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Decembeb 12, 1012. 



The Florists' Review 



39 



the stem enclosed. The other carnation 

 plants look well and are apparently 

 healthy. They have had good care, 

 are producing a nice crop of flowers and 

 have a nice growth coming. One or 

 two which I looked at had a small, 

 white grub or worm in the stem, but 

 those were all I found, out of perhaps 

 fifty plants, which showed signs of 

 being affected. 



When the plants are out, I should like 

 to plant some gladioli. Would there 

 be anything in the soil that would af- 

 fect the gladiolus bulbs? L. O. S. 



Your carnations are affected with 

 what is generally known as dry or 

 branch rot. This differs from the com- 

 mon wet rot in that it does not require 

 any moisture to allow the fungus to 

 develop. It is muclf more difficult to 

 combat, because the remedies used in 

 combating the wet rot do not seem to 

 have much effect on it. In fact, the 

 only way to eradicate the disease is 

 to cut away all the diseased branches; 

 or, if the plants are badly affected, pull 

 up the whole plant and burn it. Usu- 

 ally we find that only a limited number 

 of plants are affected, and these can be 

 destroyed without seriously affecting 

 the season's crop. The worms in the 

 two stems you noted have nothing in 

 common with the stem-rot. 



The gladioli will likely come through 

 all right, planted where you have taken 

 out these plants. Sprinkle a little Jiy- 

 drated lime over the soil first. 



A. F. J. B. 



SYBINOING AND FEEDING. 



Should carnations be syringed at this 

 time of the year? My plants are get- 

 ting pretty large and do not dry off 

 every time. Will this harm the plants? 

 I have applied Bordeaux mixture and 

 also Grape Dust; which would you rec- 

 ommend? Jf these are applied, is 

 syringing also necessary? 



I have Enchantress and White Perfec- 

 tion in one house. Do these two va- 

 rieties want the same temperature? 

 The Enchantress are doing well, but the 

 Perfection buds do not seem to de- 

 velop satisfactorily and many splits are 

 also found among the Perfection 

 blooms. What causes this? I have 

 kept the temperature from 48 to 55 

 <legrees. 



Would you advise working the top 

 soil up a little at this season, or is it 

 better to apply cow manure? Or is 

 liquid cow manure preferable? How 

 often should it be applied? Which is 

 better for sweetening the soil, cow ma- 

 nure or lime? H. B. 



Confine your syringing to about once 

 each week. Select a bright day for it, 

 and get it done just as early in the 

 day as you can. This will allow the 

 jdants to dry off pretty well before 

 night, even if the growth is rather 

 thick. Should a prolonged cloudy spell 

 set in, this weekly syringing may be 

 dispensed with if the plants are free 

 from red spider. The Bordeaux mixture 

 and the Grape Dust will not take the 

 place of syringing, although they may 

 be distasteful to the spider, but they 

 will serve to prevent damage from the 

 moisture on the foliage in case the 

 plants do not dry off well before night. 

 Should it turn cloudy after you have 

 done the syringing, a dusting of Grape 

 Dust toward evening, or a pinch of 

 sulphur dropped here and there on the 



Primulac in a Willow Hamper Stained Green. 



steam pipes, will guard against leaf-spot 

 and kindred diseases. 



Enchantress and White Perfection 

 should get along fairly well in the 

 same house. White Perfection will 

 sometimes throw a few poorly devel- 

 oped blooms, which I believe is caused 

 by uneven watering. Watch your 

 watering closely and see if it does not 

 disappear. 



Do not work up the top soil any more 

 now. The roots are all through it now 

 and only harm could result. A light 

 mulch of well-rotted manure or a light 

 sprinkling of sheep manure will answer 

 as a stimulant to the growth. Use 

 lime or wood ashes to sweeten the 

 soil. Cow manure would have the op- 

 posite effect, especially if not thoroughly 

 rotted. A. F. J. B. 



Primulas and Adian'um in a Wi'Iow Basket. 



