Title: The American florist : a weekly journal for the trade
Identifier: americanfloristw26amer (find matches)
Year: 1885 (1880s)
Authors: American Florists Company
Subjects: Floriculture; Florists
Publisher: Chicago : American Florist Company
Contributing Library: UMass Amherst Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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igo3. The American Florist, G35
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SOME OF THE GROUPS AT THE GHENT EXHIBITION. On the bottom of the bench there should first be placed a layer of drainage material to a depth of two inches, coarse cinders being a suitable material for the purpose, and over this is placed a thin layer of sphagnum moss, the moss being pressed down evenly with a short piece of board. On this foundation the first layer of kentia seeds is laid, placed just as close together as they will lie in single layer. The layer of seeds is then covered with about two inches ol the moss, the latter being smoothed down as noted above, and is then ready for another layer of the seeds, this proceeding being repeated until the bench is filled, though as a matter of convenience three layers of the seeds are quite enough on a bench. It must be understood, however, that this is simply a germinating bed and after having kept the seeds in such a bed, both warm and moist, for a period of about six weeks to two months it becomes necessary to examine the bed, section by section, and, after removing the seeds that have germi- nated to another seed bed or to flats, the ungerminated seeds are replaced in the moss bed and allowed to remain for another reasonable period before the operation is repeated. The most convenient arrangement by which to employ this method with kentia seeds is to use a narrow propagating house with a bench on each side, the stratified moss bed occupying the one side or portion of a side, and the other bench forming the seed bed to which the started seeds are transferred, and in which is placed about three inches of good light soil. The started seeds may either be planted in close rows or broad- cast, preferably the former, and covered with about one inch of the soil and well watered in. Here they may remain until large enough to be potted off. This stratifying method economizes space, as has been already remarked, but it requires quite a good deal ol labor in the examination, sorting and replanting of the seeds, and unless one has a very large lot of seeds and a limited space in which to handle them, it may be questioned whether it is a profitable way of doing it. Kentia seeds may also be germinated on the ground beneath the benches in a warm house, the seeds being spread on the ground in a single layer and covered with a thin layer of moss, the moss being kept continually moist, and the germi- nated seeds being sorted out and planted as recommended in the former method. There is, however, a rather greater risk that the seed bed may be discovered by rats or mice when it is placed upon the floor than when raised upon the bench, for these troublesome rodents are very fond of palm seeds in general on account of the oily nature of such seeds. Cocoa fiber refuse is also recommended as a planting material for palm seeds, but I have not met with any great success from its use for this purpose, though frequently finding it a very useful medium in which to root various cut- tings. W. H. Taplin. Terre Haute, Ind.—George E. Hunt and Miss Agnes Hinabaugh were married May 9 at Perrysville, Ind., and spent their honeymoon in Chicago. New Have.n-, Conn.—The New Haven Horticultural Society has decided to go ahead with its plans for .the largest chrysanthemum show to be held in New England, outside of Boston, this year. CARNATIONS. CARNATIONS FOR LATE BLOOM. From a May 1 point of view carna- tions sometimes show a decided differ- ence in money value to that of January and February. The observations of one grower are not to be taken as a con- demnation of a variety, neither can they be used as an unqualified recommenda- tion. Different sorts, houses and treat- ment tend to give different results, and it is only when a majority of the growers representing all sections of the country have condemned a variety that it can be really pronounced valueless. My carnations are all grown in solid beds, in houses 22x250 feet, and without division walls. They run north and south, are well ventilated and built so as to get the greatest amount of light pos- sible from this style of house. Our water pressure is but nine to eleven pounds and this makes it hard to keep down red spider at this season of the year. Other- wise the plants have every opportunity of producing the best flowers of which the variety is capable. These preliminary remarks are made for the reason that I may place as second or third-class a variety which under different treatment or soil might be as valuable to some as it is valueless to me and vice versa. Starting with white, no variety that I have grown since McGowan, in its best days, has given me the results obtained from Queen Louise. It started in early, and has been in continuous and abund- ant crop all winter. The flowers and stems have been above the average quality of white varieties up to May 1. Since then it has been steadily declining in quality. Judging from my two years'

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