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28 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



Decbmbeb 10, 1908. 



CARNATION NOTES.- EAST. 



Various Preparations. 



There are several matters which should 

 be given attention before cold weather 

 sets in, that there may bo no delay in 

 future operations. 



First in importance is a supply of soil 

 in which to pot the young stock when 

 propagated. Many a batch of promising 

 cuttings has never fulfilled expectations 

 for want of a proper start in life. "Any 

 old soil ' ' will positively not do ; neither 

 can such soil be brought up to require- 

 ments by the addition of fertilizers. The 

 mature plants will lead the strenuous life 

 in due season, but let the youngsters 

 follow the simple one. 



Provide new soil, composed entirely of 

 rotted sod, without the addition of any 

 fertilizer whatever. A small quantity 

 of air-slaked lime, however, might with 

 advantage be added. 



The G>tnpost Pile. 



outside, convenient to 

 As soon as freezing 

 substantial crust over 

 with straw, hay, corn 

 material, to prevent 

 Over all, place boards 

 be at hand that will 



Locate the pile 

 the" potting shed, 

 weather forms a 

 the surface, cover 

 stalks or other 

 further freezing, 

 or whatever may 

 shed water. 



Brought in a week or ten days before 

 being used, that it may become warmed 

 to the inside temperature (this is im- 

 portant), such soil will be sweet, in good 

 mechanical condition and particularly 

 adapted to the sturdy growth so desirable 

 in the carnation. 



Some may question the ailvisability of 

 leaving out the fertilizer, but would they 

 presume to feed an infant on the ration 

 suitable for a grown person ? Why 

 should not the same rule obtain in tlu' 

 case of plants? 



The Propagating Sand. 



This can be handled in niucli the same 

 manner as recommended for the potting 

 soil, though some growers |)refer to 

 place it in the bench early and sterilize 

 it just previous to inserting the cut- 

 tings. From a commercial point of view. 

 I am not an advocate of sterilization in 

 the case of sand or soil, believing, as I 

 do, that the advantages gained — if any — 

 over the employment of natural methods 

 do not warrant the average grower in 

 incurring the increased expense. 



Plowing. 



If possible, plow the land for next 

 season's plants this fall or early in the 

 winter, whether it be in sod or open. 



Leave it rough, as turned by the plow, 

 and, instead of leaving the mianure in 

 a pile to be spread in the spring, apply 

 as soon as hauled to the field, which 

 should, of course, be during the winter, 

 when the ground is frozen. In this con- 

 nection let me say that if you can ar- 

 range in some way, without much ex- 

 pense, to have it put on with a manure 

 spreader, do so; it will prove a mighty 

 good scheme. Geo. S. Osborn. 



CARNATION NOTES.- WEST. 



Propagating. 



The time is now coming when you must 

 begin thinking of your stock for next sea- 

 son and there is nothing in the whole 

 year's work which is deserving of more 

 serious consideration. We will not con- 

 sider the whole question at this time, but 

 only the preparations which must be made 

 for the rooting of the cuttings which are 

 to be your next season's stock. A small 

 percentage of growers have a special 

 house for propagating, and in some re- 

 spects these are very desirable. Perhaps 

 the greatest advantage, in this as in other 

 cases when a whole house is given to any 

 one thing, is that conditions can be con- 

 trolled and arranged to suit that one 

 crop, without having to consider some- 

 thing else which may require different 

 conditions. This will often save one con- 

 siderable worry and loss. This does not 

 necessarily mean, however, that you can 

 not propagate successfully unless you 

 have such a specially built house. The 



fact is, there are perhaps more cuttings 

 rooted in houses where other plants are 

 growing than there are in specially built 

 propagating houses. 



The Bench. 



If you have a bench which you can 

 isolate so as to control the draughts and 

 the light, you can root your cuttings as 

 well as you could in any propagating 

 house. If deemed necessary, add an extra 

 steam pipe under the bench and board 

 up the front from the edge of the bench 

 down to within six or eight inches of the 

 ground. This will hold in enough heat 

 to gently warm the sand from the bottom. 

 This should not be overdone, however. 

 You will find that usually two 2-inch 

 pipes are enough under a 3-foot bench, 

 if steam is used for heating. The north 

 bench in an even-span house makes an 

 ideal propagating bench. Hang a muslin 

 curtain in front of the bench, suspended 

 from the roof-bars and reaching down 

 below the edge-board of the bench. This 

 will keep off draughts when the ventilat- 

 ors are open, besides keeping off the sun 

 on bright days. Later, when the sun gets 

 up higher, another curtain must be 

 stretched over the cuttings. 



As to the bench itself, many growers 

 prefer tile bottoms, but here, again, we 

 can say that you need not fail if you do 

 not have them. Clean boards, with proper 

 drainage, make a splendid bench for this 

 purpose. If it has been used for grow- 

 ing blooming stock, be sure it is cleaned 

 off well and washed with the hose. After 



Carnation House of H. Merritt, Rochester, N. Y. 



