January 31, 1914 



HOKTICULTURE 



U3 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



CONDUCTED BY 



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

 by Mr. Euzleka. Such communlcatlous should Invariably be addressed to the office of HOKTICULTURE. 



Pale Green Foliage on Beauties 



We have a Beauty house which has about five hundred 

 and fifty plants. About fifty or more plants, from the tips 

 down, lose their rolor, turning a very pale green, and then 

 again there are other plants whose shoots are apparently 

 healthy that run blind and lose their leaves quite heavily. 

 These diseases, if they are diseases, have only been noticed 

 in the last two weeks or so, to my account. 



Three weeks ago we gave the benches a top dressing 

 of soil about an inch in depth, mixing wood ashes and 

 Clay's fertilizer in the soil. Previously there was a light 

 top dressing of cow manure. This was rubbed over before 

 the other pressing was applied. The plants got a little 

 drier than usually, for the first watering after the soil was 

 put on. 



Would you please tell me If we have made any mistake 

 in applying this top dressing, to cause either one of these 

 troubles? If so, kindly tell what to do? We have grown 

 roses in this house for ten years and this is the first time 

 we have noticed these cripples so bad. 



W. H. 



Penna. 



In reply to inquiry, would say that the grower will 

 find that the mulch referred to had something to do 

 with it. Wood ashes when unloached, i. e., when they 

 have never been allowed to soak or get wet, are a good 

 strong fertilizer in themselves, without being mixed 

 with a strong fertilizer like Clay's. The inch of mulch 

 applied, if the plants were not in condition to take it, 

 would certainly be harmful, and likely cause the jjlants 

 to behave as they did. To help the plants recover, a 

 good watering or two to wash some of the chemicals out 

 of the soil, then a light dose of lime, and keeping the 

 plants on the dry side for a while will greatly help them 

 to start again, althougji if the houses are very badly 

 affected it will not pay to bother trying to bring the 

 plants around. To insure a crop for June and July, or 

 perhaps earlier, we would recommend that the grower 

 cut some of the plants down to about three inches. Then 

 remove some of the loose surface soil, and not water the 

 plants until after some growth begins to show. Syringe 

 very lightly, &nd from the back of the bench to the front, 

 60 as to be sure and not get them too wet. The first 

 shoots will no doubt produce buds at once, but these 

 should be pinched as soon as they are large enough to be 

 seen. If possible remove these with one leaf, although 

 this is not always possible. If these buds are removed 

 in time the shoots will hardly stop growing. As soon 

 as growth is started the plants can receive a little water. 

 Begin by watering a little around each plant, and grad- 

 ually enlarge this circle. As soon as the whole bench, 

 can be watered, "Spply a little coarse manure or rough 

 sod to hold the water where it is put. Then when growth 

 gets up to the first wire, either liquid manure or a mulch 

 of cow manure can be applied. This depends on the 

 weather; if cloudy a little weak liquid will do, and if 

 the weather promises to be clear for a while then a 

 little well decayed manure and bonemeal can be applied. 

 Should too many shoots appear remove some of them, 

 eaving only about eight or ten. Be sure to cut the 

 plants low" enough, for if they are cut too high the 

 growth will be too weak and of little account. Many 



fail in treating thus, just because they did not cut low 

 enough. We would not recommend using either wood 

 ashes or Clay's on Beauties, unless the nature of the 

 soil warranted it. Experiment for a year or two on a 

 few jilants, and see what the result will be. There is 

 nothing that will take the place of good cow manure 

 when it can be had. The grower does not mention the 

 depth of the soil in the benches. We think there is too 

 much, our experience being that Beauties behave better 

 when there is less soil in the benches, four inches being 

 quite enough. It is too late to remove some of it at this 

 season, as the roots would be disturbed too much. 



Potting Cuttings 



As soon as the roots begin to show very nicely in ths 

 sand, the cuttings should be potted at once. Use a 

 rather light soil for this purpose, for heavy soil will 

 be hard for the young rootlets to penetrate, and a good 

 many will die. If the soil is a heavy clay, a little leaf 

 mold or old, finely decayed manure can be added to make 

 it more open and light. See that there is plenty of crock 

 in the bottom of the pots to insure perfect drainage. 

 Be very careful not to lift any more cuttings out of the 

 sand than can be potted at once, as air will hurt the 

 young rootlets if they are exposed any length of time. 



Placing the Pots 



As the cuttings are potted they should be placed on the 

 bench at once, taking care that all the leaves are pointed 

 one way. There is no special way to do this, and they 

 can be placed so that they can be syringed and watered 

 to advantage. Needless to say they should never be 

 placed so that they will' shade one another. This can be 

 done by letting each leaf come between the pots back of 

 it and not straight back into and over the cutting back 

 'of it. 



Watering 



All watering should be done quite early in the day, 

 and on clear days only. If it is necessary to water on 

 cloudy days, water so that the cuttings will diy off as 

 good as they can under the condition. 



Care of Newly Potted Cuttings 



If the temperature in the propagator was raised the 

 least little bit, the cuttings will not feel the change so 

 much, and after five or six days in the rose house, will 

 be perfectly at home. All newly potted cuttings should 

 be heavily shaded with newspaper every clear day, and 

 if the day is only partly cloudy a light covering of single 

 thickness of paper will do. These coverings can be 

 applied Inter every morning and removed earlier in the 

 evening, until at the end of a week it can be left off 

 altogether. Be very careful not to get the cuttings too 

 M-ct or they will damp off. Syringe very carefully every 

 time chance will offer with a steady stream of water. 

 Do not use too much pressure, or some of the cuttings 

 will be loosened in the soil, and once they are loosened 

 thev will seldom amount to anything. 



