Al'lUi- ',. \'A»I. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



551 



The Liberty Cap of Liberty Roses at Ihe exhibition of the 

 American Rose Society, New York. 



can spare a grapery in the fall to flower 

 the plants in, yet can't afford house 

 room during the summer months. Be- 

 fore the dreaded disease, commonly 

 known as "Rust" made its appearance, 

 oc^ide culture during the summer 

 mouihs was possilde: it is almost use- 

 less trying the outdoor system now. 

 Indoors your plants are more under 

 your control, the atmosphere can he 

 kept dry or moist at wilt and tfiis is 

 the most important factor in battling 

 ■with the disease. If the plants be wat- 

 ered during the morning or forenoon, 

 and the house dry by night, there will 

 be little need to resort to Bordeaux 

 mixture or any other fungicide. Apart 

 from the question of disease, however, 

 indoor culture is preferable as giving 

 the best result all through, the foliage 

 is always superior, and I believe on the 

 whole they are less trouble. Any hcuse 

 that has been used for bedding plants. 

 Or winter vegetables, and which will 

 not be needed before the flowering sea- 

 son is over makes a good pface. 



Different pests may prove trouble- 

 some during the summer months, hut 

 a few tobacco stems thrown around 

 every now and then will keep them in 

 check. 



Attention will have to be given vers 

 frequently during the summer months 

 to tying and disbudding: neglect in 

 this respect is the cause of many fail- 

 ures. 



The taking of the bud is perhaps the 

 most momentous question of all, and 

 so long as new varieties are being in- 

 troduced, it will remain an unsolved 

 one. I don't think any hard and fast 



rule can be laid down regarding bud 

 taking, speaking generally, however, I 

 should say, that all varieties inclined 

 to be thin should be taken on the 

 crown bud and varieties that are more 

 compact should be taken on the termi- 

 nal bud. There are types that do well 

 on either bud, and it is a matter of 

 taste which you desire to select. The 

 crown bud invariably gives larger 

 blooms but not always so good a form. 

 Most of the Chinese varieties are best 

 on the terminals, the flowers being 

 more globular, and incurving. In fact, 

 many make a point of taking all in- 

 curved varieties on the terminal bud. 



Concerning color, most of the white 

 and yellow varieties are very little in- 

 fluenced by eitlier bud in this respect, 

 but all pink varieties (Mrs E. G. Hill 

 perhaps excepted) give better color on 

 the late bud. In fact Viviand-Morel 

 and several others come almost white 

 if taken on the early bud, although the 

 color is usually best on the terminal 

 bud. Again flowers taken on the crown 

 bud are invariably bare of foliage at 

 the neck, but the stem in most cases is 

 stronger. Crown buds require a higher 

 temperature than terminals and a 

 much longer time to develop. Flowers 

 taken on the crown bud show a larger 

 percentage of rough blooms. 



The taking of crown buds may com- 

 mence about August 25th and for ter- 

 minals about the second week of Sep- 

 tember. It is a great mistake to com- 

 mence the taking of buds too early, 

 rough blooms are invariably tlie result. 

 Many think that by taking the buds 

 early they will have early flowers, this 



also is a delusion. I have taken buds 

 as early as August 20lh and buds taken 

 September foth were in flower b« fore 

 them. 



Feeding: This is looked uijon by 

 many, in fact by nearly all, as the one 

 great necessity in procuring exhibition 

 bloom. "What do you feed with? " is 

 the all-absorbing question. It is im- 

 portant, of course it is, but it is usually 

 overdone. Too rich a compost to be- 

 gin with and early feeding are the 

 cause of more sickly looking plants 

 than poverty. If your soil contained 

 the usual amotmt of constituents, the 

 plants ought to get along without any 

 other iissistance until the middle or 

 end of .July. Be sure your pots are full 

 of roots first, before you stagnate the 

 soil with chemicals. Be on your giuird, 

 however, do not have the piants show- 

 ing visible signs of weakne.ss before 

 you stimulate them. Plants can stand 

 more feeding after the buds are taken, 

 especially after terminals are taken. 

 Apply any of the ordinary liquid man- 

 ures such as chicken or sheep nianuie 

 that has been steeped in a tank or bar- 

 rel or the washings from the cow or 

 horse stable; dilute freely and gradu- 

 ate the dose, do not stick to one form 

 all the time, alternate every week. 



After the buds are taken use some 

 nitrate of soda, about a 3-inch pot full 

 to 50 gallons of water; give this about 

 once a week. Just before the tioweis 

 show color use liquid sulphate of am- 

 monia, about the same quantity as ad- 

 vised for nitrate of soda. 



When the flowers begin to show col- 

 or, feeding should be ttopped. especial- 

 ly on all dark varieties and Mrs. H. 

 Weeks; some are benefited by small 

 applications of sulphate of ammon'a 

 until they are nearly fully out. 



COST OF HEATING. 



A subscriber asks: "How much coal 

 would it take to heat a greenhouse to 

 a night temperature of 50 degrees, size 

 of house 60 ft, long, 20 ft. wide, Ifi 

 at ridge, 5 ft, sides (3 ft. wood and 2 

 ft. glass)? Boiler Hitchings, No. 10, 

 which is situated 30 ft, away from 

 nearest part of greenhouse in a warm 

 cellar. Location, Western New York." 



There are several things to consider 

 before you could answer this offhand 

 and be at all certain that you had given 

 the right quantity. The house is quite 

 lofty for its width, which means large 

 glass exposure. Exposure or ast)ect 

 has something to do with it, and more 

 than all the method or plan of heat- 

 ing. 



If the boiler is well down and there 

 is a good drop for the return at boiler 

 the circulation will be quick and less 

 coal will be consumed. If the boiler 

 was close to the house and as is usual 

 with Hitchings the back of the boiler 

 projecting into the greenhouse it 

 would be much more economical than 

 being 36 ft, away, for in that distance 

 there would be considerable cooling 

 on both the flow and return. 



If the pipes are all bunched together 

 under the benches you tio not get the 

 same amount of radiation as if the.- 



