November 15, 1913 



n I? T I C U L T U K E 



663 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



CO.NULCTED BY 



i/uCy/ty(^-'yi<^J''^^ 



Questions by our renders in liue witli any of tbe topics presented on this page will be cordially recelred and promptly answered 

 by Mr. Euziclsa. Such communicatious should invariably be addressed to the office of HOKTICULTTJRE. 



Grading for New Houses 



If you are planning to build a new house or two next 

 spring, and the ground where it is to be built is not at 

 all level, do not wait until building time to do the neces- 

 sary grading. We have just heaid from one of our 

 readers, who has had a good deal of trouble with his 

 house settling. No matter how well the earth in the 

 places filled may be packed, it cannot be firmed down 

 as well as nature would do it. Therefore it is well to 

 do your grading at once, and let the snow, rain and 

 frost each have a chance to settle the ground down to 

 where it should be. If this can be done two years in 

 advance so much the better, for then the soil will be 

 firmed almost as good as nature's own land. It may not 

 seem possible that this settling of soil would in any 

 way bother the houses, yet it does, and will have them 

 all out of shape by the time five years have passed. Gen- 

 erally houses built now are well built, so that they will 

 still be here fifty years from now. Picture your houses 

 then if they are built on unsettled ground. The only 

 way to do in such cases is to run concrete posts from 

 the grade down into the solid earth underneath, and 

 then let the soil settle all that it wants to for the houses 

 will be safe. 



Mildew 



Many growers who have never been troubled with 

 mildew at one place find that it is almost uncontrollable 

 at another or new location. The fact is that every new 

 location has new problems of its own. The air may 

 be different, the wind may blow around some tall build- 

 ings or trees and right into the houses. The only way 

 to do is to find out all these things of the new place and 

 then run things accordingly, and not the same way as an- 

 other place where conditions were altogether different. To 

 ascertain the currents of air in a house take an ordinary 

 pair of bellows filled with lime and blow some of it 

 here and there and then watch the dust. This will show 

 you things you would doubt if you were told, and after 

 you know the way the air travels you can place your 

 heat so as to counteract or change the currents of cold 

 air, and have it come in, in such a way that the chill 

 will be taken from it before it touches too many of the 

 plants. Again the pipes doing service one way, will 

 not answer very well when the wind changes. 



Keeping the Plants Resistant 



Keeping the plants in perfect health will be a great 

 help to keeping mildew where it belongs, for the poor 

 weak, overfed and overwatered plants are always sure 

 to get it first, Keep the plants hardy, and it will be 

 much easier to defend them against diseases, for th^v 

 will do a good deal of the fightina; themselves. A dr ■<-■- 

 ing of lime now and then will help, but too much ^1 it 

 is not <Tood either. 



Watering in Cold Wet Weather 



Watering during cloudy weather should be avoided 

 as much as possible, but to have the plants too dry 

 would be equally harmful. If the weather shows no 

 signs of clearing, and the plants are in need of water, 

 a good watering should be given. Then allow the venti- 

 lators to remain opened a little, and try to give the 

 house a little heat to dry off the excessive moisture and 

 carry it out by the way of the ventilators. At sundown 

 a little air slacked lime blown underneath the plants 

 will help to dry out the air for the night and thus help 

 keep away mildew spores that may be in the house 

 asleep, for they do not grow unless conditions are ideal 

 for their growth. 



Lime and Sulphur 



Where no steam is used for heating, and no other 

 remedy is available a little sulphur mixed with lime 

 about 1 to 2 and blown over the plants will prevent the 

 mildew from spreading. We have found that a good 

 spray of Fiingine will do away with all traces of mildew, 

 and if applied in time will kill it so that many leaves 

 will be saved. This fact is mentioned only for the good 

 of the growers, and not to advertise the article, for this 

 is no place for advertisements. We have so far heard of 

 nothing that can compare with Fungine and that is 

 why no other preparation is mentioned. There is one 

 thing, however, that goes against it, and it is that it 

 will stain white paint wherever it comes into contact 

 with it. This stain, however, is not permanent and will 

 disappear in a short time. This is mentioned for the 

 benefit of our friends in the private conservatories wluic 

 all has to be kept polished all the time. 



In blowing the lime and sulphur over the plants it is 

 well to be careful not to let the powder get over the 

 blooms or over buds just beginning to show color. This 

 would bleach them more or less, and thus discolored 

 would not bring the same price that good stock would. 



Lining the Boxes 



The warm w^eather that still exists should not be 

 trusted too much and at least two thicknesses of news- 

 paper should be used to line all the boxes used for ship- 

 ping. Frost bitten tlowers are not in detnaiid, and after 

 this happens once or twice shippers will remember it. 

 Paper is cheaper tliaii roses, any time. 



The Winter's Coal 



Strange to say that the middle of November finds 

 many coal bins empty, and grow-ers just beginning to 

 think of ordering their coal. This is very poor busines.s, 

 and we would have little sympathy for the man who 

 failed to get his supply of fuel on time, should an early 

 blizzard and severe weather strike us unexpected. Let 

 us hope It shall not be, but one cannot tell when winter 

 will set in, and there is nothing like being well prepared. 

 The man who is ready for any emergency is the one who 

 will win out. 



