378 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



MARCH 1, 191X1. 



exhibit tiiem at some sliow wlien in 

 bloom. The visitor to these green- 

 houses during school liours will see 



TROUBLE WJTH ROSES. 



I have a house planted with Brides, 

 Maids and Perles. Temperature is 

 kept at about 55 to 58 degrees at night, 

 with the exception of one or two very 

 severe nights, when it diopped to 50 

 degrees before morning. 



The Brides and Maids are dropping 

 their leaves and an occasional plant 

 turns black at the base of the stem 

 and finally becomes limp. The roots 

 appear to be all right. 



In other years I have had good suc- 

 cess in rose growing and do not think 

 I have neglected them. Is it a dis- 

 ease, and if so, what shall I do to 

 check it. I do not like to give food 

 to the plants while they continue to 

 drop leaves. Have kept them rather 

 on the dry side. SUBSCRIBER. 



Replying to Subscriber, must say 

 that the drop in temperature to 50 de- 

 gress on cold nights cannot be respon- 

 sible for the roses dying, nor do I 

 think from his description it is a dis- 

 ease. Am inclined to think it is an 

 injury the plants may have received, 

 as only an occasional plant dies. Dur- 

 ing the dark months roses frequently 

 drop a number of leaves, and if the 

 plants are in a good condition this 

 does no harm, but if the dropping is 

 excessive and is indicative of disease 

 the leaves that do drop should be 

 thoroughly cleaned from the bench 

 with any other loose material that 

 may be on the surface. 



From Subscril>er's letter I am in- 

 clined to think the bark at the base 

 of the plants which are dying has been 

 injured, either mechanically or by an 

 insect. Would advise him to examine 

 the base of such plants as show they 

 are affected to ascertain If an Insect 

 has injured the bark: if so. It must 

 be destroyed, when his trouble will 

 be relieved. Then give the beds a 

 thorough examination; that is. go to 



much of interest. The students are 

 mute, so are the p;ants and flowers, 

 but there is a language understood be- 

 tween them. Affliction seems to lose 

 much of its darkne*;s among the 

 brightness and fragrance of flowers. 

 All honor to those who recognize the 

 Influence and importance of hortlcul- 

 liiie. J. I. DOM.AN. 



the very bottom of the benches and 

 as close to plants as possible, antr see 

 that the soil is damp to the bottom 

 and on the other hand not soggy, and 

 then apply water so the bed is in per- 

 fect growing condition. (I judge Sub- 

 scriber knows when liis soil is in 

 proper growing condition, as he states 

 he has had good success heretofore. ) 

 Keep the soil in good gi-owing condi- 

 tion, a little on the dry side, till the 

 plants are making a good break, then 

 increase the supply of water as tliey 

 require it. Do not apply any feed un- 

 til plants are in good gi-owth again 

 and then a little liquid manure may 

 help them along. 



Subscriber should, in preparing stock 

 for next season's planting, use wood 

 from plants that are In perfect health, 

 taken with a keen knife; the greatest 

 care should be taken not to injure the 

 bark in making or inserting the cut- 

 tings, nor in fact at any stage In their 

 growth from the time they are taken 

 from the plant as cutting wood till set 

 In the bed. 



I have seen plants put In benches 

 with the bark partly black or a black 

 ring around the plant, the stem above 

 and l)elow In good condition; have 

 marked several of these plants, and in 

 every case they have died at some 

 stage of growth before the 1st of Feb- 

 ruary. 



To have plants go through the dark 

 days of fall and winter too great care 

 cannot be taken to have them in per- 

 fect health In every respect at time of 

 planting. A. O. T. 



PIECE-ROOT GRAFTS ON ROSES. 



I have been waiting for some one 

 to tell me how It Is done and w-hat ad- 

 vantage it has. if any. 



1 suppose all florist:? know that the 

 millions of young apple trees that are 

 sold every year are propagated by 

 what is known as the piece-root graft. 

 Nurserymen are all busy now making 

 them and packing them in damp saw- 

 dust so as to have them ready to set 

 out In the spring. 



Now. It occurred to me thit the 

 same might be used on roses. Having 



received in the fall of 1898 a very pcor 

 lot of Manetti plants. I cut off the best 

 plants and made a thousand root 

 grafts, and put them In the sand just 

 as we would common rose cuttings. 

 They nearly all rooted and made 

 strong plants. We planted them In one 

 end of a bench and planted out the bal- 

 ance with other plants on their own 

 roots. We thought that we could sea 

 a marked difference in favor of the 

 grafted roses for three or four months, 

 but today I could not tell which were 

 grafted if I did not know. 



I set out the Manetti stocks; they 

 soon made new roots and we have 2.000 

 more piece-root grafted roses in the 

 sand, which are rooting nicely. I 

 think If I had let the Manetti stocks 

 stand two years before taking them 

 up they would have made roots for 

 eight or ten thousand grafts. 



The weather was mild and the 

 ground in good condition, so I set out 

 my Manetti stocks for the second time 

 last week. I intend to let them grow 

 t-wo years, so as to make strong roots. 



I hired a man who makes grafting 

 a business every winter. He can put 

 In from 1,500 to 2,500 a day with the 

 help of a boy to tie. I paid him $2.50 

 a day, so, if this proves any help in 

 the growing of roses it need not be 

 expensive. 



I suppose many other florists have 

 tried the same thing and would be 

 glad to learn how others have succeed- 

 ed. Also, if grafted roses have any 

 real advantage over those on their 

 own roots. 



GEORGE M. KELLOGG. 



Plea.sant Hill, Mo. 



ROSE BEDS. 



We have a center bed in a rose 

 house which we wish to make a solid 

 bed for roses, the l>ed to be planted in 

 .June. It Is sided up about two feet 

 high and was filled with soil about 

 sixteen inches deep, leaving eight or 

 nine inches on top to be filled in. 



What we would like to know is, 

 would It do to fill in two or three inch- 

 es with coarse coal cinders and then 

 fill up with good rose soil about six 

 inches deep? Would that make a good 

 drainage, or would coal cinders be in 

 any way dangerous to roses? Would 

 jt be best to make the layer of rose 

 soil deeper. SUBSCRIBER. 



I have never used coal cinders In fill- 

 ing solid beds for roses, but If the 

 Bshes are screened out so there will be 

 good drainage there is no doubt they 

 will be all right, as for many years I 

 have used fine cinders and ashes on 

 benches on which young pot roses were 

 set, and when the roots came through 

 the pots and got among the cinders 

 they were always fleshy and clear 

 white, showing they were in congenial 

 surroundings, and the plants made 

 very rapid growth. 



At one time I purchased a lot of 2- 



