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12 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



January 14, 1900. 



; \ . 



future identification and made up into 

 greenhouses. Becords will be kept of 

 the locality in which each treated green- 

 house is erected and studies of their con- 



dition will be made from time to time. 

 These investigations will be made public 

 aa soon as any tangible results have been 

 obtained. Howard B. Oakleaf. 



CARNATION NOTES.-EAST. 



Buying New Varieties. 



It has been said that purchasing va- 

 rieties in the year of their introduction 

 to the trade is a veritable gamble. Like 

 many ventures in all lines of business, 

 the light in which an investment is 

 viewed makes it what it is. 



If we buy everything on the list of 

 new sorts, without regard to present 

 needs, trusting to luck to strike a good 

 one, then the transaction might be called 

 a gamble. If we reason that the cut- 

 tings need no special attention on ar- 

 rival, or if we allow the plants^to suffer 

 at any time by neglect or abuse, that is 

 carelessness. When we view the matter 

 fairly, and consider that the result of 

 an investment in a new variety rests fully 

 as much, if not more, with the grower 

 than the introducer, the element of 

 chance does not enter into the question. 



My methods and my reasons for adopt- 

 ing them iu purchasing new varieties were 

 pretty thoroughly discussed in these col- 

 umns last year, so I will merely say in 

 passing that if one has a clean, healthy 

 stock of a certain sort, which is paying 

 well, he had better let well enough alone. 

 Should there be any cause for hesitation 

 in deciding whether or not to purchase a 

 certain variety, it may be well to remem- 

 ber that, if meritorious, it will be scarcely 

 less so a year later. 



When in need of new blood and the 

 choice is made, at least 250 cuttings 

 should be bought. 



Care on Arrival. 



A week or ten days before a shipment 

 is due to arrive, bring in the soil spe- 

 cially designed for cuttings. This soil 

 was described a few weeks ago. Get pots 

 in readiness and do not use a medley of 

 sizes, but have them uniformly 2-inch, 

 2^ -inch or 2'/^-inch^not larger. 



If, on arrival, it is impossible to pot 

 at once, place without unpacking in a 

 cool, shady place. On opening, should 

 frost seem to have penetrated the pack- 

 age, remove the contents and, after 

 sprinkling well with cold water, allow 

 them to stand in a cool place for a few 

 hours, but do not unroll the bundles until 

 ready to pot. Once potting is started, 

 the operation should proceed with dis- 

 patch until finished, and the plants 

 should then be stood on a shaded bench 

 entirely free from draughts. Water suf- 

 ficiently to thoroughly moisten the soil, 

 but not enough to form mud. 



The temperature for the first week, or 

 until they show signs of having taken 

 hold of the soil, should be about that of 

 the propagating house. As they become 

 accustomed to more light and air, a cooler 

 temperature is needed. 



Subsequent treatment will be discussed 



in a later issue, under the subject of 

 "General Care of Young Stock." 



These new varieties are strangers in a 

 strange land, and require extra care and 

 encouragement in order to become quick- 

 ly acclimatized. Personally, I prefer to 

 buy cuttings unrooted, preparing and 

 rooting them myself, thus materially aid- 

 ing in the process of acclimatization. 



A Flagrant Abuse. 



It seems strange, after a grower has 

 received a batch of cuttings bought at 

 the rate of $10 or $12 a hundred, that he 

 should deliberately set about to abuse 

 them, but such is the case when they are 

 potted in rich soil and grown in a high 

 temperature with a view to obtaining a 

 cutting from the tops, thus doubling the 

 stock. So-called cuttings, obtained in 

 this manner, even if induced to root, will 

 never make anything but cripples, while 

 the original, now a stump, is little short 

 of worthless. 



If one is determined to follow this 

 evil practice, let him, in justice to the 

 originator, label the cuttings under some 

 other name than that by which they are 

 known. Then no one will be misled, ex- 

 cept the grower himself. 



Geo. S. Osborn. 



FLOWEELESS PLANTS. 



I should like some information in re- 

 gard to a bench of carnations in a house 

 of mine. The north bench of Fair Maids 

 is all in fine shape, with big plants, etc.; 

 but the flower shoots, instead of running 

 up to bud, shorten up the joints and 

 carry a regular tufted top of foliage, 

 side shoots and all. In this condition, 

 of course, the plants do not flower. 

