534 



HOETICULTUEE 



October 23, 1915 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



CONDUCTED BY 



'C^i^^iZA^iy 



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

 by Mr. Euzicka. Such communications should inyarlably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTURE. 



Syringing 



Because the plant.'^ are growing very freely, have a 

 good color and are apparently free from all disease, is 

 no reason why they should not receive a good syringing 

 once M week at least. Spider if not watched will work 

 havoc and the chances are that it will spread a good 

 deal before it is discovered and then it will be a propo- 

 sition to clean it out, especially ^vith the winter months 

 coining on. Syringe very quickly with high pressure 

 for the less water that is thrown around the houses the 

 better for the plants. Be careful to go into all the 

 corners well, around all braces, and then between 

 faucets where the hose meet. After the benches are 

 syringed go over them and shake the plants as much 

 as possible without taking too much time, so that they 

 will be sure to dry off well before night. Then do not 

 neglect the lime, which is more necessary this year than 

 ever before. It will also be well to carry a trifle more 

 air at night after syringing so as to dry out the air 

 as quickly as possible. 



Manure 



If the supply of this is liought up locally, little here 

 and a little there, there should be no let up in getting 

 all the manure that can be secured. It will be needed 

 before the season is over. Once it starts going it wall 

 be used rapidly aud an exhausted supply may cut the 

 crop down a good deal. A concrete platfonn with ' 

 drainage arranged intt> tlie manure tank or cistern 

 near the manure shed is ideal, but if it is not to be 

 had the manure will Inivc to be stored outside. Pile 

 it in square heaps, not too high, and have these ar- 

 ranged so that the manure can be turned over every 

 so often. A little straw in the manure will not do any 

 harm, but it must not be too coarse. It would be well 

 to see the dairymen from whom the supply is secured, 

 and get them to cut their bedding .short, so that it will 

 1)C better for the greenhouse. Watch the piles carefully 

 so that the manure will not bum. If piled high and 

 if it is not very wet it is very apt to burn, and it is 

 of very little value tlien. To prevent this a good wetting 

 down will he necessary, but should not be done unless 

 tlie h('a|) shows signs of heating. 



Visit the Market 



Every time thei-e is a little time to spare it will do 

 the growers good to go to their market and pay a visit 

 to their wholesale florist and w^atch how tlieir stock 

 arrives. Usually a good many things can be learned in 

 this way that will be of benefit. The wholesale florist 

 may not have much time to entertain the grower but 

 that matters little. The l)uyers are all anxious to get 

 back to their stores and they must be waited on at 

 once or they will look for tlieir supply elsewhere. Time 

 is usually a very precious thing and a visit to the 

 market will prove to the grower the importance of 

 having all roses properly packed, all slips properly 

 added, and bo.ves plainly marked. Even proper tying 

 will lielp to save time. 



The Retail Trade 



Growers could no doubt do a little more retail work 

 if they had the proper supplies on hand. Most jjlaces 

 are located so that if the growlers were in position to 

 offer to the public real flower service they could w'ork 

 up a good deal of new trade without in the least taking 

 any from the regular retail stores. Wire designs of the 

 several standard kinds should always be kept on hand, 

 as should ribbons, tinfoil, toothpicks, and many other 

 knick-knacks tliat go to make up the florists' supplies. 

 IMoss can generally be secured locally and enough of it 

 should be picked and kept, right on hand all the time. 

 A supply should be picked now to do for the winter, 

 as later with snow and ice on the ground it will be 

 i|uite difficult to get. Some nice green cord and colored 

 wax paper put a pretty touch to the flowers and makes 

 the work of opening the packages a delightful task. 

 Xever use old drygoods boxes for the retail trade. They 

 are all right to ship flowers to people in the trade but 

 should never be used for retail flowers. We know of 

 several cases where florists lost trade merely because 

 of tlie use of boxes that formerly contained undenvear. 

 Neat boxes tied with ribbon or nice tape make anyone 

 proud to carry tliem unwrapped anywhere, and wher- 

 ever they ai'e carried they advertise by suggesting to 

 people that flowers are for all occasions, and are usually 

 more appreciated than any other gift. 



Lasiandra (Pleroma) macranthum 



Lasiaixira luai'eranthum, better laiown as Pleroma 

 inarra:(Thiini by old-type gardeners, is a beautiful and 

 effective warm greenhouse subject, possibly the most 

 desirable of the many species on account of its large 

 deep violet purjile flowers. A denizen of Brazil, like 

 most of its compeers, it is a strong grower requiring 

 :imple quarters for its full development. It is adapted 

 best to pillar and trellis trained specimens. It is partic- 

 ularly effective when trained to a cross section end of 

 the greenhouse, thus showing off its large deep blue 

 flowers to perfection. 



The individual flowers do not last long, but this 

 short-coming is made up by an abundance of successive 

 flowers taking their place for an indefinite period. For 

 cut flower purposes it is not well fitted, as the flowers 

 will wilt early after severing the branchlets from the 

 plant. 



The subject of this note, like many other beautiful 

 members of Queen flora's family is less in evidence nowa- 

 days than in former times, for some inscrutnblc vi-nson. 



