February 16, 1918 



HORTICULTURE 



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Rose Growing 

 Under Glass 



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<iu<'Stioiis 1)V our readers in line with any u( tlie topics pre- 

 sented on this page will be cordially received and promptly 

 ;nis\v ■n-.| hv Mr K'l.vi.i.-i Such communications should 

 iiiv:ii ial.lv l.V ;mMi Uie office of HORTICULTURE. 



Propagation 



Because of the fuel shortage many growers have net 

 started tlieir propagating as }et. Xow, however, with 

 spring only a little more than a month away it will be 

 necessary to begin propagating in earnest and be sure 

 to fignre on raising all necessary stock as there may not 

 be very many plants in the market this coming season 

 and it will be a waste of time and money trying to run 

 over a lot of sickly rants that never were plants. No 

 amount of drying off, resting or careful growing will 

 make thoroughbreds of these. Start in with tlie prop- 

 agator now. Begin by giving the whole house, benches, 

 walks, etc., a thorough cleaning and fumigating. Scatter 

 plenty of fresh air-slacked -or hydrated lime under the 

 benches. Put drains in all wet spots. Then white- 

 wash everything possible with good hot lime to which 

 some .copper sulphate has been added. After this has 

 dried well get in some clean fresh sand, water this down 

 and start the heat, after which the sand must be packed 

 —first with a brick and then a flat wooden tamper made 

 especially for the work. Do not pound hard in one 

 place but put tamper evenly all over the bench gently, 

 yet firmly, striking hard enough to pack, but yet not 

 jar the rest of the sand in the bench. Place thermom- 

 eters in various sections and aim to have the whole house 

 in working order liefore any wcxid is cut for cuttings. 



Selection of Wood 



This shoukl be only entrusted to the best growers on 

 the place, as the success or failure of propagating large- 

 ly depends on the wood. Use wood only with nice live 

 thorns, with healthy leaves free fi'om mildew or spider 

 and select the short blind growths that are here and there 

 on the plants and which make nice heel cuttings. There 

 is no wood that will beat these as there are bound to be 

 plenty of bottom breaks from the eyes on the heel of the 

 cutting as soon as the plant starts growing. Use a real 

 good sharp knife that will make a smooth cut and will 

 not bruise the bark in any way; as bruised cuttings will 

 not root. As soon as a bunch of wood is cut, dip it into 

 cold water for a minute, after which it had better be 

 kept out of water but must be well sprinkled so that 

 none of it will wilt. It can then be cut into cuttings 

 and these dropped into a bucket of water, from which 

 they should be taken and put into the sand at once 

 before they have a chance to become water soaked. Use 

 a putty knife to o]ien a groove into the sand, then lay a 

 strip of suitaldc wood right up to the cuttings, follow a 

 few taps with a brick and a hundred of them are in. 

 Do not pound too liard as the vibration would loosen 

 others already in sand. Also provide mufflers for all 

 doors that bang badly and vibrate the benches, and 

 select a house that is not used for a passage way if 

 possible so that there will not be a wind blowing through 

 iis the doors are opened and shut by men passing in and 

 out. It is well to put up either clieese cloth or muslin 

 curtains between the bench and the walks to break the 

 air current, and it may be necessary to put cheesecloth 

 over the ventilators although this may keep the liouso 

 too warm. 



Temperatures 



The temperature in the sand or in other words, bot- 

 tom heat, will have to be kept right up to GO day and 

 night, being very careful not to let it get above this as 

 it would likely wilt the ends of the cuttings so they 

 would never root. Care must be taken also not to let the 

 temperature go any lower as this would chill the cut- 

 tings and set them back considerably. Maintain a 

 steady temperature of 50 to 52 overhead. To do this 

 will require careful attention to the ventilators. It 

 will not hurt if the temperature overhead does go below 

 ■50 the first few days, as it will only help to drive the 

 sap down, and this will make I'oots. Be careful, how- 

 ever, to have the bottom heat up to the mark at all times. 



Watering and Syringing 



Newly inserted cuttings will take water once a day 

 with one or two sprinklings over the foliage on clear 

 ilays. During severe weather it may be necessary to 

 water twice — early in the morning and then right after 

 lunch, but always being careful to have the foliage all 

 dry about sunset, or you will be inviting trouble in the 

 form of spot. Spraying with copper sulphate will help 

 prevent this but is not a cure, and because the plants are 

 sprayed is no reason why they should be neglected, for 

 tlie spraying does not by any means make them spot 

 proof. So keep their leaves dry at night. 



All wood taken for cuttings should be free from 

 disease and insects so that it will not be necessary to 

 syringe. In fact, syringing cuttings should never be 

 attempted as it only would loosen tliem in the sand and 

 do very little if any good and possibly a lot of harm. 

 Syringe plants that are to supply propagating wood 

 quite often to keep them clean and healthy but let it 

 stop there and never attempt to syringe until after 

 the cuttings are rooted, potted and fairly established. 



Shading 



Needless to say it will be necessary to shade the prop- 

 agating house to keep the sunlight out. Do not paint 

 the glass with lime, as this will harm the paint and 

 jiutty. A much better way is to mix a little white lead, 

 a drop of green paint with kerosene and a little drier. 

 thus making a very thin wash that can be easily applied 

 and will not damage the paint in any way and it will last 

 as long as the house is used, afterward being easily re- 

 moved with caustic soda sprayed on during some heavy 

 rain. Where a rose propagator is built especially, it 

 should be in a shaded location citlier as a lean-to to 

 some greenhouse or else on the north side of some large 

 house, building the little greenhouse independently, 

 even as to boilers, for you want a steady heat, which 

 should be hot water if possible, all the time, and that 

 is not necessary with other gi'owing liouscs. Hot water 

 heat is T'ocommended as it will not fluctuate as much as 

 steam will in a small boiler. The same reason applies 

 to having the house built where the sun's rays never hit 

 it. A steady temperature with plenty of draughtless 

 fresh air is essential and must be had to insure success- 

 ful projiagation of roses. 



