12 



The Florists' Review 



Febbuary 13, 1913. 



TOPPING THE SIDE SHOOTS. 



Please tell me whether I ought to top 

 back the side shoots or branches on 

 carnation plants, when they grow out 

 after the center stem has been topped 

 back. J. A. M. 



If this question refers to the young 

 carnation plants during the spring and 

 summer, the side shoots should also be 

 topped when they have grown long 

 enough. The usual practice is to do 

 all needful topping about once in two 

 weeks up to the time the plants are 

 brought in from the field. W. H. T. 



HOLDING FOR JULY CROP. 



I have several beds of carnations, 

 comprising Enchantress, White En- 

 chantress, Lawson, Winsor and Victory. 

 When I took charge of these houses 

 the Victory plants were badly affected 

 with smut, which finally spread all 

 through the houses. 1 have been 

 spraying with Bordeaux mixture regu- 

 larly, except in the last six weeks. I 

 was afraid to spray much during the 

 cold and cloudy weather. The outside 

 temperature in this part of Colorado 

 dropped to 37 degrees below zero and 

 the beating of the houses was none too 

 good. 



These carnations were probably set 

 in the beds sometime last May. They 

 commenced blooming about September 

 15 and are in fine condition now. As 

 I shall not need any of these flowers 

 in the near future, but shall want an 

 abundance about July 1, would it be 

 safe to cut them back or would it be 

 better to wait until later? Please 

 tell me the best time to cut them back. 

 How closely should I cut them -and 

 what treatment should I give them in 

 order to have plenty of flowers by the 

 first of July! They are planted in 

 good soil and have been fed with liquid 

 cow manure only. A. F. 



If your climate is suitable for pro- 

 ducing good carnation blooms indoors 

 during July, there should be no trouble 

 in throwing the plants into crop at 

 that time. If you have no use for 

 the blooms now, the plants can be cut 

 back any time and I should say the 

 sooner the better. The sooner you cut 

 them back, the harder you can cut 

 them, and the harder you cut them, the 

 more shapely you can keep the plants, 

 How much they should be cut back will 

 depend altogether on the condition of 

 the plants, but you will of course keep 

 in mind the idea of getting a new 

 growth from the main body of the 

 plants. If the plants are not straggly 

 and have not made a rank growth, then 

 it will perhaps be well simply to cut 

 away the blooming stems down to where 

 you will get good, strong breaks from 

 the main body of the plant. If, how- 

 ever, the plants are straggly, then you 

 will do well to cut them back almost 

 to the main stem. In the latter case 



you should let them run a little dry 

 for a couple of weeks before you cut 

 them. If properly handled it will not 

 matter if no foliage remains on the 

 plants, if it is done this early in the 

 year. Later, when the weather is hot, 

 the chances of the plants making a 

 new start are not nearly so good. 



After you have the plants started 

 into a new growth, it will be a simple 

 matter merely to keep the blooming 

 shoots cut back until you want the 

 crop to come along. It takes a carna- 

 tion bud about six weeks from the time 

 the bud shows at the end of the shoot 

 until it comes into bloom. If your 

 plants are growing vigorously, you could 

 stop topping about April 15 and expect 

 a full crop by July 1. After you cut 

 the plants back, and the new growth 

 has started, dust them with hydrated 

 lime, to keep rust in check. There is 

 noticing better. A. F. J. B. 



INDIANA STATE FLORISTS. 



A Visit to Domer's, at La Fayette. 



On invitation given at the January 

 meeting, the State Florists' Associa- 

 tion of Indiana held its February meet- 

 ing in La Fayette, February 4, the 

 main object of the meeting being the 

 inspection of the plant of F. Dorner 

 & Sons Co. There were about twenty- 

 five persons in the party. In addition 

 to our own members, we had with us, 

 as guest, R. T. Brown, manager of the 



Cottage Gardens, Queens, L. I., and 

 vice-president of the American Carna- 

 tion Society, who had been visiting the 

 writer on A. C. S. business. 



