November 27, 1915 



HORTICULTUEE 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



^ CONDCCTED BY 



Questions by our renders In line 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 HORTICULTL'KE. 



Fungine. Gladioli Among Roses 



Mr. Arthur Ruzicka; 



Dear Sir: — Will you kindl.v give me the formula for 

 making Fungine? I notice that you always recommend a 

 grower to make his own fungicides. The only objection 

 I have in the use of this article is the filthy mess it makes 

 on the benches, glass and woodwork with which it comes 

 in contact; otherwise it is a fairly good article. 



Also please inform me it I can grow a few gladiolus 

 bulbs among the rose bushes. 



Yours truly, A. M. 



New York. 



From the way tlie inquiry is written it would seem 

 that you do not like Fungine as well as you might, and 

 I cannot see why you should want to mix it at home. It 

 is a patented article, and the price for which it sells is 

 by no means prohiliitive. and it is therefore within reach 

 of all. The formula is unknown to me, and I \vould not 

 make a business of telling it to everyone if it was, as it 

 is the property of The Apliine Manufacturing Co. As 

 for the mess you say you object to, I would suggest that 

 you let a trained rose grower apply the Fungine next 

 time, and I am sure he can do so without messing up the 

 benches, glass and woodwork. To do so he should have 

 an "Auto-Spray" or some other good sprayer that will 

 take a fine nozzle, thus making it very simple to control 

 the spray. We have used Fungine in private conserva- 

 tories without getting any of it on any glass or wood- 

 work, and if we did, we never found any filthy mess 

 such as you mention. Regarding the gladiolus among 

 rose plants, I would not advise you to plant them there, 

 for they will not amount to much. If you are at all 

 familiar witii the culture of the gladiolus you will know 

 that they require conditions quite different from the 

 rose, needing a much warmer and damper atmosphere 

 right up to the time the buds begin to show. Roses too. 

 do best when they are alone, and with us there is never 

 any room among the plants for anything, as tliey take 

 up all the soil room with their roots, and all tlie head 

 room with their growth. If you are not particular as 

 to the quality of gladioli you v/ill cut, you could make 

 a few narrow boxes about eight inches deep and plant 

 your bulbs in these, setting them in the walks wherever 

 you may have room. By using good bulbs you may be 

 successful enough to get a out of fair quality spikes. 



Early Propagation 



If there are any houses that arc doing at all poorly, 

 it will be best to figure on getting these jilanlcd early 

 in the season, and towards that end it will be advisable 

 to start propagating early, and a batch of cuttings can 

 be put in at once. If no propagating house is on the 

 place, one of the cross-houses can generally be fixed up 

 to answer the purpose very nicely. In doing this, one 

 should make sure that tlic heat can be controlled, as 

 otherwise success is not likely to be the result. As a 

 rule there is far too much heat in the cross-houses and 

 to cover up all the pipes would be quite an expense. As 

 these are generally in a trench through the center of tlic 

 house, with a walk over it, a layer of newspaper can be 



put down on this and a three-inch coat of ashes applied 

 over this. The ashes can be kept from getting under 

 the benches by putting a narrow board against the 

 bench supports, thus keeping the ashes over the trench 

 only. If plenty of paper is put under the ashes there 

 will be little trouble from tlie ashes sifting through the 

 cracks into the trench underneath, and when the house 

 is no longer needed for propagating the ashes can be 

 taken away and the heat allowed to come through again. 

 We like the temperature in the sand as near 66 as pos- 

 sible, with a top temperature of 50. The low temperature 

 in the house is necessary to keep the cuttings from mak- 

 ing top growth, until after they are rooted. It can then 

 be gradually raised to 58 or GO until the cuttings are pot- 

 ted. Do not use old or dirty sand. To test sand, rtib a lit- 

 tle of it between the hands and, on stopping, if they are 

 at all dirty the sand is not clean. It, can be washed if 

 no other is available, but should not be used unless it is 

 absolutely necessary. A medium grain sand does best 

 with us and it must be finely screened to take out even 

 the smallest gi-avel. The benches should be well cleaned 

 and whitewashed before the sand is put in. \\Tiere 

 slate can be had for a bottom, or tile, so much the bet- 

 ter. Where it is impossible to have either, then a layer 

 of bricks can be put on tlie bottom of the ordinary wood- 

 en bench and the sand put on these. Needless to say the 

 sides of the benches should be closed in order to make 

 the heat go through into the sand. Doors should be 

 provided to let out some heat should the temperature in 

 the sand run up too high. The glass will need a coat 

 of shading, and for this we find it best to use a little 

 green paint mixed into a good deal of kerosene with a 

 fittle touch of drier added. This will give ideal shade. 



Selection of Wood 



It will pay to take only real good, clean wood 

 and with live thorns. Wood that has brown or dead 

 thorns on it will not root as easily as wood with 

 live thorns, as the former is much harder, and will not 

 only take longer to root but will require much better 

 care. With Beauties we prefer to make only two-eye 

 cuttings, but with teas we like to make three eye cut- 

 tings if we have plenty of wood. Also as many heel cut- 

 tings as we can get. There are a large number of small 

 eyes at the bottom of a heel cutting and these come up 

 later in bottom shoots. The more of these of course the 

 better. As soon as a bunch of wood is cut sprinkle it 

 well to keep it fidin wilting. It is best not to put it 

 into a tub of water as water-soaked wood will not root 

 nearly as well. However, it must not be allowed to 

 wilt, for if it does it will be worthless. The same is 

 true' of cuttings. 'I'lic place to make these would be in 

 the rose cellar where it is cool and not too dry. These 

 cuttings should be kept sprinkled all the time yet not 

 submerged in water for any length of time. As soon as 

 a lot of cuttings is made they should be put into sand at 

 once and well firmed by laying a lath across the bench 

 and striking it gently witji a hammer or a brick. 



