500 FRITZ BAHR'S COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE 



is still the best and you cannot grow Roses on straight stems without 

 supporting them. 



GETTING STARTED 



For the man starting out, the best way is to purchase well-es- 

 tablished 2J/2- or 3-in. pot plants and bench them as early in Spring 

 as possible. One can plant almost any time during the Summer, 

 but there is nothing like getting a good start. The flowers from 

 young stock don't amount to much, especially during the Summer 

 months, and are best removed with a short stem, thereby helping the 

 plant to produce a heavier growth for later flowering. To allow 

 cold draughts to strike the plants always means a dose of mildew, 

 and the softer the growth the worse the dose. Powdered sulphur 

 applied with a blower on the leaves, or a sulphur paste painted on 

 the steam pipes, can be used as a remedy, but an overdose when 

 using the pipe method is as bad as the mildew itself. Ventilation 

 on top without draughts and a healthy growing atmosphere moist 

 enough to prevent red spider yet not sufficient to create mildew, are 

 what the man in charge has to try to attain. 



To the beginner I would say: Visit if you can a good Rose 

 grower; he will gladly give ^ou all the information you want. Start 

 out with your mind made up that you are going to grow Roses. 

 Keep your eyes open and think a lot. No matter how well you 

 start out, you are bound to bump into a setback sooner or later, 

 and this is necessary in order to gain knowledge. But if you stick 

 to it you are bound to come out ahead. 



HOW TO MAKE ROSES PAY 



Because the retail grower cannot handle Roses for cut flowers 

 under glass on a small scale is no reason why he should not push the 

 sale of the flowers or should not make the most of handling Rose 

 plants for early Spring flowering under glass, as well as plants for 

 outdoor planting. 



To begin with, Roses should be found in your assortment of 

 flowers in the display cooler every day of the year. No matter what 

 else you may carry, your assortment is not complete without them. 

 They may not sell quite so well during the Chrysanthemum season, 

 or when it is Poinsettia time, but a good Rose usually will sell when 

 nothing else will. 



For Easter, and up to Memorial Day, the retail grower should 

 always carry a nice stock of pot plants in flower. A beautiful Ram- 

 bler Rose bush is one of the most important Easter plants we have, 

 and even those with no facilities to grow cut Roses can grow on at 

 least a part of their wants successfully. 



From Easter on, all through April, May and even June, pot Roses 

 in bud and bloom can be sold. Among them the so-called Baby Ram- 



