The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-06
in FAVOR
HOME FLORISTS PREPARING FOR
THEIR BUSIEST WINTER
Carnation season TO Open with Indi-
ana Floral FeStiVaf-Surprise~
to he shown.

lC AA8 VA
for what they think will be the greatest
carnation season the city has ever had
At the greenhouses I'm and about the city
thousands OF plants are about ready 70
burst into bloom. and the florists say they
have some surprises TO spring In the way
Of gorgeous carnations before the season
IS far advanced. The carnation Is a bios
rom that Indianapolis people have at thelI
command the entire year. Through the
summer the florists grow them outdoors
and al the first sign Of frost the plants are
taken from the ground and replanted IN
the greenhouses, where glass roofs admit
the sun and the furnaces supply the neces-
sary warmth. The florists say carnation
culture has made some surprising advances
in Indiana in the last ten years. There nave
been. in the last twelve months, from three
90 five thousand OF the flowers cut from
their stems a day to supply the Indian
apolis lovers of the bloom, and they have,
during the past summer, been purchased
at 80 or 90 cents a dozen The florists look
for a greater demand this winter, and VIII
Increase the output of their greenhouses
accordingly. One florist has, during the
summer. completed five new greenhouses.
which ne will give up to growing carna-
fions. He has a new variety TO offer and
expects 10 cut five thousand flowers a day.
This will increase the indianapolis supply
10 at leas. eight thousand blooms "A day,
and il the market here is oversupplied the
surplus will be shipped 10 larger cities In
diana probably grows more carnations ev-
cry year than any other State in the Union.
A good deal of the Chicago supply of these
flowers comes from greenhouses on In
diana soil. II is said that in northern In
diana a million carnations are grown every
year that are sold on the streets of Chi
cago.
While the carnation is a continuous
boomer. its real season lasts from De-
cember TO June. The season usually
reaches its height in indianapolis about
Christmas and the demand. according to
early Indications. will this winter be as
great for carnations as It will for roses.
The florists are preparing TO open the sea-
son a little early this year on account of
the Indiana floral festival, which occurs at
Tomlinson Hall for five days. beginning
Nov. 5. The carnations TO be shown at
the festival will anticipate the best offer
ings OF the winter, and the exhibits of these
flowers will be on an elaborate scale. Flor
lists say the price of carnations rules higher
through the winter than in the summer.
owing TO a higher quality of flowers being
on the market. 1t is also more difficult to
produce a carnation in the winter months
Ltldn II II III NIC SAAAAANA OAC00I 01S ~
all times in the year is against the pro-
duction OF flowers of all kinds and one of
the blooms most affected by the sunshine
and rain is the c~arnation. In the green
house. or in the open air. too much heat
causes a carnation TO "go TO Sleep or to
curl up. To cut the blooms from the plant
at the wrong time has this same influence.
and the florist is required TO practice his
greatest skill in getting the best carna-
tons on the market
CARNATIONS LIKE HORSES.
Carnatiop culture, the florists say. as
the demand for the flowers, is
nSking progress. The admiration for the
, blooms has developed largely on account of
the development of carnation beauties.
About 1000 varieties are known to the ex-
pert growers OF these flowers. but in recent
years they have given a good deal of time
TO wedding out the undesirable varieties
and developing the possibilities of the good
ones. I'm one way William c.. Berter-
mann says, the carnation is like the
blooded horse. Florists can readily trace
the ancestry OF q particular variety of
carnations and knows whether il comes
from good or common stock, just as horse
men can tell by the pedigree whether a
two-minute trotter has been we'll bred.
The carnation is one Of the youngest flow
ers in America II first appeared in this
country in 1854, when importations Of it
were made from France. The carnation
was known 10 ancient Greece, but it was
crude I'm comparison TO the carnation as
It is known In Indiana In Greece the
flower grew close TO the earth and it's pos
abilities were not known to the Grecians.
But the French transplanted it and opened
VI some of its beauties. Americans. how
81.
this branch of flower culture. There was
never a variety of the carnation sold for
$4,000 in France. but that price was paid
for the control of the Lawson variety in
this country. and the sale was genuine
The Lawson carnation is now being
grown for winter in the greenhouses all
over America. Hundreds of them will
compete for ribbons at the Floral Festival
In November The finest Lawson blooms
Twill sell for s. a dozen. But several other
Ya~rieties, as new as the Lawson, will be
khOwn here in November for the first time.
The prices on the market Will range from
81 to $50 a dozen, and these prices will
buy some of the fanciest varieties. 1t will
be carnations OF extreme elegance that will
command as much as s. a dozen.
For many years the florists have been
trying 70 get the carnation on equal foot
ing in price and quality with roses. and
they think they are going 10 succeed this
winter. The higher grade of carnations to
be seen at the coming festival Will meas
Ure four inches in diameter, a size never
before attained. and which for years the
florists said was impossible TO grow. The
stems Of these high-grade carnations will
equal in length those of the American
Beauty rose. The carnatiOn is the most
lasting flower that is grown in Indiana.
and its lasting qualities has had "A good
deal TO do with making il popular. y
dozen cut carnations that leave the green
house in good condition can. after being
taken from the retail market. be kept for
a week. OF ten days. If reasonable atten-
ton is given them from day to day. Where
the carnation comes from unusually good
stock it may be kept for three weeks after
A. is cut from the plant.
GROWERS INCENTIVE.
THE commercial value OF carnations is
not the only Incentive that keeps the
grower interested" Mr.. Bertermann says.
From a thousand seeds "a grower will
hardly get two blooms alike. Some will
be single blooms. others will be double:
some will be erect and others Killing