File:Florists' review (microform) (16487191860).jpg

Title: Florists' review (microform)
Identifier: 5205536_1 (find matches)
Year: [1] (s)
Authors:
Subjects: Floriculture
Publisher: Chicago : Florists' Pub. Co
Contributing Library: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
January 6, 1898. The Weekly Florists' Review^ 27J
Text Appearing After Image:
Wafendofff's Window, NEW YORK STORES AT CHRISTMAS. elements. As I have said before, I am no chemist, and will only speak of material that we generally have on hand, and in which we are less liable to make mistakes, as is sometimes the case with the chemical compounds, and the highly concentrated commercial fertilizers. Nitrogen is supplied in all animal ex- crements, in horn shavings, night soil and the offals from the slaughter houses, of the latter principally in the form of blood. Phosphoric acid is plentifully supplied in bone black and bone meal. All the other materials mentioned contain phosphates but in smaller quantities than nitrogen; they also contain nitrogen, but in much less quantity. This element is best sup- plied in wood ashes. I have already mentioned of what a good mulch should consist. I will only say again that the stable manures should be well decomposed, as the carnation does not like raw food. In regard to liquid it is quite different. There we best use the fresh manures, free from any litter or straw, for when properly handled decomposition is effected so much quicker, and thus we derive all the benefit of the nutritious elements they contain. To make a good liquid manure, fresh cow droppings should furnish the bulk. It has, in my opinion, always a neutralizing effect upon other stronger manures, when used with it. Of these stronger ones sheep and hen manure are the most desirable, but should be added in small quantities, as should also bone meal and horn shavings. Soot from wood or coal is another ma- terial highly recommended to use in the liquid form, as is also dried blood, both being rich in nitrogenous matter. All these ingredients can be used together in the preparation of liquid manure. I have always used some wood ashes to supply the potash, but in a recent con- versation I had with Professor Huston, State Chemist of Indiana and Professor of Agricultural Chemistry at the Experi- mental Station at Lafayette, in relation to the preparation of liquid manure he cautioned me about using wood ashes. He said that wood ashes will set free ammonia, which would be a direct loss, and, further, it may bring free ammonia in contact with the roots, which might cause injury. In place of wood ashes, to supply the potash, he recommended sul- Shate of potassium, which furthermore as the property to bind the ammonia. In place of using one-fourth of a bushel of wood ashes he recommended using one- fortieth of the sulphate of potassium. So far I have not found any bad effects, but if that theory is correjrt, which it un- doubtedly is, I have~wea«ened my liquid manure in nitrogen considerably. I will heed the warning and supply my wood ashes in another way; I have much faith in it, for in my experience it strengthens the stem and gives the flowers a brighter and more brilliant color. At our place liquid manure is the main fertilizer.* We have two good sized tanks in which we prepare it and have the houses piped to supply them, by a force pump at the tanks. We apply it on the benches in the same manner as we do water, and use about the same quantity as water; it always answers for a water- ing. The first material used should stand for about two weeks before being used; it should be thinned with water and stirred up frequently. When ready, fill up the tank, let it settle, and use the clear liquid from the top. After that, new material in small quantities can be added from time to time as the liquid is wanted, to keep it up to the same consis- tency; and some of the old removed so the mass will not become too cumber- some to handle. The stuff we take out is thrown over the ground pile and made use of in this way. It is essentiskl that the tank should be in a warm place, or fixed in any way so the contents can be kept quite warm, in order to hasten the decomposition. Nitrate of soda is often mentioned as a good fertilizer for carna- tions. I have never made much use of it so far, but suppose it could be well mixed in with the liquid. From time to time I use some common salt in the clear liquid, as in small quantities it is con- sidered beneficial, in large quantities is injurious. This is our mode of operation and the materials which we employ for feeding. The selection of food is yet a very much undeveloped part of our work, for lack of practical knowledge in agricultural chemistry. I may be wrong in some of my views, and if so, will thankfully stand correction. Fred Dorner. THE NEWER CARNATIONS. By Albert M. Herr, Secretary American Carnation Society, Lancaster, Pa, (Read before the Florists' Club, Philadelphia, January 4, 1898.) There are so many of the newer carna- tions that it is hard to talk about them without making a descriptive catalogue out of your talk. So if there are too many names and too much descriptive matter blame it on the originators. In the first place, from a cut flower grower's point of view, there are too many new carnations. If the number could be reduced to say four each season, there would be more in it for everyone concerned. As it now stands the general grower simply cannot afford to try them all, and the consequence is, very often he does not try any. This is a loss both to the originator and to the grower. It limits the sales for the respective origina- tors and causes them an extra expense in the matter of advertising, etc., to get their carnations before the growers. The grower frequently misses a very good

Note About Images