August 8. 1914 



HORT ICULTURE 



171 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



, CONDICTED BY 



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 invariably be addressed to the oIHce of HORTICULTURE. 



Heating Repairs. 



There are parts of the einiiuiv where katy-dids are 

 already sounding the warning of the coming fall, and if 

 repairs are to be made on the heating plant, no time 

 should be lost in seeing that these are all attended to 

 before the first cool nights come, although the summer 

 with us here has been very cool so far, and steam was 

 required off and on all the time. There is still time to 

 see that there is nothing wrong with the pipes and that 

 they are in good shape to stand the strain this coming 

 winter. Tlie best time to do this work is when the 

 houses are being emptied so that it is a very simple mat- 

 ter to get under the benches wherever it may be neces- 

 sary. After all the system is looked over from the l^oil- 

 ers to the expansion tanks, test the whole by starting 

 the fire and running it hard for a time. If there are 

 any bad jjlaces anywhere they will show up, and can be 

 repaired in time for the cold weather. 



Ventilation. 



As fall approaches it will lie necessary to pay more 

 and more attention to the ventilators. Never close the 

 houses down tight on these cool nights, but keep at 

 least a crack of air on all night. If heat is used, so 

 much the better, as there will be less danger of the 

 houses getting cold. In the morning it is well not to 

 raise the ventilators too soon, or too much at a time. 

 It is much wiser to go according to the thermometers, 

 letting the houses reach 78 degrees F before they are 

 finally lifted up full. In the even-span houses that 

 have ventilators on both sides of the ridge it will be 

 well to use the side opposite from the wind, and then 

 use about two inches of air from the windward side for 

 every eight inches on the opposite side. This arrange- 

 ment will allow the wind to blow in and then blow out, 

 taking more air with it, instead of blowing over the 

 house and sucking tlie air out a^ it goes, thus causing 

 draughts all over. 



The Bottom Leaves on Beauties. 



These will have to be picked off as the season ad- 

 vances, for if they are not, blackspot is very likely to 

 start in from this cause. Pick off all the leaves that 

 touch the soil and do away with them. There is no 

 need — in fact it is harmful to skin the plants half way 

 to the first wire, but nil the leaves that actually lie on 



the soil, or touch it more than is safe should be removed. 

 Care must be taken in doing this or some of the bottom 

 breaks are liable to come off with the leaves, and tlicn 

 there would be as much as, if not more damage than, 

 good. Another thing picking off these leaves will help 

 prevent, and that is spider. It is veiy difficult to get 

 the hose under these leaves, and that is where spider will 

 form a nest and then they will gradually spread all over 

 the [ilant. Keep after these leaves and you will be glad 

 of it. 



Lime. 



The houses that were planted very early, will now be 

 large enough to need a little lime. Use air-slaked burnt 

 lime, and not the so called agricultural lime, unless you 

 happen to know just what it is. Do not apply too much 

 of it all at once but enough to whiten the surface of the 

 benches. If the houses have been mulched recently it 

 will be best to wait with the lime until most of the mulch 

 is dissolved, and then apply a little of the lime should the 

 plants appear to need it. Although it is no nice work, 

 we like to apply the lime screened, so as to be sure that 

 it is free from all lumps that will slake later, and leave 

 heaps of lime here and there on the benches. Fresh lime 

 is best, for it is far more active and it will give quicker 

 results. 



Manure for Mulching. 



If there is no manure heaped up for mulching as yet, 

 begin at once to get some in, and turn it over several 

 times to decay it and to keep it from burning. Manure 

 sheds will come in handy for this, as the rain will not 

 be able to get into the manure, and thus wash it out. 

 If one had a way to figure the amount of money florists 

 lose by letting the manure piles lay around in the rain, 

 it would run up into large numbers. Fork the manure 

 over quite often and see that it is left in nice heaps, well 

 shaped, for it looks much better that way, and does not 

 require any more labor. Avoid using manure with long 

 straw in it. If you can. ofEer your man a little more 

 and have him cut up all the bedding into short pieces 

 with a fodder cutter. The manure will then be much 

 easier to handle, and will decay more rapidly, making it 

 better all around. Of course for liquid manure the 

 short straw would be a nuisance but the season is still 

 some distance off, and little manure water will be used 

 within the next few weeks. 



The Special Convention Number of Horticulture 



WILL BE ISSUED ON AUGUST 15 



This will be an issue of exceptional Interest and will be widely circulated and widely read. Its value 

 as an advertising medium for all floral and horticultural material cannot be over estimated. S. A. F. 

 trade is always worth a special effort at Convention time. Send your order in early and it will have 

 our best attention. 



