82 FRITZ BAHR'S COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE 



BENCHES OR SOLID BEDS 



With large houses and for certain crops such as will do as well 

 on a solid bed as on a raised bench, it would be folly to erect ex- 

 pensive benches. In small establishments this is different, and 

 there is always good use for both. It is well to have a house with 

 benches where mostly pot plants are carried, while in one where a 

 crop of Chrysanthemums is grown, followed by, say, Snapdragons 

 and this crop later on succeeded by Sweet Peas or Asters, it would 

 be a waste of labor and material to build benches. Many successful 

 growers don't change the soil in beds, any more than the gardener 

 would in the beds outdoors; he simply spreads a layer of lime in 

 Summer, and then adds a good dose of manure. The beds are dug 

 over deeply, and perhaps left rough for a few days, and then are ready 

 for the new crop. Some men don't know what failure means who 

 practice this method year in, year out. This much is certain 

 it means a lot less work in building, keeping in repair and filling and 

 emptying the benches. And except perhaps during the dark, Mid- 

 winter days, almost all plants do better in such beds than in a shallow 

 bench. Some of the best Carnations I have ever seen were grown in 

 solid beds; the same with Chrysanthemums and Callas. 



However, for the retail grower, besides the fact that pot plants 

 are better off on a bench than when placed on top of a solid bed, 

 still other advantages in having benches are: It will do away with 

 having heating pipes hanging all over the houses, along the gutter 

 or purlin supports; it will provide bottom heat for cuttings to be 

 rooted, or seeds and bulbs to be started into growth; and the space, 

 or at least some of it, often can be used for the storing of plants not 

 needing bench space; again, while not exactly the right place for pots, 

 they can go under a bench. So, as already stated, I think any estab- 

 lishment with three or more houses can use both the solid beds and 

 the raised benches to advantage. 



THE PROPAGATING BENCH 



For general use a bench with 3j^-in. sides, filled up to within 

 J/^-in. of the top with clean, sharp sand will answer nicely for the 

 retail grower to propagate his bedding stock, his Carnations and 

 his Chrysanthemums in. 



While, as a rule, heating pipes located directly under the bottom 

 of a bench planted with Carnations, Roses, Violets, or, for that 

 matter, almost anything else, are anything but beneficial to the 

 plants, due to such heat drying the soil or warming it up too much, 

 bottom heat, when properly used, is a blessing for a number of 

 purposes. 



Therefore, if possible, always have a few extra pipes provided 

 with a shutoff about 1 ft. or so below the bottom of the bench. Bottom 