 Various reasons have been given, such as 

 lack of food, too much manure, poorness 

 of the stock, etc. Both my south and 

 middle benches are doing finely, though 

 I saw one or two plants that are throw- 

 ing the foliage. Can you give me the 

 cause, name and remedy? H. E. G. 



The trouble you complain of is by no 

 means a new one and is not a difficult 

 one to overcome, although it will cause 

 you considerable loss this season. It is 

 brought on by indiscriminate and whole- 

 sale taking of cuttings, without regard 

 to the condition of the plants from which 

 they are taken. 



You will notice in some varieties an 

 occasional plant which grows as you de- 

 scribe your plants. They are called wild 

 plants. They simply grow and keep on 

 growing, without making any bloom, and 

 if left alone will grow to enormous pro- 

 portions. Cuttings taken from such 

 plants will invariably grow the same way. 

 The novice who has not learned to dis- 

 criminate between cuttings, except as to 

 the size of cuttings and plants, is likely 

 to whack into these strong looking plants 

 for all the cutting that can be had. 



They root more easily and grow more 

 easily than the type, and in a short time, 

 if this kind of propagating continues, 

 the whole batch will be of this flowerless 

 kind. We have seen this very thing 

 happen with the old variety, Lizzie Mc- 

 Gowan, some years ago. 



We have heard it said that if such 

 plants are cut back hard they will come 

 into bloom later. Perhaps so, but my 

 advice to you is to throw out every plant 

 of this kind. Certainly you do not want 

 to propagate from them. A. F. J. B. 



FEEDING CARNATIONS. 



What is it best to feed carnations with? 

 Would you advise mulching them with 



fine cow manure? 



G. &G. 



There are many different manures and 

 fertilizers applied to carnations. Much 

 feeding should be guarded against during 

 the short winter days, or you will have 

 a big crop of burst calyxes.- Fine cow 

 manure, well decayed, makes one of the 

 best mulches and can be applied now 

 with perfect safety. Dried sheep manure 

 is used with success by many. Mix a 

 little fine bone with your cow manure 

 and see that it is evenly spread over the 

 benches. W. 



AMERICAN CARNATION SOCIETY. 



Department of Registration. 



John S. Pfeuffer, Irvington, N. J., reg- 

 isters Carnation Mrs. Pfeuffer; parent- 

 age. Prosperity and Floriana; color, 

 white, splashed with deep pink; size, 

 three and a half inches; habit, strong, 

 healthy grower; stiff, long stems; heavy 

 bloomer (December and January), never 

 bursts calyx, very fragrant and an ex- 

 cellent keeper. 



Henry Eiehholz, Waynesboro, Pa., reg- 

 isters Carnation Washington, a. dark pink 

 sport of Enchantress, in color a dark, 

 glowing pink ; size of flower, four inches ; 

 habit identical with Enchantress. 



Kegistered provisionally, subject to 

 cancellation by the society: Carnation 

 Alvina; parentage, Lawson and a pink 

 seedling; color, clear cerise pink; size, 

 three to three and one-half inches ; habit, 

 ideal; calyx burst proof, floriferousness 

 phenomenal, stem up to thirty inches, 

 Albert M. Herr, Sec'y. 



NEW YORK. 



The Market. 



Your C0I4 wave had us all shivering 

 for a day, when the thermometer touched 

 20 degrees, but it was a brief respite, 

 and before last week ended there came 

 rain and almost summer temperature. 

 Its influence upon the market can be 

 readily imagined. The tendency was 

 steadily downward. Saturday, January 

 9, violets had fallen to 50 cents, and 

 Beauties the same. These prices were 

 for the best. The present week opens 

 with even warmer weather, with the usual 

 promise of a cold wave, but we have now 

 learned not to accept any weather pre- 

 dictions until they are realized. 



With the mild weather has come in- 

 activity in business and prices are far 

 from satisfactory to the wholesale sec- 

 tion. The best Beauties were selling 

 January 11 at 50 cents and, outside of 

 the novelties, 2 cents was top for carna- 

 tions. Great quantities of both are com- 

 ing from Philadelphia. Gardenias and 

 orchids are quite abundant and prices are 



