December 12, 1908 



BRUSSELS SPROUTS. 

 I wish some reader of HORTICUL- 

 TURE would enlighten me on the cul- 

 ture of this vegetable so as to get it to 

 produce good solid heads. I have been 

 able to get only soft, loose heads, al- 

 though the seed was procured from the 

 most reliable source and the plants 

 have had no lack of water, nourish- 

 ment or room. H. 



Brussels sprouts are closely allied 

 to kale, therefore require almost the 

 same treatment. 



The first condition of success with 

 Brussels sprouts like that of nearly 

 all other vegetables is the right soil. 

 The best soil is a rather sandy loam, 

 not less than 12 inches deep, the sub- 

 soil under which should be sandy or 

 gravel. A clayey or stiff sub-soil is 

 uncongenial, and, unless drained arti- 

 ficially or naturally by sandy or gravel 

 sub-soil, success is impossible. Expe- 

 rience has shown us that it is always 

 beneficial for the Brussels sprouts 

 crop to plow the land in the fall, not 

 only because when this is thrown up 

 in ridges it gets pulverized by the ac- 

 tion of the frost, but also that the 

 turning of the soil exposes the larvae 

 and eggs of insects to the frost, which 

 tends greatly to lessen their number 

 the succeeding year. The best manure 

 I find is half stable and cow mixed to- 

 gether, and always bear in mind that 

 the more thoroughly rotten and disin- 

 tegrated manure can be had, the bet- 

 ter will be the result. 



Spread the manure to the thickness 

 of three inches at least and sprinkle 

 some bone dust with this. Plow in 

 and harrow smooth with rake and the 

 bed is ready for planting. Sow the 

 best seed that can be got, for, unless 

 you have good seed, no matter how 

 good the cultivation, the result will be 

 a failure. About April 20th, when 

 seedlings are large enough, transplant 

 into cold frames or, better still, pot 

 into two-inch pots and from twos to 

 fours. I find potted plants do far bet- 

 ter than when transplanted from a 

 cold frame; they seem to take hold 

 much quicker and set better too. 



Plant out in July, and plant 2 1-2 

 feet apart in the line and 3 feet be- 

 tween the lines. After planting, it is 

 needless to say that the soil should be 

 kept continually stirred around the 

 roots, and all weeds kept down. Dur- 

 ing very dry weather they should get 

 plenty of water. 



There are several kinds of insecti- 

 cides in the market, but Slug Shot is 

 one of the best and safest kind I have 

 tried, and keep the plants perfectly 

 clean by using it once or twice dur- 

 ing the season. 



Brussels sprouts should never be 

 planted year after year in the same 

 place, but should be planted in a new 

 place each year. 



The above is my way of growing 

 Brussels sprouts, and I have very 

 good results every year with them. 

 GARDENER. 



H ORTI CULTURE 



A ROSE GROWER'S PERPLEXI- 

 TIES. 



Editor of HORTICULTURE: 



I trust I am not asking too much 

 when I ask for information on the 

 following points: 



1. How often to spray roses at this 

 season, when there is no red spider. 



2. What to do for mildew when put- 

 ting sulphur on pipes and powdering 

 the leaves is not effectual. 



3. What temperature to keep the 

 house during the day for Brides and 

 'Maids. 



I know nothing about growing roses, 

 but engaged a grower who claimed to 

 be an expert, but I am fearful he is 

 not, and if you would kindly answer 

 these questions as soon as possible you 

 will help a beginner who is anxious to 

 succeed. 



Yours very truly, 



J. H. L. 



779 



No. 1. At this time of the year we 

 do not have many wholly bright days, 

 so that it is generally necessary to take 

 advantage of each as it comes along, 

 but if you have an exceptionally long 

 bright spell and there is no red spider 

 on the roses we would say that for a 

 while it would be better to syringe 

 not more than three times a week. 



No. 2. It is not often that mildew 

 cannot be checked by using sulphur on 

 the pipes and powdering the leaves, 

 providing that the ventilation is at- 

 tended to carefully. Ventilation, in 

 fact, we believe is the most important 

 item in the checking of mildew. It 

 is not so much a question of the tem- 

 perature in the houses as it is that of 

 keeping out the slightest draft. If J. 

 H. L. will be particularly careful about 

 this point and continue to keep the 

 pipes with some sulphur on them, 

 using linseed oil with the sulphur to 

 make it hold, he should be able to get 

 rid of this trouble. 



