16 



The Florists^ Review 



Decbubbb 26, 1912. 



lar than to let the plants get ahead 

 of you. Keep all the shoots disbudded, 

 as the flowers will be much better than 

 if the side buds are allowed to get large 

 before doing bo. 



After the houses have been planted 

 about ten weeks, and if the plants are 

 growing strong and hard, you may 

 safely start feeding by top dressing, 

 using either soot, sheep manure or 

 bone. Rub it nicely into the soil, 

 which should be loose on top if the 

 benches have been cultivated as they 

 should be, but do not dig deeply into 

 the soil, as it tears the fine roots and 

 checks the growth of the plants. This 

 can be done every two weeks or so, 

 always providing the growth is strong, 

 which it invariably will be by this 

 time if the plants were good and the 

 soil rich and sweet. 



With early planting and good mate- 

 rial to work with there will be a nice 

 crop of flowers and buds showing by 

 October 1, which, if the plants have 

 been systematically pinched back in 

 the . field, should continue to increase 

 right through the winter and spring. 



Top dressing should not be persisted 

 in from December 1 to February 1, as 

 the days are then short and the weather 

 most likely to be cloudy. After Feb- 

 ruary 1, if the plants are still doing 

 well, they will need more food, and 

 liquid manure can be used to advan- 

 tage about once a week, or top dressing 

 can again be resorted to, using dried 

 blood or nitrate of soda in light doses, 

 or sheep manure or shredded cattle 

 manure in heavier doses, and, if avail- 

 able, a good inch or so of rotted stable 

 manure, which also will help to keep 

 the beds from drying out too quickly. 

 If the grower has handled his plants 

 properly, by this time (February 1) he 

 will have the pleasure of having a fine 

 crop of flowers Standing on strong, 

 straight stems thirty-six to forty-five 

 inches above the soil. 



The Temperature. 



From now on the grower's worries 

 grow less concerning the growth of his 

 plants, but if red spider gets a good 

 foothold at this time his real troubles 

 have only commenced, as they will 

 keep him busy with the hose and make 

 him wonder where they all came from. 

 But if his courage is good and he is per- 

 sistent with cold water, he will be able 

 to keep them down, although he cannot 

 hope to utterly destroy them. 



Carnations will do well with a night 

 temperature of 48 to 52 degrees. The day 

 temperature should be governed by the 

 weather, not allowing it to rise above 

 60 degrees on cloudy days and 72 de- 

 grees on bright days in winter, but 

 after March 1, when the sun is getting 

 higher, it may rise to 80 degrees in the 

 middle of the day. Nothing will be 

 gained by getting a few extra flowers 

 in winter by running the houses a 

 few degrees higher, as the plants will 

 be, sure to suffer. 



To have success with carnations it 

 is essential that the plants have proper 

 care from the time the cuttings are put 

 in the sand until they are thrown out 

 of the house at the end of the flowering 

 season. Careful propagation is espe- 

 cially important. The cuttings should 

 be taken from the flowering shoots, 

 care being taken not to use those too 

 near the top of the stem, as these are 

 not so strong and will not make such 

 nice, bushy plants as those lower down. 



It Points 



IN the flower business a man is lim- 

 ited merely by his ambition— the 

 opportunity is at his hand to go as 

 far as he likes. 



Location counts for little. It is as 

 easily possible for the florist in the 

 small town to do a business that covers 

 a dozen states — or the whole country — 

 as it is for the one who is located in a 

 big city. Indeed, in many respects the 

 small town florist has the advantage. 

 It isn't a question of situation — it de- 

 pends only on ambition and the ability 

 to grow good stock. 



The demand for plants has developed 

 much faster than the supply. At 

 Christmas, at Easter, in the spring. 



Propagation. 



The best time to take cuttings is in 

 January and February, as plants rooted 

 at that time will make a better growth 

 and will not be so likely to get hard as 

 if rooted earlier. If a large number 

 of plants of any one variety is needed 

 it is advisable to get all the cuttings 

 possible, both before and after those 

 months. The sand used should be sharp 

 and clean and free from loam. "Whether 

 it is fine or fairly coarse makes but 

 little difference. It should be about 

 three inches deep in the bench, with a 

 good drainage, and it cannot be firmed 

 too much. The cuttings should be 

 taken with a heel and the ragged end 

 cut off with a sharp knife. The long 

 foliage may be trimmed off the top, 

 as that allows the air to circulate 

 among them more freely. Put them in 

 about three-quarters to an inch deep 

 and firm the sand nicely around them. 

 Then be sure to give them a good 

 watering, enough to wet the sand right 



through. Keep them from draughts 

 and shade from the sun, but do not 

 shade too heavily or they will get 

 soft and will not do as well when taken 

 from the sand. Give them a light 

 spraying each morning for the first 

 ten days, if the weather permits, and 

 water them if the sand shows signs 

 of drying out. 



Care of Young Stock. 



Most of our cuttings taken in the 

 winter months receive no water from 

 the time they are first watered in until 

 taken out, and I find they root better 

 than those that have to be watered. 



The propagating house should be kept 

 at from 50 to 54 degrees and air should 

 be given on all bright days, always 

 guarding against draughts. Enough 

 bottom. heat to keep the sand at about 

 58 degrees will help to make them root, 

 but I would not advise anything higher 

 than that. 



