20 



The Florists' Review 



November 28, 1912. 



A POOR ENCHANTBESS CROP. 



Under separate cover I am mailing to 

 you some samples of Enchantress and 

 Rose-pink Enchantress flowers, in dif- 

 ferent stages. The plants from which 

 these flowers were taken are grown in 

 solid benches, with a night temperature 

 of from 48 to 50 degrees. They were 

 planted from August 30 to September 1. 

 They were in prime condition at the 

 time of planting, and only recently 

 have they started to throw such poor 

 flowers. The stems are also becoming 

 weak, particularly on the Enqhantress 

 plants. We have had air on the houses 

 all the season, with the exception of a 

 day or two when the weather would not 

 permit. Any information you can give 

 us as to the cause of this will be 

 greatly appreciated. T. J. K. 



The specimens forwarded did not dis- 

 close anything definite, except inferior- 

 ity in quality. Some of the petals ap- 

 peared to be specked by thrips, but 1 

 found none of the insects present. 

 There is evidently something wrong 

 with your soil or your treatment — just 

 which, I am unable to determine with- 

 out more data. The fact that your 

 plants were in prime condition when 

 planted, and the early blooms were 

 good, would indicate improper treat- 

 ment, as with proper treatment' the 

 quality should steadily improve until 

 the maximum would be reached about 

 the last of January. Being planted in 

 solid beds should make no diflference in 

 the results obtained. 



If you will send me a few of the 

 plants, and some of the soil, I may be 

 able to assist you. Also give a detailed 

 account of your method of culture, tem- 

 peratures, etc. A. F. J. B. 



FEEDING CARNATIONS. 



When carnations are planted in the 

 benches in a rich composted soil, in 

 August and September, how soon is it 

 necessarv to begin feeding them? 



G. V. W. 



Your carnations should now be in a 

 condition to stand a little feeding. I 

 would prefer to apply this in the form 

 of a top-dressing and not use liquid 

 manure until the days are perceptibly 

 lengthening. C. W. 



FEEDING AND VENTILATING. 



Is it advisable to apply liquid cow 

 manure to my carnations? If so, how 

 often? Should the plants have plenty 

 of fresh air during the day? I am a 

 new man in the carnation line, as pot 

 plants are my specialty. P. A. K. 



If your carnations are well established 

 and li they seem in condition to take 

 up some extra feed in addition to what 

 they have in the soil, then an occasional 

 application of liquid manure will do, Jio 



harm, provided it is done .iudiciously. 

 In giving any kind of feed, always keep 

 in mind the season of the year, the 

 weather at the time and the weather 

 that is likely to follow. No heavy feed- 

 ing should be done during cloudy 

 weather, or more harm than good will 

 result. 



If you are accustomed to handling 

 pot plants, you will be able to judge 

 pretty well as to the needs of your car- 

 nations, only let me warn you against 

 too much feeding until the bright days 

 of January and later. The carnation 

 loves fresh air. A. F. J. B. 



CARNATION RUST. 



We have had a big fight with rust 

 on our carnations. We have used Bor- 

 deaux mixture, but the trouble is still 

 showing a little. The plants are doing 

 well, but the stems are not strong 



enough to hold up the flowers, which 

 are large and fine. ..» C. B. G. 



You will find that fine air-slaked 

 lime, lightly dusted on the affected 

 plants, is one of the best possible 

 remedies for carnation rust. Keep the 

 foliage dry after applying it. Be sure 

 your foliage is always dry before night- 

 fall. Do any syringing early on the 

 mornings of clear days. Where plants 

 are damp at night, the rust is sure to 

 spread when once it secures a foothold. 

 Give the benches a light top-dressing of 

 lime; this will help to improve the 

 stems. You can also spread a fine 

 mulch of old manure over the surface, 

 but do not give the lime and manure 

 together. Wait a couple of weeks be- 

 fore applying the latter, C. W. 



AMERICAN CARNATION SOCIETY. 



Patten & Co., of Tewksbury, Mass., 

 have offered for registration their new 

 carnation. Princess Dagmar, which is 

 described as follows: Parentage, Gene- 

 vieve X unnamed crimson; color, deep, 

 bright crimson; size, three and one- 

 half to four inches; long, stiff stems, 

 which hold the flower erect at all times; 

 calyx seldom splits; perfectly healthy, 

 strong grower; average -bloomer. 



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



AN OLD BED OF VALLEY. 



We have bought a bed of valley that 

 has not been touched for years and is 

 a solid mat. Will you please tell us 

 how to force the plants, how to sepa- 

 rate them, etc.? S. & S. 



Where lily of the valley has been 

 grown matted together in this way, it 

 is not possible to separate the indi- 

 vidual pips and get results equaling 

 those from the imported ones, which 

 are grown singly in the field to pre- 

 pare them for forcing. The best plan 

 will be to dig up the valley in squares, 

 like a piece of turf. For the earliest 

 forcing, keep in a darkened case until 

 well drawn up; then give more light. 

 After the middle of February you could 

 stand them on a bench in any warm 

 house where they could get some bot- 

 tom heat, and give them light all the 

 time. Damp once a day until flower 

 spikes appear; then discontinue doing 

 so. 



You must not expect any such qual- 

 ity of flowers from these as from the 

 imported Berlin pips. There would 

 probably be fully as much money in it 

 for you if you prepared a bed for them 

 outdoors, manuring it heavily, spading 

 deeply, and setting the plants thinly 

 in rows twelve to fifteen inches apart. 

 This work can be done now, before 

 the ground freezes up. After the plant- 

 ing, if you decide to plant outside, give 

 a mulching of straw or leaves to pre- 

 vent freezing and thawing, which 

 would hoave out the plants. . C. W. 



VALLEY FOR CHRISTMAS. 



The new pips of lily of the valley are 

 here, but these should not be used for 

 forcing purposes until after New Year's, 

 or results will be disappointing. Cold 

 storage pips are much the best to use, 

 as they start into growth quickly and 

 flower at one time, which cannot be 

 said of the fresh imported pips. There 

 is a good call for valley at Christmas, 

 both cut and in pots, but in order to 

 have it in full bloom at that time the 

 pips should have had a clear month 

 for their development. They can be 

 flowered in three weeks in a brisk heat, 

 but it is better to have a brisk bottom 

 heat, 85 degrees being about right, and 

 a top heat 25 degrees lower. This gives 

 the flowers and foliage more substance. 

 Keep close and dark until well drawn 

 up; then admit more light, to permit 

 leaf development and make the flower 

 stems sturdier. Sand is the best ma- 

 terial to plant the pips in. It is clean, 

 water passes readily through it, and it 

 can be used over and over again. It 

 should be watered once a day until the 

 flowers start to open, when it should 

 be kept dry. 



Plants in 6-inch pots are salable at 

 Christmas. The pips can be packed in 

 moss or any old soil. Sand makes the 

 pots rather weighty. Use fifteen to 

 eighteen pips to a pot and keep them in 

 a close case for the first ten or twelve 

 days. Then give good light, so that 

 the plants will be sturdy and have good 

 foliage. 



