November 8, 1913 



HORTICULTURE 



631 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



CONDUCTED BT 



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

 by Mr. Ruzicka. Such communications should Inyarlably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTURE. 



Ventilation on Windy Days 



With the wind blowing a gale, and quite cold, it often 

 becomes a problem to ventilate the houses properly, and 

 yet avoid the danger of the wind doing harm. Where 

 the houses are equipped with ventilators on both sides 

 of the ridge, it simplifies matters somewhat, as the air 

 can then be put on from the opposite side and the wind 

 cannot blow into the houses as with the one-ventilator 

 house. Plants that are hardy and have been growing 

 in well ventilated houses will suffer very little from an 

 occasional draft of air. Quite different, however, with 

 the weak, overwatered and grown-too-warm plants. 

 These will show signs of mildew at the slightest little 

 change of temjjerature. It is a good idea at any rate 

 to keep close watch on the thermometers, and see that 

 there is not a too varied difference in the temperatures. 

 The houses should never go below 70 in the daytime oa 

 a clear day, especially if they liad been up to 78 or even 

 80 only a short time before. Keep a steam on the boiler, 

 for clouds are very likely to appear, and there may be 

 a snow squall. Where there is no steam better have a 

 good fire in the boilers lying in readiness for any 

 emergency. Also have the hot water slowly circulat- 

 ing, so that there will not be too long a time for it to get 

 all around. As soon as the squall arrives do not shut 

 the ventilators down tight, as is the custom in many 

 places. Merely reduce the air down to a crack and then 

 give the houses enough heat to keep up the necessary 

 temperature. With hot water many will make a mis- 

 take and turn on every pipe in the house when they find 

 the temperature dropping fast. This is very impracti- 

 cal, for it fills the boilers with very cold water, and thus 

 delays the heat. A much better way is to leave the only 

 pipes that were turned on and then stir up the boilers. 

 Another fault of turning on all the pipes is that after 

 the heat does get around the houses will usually run 

 away up, and it will take a long time for them to come 

 down. This variation of temperature is not going to do 

 the plants any good, even though there is no visible harm 

 done. 



Fumigation 



This should never be neglected. Keep right after the 

 bugs and give them no chance to gain a foothold. It is 

 much better to fumigate while it is raining, for then 

 all the crevices that are in the roof and sides of the 

 houses will be filled with water, and there will be very 

 little if any chance for the fumes to escape. Fumigating' 

 on a dry and very windy day rarely has the desired 

 effect, and it should be avoided if at all possible. Be 

 sure to have the plants in good condition as to water- 

 ini\ for if the plants are dry the fumes may burn them 

 here and there, or else burn the points out of the buds if 

 not stron? enough to do other harm. Buds without the 

 points will not -command the price that perfect flowers 

 will, and it pays to be very careful. This applies to all 

 the difForont forms of fumigation; it matters but little 

 whether cyanide is used or tobacco in some form. Need- 

 less to sav the houses should be fumigated at night, or 



the last thing before quitting at night. Then the tem- 

 perature will vary but little, if the thermometer outside 

 does not drop. 



Syringing After Fumigating 



Whenever it is possible to do so, arrange the program 

 so that the plants will receive a good syringing directly 

 after they have received a dose of smoke. This is true 

 of spraying, too, and where spraying is resorted to al- 

 together, it is well to spray right after the plants are 

 syringed, for then there are countless numbers of in- 

 sects that are open to attack, and if the spray can get 

 them before they hide in the nooks and corners, it will 

 be so many off tlie list. There is only one objection 

 to spraying, and that is that it must positively be done 

 regularly to keep the plants absolutely clean. If they 

 are neglected only for a short time, it will take a great 

 war to put the enemies down where they belong. With 

 fumigation it is different, for it is not so difficult to 

 reach all the corners with the smoke. Tobacco stems 

 should not be used now that the plants are flowering. 

 They are too strong, or rather contain too much waste 

 matter which turns into noxious gases when ignited. 

 It is much safer to use some of the tobacco and nicotine 

 papers or extracts advertised elsewhere in the columns of 

 Horticulture. 



Shaking the Plants After Syringing 



After the plants have received their syringing, be sure 

 to go over the benclies very carefully, and shake the 

 plants well, so that they will be sure to be dry by the 

 time sundown comes. It is a very poor policy to have 

 the plants wet at night, as they do not like it. There 

 are many diseases that are likely to spring up if this is 

 neglected, and the little time it takes to do it will be 

 repaid well by the healthy growth that will result. Do 

 not neglect the lime either, for this helps wonderfully 

 in drying out the air around the plants. 



Artemisia lactiflora 



This plant which forms our cover illustration this 

 week is a strong growing herbaceous perennial, per- 

 fectly hardy in Massachusetts, and now quite well known 

 in gardens, being one of E. H. Wilson's early introduc- 

 tions from China. It grows four to five feet tall, with 

 stems densely clothed with elegantly divided chrysanthe- 

 mum-like foliage, each stem terminating in a wide 

 pyramidal panicle two feet .or more long, composed of 

 hundreds of small, milk-white, delightfully fragrant 

 flowers that are well adapted for use as cut flowers. This 

 plant blooms in August and for best results should be 

 planted in good garden soil in a situation where it will 

 not suffer from drought. It is an excellent subject for 

 the side of a pond or an ornamental stream, or for the 

 wild garden. It i^ i<:i-;ily increased by divisions of the- 

 rootstock. 



