January 18, 1913 



HOETICULTUEE 



71 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



^ CONDUCTED BY 



Questions by our readers in line with any of the topics presented on tUis page will be cordially recehed and promtply answered 

 by Mr. Ruzicka. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICULiUKi!.. 



houses. An experienced man knows just how many 

 pipes it will take to hold up the houses when the mercury 

 stands at so much outside. 



Do not run your houses too warm; 66 degrees F. is 

 plenty for these dark, cloudy days. With 60 at nighi 

 the roses will not grow as much as they would if the day 

 temperature was raised a little more, but the growth will 

 be far healthier, and the plants much less subject to 

 disease. This is important, as we all know what a bad 

 dose of mildew at this time of the year would mean. 

 And as soon as the plants become what may be termed 

 "soft" they will get it as sure as the world. 



As advised in these columns before, do not run the 

 houses too warm the first clear day after several cloudy 

 ones. This will lielp the plants get used to the sunlight 

 once more and they will not wilt; 70 to 72 is plenty foi- 

 these days, as it can be gradually increased until the reg- 

 ular day temperature is reached again. 



The Cuttings 



With the propagator full of cuttings it will hardly pa.v 

 to neglect it in any way. Keep right after the tempera- 

 ture and try to keep it as steady as possible, both in tin- 

 sand and in the house itself. See that there are nn 

 draughts anywhere. It is a good idea to cheesecloth ali 

 the ventilators, thus making sure that no wind can possi- 

 bly blow in. In watering be very careful to water a- 

 early in the morning as is safe so that the plants have 

 plenty of chance to dry off before night. It is not good 

 to water too early in the morning, as the cuttings are 

 liable to get a chill, and this would not be doing thein 

 any good at all. Wliere it can be done we would advise 

 watering the plants with lukewarm water. But it must 

 not be too warm — just warm enough to take the icy chill 

 off of it. This especially applies to places where the 

 water comes from a tank on the premises. As can be 

 expected, this tank will likely have some ice in it and 

 we are sure the cuttings do not delight in an icy batli. 

 Spider should not give any trouble in the propagator, 

 providing the cuttings were taken from clean health\ 

 plants, and no cuttings should be taken from diseased 

 plants. Should spider appear very bad the only tiling 

 to do is to rip all the cuttings out and put new ones in. 

 making sure they are clean. All cuttings can be dipped 

 into some good insecticide and be greatly helped by it. 

 They must not, however, be allowed to soak in the mix- 

 ture for any length 'of time, as tliis would be likely to 

 take a large number of the leaves off. Just dip them 

 and make sure that the material reaches all the leave--. 

 Then rinse them good with clear water and you will 

 have them pretty nearly clean. Be careful, however, not 

 to bruise the leaves any, as this would damage the vitalitv 



Blackspot 



This disease will no doubt prove more or less trouble- 

 some during the dark, damp, rainy weather which we 

 have been having for the past week or two. Those who 

 followed our advice and kept after it early in the fall 

 when it was easy to pick it off and bum it, will be very 

 glad indeed. If your plants have had spot before and it 

 is breaking out anew you will have to be more than care- 

 ful if you expect to pull your plants through without 

 checking them much. Keep the plants on the dry side a 

 little bit, picking off and burning whatever spot you can 

 find. This, of course, must not be done where all the 

 leaves on the plant are affected, as this would leave the 

 plant leafless. The only thing to do in cases like this is 

 to spray the plants well with ammoniacal copper carbon- 

 ate or some other good fungicide, and then try to grow 

 the plants out of it. TMs is no simple task, to say the 

 least, and growers must use their own judgment as to 

 the best course to pursue. A light dose of lime will usu- 

 ally do wonders in helping to dry the plants out. Avoid 

 all syringing unless the condition of the plants demands 

 it. Should spider prove a menace, syringe very quickly 

 on all clear mornings, shaking the plants well to insure 

 their being perfectly dry by night. Then do not forget 

 to blow plenty of air-slaked lime underneath the plants 

 to dry out the air still more. If cold weather prevails, 

 always leave on a crack of air at night and never mind 

 the extra coal it takes to keep up the temperature. Of 

 course if the thermometer drops below 26 it is just as 

 well to close the ventilators, as enough heat will have to 

 be used to keep the air in proper condition. After the 

 plants show signs of improvement, a little liquid manure 

 can safely be applied. This will give the plants more 

 vigor and they will soon be on the safe side. 



Temperature in Dark Weather 



Trying to regulate the temperature in the houses this 

 changeable weather is not a job for the inexperienced. 

 Many growers will make the great mistake and stick al- 

 most anybody on the night firing duty. We are sure 

 such growers live to regret it for it is a very poor policy. 

 The weather man must certainly be very unsettled if he 

 gives us weather according to the mood he happens to 

 be in. With the high -winds the problem becomes even 

 more complicated as glass is liable to be blown out. Wo 

 have been very lucky in this respect, losing only a few 

 panes of glass out of some hot-bed sash which the wind 

 seemed to take 'gi'eat pleasure in scattering about. And 

 they were piled up nicely too with heavy pipes on top, 

 but that made but little difference to the hurricane. 



Keep your eyes on the thermometer outside. That is 

 the only way you can keep your temperature even in the 



of the cuttings considerable. 



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