BORDER CARNATIONS. GROWING DAFFODILS IN TIME FOR EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 20, 13 November 1912, Page 37

BORDER CARNATIONS.

GROWING DAFFODILS IN TIME FOR EXHIBITION.

(By R. Morton.) Having been asked to state how 1 grow and show border carnations, 1 can only say that I have little to add to the information which has been printed on the subject. There are some points, however, in the culture of the border carnation on which I hardly agree with the older writers. Since the days of Mr. Martin R. Smith we have not only had a new race of selfs, but also of fancies and yellow-ground pieotees, and the grand colouring of these has as yet not even been approached by the many raisers of the newer kinds of perpetual-flowering carnations. Layering. The culture of the border carnation may be said to commence at the layering lime. This is one of the important operations in carnation culture, and such should not be put off until the grass has become hard and brittle, ami it should generally be practised when tinplants are in flower or immediately after. The best layers only should be selected, and all small and poor “grass’’ be cut away. It stands to reason that, unless the stronger livers are selected, the stock must gradually lose vigour, and in time become valueless. I never layer from a weak-growing plant, and if 1 have not good stock of any variety, 1 send to a specialist for it. The advice is frequently given to cut up through a joint, and bring the knife out accordingly, but for those who practice this I say emphatically insert the knife above the joint, and cut down through it. and the saving in time, as well as plants, will soon be apparent. Planting and Potting. After layering, six weeks to eight weeks ought to elapse before the layers are detached from the parent plants, and those who wish to grow them in the open garden should prepare the ground beforehand by digging it deeply and enriching it about twelve inches under the surface with some good fresh stable or farmyard manure. according to the character of the soil, but if light use cow manure. 1 do not believe in well-rotted manure, either for border planting or pots, and this is where I differ from most of the older authorities on the subject. My experience of growing carnations in pots with fairly fresh manure is that you may kill one in twenty-five or thirty by doing so. but. those which stand such treatment are far stronger and better plants than those which are grown in a mixture of loam ami well-rotted manure. I. therefore, plump for fairly fresh loam •as well as fairly fresh stable manure for pot plants. For exhibition vulture in pots 1 advise taking up the Livers two months after

layering, and putting them into medium or large 60-sized pots, according to the strength of the layer. But those who wish to minimise space in the winter should put two plants well apart in either a small or large 54-sized pot. 1 generally find that two plants in a 54sized pot surpass those in 60’s by the time of the final potting in spring. The reason for this. I believe, is that the newly-rooted layer likes its roots against the side of the pot. and there is no doubt that layers put against the side of the pot root more surely, and are usually better than those put in the middle of the pot. Another important point is to see that the young plants are not over-watered during the winter months. Any leaves near the base of the plants which turn sickly and yellow should be immediately removed, and every attention be given to cleanliness in all stages of the plant's growth.

Spring Potting. The compose J use is as follows: Five parts loam, one part each of leaf-mould and manure, and to this mixture I add a quarter-part each of coarse silver sand and medium-sized crushed oyster shell, as well as a similar quantity of good mortar rubble from between the bricks of an old building, preferably a chimney. A little soot is also a safe and useful ingredient, but it is not necessary. The two main ingredients are the loam and manure, both fairly fresh. After the final potting give a good watering, and see that all the plants growing in the small pots are fairly damp before potting. See also that the soil is rammed tightly in the final pots, but take care that the compost used is a trifle dry. rather than damp, or the ramming will be injurious. The pots 1 use are mainly lb’s, and into these 1 put three plants, but I also put four

plants in a 12-sized pot, and two in a 24-size. 1 do not advise using smaller pots, such as 32’s, even for a single plant, as they dry up much too quickly in the hot summer days, and require a great deal more attention as regards watering. Summer Quarters. Potting over, I stand most of the big

pots in span-roofed frames on ashes, and, after a week or two at the most plenty of air ought to be admitted, bodi at the top and sides of the frames. The frames I use are constructed with ventilators, both at the sides ami ends, and this is very necessary for wintering, as well as for spring cultivation. As soon as the plants are fairly established in their big pots, remove the top

