FERTILIZERS IN THE GREENHOUSE 



fci^^HE only fertilizers I use in my 

 J. greenhouses," said Mr. J. H. Dun- 

 lop, the well known rose grower of Toronto, 

 to a representative of The Horticulturist, 

 who visited his greenhouses during Janu- 

 ary, " is the best cow manure, and ground 

 bone, 'with occasionally a little soot to de- 

 velop the color. I have tried a great many 

 fertilizers and find nothing to equal these. 



" When I replant the roses I use fresh 

 soil, and when it becomes exhausted I begin 

 to use the cow liquid, applying it once a 

 week. About the middle of February I 

 mulch with cow manure. This is done once 

 or twice. Good clover sod from old pas- 

 ture, with an admixture of bone dust, makes 

 an ideal soil. The bone dust must be 

 ground fine. I have had to discontinue the 

 use of Canadian bone dust because I cannot 

 get the manufacturers to grind it fine 

 enough, and all I use is imported from 

 Chicago. If permanent beds were used a 

 coarser bone wo'uld answer, as it would 

 gradually be absorbed, but for soil which is 

 frequently renewed coarse bone means 

 waste. 



" I have used a fertilizer made from car- 

 cases of animals, which contains a good deal 

 ox fatty matter. It is too strong, as it 

 causes the leaves to fall off, and it partsl 

 with its ammonia too freely. Three days 

 or so after being applied the ammonia be- 

 gins to pass off, and for six or eight days 

 continues to do so, hurting the foliage. In 

 the spring, when the greenhouses are more 

 fully ventilated, this objection would not be 

 so great. The escape of ammonia can be 

 checked to some extent by a covering of 

 soil. The H brand when used should be 



applied light and often. A 200 pound bag 

 will cover about 3,500 square feet. I have 

 also tried a fertilizer made in Peterboro, but 

 cannot see any results. 



Soot is applied in liquid form. The soot 

 is put in a coarse bag and placed in water 

 in a barrel or other receptacle. Lime, air 

 slacked and sprinkled on the soil or used in 

 the form of lime water is helpful. It tends 

 to sweeten the soil. 



" I may have to resort to the use of arti- 

 ficial fertilizers more and more in the future, 

 as it is becoming increasingly difficult to 

 procure cow manure. A Toronto city by-law 

 compels the removal of cow byres beyond 

 the city limits, and I cannot procure it from 

 the country, as it pays the farmer better to 

 use it on his own land. I have to pay dou- 

 ble the price for it I had to two years ago. 



" Great care and caution must be exer- 

 cised in the use of fertilizers in the green- 

 house. Each grower must experiment 

 with his own soil and study results. Tests 

 should be made on a small scale so that in 

 case of failure the loss would be small. The 

 aim in rose culture should be strong growth, 

 stiff stem, deep green foliage and large and 

 well colored flowers." 



Roses and carnations are Mr. Dunlop's 

 specialties. He also grows a good many 

 violets and some asparagus plumosus, smi- 

 lax, chrysanthemums, lilies, lilacS, azaleas, 

 rhododendrons, mignonette, etc. He has 

 about three and a half acres under glass, 

 half of which is devoted to roses, one-sixth 

 to carnations, one-sixth to violets, and the 

 remainder to sundries and to propagating 

 houses. A visit to his greenhouses is a 

 most interesting experience. 



I notice that a row of apple trees planted 

 in my orchard next to a row of walnut trees 

 have not grown so well as the others, and 

 some of them have died. It seems to me it 

 does not do to plant apple tree? too near 

 ■walnut trees. — (A. Shaw, Walkerton, Ont. 



Until my cherry trees are three years old 

 I cut back all vigorous center growth. This 

 extends the trees outward rather than up- 

 ward. I give them as much of an umbrella 

 shape a!? possible. — (John D. Wjgle, King- 

 ston, Ont. 