We were met at the station by Ted 

 Dorner and Fred Hudson, and whirled 

 out to the greenhouses in closed car- 

 riages, which were a welcome shelter 

 from the cold though bright weather. 

 At the greenhouses we were met by 

 the rest of the firm, Fred and Miss 

 Emily, familiarly known as "Milley" 

 Dorner. Did you ever visit this estab- 

 lishment t If you have not, then at 

 the first opportunity give yourself this 

 treat. I will warrant you that the 

 hearty welcome you will receive, and 

 the« many wonderful sights you will 

 see, will linger long in your memory. 

 Some of our party had never seen the 

 place, while others had, but all had 

 their expectations keyed up to a high 

 notch and all had their expectations 

 more than realized. The writer, having 

 visited the place last December, knew 

 pretty well what was in store for the 

 day. 



Of course the seedling carnations 

 were the chief attraction. Our hosts 

 had allowed the blooms to hang on a 

 few days, and such a sight is not often 

 seen. There were hundreds of va- 

 rieties in the second, third and fourth 

 year of trial, and fully 2,500 first-year 

 seedlings which had bloomed in the 

 field during the last summer and had 

 been transferred to the greenhouses for 

 further observation. The entire new 

 range is given over to varieties origi- 

 nated by the firm, and over half of 

 the space is occupied by new varieties 

 still on trial. Do you wonder that this 

 firm has given to the trade more bread- 

 and-butter varieties than any other one 

 firm in the whole world? The trials 

 are conducted systematically, and the 

 weeding out is done carefully by mas- 

 ter hands, made doubly expert through 



[Continued on page 6C.] 



ac 



ac 



ac 



^ 



f SEASONABLE 



(SO 



i 

 i ^ SUGGESTIONS \ 



ir 

 I 



Primulas. 



In order to have strong plants for 

 Christmas sales, the present is a suitable 

 time to make a gowing of primula seed. 

 Of course, it is possible to make sowings 

 several months hence and have plants 

 of fiowering size, but the seeds germi- 

 nate decidedly better at this season, 

 and really strong plants are only to be 

 had by starting early. Primula Sinen- 

 sis, commonly known as Chinese prim- 

 rose, is an excellent seller for Christ- 

 mas and later. For the holidays such 

 bright varieties as Crimson King, Ruby 

 Queen, Chiswick Red and His Majesty 

 are in demand, but the pink and pure 

 white shades have many admirers. The 

 stellata type, of looser habit, is more 

 decorative than the old type but does 

 not, as a rule, sell so well in the 

 markets. 



P. obconica can be sown as late as 

 April, but much finer plants will be 

 had if the seed is sown now. Strong 

 plants in 6-inch and 7-inch pots can be 

 had for Christmas. Later sowings will 



give plants in 4-inch or 5-inch pots and 

 suitable for massing in pans. There 

 has been a wonderful improvement made 

 in the strains of P. obconica. The giant- 

 flowered types do not flower so freely 

 as the grandifloras, but the blooms are 

 of immense size and are generally pur- 

 chased in preference to the smaller ones. 

 There are now quite a variety of sep- 

 arate colors obtainable, but pink, bright 

 rose and crimson sell the best. P. 

 Kewensis is a strong growing, fragrant, 

 bright yellow primula which has be- 

 come popular. Its treatment does not 

 differ from that of the Sinensis and ob- 

 conica varieties. 



It is good policy to purchase seeds of 

 a first-class strain of primula, or for 

 that matter of any other flower seeds. 

 Use a light compost consisting chiefly 

 of leaf-mold, with plenty of fine sand 

 and powdered charcoal added. Drain 

 the seed pans well, cover the seeds 

 lightly and keep protected from sun 

 and air until the seeds germinate. Care- 

 ful watering is essential and do not 



