CARNATIONS 303 



ment, so that your patrons can see them while in your houses, 

 means a whole lot; it is a mighty good ad. Then there are bound to 

 be times when the fact that you can cut a few dozen of your own 

 flowers in an emergency will mean a lot to you. 



A Carnation is not like an Ophelia Rose which has to be cut 

 just at the right moment; it can stay a day or two — some varieties 

 even longer if need be — and still be in good condition. The smaller 

 retail grower with just one bench can easily arrange to keep a good- 

 looking show of flowers on it practically from Fall to Spring. Again, 

 Carnations will thrive and do well in a house of 50 deg., which sounds 

 good to those who have to buy coal when the thermometer keeps 

 going down and down. Resides all this, one should take into Con- 

 sideration that Carnations form a crop to follow bedding stock and 

 can be handled so as to make room again when your Geraniums get 

 their final shift in April. 



The man who is independent of the wholesale market, and 

 retails his stock and arranges matters so as to cut Carnations 

 from September until April, cannot help but make them pay, even 

 if his flowers are not of the highest quality, or even if he doesn't 

 get the number of blooms per plant that some experts claim they 

 obtain. With funeral and other design work, and orders not calling 

 for any particular flower, if you happen to have an extra heavy crop 

 of flowers on your plants you can always use them to advantage. 

 On the other hand, if you have good success and your flowers are 

 good, you will have no trouble in disposing, at paying prices, of all 

 the surplus bjooms you may have at any time. 



Carnations have not, in any way whatever, lost their popularity 

 as some try to make us believe, nor have they ever brought higher 

 prices. The thing is to grow good ones if you want to compete with 

 others, and if you grow for your own retail trade make proper use 

 of them and treat the plants half-way decently. Even if for some 

 reason or other you cannot make the plants produce enough flowers 

 to actuaUy pay for the space they take up, I should stiU suggest 

 growing a few, if for no other purpose than that of having your 

 patrons know that you are growing at least a part of your require- 

 ments. 



About Varieties 



If you are at all interested in Carnations you should join the 

 American Carnation Society. Attend its conventions whenever 

 possible and thereby keep in touch with whatever advance is being 

 made. Stick to the standard varieties, such as you know will do 

 weU with you, but the minute you see or hear of a new sort, try it; 

 the price of the young stock will never be so high that you cannot 

 afford to invest in at least a few plants and give them a fair trial. 



