JUL! 29, 1909. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



Tlu'ii when set in fresh and richer soil 

 jlijin where grown, the plant takes on 

 ifiiewed vigor. This practice also some- 

 wliat reduces the possibility of transmit- 

 ,i„jr fungous disease germs from field to 

 liuiise. 



This treatment calls for prompt 

 Ikiiching of the plants, but this is as it 

 vliDulJ be. Let there be no delay in get- 

 ting the exposed roots into soil, but do 

 luit try to see how rapidly it can be 

 (jciie. There is a vast difference in the 

 n establishment and subsequent behavior 

 ,,!' stock that is well planted, as com- 

 pired with stock that is handled in a 

 slipshod manner. I would be the last 

 t , discourage rapid work, but must in- 

 sist on its being done thoroughly. After 

 ;i little practice one may set plants both 

 j.ioperly and rapidly, the whole secret 

 i icing in starting right. 



How to Set a Plant. 



With the right hand remove a hand- 

 iiil or two of soil at the point desired; 

 I hen, with thumb and fingers extended 

 hut the hand partially closed, make the 

 < niter edge of the hole deeper, leaving 

 tlio center to form a small mound a 

 trifle higher than the surface soil. The 

 left hand meanwhile has grasped a plant 

 by its trunk or neck. Withdrawing the 

 right hand from the soil, slightly part 

 the roots and place them on the mound, 

 allowing the roots to radiate naturally 

 in all directions. Still holding the plant 

 with the left hand, throw a little soil 

 over the roots with the right and raise 

 the plant a trifle to distribute the soil 

 among the roots. Draw in the remain- 

 ing loose soil and with both hands firm 

 the soil about the plant, leaving a shal- 

 low depression in which to water. 



The operation is extremely simple, 

 tonsurning but a fraction of the time 

 required to explain it. The one precau- 

 tion to be taken is that the hole in which 

 the plant is to be set should be made 

 quite large, to prevent any possibility of 

 cramping or doubling up of roots. 



When fifty plants have been set they 

 should be watered, and if the bench soil 

 is of the proper degree of moisture, one- 

 half pint of water in the depression pro- 

 vided will be sufficient for the first time. 

 Subsequent treatment consists in keepings 

 the house free from strong draughts and 

 occasionally spraying the foliage. This 

 will receive attention in a later article. 

 Geo. S. Osborn. 



CARNATION NOTES.— VEST. 



Soil for the Benches. 



By this time you may have the new 

 ^'oil in your carnation benches. If you 

 liave not, then get busy. The day of 

 !i"using carnations in September 'is long 

 |i;tst. You cannot afford to plant so late 

 >^ that and expect to compete with the 

 :^ rower who plants in July and early 

 Uigust. If the work is going on, or has 

 ""t begun, a few hints will not be amiss. 



He sure the soil is in good condition 

 '" be handled. If it is too wet do not 

 '*>uch it, but lay some hotbed sash over 

 ''• A few days will dry it enough to 

 'liiiulle. Break up all the lumps when 

 '"•idling it, and be sure the soil and 

 'iinnure are well mixed. 



When taking it in, be sure to spread 

 't evenly over the benches at once. If 

 :illowed to remain long in heaps it will 

 '''■y out in places, an(\ when vou do 

 'Upload it there will be dry spots all 

 jlirough the bench — a condition which is 

 '>-'»rd to Rectify, and which, unless it is 



Great Exp<clattons. 



rectified before planting time, will give 

 you much trouble. 



In spreading the soil, be careful to 

 get it of a uniform depth all over, for 

 the sake of uniform results. Be careful 

 along the edges of the beds and the cor- 

 ners to see that they are filled up. It is 

 not necessary to tramp it with your feet, 

 as is sometimes done. Just see that there 

 are no lumps and hollow places along 

 there. 



We use a thin layer of rotted stable 

 manure on the bottom, before filling in 

 the soil. This is not essential, by any 

 means, but we consider it desirable. The 

 roots do not strike it until the plants are 

 reestablished, and they seem to like it 

 then. 



The Use of Bone Meal. 



We are this year cutting out all the 

 bone meal :it planting time. Last year 

 we left a considerable space, about loO 

 square feet, on each of several beds, 

 without bone. These spaces were left in 

 the middle of the beds, one variety only 

 being planted on a bed. No one could 

 find these spaces at any time during the 

 whole season, except by the marker. We 

 may experiment a little further the com- 

 ing season, however, before we finally 

 eliminate the bone altogether. Some 



other first-class growers report the same 

 experience as ours. 



That ground bone is a valuable fertil- 

 izer I would not deny for a moment, but 

 that it is better for some crops than for 

 others must be admitted; also that un- 

 der certain conditions it is better than 

 under other conditions. So we are inter- 

 ested now in finding out how good or how 

 bad it is for carnations, and under what 

 conditions. One prominent grower stated 

 positively that since he quit using bone, 

 stem-rot has practically disappeared, 

 whereas, formerly, while using bone, there 

 was considerable trouble from that 

 source. Another asserts that bone meal 

 will cause, or at least aggravate, burst- 

 ing in winter. Both of these are at 

 variance with' our experience, as we could 

 see absolutely no difference whatever lasi 

 winter. 



If it can be proven beyond any doubt 

 that bone meal is of no value whatever 

 in growing carnations, there will be a 

 saving of thousands of dollars each year 

 to the carnation growers of the country. 



About sliading I have given my views 

 so often that I will not repeat them at 

 length here. We put on a fair shade 

 before we begin changing the soil, and 

 this is allowed to remain until after the 

 plants !\re housed; that is, as much as 



