September 16, 1916 



HORTICULTURE 



373 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



CONDUCTED BY 



UyC^i^^^i^ZA^ 



Queitlons by our readers In line with any of tbe topic* presented on this page will be cordially recelred and promptly 

 by Mr. Ruzlcka. Sach commnnlcatlons abonld Inrarlably be addressed to the office of HOBTICUI/FUBB. 



Cover Crops 



Do not neglect to sow rye with a little vetch on all 

 gi'ound that will lie exposed to the weather this com- 

 ing winter. It is not too early to sow same, and whei'c 

 the com is still uncut it can he scattered right in 

 between the rows and worked in with a cultivator or 

 even by hand. It will pay to do this for if there should 

 be any soil left exposed to the weather it will leaca 

 badly and the plant food that was put in will wash 

 away a good deal. This is more true of hilly or sloping 

 grounds. If planted early enough to rye and vetch, 

 tlie roots of the two will work into the soil and gather 

 up a large quantity of the plant foods and hold same. 

 The rye will also catch and hold any plant food that 

 may be dropped around in the winter time, thus mak- 

 ing it safe to haul manure when other work is slack 

 without danger of losing most of it through washing. 

 The rye can be ploughed under in the spring and the 

 lots sown to gi-ass to grow sod. By adding a little 

 green house soil later, the sod thus grown will be just 

 what is needed in the rose benches. Of course it will 

 have to lie at least three or four years to get the proper 

 fibre, but by working up a piece of land every year there 

 can always lie a good supply of nice sod on hand. 



The Fires 



Heat will be needed in the gi'eenhouses very shortly 

 and if the boilers have not already been turned on, it 

 will be best to have them ready to turn on at a minutc".s 

 notice. See that they are overhauled and all broken 

 parts replaced. The cool nights will make the hoiises 

 run too cold, and with the hot days the difference be- 

 tween the day and night temperature will be too great 

 for the welfare of the roses. The temperature ;n the 

 rose house should not be allowed to drop below 6-1 at 

 this time of the year, and with certain varieties it will 

 be best to carry the houses at OS with plenty of air. It 

 is poor policy to close tight at this time of the year in 

 order to save a little coal. Wliere there is no steam m 

 the houses and growers have to depend on hot water 

 for their heat it will be best to close all the pipes save 

 one coil. This will give the necessary heat and at the 

 same time will insure good circulation. As soon as 

 steam is turned on it will pay to go tlirough and apply 

 a little sulphur to the pipes, taking one coil all around 

 O the house and applying a coat of sulphur to it every ten 

 ^ or twelve feet. Oiit of every sixteen feet of coil, four 

 - feet will be painted with sulphur. Where high picss- 

 D ure is turned into the pipes a little lime will have to 

 -> be added to the sulphur in order to weaken it and keep 

 it on the pipes longer so that ii will not evaporate ton 

 ' rapidly and make "the sulphur fumes too strong, tinis 

 doing more harm than good. A little sulphur can be 

 applied to all the houses even though there is nr, =icrn af 



mildew. If there is a speck somewhere the fumes will 



be sure to do away with it aud it will have no cliance 



to spread later. Care sliould be taken to keep the .steam " 



even so that the temperature will not be going up and ^*^ , 



down. The ventilators should never be opened at night ^^^w/, 



to reduce the temperature in the houses after too mucli ^^^op 



heat has been applied. 



Manure for Mulching 



Keep manure coming all the time in order to liave 

 a good supply on hand when it will be needed for fall 

 mulching. Also see that the manure that was brought 

 up some time ago is ke-pt turned over all the time so that 

 there will be no danger from l)urniiig. If there is no 

 shed provided for storing uiaimre a good place to put it 

 will be on low sod heap so that any liquids that may 

 leach out will go into the sod and can thus be utilized. 

 At any rate there should be a good layer of sod under 

 the manure piles so as to save every particle of the 

 manure. Even if a dairy is kept and the supply is 

 abundant, no part should be allowed to waste as it is 

 about the best plant food that can be bought. 



Painting 



With help scarce and materials very high, growers will 

 think how much cheaper they could have done their 

 painting last year. This will do veiy little good how- 

 ever, and the only way to save the houses is to do as 

 much as possible this year even if it does cost more 

 money. It will be well worth while. Kot only will 

 the houses be preserved but better roses can be grown, 

 as there will be more light, and if the work is done right 

 there will be no leaks to drip, drip, drij) down on the 

 ■plants all winter long. The place will also look better 

 and there will be far more satisfaction running it. 

 Houses that are real bad, with very loose glass and 

 the putty all gone or loose and very little paint on the 

 bars, had better be done all over, and that means taking 

 all the glass out, painting the bars well and tlien re- 

 glazing again. All loose and blistered paint should be 

 carefully removed, and the first coat of paint applied 

 fairly thin and well brushed in. Tlie second coat can 

 be thicker and floated on instead of brushing out. Bare 

 wood or new work should have three coats of paint, the 

 first two fairly thin so that the paint will stick. If only 

 one coat of thick paint is given the wood will quickly 

 absorb all the oil and the paint will soon crack and peel 

 off. Pure raw .oil and white lead should lie used with 

 a little touch of drier. Very little of the latter sliould be 

 used however. Some growers \\'\\\ prefer ready mixed 

 paint, and when bouglit from good reliable dealers this 

 mav be the best for certain places, especially whore the 

 help is not what it might be. Tlic lead and oil require 

 quite sonii' <tirrinir to jiroperly blend the two togctiier. 



