THE DIET OF THE CARNATION.

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 33, 23 January 1930, Page 3

THE DIET OF THE CARNATION.

This is a modern age and an age in which, inquiry is being made into the reason of things. Tthe day is rapidly passing when one can sit passively by and let things take.their natural course or umiaturai course, as the ease may be. It is being proved, even to the most sceptical florist, that to make equal success with his competitors he must use all - t&e best and latest cultural methods known.

The man who is Taising live stock will first consider a place for the stock to be kept in, and then the feed that they will, require to sustain life and growth, HeVsnould next consider the feed he is going to give these carnations to bring them to best ■ maturity. How many florists are there who seriously consider the feeding of- their plants? Is it any wonder that t-hey are always saying that Smith or Jones must- have a- soil. much, superior ■ .to theirs?*- '■:.''"■-,. "'■ Wow-, to come down to -the bottom of thußgs, is it the superiority of Jones's soil it-self, or is it the pla-nt food t-hat Jones, adds to his soil that counts? I am of the opinion that the food is -"the important"factor' in many cases, and will tell you why.

Plants must feed aa surely as man himself. Man chooses -his food, such as steak, potatoes, pie, etc., and insists on having a variety. The. ■■car/ nation insists on having a variety, too, such as nitrogen, phosphoric acid, po-tas-h, and does not grow well if it fails to get it. The man wants -tne thing that he gets the least of —the pie, for instance, The carnation seems to run along the same perverse lines, and what it craves, and seldom gets its proper share of, is potash.

ISTow, liow.cloes.it happen that the carnation and niany other plants go lacking for tihis important food, potash? It is not because tie potosh is .more expensive than the other foods, as bone meal, because the fact is that potash costs no more than phosphoric acid, and only about one-third as much as nitrogen. It is because the carnation can't call out through a megaphone,^ "Potash! Potash!''.but must sit down and sulk and refuse to, grow until it does get it. y The florist knows hi)at the carnation doesn.^t grow propeTly, but he is frequentLy in the dark as to the way. ; ■ ,

The cheMiSt ribw^cbHSes to the florist's aid in this extremity, "When he analyses the carnation he find that a single plant removes from the soil in ono growing season 99.12 grains of air.dry*mate/rial, containing "1.948. "rams of nitrogen, 0.734 grams of phosphoric aid, and 3.510 grams of potash. It ca neasily be seen from a of fhese removals that the caruation must Lave as a diet nearly twieo as much potash, as. nitrogen, and <?bout five times as much potash as phosphoric acid. , ,

Now, as bone meal, the common fertilizer used by floTists, contains no potash, and animal manures contain it in far tpo small proportions> it is, as plain as the nose ,on your face that the carnation grower should satisfy the cravings of-his carnations t>y giving them a liberal ration of potash. This can be provided through any of the potash salts, such as muriate of potash, or sulphate of potash, or from the best grade* of bon^ and potosh fertilibers.