February 20, 1915 



HORTICULTUKE 



t39 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



(ONDICTED BY 



CSi^j^<:J^-<y^ 



Questions by our readers in iine 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 office of HORTICULTURE. 



Manure for the Late Mulches 



Xever allow the supply of manure to give out. To 

 keep a continual su2>ply of good manure on hand it will 

 be necessary to get it in a good deal ahead of the time 

 tliat it is needed, so tliat it will have a chance to de- 

 compose and l)ecome more serviceable to the plants. We 

 iiave been coin]5elled to use fresh cow manure several 

 times, but tliere is nothing to gain by this method, and 

 everytliing to lose. It takes a good deal more time, as 

 the fresh manure cannot be applied to all the benches all 

 at once, and this means stretching out the work. If 

 tliere are no manure sheds on the place it will pay to 

 have one built. This must not l>e put down as an ex- 

 pense, for a well Iniilt manure shed is a great asset on 

 any place using any amount. We have tried several e.x- 

 pertments to do without manure but find that it is best 

 to use it, although sheep manure and bonemeal can be 

 used at times to replace a part of the cow manure. As 

 the manure comes from the car or the stables, it is best 

 to have it jwled up in heajis about three feet high, and 

 with nice square corners and flat tops. It costs only a 

 very little more to do tiiis, and makes the manure pile 

 look much more pleasing to the eye. Leave space on 

 one side so that the hea]> can be turned over as soon as 

 necessary, and this should be done about three times if 

 tile manure is fresh when heaped. Be sure to put a layer 

 of good sod under the pile, at least six inches thick, and 

 this will take iip all the liquids that may leach out. It 

 will not be necessary to mix this sod into the manure 

 unless you wish to do so, as the manure can always be 

 used off the top, and the sod used where it will bring in 

 best results. Xow is the time to get some in for the late 

 mulches, as with the rush, of spring work, this item is 

 liound to be overlooked, and a good crop of roses lost 

 because the ])Iants are starving. 



That Easter Crop 



Although there are limes when the jiriees around the 

 holiday will be a little higher, we would not try to check 

 the plants auy to hold a cro]i for that day. Tliere will be 

 a great many ))Iants, and i>ther cut flowers grown 

 especially for this day, and the prices that will be paid 

 for roses may not be any larger than a little before. 

 Plants that are held back too severely for a time will 

 take quite some time to come back to their bearing 

 asjain, and this loss of flowers will reduce the gain that 

 was made when the plants were held for a holiday. 

 Buds should now be well fonned if they are to be on 

 time, although with good clear weather even the small 



buds will be on time. Feed the plants carefully with 

 the crop coming on, and leave this off as soon as the 

 flowers show color well. 



Blind Wood on Beauties 



X(j\v that we have promise of longer days, and let us 

 lio])e more sunshine, some of the blind wood that the 

 Beauties may carry can safely be removed. This should 

 not be done unless the plants have flowering wood to 

 keep them. As a rule there will not be blind wood on 

 Beauties, but if there is, it will only be in the way when 

 the plants are syringed, and will be a nuisance when the 

 plants are being tied. It makes ideal roosts for spiders 

 to start and it is hard to get them out when they become 

 <'stablished. These will be all the more troublesome 

 when the spring comes, so it will be well to do all possi- 

 ble to keep them out. In cutting this wood away, cut 

 it the same as you would cut flowers, and the breaks 

 that will follow may bear flowers themselves. 



The Young Plants 



These should be carefully watched all the time, taking 

 one out of a pot every now and then to see how the roots 

 are working, and hofl- the plants are being treated in re- 

 gard to watering. Often it will happen that the plants 

 are not doing well, when on dumping one or two it will 

 be found that they are too dr\- around the bottom of 

 file pots. It mil take several waterings to saturate all the 

 soil if the plants get into this condition, and care should 

 he taken not to let them get that way again. Another 

 thing that must not !»> overlooked as the jilants grow, is 

 to keep the smaller ones to the front all the time, mov- 

 ing the taller iilants to the rear of the iiench — or the 

 north side, if the houses run north and south. If the 

 smaller plants were allowed to remain among the taller 

 lines, they would become weaker and weakei', and would 

 not amount to anything, whereas if they are moved to 

 the front they will become nice sturdy plants, same as 

 their taller limthers. ft will make it easier to water too, 

 as the taller plants will not dry out so fast in the rear, 

 and they need more water, so they will not be hurt. The 

 smaller ))lants in the front will not need so much water, 

 and will dry out better, evening the whole lot pretty 

 well, and making it possible to water the whole bencli, 

 except an occasional watering of the plants in the pots 

 of the first row on the front and rear. To keep these 

 even with the rest it will be necessary to water tliese 

 first, and then water them again when tlie rest of the 

 iilants are watered. 



GROWING SCHIZANTHUS AND MIG- 

 NONETTE 



!•;. liter iidii'iicrLi ri:i-: : 



Will .von (ir sniiii- iif y.iur rcmliTs please 

 Kivp inc fun instruct ir)iis as lo tin- culti- 

 vation iif Ml^'iionftlc anil Sclilznnllins f<ir 

 winter tilooininjr? K. 



Xcw York. 



Schizanthus is grown from softwood 

 cuttings. For winter blooniins tlie 



cuttings sliould be taken in spring and 

 kept at a cool temperature, about that 

 used for violets, all the time. Ordi- 

 nary friable, cood loam will cio' ro 

 chemical fertilizers and just a little 

 rotted sheep or cow manure. The 

 prin(ii)al feature in Riowing this crop 

 is the cool temperature. 



A. Li:niiv. 



Mignonette seed should be sown in 

 late July or early August and the 

 house kept as cool as possible all sum- 

 mer, if the plants are wanted in bloom 

 for Christmas. Use a well enriched, 

 heavy loam and add rotted manure at 

 intervals. W. N. 



