February 16, 1907 



HORTICULTURE 



191 



Roses Under Glass 



PROPAGATION 



The first essential towards successful propagation is 

 a properly constructed bench. To devise and build a 

 bench that will respond to all that is required of it 

 has been the work of some of our best growers for 

 many years ; the result is a bench as different in appear- 

 ance from the old style propagating bench as is the 

 modern iron-frame greenhouse compared with the anti- 

 quated building of twenty years ago. Many growers, 

 however, still adhere to the common rose bench, con- 

 verted into a propagating bench by the addition of 

 boards along the sides to conserve the heat. This prac- 

 tice is to say the least very unsatisfactory, as no matter 

 how neatly the boards are made to fit, the intense heat 

 contained in the interior of the bench soon warped them 

 causing them to spread, and in addition to allowing 

 much of the heat to escape, gives to the bench a most 

 unsightly appearance. To overcome this difficulty the 

 propagating bench may be built of brick or cement, 

 materials not so susceptible to heat. Growers who have 

 tried this style of bench speak very highly in its favor ; 

 it is more easily regulated than the old rose bench, and 

 the good results obtained soon compensate the grower 

 for his extra labor and expense. In building the walls 

 or sides of the bench, spaces should be left for the 

 ventilators. A very satisfactory bench operated on a 

 place where the writer worked was built of cement, the 

 bottom being of tile. The walls were about 3 ft. 6 in. 

 in height, 4 1-2 in. in thickness at the base, tapering a 

 little to within 7 in. from the top, at which point they 

 were reduced abruptly to 2 in., the ledge thus formed 

 serving as a support for one end of the tiles, the rest 

 being supported by iron bars, fastened to the cross bars 

 which were made of the same material. An opening 

 was left in the center and running full length of bench, 

 about 4 in. across, and covered with a box made of 

 twelve-inch boards, a six-inch board being hinged on to 

 one of the larger boards, the whole forming a most 

 ingenious ventilator, as when the cover was raised, the 

 greater portion of surplus heat was conveyed to a dis- 

 tance above the bench where the danger of scorching to 

 the cuttings was minimized. Along the sides were 

 placed other ventilators which let in cool air as it 

 became necessary. 



The bench, whatever material is used in its construc- 

 tion, should be equipped with a sufficient amount of pipe 

 to insure a bottom heat of 70 degrees; not that this is 

 essential to the well-being of the cuttings but as a means 

 of safety during a protracted period of zero weather. 

 Valves should be placed on each run of pipe, so that 

 one or more may be used independently. To keep the 

 pipes off the ground and prevent the displacement of 

 the bench, due to expansion, a good method is to sus- 

 pend each pipe by means of a stout wire to the cross 

 bars that support the tiles, thus allowing the pipes to 

 move with perfect freedom, and obviating any possi- 

 bility of the derangement of the supports. 



Sand for roses should be clean and sharp, not too 

 gritty, and free from any decomposing matter. In 

 order to make it pack nicely the sand should be mois- 

 tened and pounded down firm, leaving a uniform depth 

 of four inches. 



(Selecting and rooting the cuttings will be the subject 

 of the next article.) 



Culture of the Amaryllis 



'l"he seed should be sown between the 10th and 20th 

 ui' August. Where several hundred or more seeds are 

 to be sown, shallow boxes or flats 2 ft. x 18 in. x 3 in. 

 deep are best. The soil should be good, sandy and 

 silky to the touch, evenly filled in, the surface levelled, 

 and each seed put on edge; mind you one edge, in rows 

 an inch apart, gently pressed into the soil, then levelled 

 and given an even thorough watering. Place in tem- 

 perature of no more tlian seventy-five degrees. Keep 

 each box shaded with glass covered with brown paper 

 or canvas night and day until the young plants show, 

 which will be in a week or ten days if the seed is new 

 and good. 



The shading should be removed as soon as the ma- 

 jority of the plants are well above the soil; they should 

 be placed in a light, warm place, being careful that 

 they do not suffer from want of water. Wlien the 

 plants have two leaves each and the third one is devel- 

 oping, which they should do in seven or eight weeks, 

 it will be time to transplant them into other like boxes 

 (in good soil such as will grow good geraniums), 3 

 inches apart each way — made firm, well watered and 

 encouraged to grow as rapidly as possible. After they 

 have been growing for two months in these boxes (I 

 mean growing) their leaves should begin to overlap 

 each other, when, twice a week, they should be soaked 

 with not too strong manure water, kept growing rapidly 

 until first of May. Then partially withhold the water 

 until the middle of the mouth, thus preparing them for 

 their outdoor treatment which is soon to begin. For 

 two weeks previous to planting out, place them in a 

 frame where the sash may be taken off every sunny day 

 and put on again every night when chilly. 



Now for out-door treatment. When the ground gets 

 warm in a sunny, well-drained spot, in a trench 5 inches 

 deep, lay fiat a 5-inch fence board; on either uide of 

 this set on edge a 5-inch fence board, thus forming a 

 trough. Fill this trough with rich soil, such as will 

 grow good roses or chrysanthemums ; fill up the outside 

 of the boards with the soil that is; then set the very 

 strongest plants 6 inches apart and the weaker ones 5 

 inches apart, make firm and soak thoroughly with water. 

 It will be understood that the 5-inch fence boards are 

 used as illustrators from which deductions or elabora- 

 tions may be made. Twice a week during the summer 

 a good soaking of cow or other manure water should be 

 given. 



Between the 10th and 20th of September, beginning 

 at one end, take up each plant carefully; don't break 

 off one tittle of root. Pot quickly into 5 or 6-inch pots, 

 as size of plant suggests, in good soil. Cut off tops 

 one-third, tie leaves upright loosely, give one good 

 watering, stand in blocks snugly together; give water 

 sparingly afterward, and in ten days take the pots in- 

 side, lay them on their sides under the benches, in 

 greenhouse temperature and give no more water until 

 ready to begin forcing them, or other\vise preparing 

 them for flowering. 



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(To be continued.) 



