«eptember 23. 1916 



HORTICULTURE 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



CONDUCTKD BY 



Queitlons by our readers In line with any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially reoelred and promptly aniwerad 

 by Mr. Ruzlcka. Sncb commnnlcaUon* should InTsriably be addressed to the office of HOBTICULTUBB. 



Liquid Manure 



It is lint tno early in tlic ^casun lo start lit|iud mannre, 

 especially in the earlier planted houses where the plants 

 have made quite some root. If will be best to use it 

 weak at first and then only Inllowing a watering with 

 clean water. This will insure agaiMst hann, for at this 

 time of the year the plants dry out rapidly as a rule, and 

 if the liquid hit at dry plants it would be sure to 

 damage the roots a good deal thus giving a cheek from 

 which it would take them a long time to recover. Where 

 no dairy is maintained on the |>lace the liquid can be 

 made by mixing good cow manure with water and after 

 running the liquid through screens, pumping it into tlie 

 water pipes and using it same as clear water, only that 

 we do not apply so much of it fur it is expensive and if 

 the plants are watered as suggested above it will not take 

 so much to saturate the soil from top to bottom without 

 wasting hardly any through the benches. To avoid stop- 

 ping up the pumps with sediment it is best to mix a 

 tank full at least two davs before it is needed, and then 

 allowing it to stand unstirred until used. This will 

 settle all the coarse stuff to the bottom while all available 

 parts of the manure will remain dissolved in the water. 

 Where a dairy is maintained the liquid from all stables 

 should be saved and diluted with water to the proper 

 strength and used same as other liquid manure. Chemi- 

 cals should not be added unless expert men handle them. 

 as often more harm will result than good. A bjig of 

 bone (Irojiped into the tank every now and then will 

 make the mixture much better for the rose. Lime can 

 al.so be added when the plants need it and when applied 

 with the liquid manure will help harden them, and -vill 

 kill many earth worms in the soil, too many of whicli 

 are not wanted. Lime should never be mixed with 

 manure in heaps or applied with manure when mulch- 

 ing, as it frees much ammonia and other chemicals long 

 before the plants can take them up and the result is 

 that there is a great waste. 



Flowers for Retail Work 



.Tack Frost will soon do away with all tlowers outside, 

 and it will therefore be necessary for growers who do 

 any amount of retail work to move some of the plants 

 in before they are touciied iiy frost. Much of these 

 can be put into boxes at the ends of the houses. They 

 will not produce flowers of the best quality as the houses 

 will be run to suit the roses, but for making up designs 

 now and then and to add to a box of mixed (lowers thest' 

 little odds and ends will eoinc in handy. Snapdragon-^, 

 stocks, swainsona, heliotro])e. verbena — all these can be 

 used during the winter, and the ])lants made into f lif- 

 tings in the spring with the exeeption of the first two 

 which do better from seeds. A few cold storage Gigan- 

 teums will come in handy too as will a little other bulb 

 stock. As stated liefore the flowers thus grown will not 

 be of the best quality, but with a little care they can be 

 grown to be good enough to use for the purpose men- 

 tioned and will be a great helii to any one called on to 



make up work of any kind. Cultural directions will be 

 found elsewhere in Horticulture for any of the stock 

 mentioned above. 



Careful Packing 

 There is vei"y little use in being veiy carefid in grow- 

 ing roses and then handling them like stones when pack- 

 ing them for shipment. There is many a lot that would 

 have sold for double the price they did if they had been 

 packed carefully so that they would not arrive in the 

 market all bruised and torn, with the leaves badly torn 

 by the thorns and in many cases the buds themselves 

 punctured by thorns of roses packed over them. To 

 begin with, all roses should be in water at least four 

 hours before shipment, and in an ice box if possible, to 

 harden them. When jiroperly liardened they will carry 

 much better and stand handling. Have the boxes prop- 

 erly lined wtih paper, and use a cushion of tissue up 

 against the end of the box, being careful to pack the 

 first rows a safe distance from the end. Pack well; 

 being careful that the heads of the buds do not crush, up 

 against the row ahead of them. Although the roses 

 should not be crushed Ijy packing too many in a box thty 

 should not be packed loosely either, as they bruise if 

 they are packed loose almost as much if not more than 

 when they are overcrowded. If necessary to pack two 

 layers to a box, make it a point never to pack anything 

 over white, as these show the marks much more than 

 any other. Also see that there is sutficient paper in 

 between the layers to protect the lower roses from iho 

 thorns of the upper ones. 



Lilium Sargentiae 



After five years' thoiougii trial in this part of the 

 country, where the winters are annually of sufficient 

 severity to test any plant to the utmost, it is pleasant 

 to accord this grand lily the highest commendation. 

 In addition to being one of the largest flowered lilies 

 it is also one of tlie strongest growers, and when planted 

 and left undisturbed in a congenial soil, a well drained 

 loam suiting it atbnirably, one will soon be able to look 

 upon stately stems six to seven feet high, carrying from 

 fifteen to twenty flowers. It can be reproduced by 

 bulblets taken from the axils of the leaves, and the 

 accompanying illustration shows what may be expeci;e"i 

 of these after two year.s' growth. From one to four 

 flowers will be produced on each stem. 



The color is beautiful, the pure white of the in- 

 terior, the brown anthers and the ruddy shading on 

 the back of the petals combine to make one of the hand- 

 somest of all the lilies. Considering the beauty of this 

 lily, its vigor and hardiness and all its other goixl 

 qualities, one cannot tn.> liii:bly recommend it to gar- 

 den lovers. 



Bar Harbor, Me. 



