go over the plants every few days 

 with soft twine and draw them towards 

 the supports. If you cannot run your 

 plants in line with house supports, you 

 can erect some temporary ones at inter- 

 vals to answer the same purpose. 



MiLFORD, N. H. — Ralph and Rodney 

 Woodman are building another green- 

 house. 



Part of Carnation P^tch of Charles Pfeiffer, Fort Thomas, Ky. 



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