March 29, 1913 



HORTICULTURE 



459 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



. CONDUCTED BY 



Questions by our readers In line with any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially received and promptly answered 

 by Mr. Ruzlcka. Such communications sbonld Invatjably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTUHE. 



Building the First House 



This is far more important than most beginners will 

 think, and careful consideration should be given to lo- 

 cating the house, as the future will no doubt want more, 

 and there is no greater loss of time and money than 

 moving things around and tearing up the place to 

 make room for the new-comers. How often we see a 

 place with the houses all zigzag and running every which 

 way, all because of a little neglect in the planning of a 

 range. Take the heating system for instance ; we would 

 install a boiler that can easily be attached in battery to 

 another, in case more glass is added to the range. There 

 is very little saved in putting in boiler pipes and room 

 just to meet present conditions ; always plan to have the 

 present met, and the future as well. Any large corpor- 

 ation in any line of business always moves for the fu- 

 ture, and you will find that all florists who are real suc- 

 cessful at the game, work the same way. To illustrate, 

 I would have some of the readers go over a carnation 

 growing establishment, and let them see for themselves 

 whether there is anything in growing carnations. But 

 "Every little movement has a meaning of its own" on 

 this place at least, and there is no wasted energy any- 

 where, but all force is directed toward one single thing — • 

 the production of high grade carnations. No other 

 plants of any kind are ever attempted. This hardly is 

 in keeping with the heading of this page, but a little 

 example like this will always be given space, I am sure. 



Lime Water for Young Stock 



Often it will happen that before the young plants 

 have started well, a dull spell of weather will come and 

 the plants will not dry out as readily as may be desired, 

 this of course being responsible for the soil turning sour. 

 Now, no plant can grow to perfection in soil that is sour, 

 unless it is a plant that naturally grows in sour soil. It 

 would hardly do to apply lime to the potted plants as 

 this would mar their appearance, and a large part of it 

 would be likely to stick to the pots, thus rendering them 

 much less serviceable. The only and best method is to 

 apply the lime in the form of lime water, which is made 

 by slacking a good pailful of lime in a barrel of water. 



After the mixture settles use the clear water to water 

 the plants with, using a sprinkling can to do so. Water 

 the plants thoroughly with clear water first and then fol- 

 low with the lime water. This will give the lime water 

 a better chance to soak into the soil and all the plants 

 will receive the same amount of the lime water, where if 

 they were watered when dry the water would run out of 

 some of the pots, and of course these would not receive 

 the amount the others would. 



Cleaning the Young Stock 

 Keep the young stock clean at all times, free from 

 weeds, and never allow the surface of the soil to become 

 so green that the water cannot soak through. Good 

 plants can hardly be expected to turn out of the green- 

 scummed pots. Plant the plants into clean pots and 

 keep them clean all the time, then you can look for 

 results and no other time. 



Repotting 



Never allow the young plants to become so pot-bound 

 as to sufl'er from lack of nourishment. We always 

 thought it was trouble enough to make the plants grow, 

 without hindering their growth in any way. Keep them 

 going, as stunted little plants will hardly bring in the 

 large cut of blooms which we all look forward to so 

 much. If you are making the final potting the soil can 

 be well enriched with bone meal, soot, or whatever you 

 may wish to use. We speak of the soil, meaning well- 

 decayed compost of cow manure and sod, there being 

 about two-thirds of the latter; to this the bonemeal can 

 lie added, and it should be thoroughly mixed so that all 

 the plants get an even quantity of it. It makes it hard 

 to water the plants when one is small and another is 

 large ; therefore aim to treat the plants all alike so they 

 will grow all at about the same rate. It is surprising 

 how much easier it is to look after plants of even growth, 

 than to look after plants that are all mixed as to size. 

 In potting be careful not to fill the pot too full of soil 

 for they must all hold water to be wet after watering. 

 Again be careful not to fill one pot full and another less 

 so, for then one will hold more water than another, and 

 trouble will be experienced in watering and trying to 

 keep the plants all even in moisture. 



the flora of those regions divulging the surprising gen- 

 erosity of Mother Nature in the application of the 

 brightest tints from her color palette; rich floral gayety 

 as equivalent for the limited period of vegetation. 



Some Alpine plant species are difficult to acclimatise 

 in gardens ; others respond readily to average cultivation. 

 Thymus serpyllum is a charming representative belong- 

 ing in the latter category. Of trailing habit, plantations 

 soon form dense vivid green mats of vines, which, during 

 the later parts of June and early in July, appear literally 

 covered with clouds of little blossoms. In height not 

 exceeding 2 to 3 inches, mountain thymes are very pretty 

 subjects for wall and rock-gardens. The variety serpyl- 

 lum album flowers snow-white, the blossoms of coccinea 

 are bright red, while those of serpyllum splendens, de- 

 picted by our illustration, show a carpet of bright deep 



magenta red. The species Thymus lanuginosus resem- 

 bles in its habit of growth the serpyllum type. Its dis- 

 tinct characteristics consist of a wooly hirsute foliage of 

 a mouse-gray shade and little flowers of purplish laven- 

 der coloring. 



Mountain thymes require an open sunny exposure 

 and, as a rule, thrive well in a light sandy loam. It is 

 advisable to have the ground surface on a slanting grade 

 to avoid excessive moisture, which, particularly during 

 hot sultry weather, may cause foliage and flowers to 

 damp off. Stock can be raised from seed, sown early in 

 spring. Plants may be also very easily propagated by 

 divisions early in fall. Plantations should be protected 

 by leaf covering during winter. 



Riverton, N. J. 



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