January 11, 1913 



HORTICULTUKE 



39 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



CONDUCTED BY 



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Questions by our readers in line with any of tbe topics presented on this page will be cordially received and promtply answered 

 by Mr. Ruzicka. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the oflSce of HOKTICDLTTJRB. 



Use of Lime in Winter 



Many of the plants will no doubt show the effect of 

 the recent dark rainy weather and will need a little lime 

 to brace them up a little bit and keep them going until 

 the longer days of the late winter will help them along. 

 Teas are more apt to show this than Beauties and so it is 

 sometimes necessary to lime one and let the other go, 

 should the two be grown in the same house. In apply- 

 ing lime use only air slaked lime, spreading it over 

 the surface of the benches very carefully so as to be sure 

 to have it even. Sometimes it is better to apply it in 

 the form of liquid, where there are facilities for doing 

 so. This will greatly help to exterminate worms in the 

 soil which at times become a nuisance. 



After applying the lime it is well to "rub it in," i. e., 

 just run over it slightly to incorporate the surface of 

 the soil with it a little should the plants require a larger 

 dose at the one time. If not we prefer to apply it to the 

 benches and allow it to lie a day or two before watering 

 it. This will make it harden somewhat and the plants 

 can tlien take it up as they need it. 

 Bonemeal 

 Of all the so-called manures and top dressings we find 

 bonemeal is the best. For an all-around plant food it 

 can hardly be surpassed. There is a wide difference be- 

 tween a plant food and fertilizer. We generally look 

 upon the fertilizer as more or less of a stimulant, and 

 upon manure, etc., as plant food. Although any plant 

 food can be used as a stimulant, no stimulant should be 

 used as plant food. 



By all means see that the bonemeal is merely rubbed 

 in and not dug into the soil as is customary on most 

 places. The less you scratch around the plants the bet- 

 ter, for then there will be no broken rootlets whose busi- 

 ness it is to see that aU the plant is supplied with nour- 

 ishment. These little roots often form a sort of a mat 

 in the old decayed mulch that lies on the surface of the 

 bench. You can see for yourself what it would mean 

 to rake this mat of fine roots over and tear them all up, 

 80 that the plant is forced to push out new roots again. 

 Eub in your bonemeal and do not hinder the plants' 

 growth. 



Plants that are just starting out into new growth will 

 be greatly helped if they receive a light dose of bonemeal. 

 A little liquid manure would also be very good. We 

 would hardly recommend mulch at this time of the year, 

 although if used in the right way there will be no harm 

 done. The right way is to be careful not to apply too 

 much of the manure at one time, otherwise the roses will 

 never dry out the way they should with proper amount. 



Red Spider 



Mr. Jenkins has it about right. We have always 

 recommended a fine stream of water properly applied as 

 the best cure, and all the damping down in the world 

 would not do one-fifth as much as a good syringing. 

 Many throw a lot of water all over the houses every so 

 often and then claim that spider cannot be gotten rid of. 

 This is not what we would call syringing. By saying 

 "syringe" we mean throwing fine spray of water with 

 great force under the leaves so as to wash off any in- 

 habitants that may have thought of planting their cozy 

 little homes there. We prefer one hundred pounds pres- 

 sure; "the more the merrier" for the spiders dance all 

 the more. The thing is to syringe as quickly as possi- 

 ble, syringing thoroughly at the same time. The higher 

 the pressure the less water will fall on the bench and that 

 is just what you want. At any rate, no one should wait 

 until spider makes an appearance, but should syringe 

 to prevent it during the summer months when a house 

 can be fairly drowned one day and be dry the next. To 

 go further we have had an experience very similar to 

 that which Mr. Jenkins writes about in the issue for 

 January 4th. This was in a connecting cross-house 

 where smilax had always been grown. It had always 

 been the opinion of one of the members of the manage- 

 ment that that space planted to Eichmonds would yield 

 far greater returns. Finally this was taken up, and 

 this certain member had the same argument, i. e., the 

 cross-house being very damp and warm, spider would not 

 appear. But wrong was he, for the place proved to be a 

 regular spiders' nest and it was hard to syringe, for the 

 plants would not dry off and a dose of spot followed. 

 Today the place is in smilax again. 



Veronica 



The present representation of the genus Veronica in 

 the catalogues of leading hardy-plant firms indicates 

 close study and good judgment of ornamental merits and 

 demerits. Gardeners and landscape architects responding 

 to the invitation to buy will soon become aware of the 

 various effective uses of the speedwell species. Nowhere 

 does judicious selection of plant material mean more 

 than in herbaceous gardens. The skilful arrangement 

 of successive floral arrays and the artistic combination of 

 colors offer a wonderfully rich field for the demonstra- 

 tion of professional mastership. Success means satisfied 

 customers and subsequent increase in business to the 

 commercial side, while, in the career of the private gar- 

 dener, practical accomplishment^ in the given direction 

 soon attract the attention of the army of small garden 



owners who are ever alert and willing to follow the lead- 

 ership and example of the profession. Looking at the gen- 

 eral advancement of horticulture as a whole, the present 

 keen demand for veronicas is, of course, only a minor 

 incident, but as detail-feature of the times, it is gratify- 

 ing withal. Of the 160 known species of the genus 

 Veronica hardly more than one dozen remain of real 

 interest to us. The low-growing or creeping alpine 

 speedwells, enhancing the beauty of the spring flor- 

 escence of rock gardens and prominent by their charac- 

 teristic sheets of blue blossoms, I am inclined to recom- 

 mend for a more general consideration than they have 

 hitherto been given. In this class we find, as one of our 

 most charming floral mountain darlings, Veronica 

 rupestris. Arrayed in clouds of bright little amethyst 

 blue flower spikes literally covering the foliage, it speaks 

 (Continued on page 41.) 



