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8 



The Weekly Florists' Review- 



Febbuary 4, ld09. 



crease many new and perplexing prob- 

 lems haye been forced upon us. There 

 is hardly a plant that has more diseases 

 and insect pests affecting it. 



In those states where many carnations 

 are grown the experiment stations have 

 attempted, from time to time, to solve 

 some of these problems. The results of 

 these studies have been published in bul- 

 letins and reports of the stations. 



Most of the work in the past has been 

 done on a small scale, with just a few 

 plants, and the results, to a certain de- 

 gree, are rather indefinite. Today it is 

 realized that, to have results comparable 

 with commercial work, one must carry 

 oji these experiments on a commercial 

 s<iale. Many of the stations are now 

 bliilding or have built greenhouses which 

 are devoted entirely to special floricul- 

 ti;iral crops. 



Modem Problenos. 



In looking over the work done by the 

 various stations, one finds that the prob- 

 lems of ten or fifteen years ago are not 

 altogether the problems of today. Some 

 of the earliest work on the carnation was 

 on rust and its prevention and destruc- 

 tion. At that time the carnations were 

 not rust-resistant, but were easily af- 

 fected. Since those days the varieties 

 sent out each year have been more re- 

 sistant each year, until today the rust 

 is not the enemy that it formerly was. 

 No chemical has been found as yet that 

 will eradicate it, and its disappearance 

 is due to a change in the constitution of 

 the host. Its worst days are over. 



Stem-rot has been discussed time and 

 time again, but no effective method has 

 been devised for its destruction. Its dis- 

 appearance will also follow on the breed- 

 ing of resistant varieties. 



The questions of today, then, seem to 

 be along the line of carnation breeding, 

 methods for the prevention and destruc- 

 tion of insect enemies and problems of 

 nutrition or, in other words, the proper, 

 use of fertilizers. 



In order to secure the necessary data 

 for this paper, the writer sent a letter 

 to the director of each agricultural ex- 

 periment station in the United States, 



requesting such information as could be 

 given regarding results that have been 

 published and also the work which is 

 being carried on at the present time. 



No attempt shall be made to discuss 

 the work of the stations in detail, but 

 only to give a brief resum6 of what has 

 been done and what they are doing at 

 present. 



Districts Unsuitable for Carnations. 



The requirements of the carnation nat- 

 urally prohibit its being grown in certain 

 parts of the country, and therefore many 

 stations carry on no work along this line. 

 This includes most of the states south of 

 Mason and Dixon's line, and also many 

 of the western states. Eeplies have been 

 received to most of the letters, but the 

 report is naturally incomplete, as some 

 have failed to answer. In addition to 

 this information, data were secured from 

 an examination of the literature pub- 

 lished. 



It will be found that most work has 

 been done by the stations of those states 

 which may be called carnation centers. 

 The troubles of the carnation growers 

 were important enough to occupy a part 

 of their time. 



Among the stations from which re- 

 plies have been received are a * number 

 where no work has been done. This is 

 not due to a lack of interest, but because 

 very few, if any, carnations are grown 

 in the state and so time and funds have 

 been expended on other crops. Among 

 these are the following southern and 

 western states: New Mexico, California, 

 Louisiana, West Virginia, Alabama, 

 Utah, Montana, Wyoming and Kentucky. 

 Maine, Minnesota and North Dakota also 

 have done nothing along this line. 



Florida has attempted to grow car- 

 nations, but found that northern varie- 

 ties all failed in the south. The variety 

 Augusta was sent out from there as the 

 only variety suitable for the state. South 

 Carolina grows a few carnations, but has 

 carried on no experiments, as there are 

 few floral establishments in the state. 

 In North Carolina the work has been re- 

 cent and some time has been devoted to 

 root-knot of carnations, Virginia has 



done ,, nothing, but expects to take up 

 worlf in floriculture in the near future. 



States That Lack Equipment. 



Pennsylvania has also done nothing, 

 but expects to take up some carnation 

 work as soon as new houses are finished. 

 Ohio has done a little on subirrigation 

 and crossing, but has published noth- 

 ing. Michigan has done nothing, due to 

 lack of equipment. Wisconsin has no fa- 

 cilities at present, but floricultural work 

 will begin as soon as new houses are 

 completed. Iowa grows a few plants 

 for class work, but has given them no at- 

 tention as a crop. Kansas has done 

 some work on control of rust, but has 

 published nothing. Missouri has confined 

 her work entirely to practical methods of 

 preventing rust, and suggests the use 

 of dry Bordeaux mixture. In Oregon a 

 little work has been done, but no data 

 published. In Washington only a few 

 carnations are grown for class work. 

 Commercially, few carnations are plant- 

 ed, time and space being devoted to 

 roses. 



Thus far the report shows that there 

 are some stations in carnation growing 

 sections at which floricultural work 

 would be carried on if they had the 

 proper equipment and funds. Several 

 of these have greenhouses under con- 

 struction and will take up this line of 

 work in the near future. There are, 

 however, a number of stations at which 

 much work has been done with the car- 

 nation and where still more is being 

 done. 



Tests in New Hampshire and Vermont. 



At the New Hampshire station the 

 following problems are now under con- 

 sideration : 



1. "A test of the value of farm ma- 

 nures, judiciously used in the compost 

 heap, as a means of improving the 

 growth of plants, size and other point? 

 of excellence in the flower. ' ' 



2. "A test of the value of commer- 

 cial fertilizers applied as a top dress- 

 ing to carnation benches. ' ' 



3. "How to account for the earliness 

 and free flowering of carnations; the 

 theory being worked out in seedlings." 



Banquet Tendered to the American Carnation Society at kdianapolis, January 26, 1909. 



