466 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 456. 



results of bud variation. From the great similarity of these 

 grapes to the Eaton we are led to question whether or not the 

 latter is not of the same origin. 



These examples form an apt illustration of the well-known 

 facts that in many cases varieties that are practically identical 

 have originated almost simultaneously in widely separated 

 localities, and that fruits that are new to the originator are con- 

 stantly being introduced that closely resemble standard varie- 

 ties, ft would seem, then, in justice to the originator of new 

 fruits, that one should be familiar with the origin of a variety 

 that has been introduced as new before pronouncing it to be 

 an old sort renamed. 



Experiment Station, Geneva, N. Y. W. Pad dock. 



Carnation Notes. 



THE fndian summer weather of the last few days of October 

 and first week in November has quite transformed the 

 plants in our benches. All are now promising with buds, and 

 the general stock never looked better at this season. The long 

 spell of dark, damp weather during September and October 

 was specially favorable for the spread of fungoid diseases on 

 Carnations, and in looking- over the houses of several large 

 growers recently I noticed rust on the foliage of several varie- 

 ties. So badly, indeed, have some sorts been affected that it 

 has been necessary to throw the plants away. Delia Fox, last 

 spring's introduction, which was thought likely to supersede 

 the ever-popular Daybreak, is more badly diseased than any 

 other variety, and no one appears to have clean stock of it. 

 Introducers of new varieties ought to be honest enough to 

 state whether any kinds they are sending out have had rust. 

 Some growers do this, but others do not. We do not believe 

 any Carnation can be classed as rust-proof. It may be so in 

 one place and not in a neighboring establishment. I have seen 

 rust on all the leading sorts, with the exception of William 

 Scott and Mrs. Fisher, but even these have this disease thirty 

 miles from here. At present Delia Fox is the only kind we 

 grow on which rust has appeared. We syringe our plants with 

 Fowler's Solution of Arsenic, dissolved in water at the rate of 

 one ounce of the solution to six gallons of water, once in four 

 or five days. A stronger application does not injure the plants, 

 but we find that wetting every plant thoroughly with a solu- 

 tion of this strength kills any rust which has appeared on the 

 leaves. This remedy cannot be claimed as a preventive, nor 

 can any other solution thus far tried, but we believe that a 

 persistent use of it will greatly minimize the evils so many 

 growers are regretting. It is well to look over plants carefully 

 once or twice a week and pick off any affected leaves which 

 may be seen. Careful ventilating and watering, cleanliness 

 and proper atmospheric conditions count for much in the suc- 

 cessful cultivation of Carnations, and there is less chance of 

 rust and other fungoid diseases getting a foothold where such 

 details are well attended to. Jubilee, one of Mr. Hill's new 

 varieties, was badly rusted with us in September. At present 

 it is perfectly clean and making capital growth. We have 

 grown it apart from all other varieties, as the introducer stated 

 that it took rust. We hope now to carry our plants through 

 the dull winter months free from disease and have clean stock 

 to propagate from for another year. 



Our plants were staked, tied up loosely and cleaned of all 

 decaying foliage during October. They require looking over 

 occasionally to have ties readjusted. At present we keep our 

 plants cool and airy for the benefit of some benches of Chrys- 

 anthemums in the same house. When these are all cut we 

 try to give the Carnations a night temperature as near fifty 

 degrees as possible, preferring to have it a few degrees 1< \, 1 

 rather than higher on cold nights. During bright sunny 

 weather, such as we now have, the benches require an 

 average of two good waterings in a week. The water should 

 run through the bottom of the benches. Alter tying our plants 

 we scattered a light dressing of well-pulverized rotted manure 

 and wood ashes over the surface soil. Many roots which were 

 running along the top of the soil are now feeding on this cov- 

 ering, and its benefit to the plants is apparent. No liquid 

 stimulants have yet been given, but about the middle of No- 

 vember we will commence to give the soil a light scattering of 

 some chemical fertilizer once a fortnight, and a moderately 

 weak dose of liquid cow-manure occasionally. We have been 

 holding a number of plants in a frame until Chrysanthemums 

 can be taken out of the house, when we will put fresh com- 

 post in the benches and plant them there. This is a conve- 

 nient method where bench room is limited. The plants start 

 to grow at once and become well established in a surprisingly 

 short time. We have had only light frosts in this section until 



now, and a bed of summer-flowering varieties outdoors are 

 still blooming profusely on November 3d. 



