HORTICULTURE 



September 4, 1915 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



CONDUCTED BY 



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Queetions by our readers In line with any of the topics presented on tbU page will be cordially received and promptly answered 

 by Mr. Rnzlcka. Suchr communications sbould Invariably be addressed to the office of HOBTICULTDBB. 



Starting the Fires 



It has been necessary to start the boilers much sooner 

 than we expected, the cool snap arriving last week, with 

 the thermometer down to 54 outside. A steam pipe 

 through the houses made them feel much iiimc com- 

 fortable, and the roses looked as tliough they appreciated 

 the little heat. The houses should not be allowed to go 

 much below 64, as it is too early in the season to run 

 them at the regular night temperature, and then this 

 cool weather will not last, and there may be nights 

 when it will be hot and the houses will stay around 70. 

 There is nothing in that hardening tlie plants up, by 

 letting them go without heat, and allowing the houses 

 to drop down to 5G. This is all right in the middle 

 of the winter but just now the roses should have heat 

 so that they will make as much growth as possible. They 

 should not be forced, by any means, but kept going all 

 the time with nothing done that might check them in 

 any way. It will pay in the long run to start the fires 

 as soon as it gets cool, even though the night fireman 

 has to be put on the job. It is poor economy to try to 

 save ten dollars or perhaps a little more on the night 

 man's wages, and lose two or three times the amount in 

 the houses. 



Ventilation 



Do not close up the houses at night because of a cool 

 night. Keep as much air on as possible, and with a 

 steam pipe here and there it will not be necessary to 

 reduce the air very low at niglit. Eight inches of air 

 in clear weather is none too much and the wider houses 

 should have more. All side ventilators had better be 

 kept closed from now on unless they are looked after 

 by a well skilled grower, and if this is the case he will 

 know when to open them and when to leave them closed. 

 The practice of putting the houses up full, first thing 

 in the morning, should now be stopped and the ther- 

 mometer used in deciding when the air is needed. It 

 will be best not to put full air on until the houses reach 

 a temperature of 78 degrees. In the cross houses where 

 asparagus or smilax is grown tlie greens will grow 

 much better if they are kept a little warmer. We find 

 it best to keep these warm until they are almost ready 

 to ship, and then run them cool to harden them off for 

 the market. 



Sulphur 



As soon as the steam is turned on it will be well to 

 apply a least bit of sulphur to the pipes, every ten or 

 twenty feet as may be needed. This can be done even 

 though there is no mildew to be seen. The gentle fumes 

 resulting will destroy a good deal of fungus, and will 

 not liarm the plants or flowers in any way. Care should 

 be taken, however, not to have more then five pounds 

 of steam in the pipes when the sulphur is applied as 



otherwise it will evaporate too quickly and the fumes 

 would become too strong and would be apt to bleach the 

 flowers even though they did no harm to the foliage. 

 For applying the sulphur we find nothing handier than 

 the common indurated fibre rose jar and some sort of a 

 brush. This must not be too big or too far gone or it 

 will waste a good deal of the sulphur. Add enough 

 water to the sulphur to make easy to apply and it will 

 be better to have a little more water rather than to have 

 the mixture too thick. If there is a crop of roses it 

 will be well to add a little lime to the sulphur, say about 

 one-third. Tlais will keep the sulphur on the pipes 

 longer and prevent it from evaporating too soon, so 

 that the fumes will be much milder and will not be 

 apt to bleach the flowers. 



Repairs 



If all the broken glass has not been rejiaired as yet 

 no time should be lost in doing so now. The cool nights 

 of last week would cause cold air to come in on the 

 plants where it was not wanted, and they would likely 

 get specked with mildew as a result. It is best to do 

 the work right when repairing. Some growers have a 

 habit of just sticking the glass in without any putty, 

 leaving the rest of the work for some future day. This 

 day seldom comes and the chances are that the glass 

 gets broken again very shortly or else cracks because 

 it does not lay properly. Do not be afraid to use the 

 glass cutter. A good one can be had for ten cents, and 

 mth a little practice on some old glass anyone can be- 

 come quite an expert at this business so that there is 

 really no excuse for laps in the glass as wide as two 

 inches. The lap should never be more than a quarter 

 of an inch and less is better. If the lap is too wide, 

 dirt will collect between the panes and dark strips will 

 cast shadows over the plants. Then, too, water will get 

 in in the winter and freeze thus breaking one or both 

 panes quite often. Be sure to remove all surplus putty 

 even though you have to get a ladder from the inside 

 to do so. The work will never look finished if the putty 

 is left sticking out after the glass is put in. It is well 

 to paint over the putty a day or so after it is put in, 

 for it will then stay put much better. 



Wires 



The earlier planted houses of Beauties will now take 

 their last set of wires, and it is best not to wait too long 

 in stretching these. We generally stretch them at the 

 same time that the second tier is put on, unless we are 

 rushed with other work. At any rate, do not let the 

 plants lie around after the first wires are put on as 

 they will come to harm if they are not kept tied up 

 properly. With teas it is much the same. Those early 

 liouses on wires will have to get their second set before 

 the tops get too high, as it will then be diflicr.U to put 

 the wires in. 



