May 23, 1914 



HORTICULTUKE 



763 



ROSE GROWING UNDER GLASS 



. CONDUCTED "" 



Questions by our readers In line with any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially received and promptly 

 by Mr. Ruzicka. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTURE. 



answered 



Decoration Day 



Growers that are situated on a good road where auto- 

 mobile traffic is quite heavy ought to get after some of 

 the trade that goes past without stopping if they do not 

 see any sign or other advertisement on the place. A 

 neat sign costs very little when compared to the results 

 tliat it will bring. The very first year ought to more 

 than pay for it. There is no better time to start this 

 than on or rather before Decoration Day as there are 

 more people traveling on this day than any other day in 

 the year. If you have never done business with the 

 automobile traffic it will take a little time to work up 

 the trade but it will not take very long. Give the 

 people good stuff, and charge reasonable prices for it. 

 Put it up in nice boxes and you will be surprised at the 

 amount of business that you will be able to do. Make it 

 a point never to sell bad or overblown roses to anyone, 

 as people will remember that for years to come, espe- 

 cially tourists. You will forget the people, no doubt, 

 as there are new people dealt with every day, but they 

 will remember you, and remember you well. Have the 

 place in good order, all clean, and that will impress the 

 people a good deal. Any other business run slip-shod 

 the way some florists' places are would last but a very 

 sliort time. You will be surprised at the increased 

 profits if you will spend a little time and money sys- 

 tematizing everything so that work can be done well 

 and rapidly without the "fussing around" Iialf a day to 

 get to a job. 



Use of Cracked Ice in the Boxes 



Now the warm weather is here to stay see that there 

 is a little cracked ice used in the flower boxes when they 

 are shipped to the market in the morning. This will 

 keep the roses fresh and nice and they will open hardly 

 any. See that the ice does not come in contact with the 

 buds as this would be very likely to spot them, and 

 thus decrease their value. 



Care of Wires and Stakes 



When the houses are emptied, see that all the wires 

 and stakes that are to be u.sed again another season, are 

 well cleaned and free from all pieces of old string and 

 brush. These strings if allowed to remain on the wires 

 •will cause them to rust and they will then break very 

 easily when they are stretched again in the fall of the 

 year. Tie all the stakes in bundles of 50 and put them 

 away where they will be handy to get when they are 

 wanted and where they will not be ruined by having very 

 heavy stuff piled over them. If there is a fairly dry 

 place under the benches, better put them there, and then 

 they will be right in the house where they were taken 

 from. Use a machine to wind up the wires so that they 

 will be free from kinks and will not be twisted and bent 



in all manner of shapes. A piece of cotton waste held 

 in place by a nail, and soaked with oil will oil the wire as 

 it runs to the winder if it is made to run right under this 

 waste, and it will keep the wire from rusting, thus add- 

 ing a few years more to its life. Stakes can be treated 

 much the same way, and will repay well the extra 

 amount of labor that is spent on this work. 



The Center Braces 



All the bench wire braces that are put up here and 

 there should receive as much attention, as the wires and 

 the stakes. See that they are carefully put away bo 

 tliat they will be ready to be used again. The men will 

 waste a good deal of time to make new ones next fall and 

 there is no need of it as these will last a good long time 

 yet, if they are cared for properly. Better put them 

 .somewhere in the shed, where they will not be disturbed 

 until they are wanted again. 



Washing the Houses 



When all the earth is removed from the benches, and 

 they are being washed out with the hose, it is a good 

 time to wash off all the green scum that is bound to 

 accumulate on the woodwork. This can be easily done 

 now before it has a chance to dry on to the wood. If 

 the houses are to be painted this summer, the paint will 

 stick much better if all the dirt is removed. If all the 

 wood and iron work will positively be painted, use a little 

 caustic soda in the water that is used to wash off the 

 wood work. This will loosen all the dirt, and make it 

 easier to remove. It will also move some of the paint; 

 that is why it should not be used if the houses are not 

 to be painted the coming season. 



Repair Work on the Benches 



Do this well, unless you expect to tear out the 

 benches to build new ones soon, and then of course they 

 can be patched any way at all, to make them last the one 

 season. It does not pay to patch up the benches with 

 old half-decayed wood, and then have to patch it all over 

 again. On good benches, put your repairs in so that 

 they will stay for a while to come. Galvanized nails 

 used will help to keep the bench from decaying, as you 

 will find that the boards rot out around the nails first. 

 Use nails sparingly, as they are not necessary, in the 

 bottom of the bench, for the soil will hold the boards in 

 their places. Use merely enough nails to tack the boards 

 here and there so that they will not shift all over the 

 bench when the soil is put in or is being taken out. 

 Painting the ends nf all boards, and also the cross-pieces 

 will help to make them last. Do not think of using tar or 

 creosote for that would be the end of your roses. No 

 plants will thrive real well where there is tar around; 

 even the smell of it will have a bad effect on them. 



