326 



HOKTICULTUEE 



March 7, 1914. 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



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Qaeatlons by onr readers In line with any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially received and promptly answued 

 by Mr. Bnzl'-ka. Such commnnlcatlons sbonld Inrarlably be addressed to the office of HORTICtJLTUBB. 



The Snow 



It may have seemed quite commonplace to mention 

 the snow in these columns, some time back, yet there 

 were some houses that met with disaster just because 

 the snow could not be removed in time. They were 

 mostly very wide houses, houses too wide in fact to suit 

 our taste. We are of the opinion that the wide houses 

 remain handy and easier to work only when the width 

 and length are not carried to extremes. A house 72 

 ft. wide is as wide as we want any house to be, and we 

 think that any house wider than that cannot be handled 

 without more expense per square foot than the narrower 

 houses. Of course where other flowers or vegetables are 

 grown this may be different, but, with roses, give us 

 houses from 30 to 72 ft. wide. It is very unfortunate 

 that some growers met with heavy losses during the re- 

 cent heavy fall of snow, and we hope that just such 

 misfortunes will help to keep us prepared to meet any 

 blizzard or heavy snow with the proper equipment to 

 battle with it. Many growers will make the mistake 

 and build their houses too close together. Where space 

 is very limited tliis may be all right but where there is 

 plenty of ground we would much rather keep the houses 

 far enough apart to allow all the snow that may slide 

 ofE the roof to fall to the ground instead of piling in 

 between the houses, and gradually climbing up to the 

 ridge, and causing the house to carry a very heavy load. 

 Whenever necessary, shovel all the snow away from the 

 eaves, even though this has to be done at night. It is 

 labor well spent, and may save several thousands of 

 dollars. Wliere it is not possible to do that, and the 

 houses appear to be sagging under the weight of the 

 snow try and brace them up from the inside, and run 

 the thermometer a few degrees warmer than is cus- 

 tomary. This will help melt some of the snow, and will 

 greatly relieve the pressure. Start this as soon as it 

 starts snowing hard so as to keep the glass clear if at all 

 possible. 



Shifting the Young Plants 



The young plants that had been potted up early in 

 February will now be starting to grow very nicely, and 

 it is best not to wait until they are somewhat pot-bound 

 before shifting them into larger pots, and richer soil. A 

 little more bone meal can be added to this soil, as the 

 plants have the roots now, and they are able to stand a 

 little more feed. A larger portion of manure can also 

 be mixed into the soil, as the days will now be longer 

 and let us hope a little more sunny, and there will be 

 little danger of getting the plants too wet. In repot- 

 ting make sure that all the space between the ball of the 

 plant and the pot is securely filled with earth so that 

 there will not be any chance of its being left empty. 

 Tip a plant out of a pot once in a while to see how the 

 potting is being done, and note carefully how the soil is 

 firmed. If the plants are potted as they should be the 

 soil will be well packed in the bottom of the pot, and 

 gradually become more loose toward the top. Then note 

 the plant potted wrong where the soil is loosely thrown 

 into the bottom of the pot, and is firmed well at the 



top, so well in fact that the water applied has a hard 

 time of it getting through to the bottom of the pot. 

 The soil on the surface will always pack down with 

 the watering that the plants will get. Needless to say 

 all soil used for the repotting should be well screened, 

 and never be in lumps. It should also be moist, with no 

 dry spots in it, also free from drj' lumps. If the soil 

 becomes too dry before potting, it should be turned over 

 after being sprinkled, and then sprinkled and mixed 

 until it is wet enough to moisten all the way through 

 when it is allowed to lie in a heap a wliile. After a 

 few hours thus, it will be in excellent shape for pot- 

 ting. 



Setting the Plants on the Benches 

 There are various ways of setting plants on the 

 benches after repotting. The most ordinary way is to 

 set the plants on the bench just as they come. This is 

 very far from being the proper way, as experience will 

 teach us, and a much better way to do is to set the 

 smaller plants to the front of the bench, nearer the 

 glass, setting all the taller and more vigorous plants to 

 the other side, or the north side where the houses run 

 east and west. This will help in more ways than one, 

 as the smaller plants will have the benefit of the addi- 

 tional light, and will have all the show to make some- 

 thing out of themselves, where if they were mixed in 

 among the other plants they would be unable to make 

 any headway. The taller plants will also take more 

 water, so they will make up for what will dry out with 

 the plants along tlie edge of the bench. It is a pleasure 

 to see a house full of young plants, especially Beauty, 

 that have been well-graded and are growing so that the 

 tops of them all slant like the roof of the house toward 

 the south. Plants set in this way are much easier to 

 handle, and they will be stronger, even though some 

 may be higher than others. 



Preparing the Benches 

 As soon as the old plants are taken from the house, 

 remove some of the soil, say two inches or so. Then 

 scatter plenty of air-slacked lime over the soil and apply 

 a good coat of screened ashes. The object of having 

 the lime in the bench is to keep the worms that may be 

 in the soil from crawling through the ashes into the soil 

 in the pots. This is very important as the plants will 

 not thrive where there are earth worms in the pots. 

 These will soon make the pots sticky, so that the soil they 

 hold will not drain real good, and of course that spells 

 trouble. If you have some plants that seem to be both- 

 ered with this, give them some lime water as we have 

 advised in these columns before. This will either kiU 

 the worms or it will drive them out of the pots. Some- 

 times you may wish to remove all the soil from the 

 benches, then it will be necessary to lay some newspapers 

 on the bench before applying the ashes. These papers 

 may seem very thin, but they will hold the ashes well, 

 and keep them from sifting through if they are not dis- 

 turbed. Of course, if after watering the papers should 

 be disturbed they will all go to pieces, and be of very 

 little account. 



