November 20, 1915 



HORTICULTURE 



663 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



CONDUCTED BY 



■CSi^-y^CA--^ 



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

 Kil by Mr. Kuzieka. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the oflSce of HORTICULTURE. 



Blind Wood on Shawyers 



We have never e.xperienced any trouble with Shawyer 

 going blind in the winter, and so far this variety has 

 done wonderfully well with us. We do find, however, 

 that if the plants are growing very freely, and are not 

 given sufficient plant food, here and there will be a 

 shoot that will seem to lose its bud while it is very small, 

 and thus appear blind. We go over these few and take 

 the top off with the first leaf, and the growth that will 

 start nearly always produces a good bud. This can also 

 be done with the shorter blind wood which is natural on 

 a rose plant. We find that nearly always the top eye 

 and leaf will go to one side, the other eyes and leaves 

 forming the straight stalk. If the top is taken out the 

 growth will nearly always bring a bud. We find that 

 Shawyer likes to be planted late, say after the first of 

 July, and then kept going. It will stand much more 

 drying out than the Killarneys and nothing better could 

 happen to a bench or house of Shawyers just when they 

 have finisiied a crop than a good drying out. This will 

 make them break much bettor and stronger, and as soon 

 as tliey start good, liquid manure, bonemeal or what- 

 ever is available should be applied in liberal doses. This 

 will push them right along, and there will be very little 

 blind wood. Weak, mildewed stock we find is generally 

 the result of too much water, not enough air and feed. 

 When the plants are growing real good it is almost im- 

 possible to overfeed them. Growers requiring long stems 

 will find this an ideal rose, as we find it will cut mostly 

 specials and extras, only a few No. ones and no Xo. 

 twos at all. In cutting, cut all bottom breaks away 

 down to two eyes above the bench, as it is almost im-r 

 possible to cut them back far enough. They will break 

 much stronger if cut away back. 



The Thanksgiving Crop 



In the long run it docs not pay to run the houses 

 warmer around the holidays to increase the cut of roses, 

 unless there is a very heavy crop on the plants so that 

 nearly all tlie wood i.< in bud. Wlien it liappens tliis 

 way, then an increase of two to four degrees will not 

 prove harmful ami will help open up a good many flow- 

 ers that would otlierwise come late. It .should never be 

 done only under the circumstances just mentioned, for 

 if there is not a very lieavy crop the wood that is just 

 coming on will lieconie soft and will show the effects of 

 the warm nights for quite a while. Keeping tlie phints 

 well watered wlicii a crop is on will also help push tlie 



buds along; in fact plants with a big crop just begin- 

 ning to show color should never be allowed to become 

 at all dry. This of course does not apply to plants with 

 a bud hero and tboi'o, but to Killarneys, etc., say when 

 there are ton or more buds on each all to be cut in a 

 week or ten days. With the warm weather that we have 

 had all along tlio chrysanthemums should be out of the 

 way |)rotty well and prices for roses should come up. 

 Eoses should never be lield liack for a long time and 

 then duiiipod (ui llio market on the day before Thanks- 

 giving. The huyors know a pickled rose the minute 

 they lay their eyo> on it and tlu- grower who will hold up 

 his stock for shipment before a holiday will fool no one 

 but himself. The grower shipping in a good grade of 

 stock of standard quality, well graded and always of a 

 uniform cut, will come out far better than anyone who 

 will send in pickled stock every now and then in hopes 

 of realizing a cent or two more during tlie holiday rush. 

 The former will have buyers waiting to take their stock 

 as soon as it reaches tlie market, and the latter's stock 

 will as a rule lie and wait for a chance buyer to come 

 along. Ship only fresh cut stock and win credit not 

 only for yourself but for the Flower Business as a whole. 



Last Chance to Clean Up 



Winter will soon be here and the ground covered with 

 snow. It will not be possible to do much cleaning up 

 so no opportunity should be lost to burn up the remain- 

 ing few heaps of brush and so on, and leave the grounds 

 clean for the winter. It is surprising what a large num- 

 ber of insects, mice, etc., will make their home in a 

 heap of brush all winter, ready to come out in the spring 

 and attack the garden or anything wliich we would like 

 to grow. Do not burn the leaves. We have yet to find 

 a place where the soil in the garden or fields contained 

 all the necessary liumus, and leaves will give us a good 

 deal of it, if only they are taken care of. As a rule the 

 maple leaves, and others coming from ornamental trees 

 will fall when they are still yellow and not dried up 

 altogether, and if "they are plowed under, or added to 

 the manure, they will decay very rapidly and enrich the 

 soil considcralily. Where stock is kept, these leaves can 

 be used to good advantage as bedding and will then 

 work into the manure very nicely. Where the manure 

 is to lie used for mulching later we would not use too 

 many, but for field work it is impossible to have too 

 iiuiclV leaves in tlie manure, llany jieople are of the 

 opinion that brush will not burn on a wet morning, but 

 this is not true. A little dry straw or hay to start the 

 (ire, and any brush will luirn up well except perhaps 

 ajiple tree branches. Even thos.' will (|uickly disappear 

 if they are cut up a little. 