Abundance, one of E. G. Hill's introductions, seems to be 

 well named. With us it is proving a persistent bloomer, both 

 outdoors and inside. It is of a good salmon-pink color and 

 quite a dwarf grower, ft has good average-sized flowers, the 

 calyx is very stout, and when this variety is better known it 

 will be largely grown. Triumph, certificated at Boston in 1895, 

 is a good bright pink color, the flowers are much larger than 

 those of Abundance and produced on long, stout stems. This 

 promises to be a useful sort. Nicholson, which we still grow 

 a few of, although it has been generally discarded, gives very 

 large flowers at this season, but is not a satisfactory winter 

 bloomer here. William Scott easily distances all competitors 

 in its particular shade of pink and is the only kind grown to 

 any large extent in both private and commercial places. 

 Bridesmaid, which we are trying a second year, gives at this 

 season some beautiful, large, clear pink flowers. It did not 

 prove a prolific bloomer last season, however. Possibly 

 stronger plants propagated earlier may tend to improve it next 

 winter. Daybreak among "shell" pinks is quite badly 

 affected with rust this year in some places. It is still largely 

 grown and popular. We do not think Delia Fox has any 

 chance of competing with it for precedence in this class. 

 Eldorado is proving our best yellow so far ; the flowers are 

 large and stems and calyx all that could be desired. We are 

 trying Buttercup once more, but it will not give more than an 

 occasional flower belore spring. Goldfinch we still think highly 

 of; it is not equal to Eldorado in size and general excellence, 

 but proves a reliable color which is still but poorly repre- 

 sented. Armazindy, in the variegated class, is an acqui- 

 sition. The flowers are quite large, produced on stiff stems, 

 color pure white, lightly penciled with scarlet. We consider 

 this superior to Helen Keller. We have not grown Minnie 

 Cook, but patches of it which we have recently seen bear out 

 the favorable opinion of it formed a year ago. Hector we still 

 prefer to any other scarlet, but we grow a tew plants of Portia. 

 A good scarlet is much needed, and we hope Jubilee may 

 fill this need. A variety as vigorous as Portia, with larger flow- 

 ers, is needed. Lizzie McGowan still easily takes the lead 

 among several good white varieties and is doing better than 

 ever before. So-called improvements on this most popular of 

 all white varieties do not seem to make much headway in 

 public favor. With us it proves a constant bloomer from the 

 time it is placed in the benches until the following September. 

 Some varieties may have larger individual flowers, others may 

 give larger crops at times and better-formed blooms, but for 

 all-round excellence we prefer Lizzie McGowan to Alaska, 

 which is probably its strongest competitor. F. Mangold con- 

 tinues to be theleading crimson in this district. Meteor did 

 unsatisfactorily last year ; at present it is yielding some fine 

 Mowers of a very brilliant crimson-scarlet color. The flowers 

 are larger than those of F. Mangold, but have a tendency to 

 come semidouble, or even single. If well grown it is un- 

 doubtedly the finest crimson we have. It did not produce 

 sufficient flowers last year to make us think highly of it, but a 

 second year's trial with more vigorous plants may improve 

 our opinion of it. 



Taunton, Mass. W. N. Craig. 



Garden Notes. 



one 

 have 



I HAVE found the season of 1896 a very unsatisfactory 

 for Gladioli. Seedlings flowering for the first time ! 

 done very well, appearing to have greater strength than the 

 older sorts. Even G. Brenchleyensis seemed to find the strug- 

 gle against adverse circumstances almost too much for it, 

 while such sorts as Didon, Shakespeare and Norma gave not 

 a single flower. The Lemoinei varieties were little better as 

 a whole, while the Nanceianus kinds were exceedingly unsat- 

 isfactory. As for the Childsi strain, if I were to judge it by this 

 year's results I should simply throw it away. I bought in the 

 spring a number of named varieties of most alluring descrip- 

 tions, but they proved a most disappointing lot. I hope that 

 another year they may prove valuable, but I have never seen 

 reason to rate the strain very highly. I tried some of them a 

 few years ago and discarded them for their inferiority. They 

 have Saundersi for one parent and Gandavensis for the other, 

 and certainly cannot approach 111 beauty the Nanceianus kinds 

 which are raised from Saundersi and Lemoinei. I found the 

 bulblets of Nanceianus very slow to start when planted out ; 

 of several hundred " spawn " of C. Horace de Choiseul planted 

 this spring only four or five grew. The Lemoinei seedlings 

 seem to grow more and more like the Gandavensis varieties ; 

 I found several among my plants this year which puzzled me ; I 