sashes of the frames during dry weather, and let the plants have all the air and light possible, but in wet weather keep the top lights on, admitting plenty of air by raising them with wooden blocks. Disbudding and Staking. As the plants spindle for bloom, see that they are neatly staked and tied up loosely to keep the bloom stems straight and regular. I like the green-painted stakes, 3Jft. in length, as many varieties require more than a 3ft. stake. Many growers use thin bamboo cane points, but for neatness they do not compare with the round, green-painted wooden stakes. Disbudding should be commenced by exhibitors as soon as the buds can be easily removed, but this is a matter which requires knowledge of the variety to be operated upon. The yellow-ground picotees give the best results aisbudded to the top or crown bud, a d so do many of the selfs and fancies, but in order to prevent a few of the selfs, and rather more of the fancies bursting their •calyces, I always leave several side buds to develop, as well as the crown bud. With such disbudding the crown bud is left so as to have at least one foot of stem to it, leaving three or four of the lower buds on in order to keep the top bud safe from splitting. This means that the second, third, and fourth buds need to be taken away, leaving, say, the fifth, sixth, and seventh buds to develop. I do not believe in feeding with artificial manures in any form, as these tend to produce rank growth, and the flowers from artificially-fed plants do not last on the plants, or when cut. nice than a third of the time that naturally-grown flowers do. Although I do not practise natural liquid manure feeding myself, relying entirely on the rather strong stull I use for my compost, I see no -objection to such being used in a moder ate way. The safest and best liquid manure is a mixture of fresh cow and sheep droppings put into a small sack, and left to soak in at least fifty gallons of rain water. Of course, soot water is also highly beneficial, as well as safe. When the crown buds are three-parts grown it is advisable to put elastic bands round them to prevent bursting. Most of the filbert-shaped buds, however, such as the yellow-ground pieotees develop.

are quite safe without bands, but, as a precaution, it is best to use a band, even with them. A good few of the selfs and fancies have round and fat buds, ami some of them must be tied with raffia to prevent them bursting; I use green raffiatape, as it is much more easily split and worked than the ordinary raffia. A greenhouse for carnation growing should not be too high at the ridge, and every sash on both sides ought to be made to open, as well as both sides of the roof. The doors also should rarely be closed, as all the air possible ought to circulate among the plants. Another important matter is the shading, and 1 strongly advise lath blinds in preference to cloth or scrim.—Abridged from the “Gardener's Magazine.”

Tiie following is an extract from a letter written by Mr. F. Mason, of Palmerston North, to a horticulturist in Levin, and should prove interesting and instructive to those who are looking for practical knowledge in the cultivation of these delightful spring flowers. Directions as to the cultivation and treatment, and also as to the best varieties to grow, are set out by Mr. Mason. He says: "Those who are growing Narcissi with the object of showing, must keep the varieties true to name, or they can accomplish nothing. Now, as to your , flowers being too soon done with, this is the growers’

fault to a large extent. They must provide themselves witli varieties that extend over a much longer range of time for blooming, an.l look more consistently to cultivation. For example, I will give you an instance of my own way of having three bi-eolour trumpets ready for any show from the first to nearly the last of September. I grow 'Victoria.' ‘Mrs. W. 1. Ware.' 'Duke of Bedford,’ ‘Horsfieldii,’ ‘Empress.’ 'Madame Plemp.’ 'Ada Brook.’ ‘J. B. M. Camm.’ ‘James Bateman.' ‘Grandee.’ 1 have given them in their order of flowering, and can always depend on at least three of them being out at one time. I try to work affairs the same way with the ‘lneomparabilis.’ and have even gone as far as to lift up and replant 'Sir Watkin,’ to keep him back a week; but I don't recommend the plan to

beginners. There are one or two points in bulb culture that all the big growers agree in: - “(I) Plant early so as to have your bulb- well routed before winter. “(2l Cultivate, and cultivate, before the ‘grass* shows and afterwards, so that your Howers will not only last longer, but the blooming period will Im* extended. •*(3) More cultivation. “(4) Begin to pick your blooms for show a fortnight beforehand, and place them in jars of water with a piece of charcoal in each jar. A piece about the size of a walnut is enough for a quart preserving jar. Flowers treated this way will often keep good for a month.” —* •’Levin Chronicle.”