May 24, 1913 



HORTICULTURE 



779 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



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Qautlons bj our readen In line with an/ of the topics preiantad on this page will be cordially received and prom»tly anawere^ 

 b7 Mr. Buzlcka. Such communlcatioDB abonld Inraiiably be addressed to the office of HORTICCLTUBB. 



Spraying the Plants 



Many of us will be tempted these warm days to take 

 the hose and apply water to the plants in form of a 

 spray. This should not be done as it will do the plants 

 but little good and will more likely do some harm. 

 Bather than spray the plants with water in this fashion, 

 it is much better to give them a good syringing, which 

 will do a lot more, in freshening them up and reducing 

 spider, than all the spraying. To us mere spraying 

 seems to be but a habit of the grower — a habit which 

 should not be forgotten. When jDlanting, water the 

 plants well, and let it go at that, not bothering to throw 

 water over them every few minutes. Wlien properly 

 planted the plants will never feel the change except to 

 take hold of the soil and grow much more rapidly. 



Syringing 



Do not neglect to keep the plants well syringed, so as 

 to make away with any unwelcome pests, such as spider. 

 This applies especially to the young stock in pots. Be 

 very careful to have all the plants well watered, before 

 syringing, as the foliage will scald fearfully if the plants 

 are dry in the least. It is best to start the hose early in 

 the morning, and then follow with the nozzle about 9 

 o'clock. Should a thunder storm appear in the after- 

 noon, do not neglect to give the plants a little air-slacked 

 lime, blowing it well under the bottom leaves. This will 

 seem quite useless as the plants will dry quickly enough, 

 but we find it quite practical no matter what time of year. 



Scraping the Potted Plants 



This, too, is an important factor in producing fine 

 specimen plants, for planting. Weak over-watered 

 plants are not in demand, even if cheap, for they are 



dear in the end. See to it that the surface of all the 

 pots is kept free from the green scum that is so apt to 

 settle over the soil and fairly chokes the plant. The 

 roots want fresh air and sweet soil, and soil that has a 

 thick coat of green scum over it can hardly be called 

 fresh and sw-eet. Therefore remove the scum with an 

 ample tool, and keep the plants free from it. 



Lime Water 



This proves invaluable when it comes to sweetening 

 the soil in the pots. Lime itself cannot be applied to 

 the potted plants, as it would stick to the pots and to 

 everything else, often forming a hard scum, thus keeping 

 the water and air away. It is not practical then to ap- 

 ply lime. It is much better to apply it in the form of 

 lime-water which is equally effective and much better to 

 use. Unless the plants are grown in large numbers, it 

 does not pay to mis the lime-water in the manure tank 

 and apply it through the hose. Better put about half 

 a peck of lime into a barrel, and slake it, then fill the 

 barrel with water, allowing it to stand awhile to settle, 

 after which the clear liquid can be used to soak the soil 

 in the pots. 



Feeding Potted Plants 



Where only a small number of extra nice plants are 

 wanted it will pay to go to the trouble and feed them 

 quite regularly with weak liquid manure, being sure that 

 they are quite well watered with clean water first. This 

 is important as the plants are likely to sustain consid- 

 erable injury if watered with the liquid when they are 

 dry. Cow manure and water make the best form of 

 liquid for this purpose, and when evenly applied the 

 plants certainly show the effect of it. 



pared with the round kinds for winter use, and for the 

 fall shows many schedules have a class for them. To get 

 extra fine specimens a deep (at least thirty inches) soil 

 is very necessary and it should lie sandy and moderately 

 rich with a little lime added to most soils. Sow seed 

 now and thin to six inches apart. Blood Eed and Pine- 

 apple are lioth fine varieties. 



Keeping the Weeds in Check 



It certainly seems superfluous advice to growers to get 

 after the M'eeds, but a word of warning some time helps 

 us to do the things which we know ought to be done. 

 There is no getting away from the fact that it is easier 

 to fight weeds in the infant stage than later and besides 

 the hoeing and scuffling which we do to get rid of weeds 

 is such a help in conserving moisture and otherwise ben- 

 efiting the plants that perhaps the weeds are not after 

 all an unmixed evil. 



Care of Stock Recently Transplanted 



Much of the stock recently transplanted has had a 

 very hard time, going rapidly from hot scorching 

 weather to frost and cold winds. Mulching has been re- 

 peatedly referred to in these columns as one of the ele- 

 ments of good culture and careful watering whenever 

 necessary is of course another one. Hoeing, where 



mulching with litter is impracticable, is the next best 

 thing, creating thereby the dust mulch. 



Salsify and Scorzonera 



Sowings of these two vegetables should be made now 

 in the lightest soil available. Sow the seed in drills one 

 foot or more apart, thinning the plants in the rows 

 later to six inches apart. 



Rushing the Season 



We are all prone to rush the season and get stuff out 

 too early. Tomatoes, ^gg plants, peppers, as well as 

 Lima beans and corn which has been started inside will 

 be much safer in the frames or in some handy place 

 where a light covering may easily be spread over them 

 in case of threatened frost, than if planted out too soon. 

 June 1st is the earliest date north of New York that 

 these plants should be set out. Egg plants in particu- 

 lar seem to loose more ground by one touch of frost at 

 this season than a month's aftergrowth can make up, 

 and it is measureabJy true of all the above mentioned 

 plants. 



Lenox, Mass. 