No. 3. The proper temperature for 

 Brides and 'Maids on bright days with 

 air on is 75 degrees; on cloudy days, 

 when it is possible to ventilate only 

 slightly, 64 to 66 degrees is better. 

 Night temperature should be 60 de- 

 grees. 



It is also important that steam be 

 kept in the rose houses every night 

 and all night at this time of the year, 

 otherwise the air will be too heavy 

 and damp and it will be next to im- 

 possible to remove the mildew. 



LOUIS J. REUTER. 



A CORRECTION. 



The vase of handsome blooms of 

 chrysanthemum William Duckham, 

 which we illustrated in issue of No- 

 vember 21, was exhibited at Madison, 

 N. J., not at Lenox, Mass., as printed. 



A WINTER SONG. 



Winter, and splinter of leaf -barren bough; 

 Never a thrush with its lyrical vow; 

 Down in the garden-close everything sere; 

 Oh, for the rose and the prime of the year! 



Eery and dreary the night and the noon; 

 Gone all the glamour that girdled the moon; 

 Gone all the glows from the mead and the 



mere: 

 Oh, for the rose and the prime of the year! 



Whirling and swirling of ominous cloud; 

 Waves in a welter and earth in a shroud; 

 Yet through the snows, love, the dawn will 



break clear; 

 Oh, for the rose and the prime of the year! 

 —Clinton Scollard, in Munsey's. 



CULTURE OF BEGONIA GLOIRE DE 

 LORRAINE. 



It is comparatively easy to propa- 

 gate, by taking leaf or top cuttings 

 from November to March. By taking 

 batches of cuttings at intervals it en- 

 ables one to have the fine specimens 

 in 8 and 10- inch pans down to the 

 smaller size of 4 and 5 inch pots by 

 Christmas. After taking the cuttings 

 insert them into clean, sharp sand in 

 a temperature of 60 to 65, with a bot- 

 tom heat of 5 to 10 degrees higher, 

 and give them a good watering; after- 

 wards care must be taken not to keep 

 them too wet until they are well root- 

 ed, which will take from six to eight 

 weeks, at which time they are ready 

 for their first potting into 2 or 2 1-2 

 inch pots, using a compost of two- 

 thirds fine leaf mold and one-third 

 loam with a good sprinkling of good 

 sharp sand. Do not pot them firm or 

 there will be a great loss. After pot- 

 ting, place them on a shelf near the 

 glass, partly shaded, in a temperature 

 of 60 to 65 degrees, taking great care 

 not to let them suffer for want of 

 water, and syringe them on all favor- 

 able occasions. As they begin to fill 

 their pots with roots, repot them into 

 larger pots, being careful not to over- 

 pot them. By the end of May, or the 

 first week in June, they will be ready 

 for the market growers to fill all their 

 orders, also are ready for repotting, 

 and a good compost is one part flaky 

 leaf mold, two parts loam, with plenty 

 of sharp sand; when spacing give the 

 plants plenty of room, so that they 

 get all the air that's coming to them, 

 for one good specimen plant is worth 

 a dozen poor, weak-looking ones. A 

 sprinkling of soot between the plants 

 at intervals of every three to four 

 weeks is very beneficial: it not only 

 keeps down slugs, insects and spot, but 

 helps to give the foliage that rich, 

 dark lustrous appearance of health. 

 During the months of August and Sep- 

 tember, Begonia Gloire de Lorraine 

 and Begonia Turnford • Hall begin to 

 make rapid growth and will require 

 spacing and repotting into their final 

 pots, using a compost of one part good 

 flaky leaf mold, one part loam, and one 

 part well-rotted cow manure. Now 

 that they are getting quite large they 

 will require a few supports of thin 

 wire, and by using green silkaline they 

 can be tied into attractive shape. A 

 little stimulant will be very beneficial 

 from now on. A little snot dissolved 

 in some manure water is a very good 

 stimulant. I also have great success 

 with Clay's Fertilizer and Ichthemic 

 Guano. 



Two of the greatest secrets or suc- 

 cessful begonia growing are: first, 

 never to overpot them; and second, 

 never to pot them too firm. A thin 

 shading is all that is necessary at all 

 times — along towards the end of Sep- 

 tember they can be permitted to full 

 sunshine. The majority of growers 

 grow them in frames all summer long, 

 but they can be grown with as good 

 success entirely inside. 



CHARLES THOS. BEASLEY 



Norwich, Conn. 



