38 THE PRINCIPLES OF FLORICULTURE 



ideal. A member of the firm announced that a location 

 had been found and remarked that they had a gold mine in 

 the soil. Their subsequent success is proving the correct- 

 ness of the statement. 



While other florists' crops are perhaps less particular 

 than the rose in regard to soil characters, nevertheless 

 all species require soil of medium texture which is fairly 

 retentive of moisture, yet one which is porous enough to 

 allow any excess of water to percolate through it easily. 



As a rule, plants under glass grow best if the soil con- 

 tains a mixture of medium sand, silt and clay. The 

 proportions of these vary with different crops, and the 

 plant-requirements in this respect are more definitely 

 discussed in those chapters which deal particularly with 

 cultural directions for these crops. Several florists' crops, 

 for example, carnations and violets, are grown part of 

 the year out-of-doors, so it is important that the soil 

 in the field be of a character suited for their culture. The 

 character of the subsoil on these areas is likewise of special 

 importance, for upon this depends in a large measure 

 the effectiveness of drainage which is so important for a 

 healthy development of these crops. 



32. Drainage. If soil where greenhouses are to be 

 built has naturally an open subsoil, and if it be so located 

 that natural drainage takes place, conditions are more 

 ideal. However, this condition cannot always be found 

 and if other important factors are present, and natural 

 drainage is imperfect, artificial methods by tiling or open 

 ditches may be resorted to effectively. After the drains 

 are in place, the location for the houses should be graded 

 sufficiently so that all surface water will be removed 

 quickly. It is fundamentally important that there be 

 most excellent drainage conditions both within and without 



