166 



HOETICULTUEE 



August 9, 1913 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



CONDCCXED B¥ 



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Questions by our readers in line wim any of tbe topics presented on this page will be cordially received and promptly answere*' 

 by Mr. Euzicka. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the oflSce o( HORTICTJLTDRE. 



The Boilers 



It will not be so very long now until the artificial 

 heat will lie required to keep the temperature of the 

 houses up to the mark, and then the worry and rushing 

 because the boilers are not in shape, and new parts 

 needed, and to make things worse there are many bad 

 places in the pipes that will be blowing out as soon as 

 the heat is turned on. Much of this can be avoided if 

 the matter is taken in hand now, and the whole system 

 well overhauled and put into first-class condition l)y 

 the time fall sets in. Begin with the boilers. If they 

 have not had tlieir cleaning and their dose of oil, clean 

 them all thoroughly, and apply the oil. Any oil will 

 do, although fish oil is generally used, as it is the 

 cheapest and goes further than any other oil. Now see 

 that all parts of the boiler are sound and will carry 

 through the coming winter. Any parts that are rather 

 doubtful had better be replaced at once, or if the part is 

 not very difficult to replace order it so as to have it 

 ready, and then let the part stay until it breaks when it 

 can be removed and the new part inserted. We would 

 much rather replace all poor parts at once and thus do 

 away with all worry and work at the unseasonable time 

 of the year that this would happen. Then go over the 

 mains and finally over the returns and coils in the 

 houses. After a thorough overhauling it is not a bad 

 idea to start the boilers and make sure that all is 0. K. 

 and in good working order. This seems like an awful 

 lot of trouble, but it is nothing compared to the anxiety 

 and worry caused l)y a break in the pipes in midwinter. 

 Another good thing to make and have constantly on 

 hand, are large wooden plugs that will fit all the dif- 

 ferent sized pipes on the jilaee. Then if a break occurs 

 in spite of all precautions one of the plugs can be driven 

 into the pipe, and will bold the hot water until the 

 break can be repaired and the heat turned on again. 



Grates 



Do not try to save money by leaving the old broken- 

 down grates in the boilers for another season. That is 

 poor economy to say the least, for poor grates will waste 

 more coal than a half dozen careless firemen. With the 

 constantly decreasing prices for cut flowers, and the con- 

 stantly increasing expenses, to economize in the right 

 way is a great help in making places pay neat dividends, 

 and bringing fair returns to nil who labor thereon. 



Crimson Clover 



Xow is about the right time to sow the crimson clover 

 that is to be plowed under next spring as a manure for 

 the sod lot. Xotbing like working ahead all the time to 

 make sure that the supply of this essential will not give 

 out. It is not a very good idea to put old greenhouse 

 soil on the ground that is to be used for sod very soon as 

 it is likely to contain certain fungi that may have a 

 bad efl^ect on the welfare of the plants when they are 

 finally planted in this soil. Xot that it is impossible to 



produce good stock with old soil. Many growers have to 

 use old soil over and over again but where virgin soil is 

 to be gotten, never use any old soil at all. A little lime 

 applied to the land and harrowed in will greatly help 

 the clover and will also help the soil. Another dose 

 may be applied just before plowing this clover in, as it 

 will then help decompose it, and put the soil in a much 

 better condition to receive the plants. 



Cutting from the Young Plants 



Do not be in too much of a hurry to cut long stems 

 from the young plants. Give them plenty of chance to 

 make headway, always leaving at least one shoot on the 

 plant uncut. This applies to Beauties; with Teas it is 

 somewhat different, for they come in crops more or less, 

 and when one plant is cut off clean the others will likely 

 be the same. Should it happen that the surrounding 

 plants are all growing, do not cut off one plant alto- 

 gether, but pinch one or two shoots to give it a chance 

 with the others. 



Pinching for Long Stems 



This hardly pays tnmmereially as the short-stemmed 

 roses sell much better than the longer stemmed grades. 

 But on many places where only long stemmed are wanted 

 pinching will give the long steins desired. To ac- 

 complish this without harm to the plants or the cut 

 bloom, pinch the buds out wlien they are still very 

 small, so small that they can just be seen. Usually the 

 shoot will then continue to grow right on and there will 

 be but little dift'ereuoe in the hardness of the wood from 

 the lower part of the stem to the bud. If the bud is al- 

 lowed to develop to any size before it is pinched, it will 

 cause the shoot to stop growing for a wliile and then 

 start, thus making a joint. In the early part of the 

 season there is no objection to this but later when the 

 wood becomes exceedingly hard, water will not flow 

 through tliis joint as freely as it ought to, and when the 

 cut blooms are placed in a shallow vase, in a hot room, 

 they are very apt to wilt above the joint, for the evapora- 

 tion through the foliage and petals is much greater than 

 the supply of incoming moisture through the stem from 

 the vase. 



Vacation Time 



It is very nice indeed to have a vacation and realize 

 the dreams of the seashore, the mountain resort, or other 

 pleasures sought at these times. But how often it is 

 spoiled by thoughts of the duties neglected or left un- 

 done that vacation may be made possible ! Perhaps not 

 so very often after all and yet the man who cares and 

 to whom the work is a pleasure and the production of 

 prize-winning stock an interesting game will never en- 

 joy his outing if he feels that all is not as it should be 

 at home. The only way to have a right good time, is 

 to have all work done on time, and have it all done well, 

 and then an outing is certainly enjoyable. To go out 

 having to feel that work has been neglected is worse 



