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HORTICULTURE 



September 11, 1915 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



CONDUCTED BY 



Questions by our readers In line with any of the topics pre«.nt«d on this page will be eordl^ly "-reived and orompUy answered 

 by Mr. Ruilcka. Such communications should Invariably be addressed to the office of HOBTICULTDBB. 



Mulching 



The j!Oiises that were planted a little earlier in the 

 seasor. and have made considerable growth must not be 

 allowe'l 1o suffer from lack of mulching. After the 

 plants have grown up' nicely and the soil in the benches 

 is full of roots it is best to keep sufBcient mulch on to 

 keep the surface of all benches rough so that water will 

 not run all over when you water but will stay where 

 it is applied. If this is not so then the benches will 

 always have dry spots and some plants will fairly shrivel 

 up for want of water while others are suffering from 

 over watering. With liquid manure always on tap we do 

 not de])cnd on this mulch to give the plants much feed, 

 although they do get a good deal out of it even at that. 

 As soon as any bare spots appear in the benches more 

 mulch is applied to these. It is better to do this than 

 to mulch the whole house for the whole house may not 

 need it and the plants would come to harm if mulched. 

 Do not apply too much at the one time, especially if the 

 manure that is used is not well decayed. Not only would 

 a good deal of it be wasted Imt harm would likely result, 

 for the ammonia and other gases from the manure would 

 be almost sure to burn the leaves. Apply just enough 

 to cover the surface of the benches nicely and when more 

 is needed it can always be applied later. 



Bonemeal 



If bonemeai is to be u.-cd as fertilizer fall and early 

 winter is the best time to use it, especially on places 

 where tile old greenhouse soil is not used on the fields 

 for growing field crops. The bone, although a very good 

 fertilizer and plant food, is rather slow in action, es- 

 pecially the coarser grades, and the plants will not get 

 the full benefit if it is applied too late in the season. 

 Thi3 best time is just before a mulch is applied, as very 

 little of it will be lost then. It will mix in with the 

 manure and (he little roots will find it there when they 

 are after it. And they will be, too, especially if the 

 benches have not been heaped with soil which stays wet 

 most of the time and gives the roots a poor chance to 

 work. 



Watering 



■Watering will play an im[)ortant part in growing now 

 and the plants that are . growing well in only two or 

 three inches of soil will have to be watched very closely 

 as they Mill dry out in a few hours once they begin to 

 go. These benches will all have to be watered oftener 

 than those that carry six or more inches of soil. Should 

 the plants h" allowed to get too dry while they are grow- 

 ing it would check them quite a hit, and should the soil 

 be heavy iind. crack a good deal it Avould tear the roots 

 as it did so. In the spring this would do little harm ; in 

 fact it would be a help to the plants as all the main 

 roots that would lose their laterals would at once send 

 out couiitles^ number of new roots and these would be 

 far more active in securing water, nourishment and so 



on. Now in tlie fall, however, with winter on it is best 

 to make it as easy for the plants as possible and keep 

 them going all the time, but not to force them to any 

 extent. 



Liquid Manure 



It is still very early in the season but the early planted 

 houses that have been cutting quite heavy and are grow- 

 ing well will not be hurt by a liquid manure now and 

 then, being very careful not to use anything but good 

 cow manure in making this. Make sure that the houses 

 are wet enough before it is applied. Better water with 

 clear water first and then apply the liquid later. Watch 

 tlie plants carefully, and should they show any sign of 

 becoming soft stop using the liquid at once and use no 

 more until the plants starve a little. 



Electricity in Rose Growing 



Why so many places continue to use the old fashioned 

 steam pumps, which require a lot of care and give un- 

 satisfactory service at their best is more than we can see. 

 The modern electric pump with a motor of sufficient size 

 will not only do the work quicker and better, but pres- 

 sure can be had on a minute's notice without stopping 

 to get steam up for an hour or more. Once these pumps 

 are started they will work unattended for a veiy long 

 time. One place we know saves nearly a hundred dol- 

 lars a month on their water bill by making use of a 

 pump which takes water from a brook running past the 

 place. This pump works for hours at a time without 

 anyone looking at it. The water is pumped into a large 

 concrete reservoir, and another piimp with a large motor 

 forces it for syringing when it is wanted. As many as 

 twenty-five men use the hose at the same time, and there 

 is good pressure for them all. The best part of it is that 

 the pump is not damaged in any way should nearly all 

 the faucets happen to be turned off at the same time. 

 Pressure can be regulated by opening or closing the 

 suction valve. Liquid manure can be handled as easily 

 as clear water. Electric lights are very handy to have 

 around, and a small electric motor with brushes to wash 

 pots will clean them up as fast as the men can handle 

 them. They will wash much quicker and save the 

 brushes if the pots are allowed to soak a day or two be- 

 fore washing. A little caustic soda in the water will 

 also help to clean them, but the amount used should be 

 very small, as it will burn the hands of the men who 

 have to handle the wet pots. 



Some Practical Inquiries 



Gentlemen: 



1 am a yearly subscriber to your paper. I wish to ask 

 of Mr. Ruzicka, and if possible to get his answer in your 

 next issue if I can use tlie ammoniated copper solution for 

 Blackspot on Roses that have been sprayed with Fungine? 

 The spot is not bad and is mostly on the old leaves; I use 

 Fungine about once a week at this time of year to ward oft 

 mildew. I also wish he would give us some pointers on 



