VENTILATION OF GREENHOUSES. 79 



Go gather a bunch of flowers 



Moist from the springs of crystal dew 



That life's gi-eeting will bring to you. 



The President: I think that Mr. Henderson's paper is so complete 

 a presentation in itself there will hardly be any one that will want to 

 take any exception to any of the statements that are made, so the next 

 paper, which is "Temperature and ventilation of greenhouses," by Mr. 

 Edward Williams of Grand Island, will be read by the Secretary. 



TEMPERATURE AND VENTILATION OF GREENHOUSES. 

 Edward Williams, Grand Island. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen: 



Having been assigned the subject "Greenhouse ventilation and tem- 

 perature," of same will say, that my experience has been that to properly 

 ventilate a greenhouse is no small matter especially when breaking in a 

 new man. It takes some time to learn to do the operation and do it 

 right. For instance, a house that should be kept about 70 degrees sun 

 heat, should, as the temperature rises, be given a crack of air two or 

 three times after the thermometer leaves 62 or 64, not waiting until the 

 thermometer registers 70 and then throw on about six inches of air, 

 and let the temperature down to 58 or 60. The same precaution should 

 be taken when lowering the ventilators. When the thermometer regis- 

 ters 70 start lowering so that you can keep an even temperature as long 

 as possible, until the steam is circulated and time to close the ventilators. 



I believe that the biggest mistake is made when a florist thinks that 

 to walk around and watch his ventilators is waste of time, for the more 

 even a temperature that can be kept the better the results. As a rule 

 every fall you read in the trade papers of different growers wanting to 

 know what makes the foliage yellow and soft, the stems weak, soil 

 covered with green scum, flowers off color, carnations split, etc. I dare 

 say that most of this trouble can be traced to poor ventilation. The tem- 

 perature for different plants, to have them do well is as follows: 



For the tea roses day steam heat should be at 62 to 64 and night heat 

 58 to 60. The hybrid teas can stand about 2 to 4 degrees' higher tem- 

 perature. Carnations such as the Enchantress varieties of which our 

 main ones consist can stand a little higher temperature than the older 

 varieties. I find that I can grow carnations with fair success with the 

 following temperatures: day heat, 56 to 58, night heat 52 to 54, sun heat 

 70. Miscellaneous plants will do with carnation heat. Smilax, calla 

 lilies, and palms will do w^ell with a rose house temperature. Violets' 

 day heat should be 44 to 46 degrees, night heat 42 to 44 degres, when 

 the weather permits ventilation. I believe that during the growing sea- 

 son if the houses can be kept about 70 degrees it is about "right. Bulbous 

 stuff does very well started in carnation temperature, and moved after 

 the required stems have come to a warmer house if needed. 



