IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME X 

 No. 109 



Edited by C- F. Ball 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



MARCH 

 •9'5 



Pot Roses under Glass* 



By D.McIntosh. Uauum Gardens, Rathgar 



LIB 



8OT/I 



Amongst all flowers produced under glass during 

 March, April and May the Rose well deserves a 

 prominent place of honour. There are few 

 flowers more admired and appreciated tlirough- 

 out these early months, therefore it is only right 

 to say that the Rose is thoroughly quahfied to 

 receive the highest possible culture. A suitable 

 house is not everything, but it certainly gives 

 a decided advantage over others that happen 

 to be less favourably situated. The ideal 

 structure in which to grow pot Roses success- 

 fully is a light and airy span-roof house, running 

 north and south, with ventilators extending the 

 whole length of the house on both sides, at tojD 

 and bottom. A four-inch flow and return hot 

 water pipe, running along both sides and round 

 the ends, must be included in the interior, so as 

 to command an adequate supply of heat during 

 the dull and sunless days of winter. Staging 

 should be erected in the centre, along the sides 

 and at the ends, with a path intervening. A 

 tank for the reception of rain water should also 

 be included for spraying and watering purposes. 

 Assuming the plants have been plunged in the 

 open during the sinnmer and autumn months, 

 the pots slioidd be lifted, thoroughly washed, and 

 stood inside upon the staging by the 1st Novem- 

 ber. From now onwards full ventilation must 

 be given, both day and night, until the pruning 

 takes place. No water need be applied to the 

 plants unless signs of severe shrivelling are 

 noticeable on shoots that arc meant to be 

 retained. 



Commence to prime about the 20th of 

 December, so that all can be got in order by 

 Christmas week, which is always a reminder of 

 the fixed date to close the house. To set about 

 the pruning o])eration wi.sely and well, the 

 cultivator must !)e painstaking and intelligent, 

 with a sound knowledge of his business, becau.se 



the pruning is essentially an operation of para- 

 mount importance in Rose culture. A great 

 deal of future success will be largely due to the 

 skilful handling of the knife. Cut clean away 

 all dead and unripened wood. On the hard, 

 well-seasoned shoots plump, dormant buds 

 should be selected, one of two or three eyes 

 near the base of the current year's growth ; but, 

 failing to find the right bud on the young wood, 

 the pruner will have to look further down on 

 to the old wood, where good buds will lie 

 dormant for years unless induced to move by 

 hard cutting back with the knife. Always 

 select a bud looking outwards if possible, so 

 that the centre of the plant will remain open 

 to receive every advantage of sun, light and air. 



The pruning finished, remove all refuse from 

 the house to the burning heap without delay. 

 The house should now be closed and the pots 

 well filled with water at least twice over. In a 

 few days fumigate to allay all suspicion of green- 

 fly and other in.sects. 



A temperature of 40° and 48°, night and day 

 respectively, is ample to commence with. 

 With clear water, spray between the pots and 

 plants every morning about nine o'clock, and, 

 from the top ventilator only, admit air when the 

 thermometer reaches 50°. When the buds have 

 lengthened half an inch, rub off all weak and 

 undesirable growths, taking care to remove only 

 one or two at a time from a shoot, on alternate 

 days. Pull up any suckers that may appear 

 from the roots. As the shoots develop, a slightly 

 higher temperature must be maintained. When 

 the first leaves unfold, admit air with great 

 caution, as the least cold draught will be liable 

 to bring about mildew. By the end of February 

 many of the young growths will be showing bud. 

 At this stage, weak a])pli('ations of farmyard 

 licpiid manure, soot water and api)roved arti- 



