Mabch 24, 1904. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review, 



901 



A Liberty House at the Establishment of A Farenwald, Hillside, Pa. 



of September I stop syringing too often 

 overhead, as by that time most of the 

 plants will have made plenty of top 

 growth; and from that time on, I try 

 to induce breaks to come from the base, 

 which I think too much syringing over- 

 head will hinder, as it will keep eyes on 

 the top growth continuously breaking 

 into small growth, which is not desirable 

 during the fall and winter, as I believe 

 rather in quality of roses than in quan- 

 tity. I keep the soil always in a moist, 

 good growing condition, but never 

 soggy. I use water direct out of a well 

 which has an even temperature all 

 through the season, about 52 to 54 de- 

 grees. 



Manuring. 



I don't commence to top dress until 

 the latter part of August and beginning 

 of September. Then I put on a top 

 dressing of cow manure. I prefer to put 

 this in little ridges between the rows. 

 covering it with soil to prevent the 

 escape of ammonia as much as possible, 

 and its getting washed off too quickly 

 from the benches. Two or three weeks 

 after this first mulch, I have been in 

 the habit of putting on a sprinkling of 

 dried blood. This has to be done very 

 carefully, as blood is very strong in 

 ammonia, apt to take off a big crop of 

 leaves if put on too strong. I put it 

 in small streaks on either side of the 

 row, two to three inches wide, just thick 

 enough to cover the ground, and also 

 covering it with soil. 



From then on and following this every 

 two or three weeks, according to the 

 health and growing condition of the 

 plants and the weather, I put on sheep 

 manure, bone flour, wood aslies and pou- 

 drette, either mixing these together in 

 equal quantities or by themselves, but 



never at any time putting it on too 

 heavy. I would rather do it a few times 

 oftener than to endanger the health of 

 the plants. In March I put on another 

 layer of cow manure, and by the time 

 it is spent, I use the fertilizers men- 

 tioned before till June, when it winds 

 up the season. I have always used plenty 

 of aU sorts of manures, as I believe that 

 a plant which has to work out of sea- 

 son, and receiving so many waterings, 

 should have plenty of nourishment all 

 the time, never giving it a chance to be- 

 come dormant for want of proper nour- 

 ishment. 



Disbudding. 



I consider that the pinching out pro- 

 cess is the most important factor in the 

 production of strong, vigorous plants, 

 able to stand the strain of hea'i-j- cutting 

 in the dark months of winter. We know 

 that the formation of buds and flowers 

 taxes the strength and vigor of the plant 

 to the utmost. Therefore it naturally 

 seeks a rest after this exertion. Some 

 roses will recover faster from it than 

 others. Liberty is one of the slowest of 

 these to recover. 



Ever since I commenced to grow Liber- 

 ties I have followed the practice of care- 

 fully disbudding from ' the cutting on. 

 After they have been planted in the 

 benches a few months the production 

 of buds will be quite plentiful. I then 

 make it a practice to go over them every 

 other day, pinching out the buds as soon 

 as they can be gotten hold of, but tak- 

 ing no leaves with them, except on suck- 

 ers, which I cut back three to four 

 eyes, because if pinched too close to 

 the top they will break into very short- 

 stemmed buds, which is undesirable on 

 the stronger wood. This continuous dis- 

 budding, which stops the flow of sap 



to the buds and flowers, seems to irri- 

 tate the dormant eyes at the base of the 

 plant and they finally break into fine 

 canes, which will make grand flowers. 



In September and October, when the 

 plants begin to make longer-stemmed 

 flowers, ten to eighteen inches long, 

 which I do not care to have in bloom for 

 another month, I cut them back three 

 eyes to induce them to break strong 

 again. If pinched too close to the top 

 a short-stemmed flower will be the re- 

 sult. 



This practice enables us to have crops 

 in succession. I continue this disbud- 

 ding aU through the winter, carefully 

 taking off all buds up to five and six 

 inches in length of stem, as flowers of 

 that class are little thought of, and the 

 benefit of the retarded sap, and the sav- 

 ing of the foliage and wood will pro- 

 long its blooming capacity. This may 

 seem to many unnecessary; in fact, I 

 know that many growers do not believe 

 in it, but I hold that it is the most 

 important point to successfully bloom 

 Liberty in winter. 



Cutting. 



To cut right is a point with which I 

 am particularly careful. Kothing will 

 spoil the successful blooming of Liber- 

 ties as quickly as careless cutting. One 

 shotild always remember that we want 

 flowers all through the winter. I'o illus- 

 trate my point better: Take a plant 

 with eight buds on it, which would all 

 come within a week or two. I would 

 pinch three or four buds away, if 

 this is in September or October, which 

 woulel bring them in seven to eight weeks 

 later. It will give four buds at a bet- 

 ter price, besides not hurting the plants 

 as much as if I had cut all those long- 

 stemmed buds off at once. The plant 



