January 9, 1915 



HOETICULTUEE 



39 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



^ » CONDUCTED BY 



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

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



Potting Soil 



With the prevailing cold weather, we are sorry for 

 any growers who could not make arrangements to have 

 a good store of soil covered to keep the frost out. It is 

 a hard labor wasted to have men with picks trying to 

 get into the soil heap when there is a foot or more of 

 frost in it. This soil will take quite a while to thaw 

 out and get warm, so it should be brought into the pot- 

 ting shed a little sooner than soil that was stored in a 

 covered or heated shed. Make sure that it will dry out 

 sufficiently before it has to be used, and that it is warm 

 enough. The roots on the cuttings when they leave the 

 sand are verj- tender, and will therefore be set back a 

 little if tliey are potted into soil that is very cold. 

 Avoid using wet soil, as this is bad for the work, and 

 will pack down too much, so that if the soil is heavy at 

 all it will interfere with the drainage a good deal. For 

 the first potting it will be best to use a soil that is not 

 too heavy, and does not contain too much manure. 

 Avoid using any fertilizer in the soil for the first pot- 

 ting, unless the season is advanced, and the young plants 

 are to remain in the pots for a while. We, as a rule, trv 

 to induce the plants to make roots as much as possible 

 while they are in the small pots, depending on repotting 

 to make the plants gi-ow later on. The soil should have 

 plenty of fibre into it to make it porous. A good sod 

 used in making the heap will do all this. 



Supply of Pots 



If these are not already ordered, see that there are 

 enough to suffice for the season, for there is nothing so 

 provoking as to have to wait for a shipment of pots. 

 and having a lot of cuttings in sand. Better make an 

 inventory of all on hand and there will be no time 

 wasted later on. Order good pots even if they are a 

 trifle more expensive. .X good pot should be porous, 

 and not too hard to absorb water. IP a pot does not do 

 this it is wrong somewhere. 



The First Potting 



We use two-and-a^quartei'-inch pots Cor the first pot- 



ting. Two- inch pots are verj' small and the plants are 

 likely to get pot bound if they are not shifted as soon 

 as is necessary. With the rush that comes on as a rule 

 it sometimes happens that even the best run place will 

 be behind with some of the work, and the plants in a 

 pot that is a little larger will stand a little more. We 

 never use crock in a pot of this size, but provide a good 

 drainage for the bench that the plants are set on. Coal 

 ashes screened will make a good surface. In potting 

 make sure that all the holes in the bottoms of the pots 

 are open, as it will happen with new pots that a large 

 number will have a very thin layer of clay over the 

 opening, thus stopping all drainage. All cuttings in 

 pots like this will die very shortly, as they do not like too 

 much water, and must have drainage, as imist all grow- 

 ing plants. Be very careful not to crush any roots 

 when handling the cuttings, and do not fii-m the soil 

 too much, merely pressing it down gently. Do not fill 

 up the iiots too full, for this would Ijother when tJic 

 plants are watered. Also be very careful not to fill one 

 pot more than the other. If this is done, there will be 

 little trouble to keep the cuttings at the same stage of 

 moisture, for the pots can be filled with water evenly, 

 and then all will receive nearly the same amount. Be 

 sure to set the pots on the bench level, for a pot set 

 crooked not only looks bad, liut cannot be watered right, 

 and as a rule will always be dry. Nice straight rows 

 will also add to the appearance of the work, and per- 

 haps make the plants grow a least bit better. It vdll 

 be easier to keep track of them, too. Point all the 

 leaves one way, and that is towards the northwest if the 

 houses run east and \vest. With the leaves this way the 

 cuttinss will not shade one another, or interfere with 

 one another's growth. It will also be better for syring- 

 ing. As soon as the cuttings are potted and taken into 

 the greenhouse, shade them well with newspapers, using 

 tliein double the first few days, and gi-adually diminsh- 

 ing this, and putting the papers on later in the morning, 

 and removing them at night until at last the cuttings 

 arc shaded only for a while at noon, and then the shade 

 is left olf altogether. 



ANTHRACNOSE ON SNAPDRAGON. 



"Horticulmre." I'ostou : 



I enclose a few shoots of snapdratroiis 



which are affected. I will In- gri/all.v 



obliged if .vou CMn tell mc what Is tlic 



cause and, if possible, a remort.v for same. 



Yours respectfully, 



New York. W. \V. 



The disease appearing on the snap- 

 dragon is AnthracnoSe, caused by Col- 

 letotrichum antirrhini Stewart. This 

 disease attacks both the stem and fo- 

 liage, often defoliating and finally kill- 

 ing tlie aerial portions of the plant. 

 However, it is not often so severe on 

 plants in the greenhouse. 



This disease usually appears first on 

 plants when out of doors, and is trans- 

 mitted on cuttings; hence the first 

 combative measure should be to pre- 

 vent such transmission by selecting 

 cuttings only from healthy plants. It 



is not probable that infection is trans- 

 mitted by seed. In the case of outdoor 

 plants, it is necessary to spray with 

 Bordeau.x mixture every one or two 

 weeks through the season in order to 

 keep the disease in check. Spraying is 

 not often necessary or desirable in the 

 greenhouse, but in case the disease be- 

 comes severe, spraying with ammo- 

 niacal copper carbonate may be re- 

 sorted to. The formula for this solu- 

 tion is as follows: 



Copper carbonalo .'> oz. 



Aniuionia (26° Beiiume) 3 pints 



Water SO gals. 



the greenhouse to Bordeaux because it 

 does not show spots on the leaves. 



However, it should bo possible to 

 keep this disease in check under green- 

 house conditions by proper ventilation 

 and the avoidance of draughts and 

 water on the foliage. If water is al- 

 lowed to stand on the foliage it of 

 course provides a favorable medium for 

 spore germination, and the plant is 

 more readily infected. 



A. Vl.VCENT OSMU.V. 



Dcpt. of Veg. Patholog.v and Physiology, 

 .\niticrst, Mass. 



The stock solution may be made up 

 by mixing the first two ingredients, 

 and small amounts may be diluted 

 with water in the proper proportion as 

 needed. This spray is preferable in 



Whether competition is more or less 

 keen, whether times are more or less 

 hard, don't let up on the advertising. 

 There is only one result to less adver- 

 tising; that is less business. — South- 

 rrn Merchant. 



