March 20. 1902 



The Weekly Florists' Review, 



579 



\eutllators are kept wide open day and 

 night, except in stormy or changeable 

 weather. As fall approaches and the 

 nights begin to get cool they are gradu- 

 ally lowered, and raised in the same way 

 in the morning. Night temperature is 58 

 to 60 degrees; day, 65 to 67 degrees with 

 steam heat; with sun heat and plenty of 

 ventilation, 75 to SO degrees. This part 

 is, to my notion, one of the most im- 

 portant parts of rose growing; a very 

 tiresome job in changeable weather, re- 

 quiring attention sometimes every half- 

 hour. 



As soon as nights get chilly a little 

 heat is applied with some air left on at 

 night until steady firing starts. As soon 

 as the first heat is turned on sulphur is 

 put on the pipes. We simply mix it with 

 water and put it on with an old paint 

 bnish and close up the house. This 

 prevents or checks mildew which puts in 

 appearance sometimes in spite of all 

 precautions. This sulphuring is kept up 

 throughout the season. Fumigation is 

 started about the same time and kept up 

 about every four or five days. I do 

 this in the old-fasliioned way and do not 

 injure any blooms. Should the aphis 

 appear it is better to fumigate lightly 

 two or three nights in succession rather 

 than very strong at once. Syringing is 

 done in the morning on short days, 

 every bright day directly under the foli- 

 age to keep down or check the red 

 spider; on chiudy days just the warm 

 ends near the main heating pipes. If a 

 cold wind is prevailing when syringing it 

 is better to lower the ventilators partly 

 or entirely, and then gradually raise 

 them again. On cloudy days when steam 

 heat is scarcely needed it is a good plan 

 to have a little, with a crack of air on. 



It is pretty difficult to grow different 



hood, as it stands to reason with pure 

 air and better soil I am sure I could pro- 

 duce far better stock. The blooms are 

 cut from two to three times a day, ac- 

 cording to the season, and are placed at 

 once in cool water in cellar, and in warm 

 weather placed in ice-box. 



My main varieties are still the big 

 four — the Bride, Bridesmaid, Perle des 

 Jardins and Souvenir de Wootton. I 

 also grow a few Golden Gate, also some 

 Libertv, but I think this variety will not 



Brides and Maids. The Wootton is a 

 beautiful rose, ideal in form. If cut 

 just as beginning to open it will last 

 very well and is very fragrant. It is 

 very popular with the .young folks on ac- 

 count of its significant color. 



I do not grow American Beauty, as 

 my space is so limited, and our class of 

 irade does not call for it much. I am 

 going to try twenty-five Ivory this sea- 

 son. We cannot all grow extra grade 

 stock, but I am sure by trying hard we 



House of American Beauties. 



House of Chrysanthemums. 

 Views in the Establishment of G. Van Bochove & Bro., Kalamazoo, Mich. 



varieties in one house, which I am com- 

 pelled to do, and they would do much bet- 

 ter could they have separate houses and 

 be given the right notch. For instance, 

 Perles would do better in 62 degrees 

 or more. Brides and Maids about 58 to 

 60 degrees, and Woottons, 56 to 58 de- 

 grees. And, of course I am at a disad- 

 vantage in being in a crowded neighbor- 



pay me, though I have an idea that I 

 can grow it, but it would not pay to 

 grow a small number. Brides take the 

 lead; we know they do in more ways 

 than one, and certainly we could hardly 

 do without the Maid. Next comes the 

 Perle, the best yellow rose to date. It 

 would be grand could we have one 

 to grow with the same treatment as 



[■an grow good flowers, and if every 

 grower throughout the land would only 

 ilo so there would be a great deal less 

 of the periodical gluts, and although 

 good blooms sell first, the poor ones af- 

 fect the sale very seriously in time of 

 gluts, and it is only by strict attention 

 to every little detail and industry, that 

 we can produce good flowers, and it is 

 certainly a great pleasure and reflects 

 credit on the grower when this is accom- 

 plished. 



.lust to bring the names of the more 

 prominent roses to your notice I have 

 added an appendix to this. I imagined 

 that I had a dream and it was thus i 

 was requested by the American Beauty 

 to present the Souvenir de Wootton to 

 her august majesty, Kaiserin Victoria, 

 who was guarded by President Carnot, 

 and hero I obsen-ed the Bride aeeom- 

 ])anied by her Maid; obsernng the 

 (pearl in the garden) Perle des Jardins, 

 and having to pass through the Golden 

 tiate I took the Liberty of making a 

 call on the Queen of Edgely, where I 

 also saw the American Belle nestled in a 

 bed of Ivory, who was casting envious 

 eyes at the two new claimants for popu- 

 lar favor, Helen Gould and Alice Roose- 

 velt. If they prove as good as their 

 namesakes they will certainly be a grand 

 addition to the list of the queen of flow- 

 ers. Hope I have not tired you with 

 this essay by making it so long. I could 

 write still more, but have endeavored to 

 cover all points, and they are certainly 

 facts from personal experience. I thank 

 you all for your kind attention. 



I PRIZE the Review very highly. — Hor- 

 ace Riraby, Collegeville, Pa. 



