JANUABY 6, 1910, 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



be bas the ideal bread and butter earna- 

 tion. For with freedom of bloom, size 

 of flowers, health and habit of growth, 

 with practically no split calyxes, he sees 

 no reason why this carnation should not 

 gll the long-felt want for a good com- 

 mercial white. Granite State will not be 

 diaseminated until 1911. 



Of the keeping qualities of both Bon 

 Ami and Granite State nothing can be 

 more convincing than Mr. Buxton 's state- 

 ment that the flowers appearing in the 

 photographs used in preparing the accom- 

 panying illustrations kept in the store 

 window of W. W. Powers for eight days 

 in perfect condition, having been left 

 there for exhibition after being photo- 

 <jraphed. Nashua, N. H., is likely to be 

 beard from more in the future than in 

 the past. Mr. Buxton has other varieties 

 cif sterling merit, which he is trying out, 

 and those who are at all skeptical of New 

 Hampshire carnations being strictly flrst- 

 class should pay Nashua a visit. 



W. N. Craig. 



AMOUNT OF NITRATE OF SODA. 



What is a safe percentage of strength 

 of nitrate of soda to a gallon of water 

 for a weekly application to carnations, 

 commencing March If H. F. C. 



Start with about a half pound of ni- 

 trate of soda to fifty gallons of water. 

 As the weather gets brighter and the 

 days longer, you can increase this to one 

 pound to fifty gallons of water. 



A. r. J. B. 



IMPERFECT WHITE PERFECTION. 



Do White Perfection carnations usually 

 burst badly, come of dingy color, and 

 crinkled? I have been growing these for 

 two seasons, with the same results. Last 

 year they were in raised benches, this 

 year in solid beds. There is an enor- 

 mous crop and it looks healthy. The 

 houses are modern in every particular 

 and I use plenty of air. The night tem- 

 perature is 50 to 55 degrees — a little 

 high, perhaps, for this variety, but our 

 experience with other sorts has been that 

 there is less bursting if the temperature 

 is a little high, with plenty of air in 

 the daytime. The stems are brittle. 



Our soil is a rich, loamy sod, piled up 

 a year or more, with about one-fourth 

 cow manure and a liberal amount of bone 

 meal. There has been no feeding since 

 planting. The plants always grow small 

 in the field and produce but few cuttings. 

 Occasionally one comes that is deserving 

 of the name — certainly fine. Last sea- 

 son, though not one per cent of the other 

 kinds in the same house were ^plit. White 



Perfection wjis snlit hnrllv C Ti 



r*erfection was split badly. 



There seems to be a great difference in 

 the experience of growers with this vari- 

 tity. With many it is easily the finest 

 white carnation ever introduced, or in 

 i'act the finest of any color. Some, how- 

 ever, have the same experience as you 

 -'lave had. It does split at least a small 

 percentage of its calyxes during midwin- 

 ter, even with those who grow it success- 

 fully, though not enough to make it un- 

 profitable. A moderate but even tem- 

 perature, about 52 degrees, suits it best 

 -ere. 



We have never had much trouble with 

 I'e crinkled petals, but have seen them 

 ■t other places occasionally. That this 

 '■efect is not natural to the variety, we 

 |oel certain. A well known grower, who 

 lias grown the variety extensively, re- 



Carnation Granite State. 



cently expressed the opinion that the 

 trouble complained of is caused by the 

 soil being allowed to get too dry. Per- 

 haps he is right. A. F. J. B. 



OUTDOOR CARNATIONS. 



Will it pay to propagate carnations 

 now to grow outdoors for cutting? We 

 are always short of flowers from the time 

 we empty our carnation beds until they 

 bloom again, and wondered if these 

 started now would not help us out. We 

 are located in Oklahoma. P. G. C. 



Carnations are not grown so much out- 

 doors, for late summer blooming, as their 

 merits deserve. I have grown them for 

 this purpose for a number of years, and 

 they always furnish a good supply of 

 nice flowers when the indoor stock is 

 thrown out. Propagation during Decem- 

 ber and the first half of January wUl 

 give you good, stocky plants in 4-inch pots 

 to set out about the end of April, or even 

 earlier in your climate. Pinching should 

 not be done at any time after the plants 

 are set in the field. As they start to 

 flower, it will pay to give a support to 

 the flowering stems, as heavy rain storms 

 will bespatter them. The following have 

 proved good outdoor bloomers : Enchant- 

 ress, White Enchantress, Eose-pink En- 

 chantress, Fenn, Winsor, Lawson, White 

 Lawson, Fair Maid and Beacon. 



C. W. 



AMERICAN CARNATION SOCIETY. 



The Cottage Gardens Co., Queens, N. 

 Y., registers the following two new car- 

 nations : 



Alma Ward, Prosperity x white seed- 

 ling; white, sometimes showing deli- 

 cate splashings of pink; size, three and 

 one-half to four and one-half inches; 



stems, thirty-six to forty-two inches; re- 

 markable for size of flower and length of 

 stem; strong and vigorous grower. 



Mrs. C. W. Ward, Mrs. Lawson x 

 Mrs. Eoosevelt; deep pink, lighter than 

 Lawson, but darker than Winsor; size, 

 three and one-half to four inches; stem, 

 twenty- four to thirty-six inches; early 

 and free bloomer, producing fine flowers 

 as early as September 1. 



A. F. J. Baue, Sec'y. 



TO REMOVE LEAD SHADING. 



Will you kindly let me know what is 

 a good way to remove oil and lead shad- 

 ing from greenhouses? J. M. 



Corrosive sublimate will remove paint 

 from glass. This must, however, be used, 

 carefully, as it is extremely caustic and 

 will burn the flesh. By consulting a 

 painter, further advice may be obtained 

 as to the removal of such shading. 



BiBES. 



ROMANS FOR EASTER. 



How shall I treat Eoman hyacinths, 

 which were put in flats December 27, to 

 have them flower for Easter f 



P. G. C. 



You are late in putting your hyacinth 

 bulbs in the soil, and I am afraid they 

 will not bloom so satisfactorily as you 

 would like. Keep them in a dark cellar, 

 or in a frame or pit, where they can be 

 covered with ashes. Soak well with water 

 before covering. Easter comes quite early 

 this year, and if you take in your hya- 

 cinths about March 1, they will be in 

 ample time. They respond readily to 

 forcing, or can be retarded at will. 



C. W. 



