

1060 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



OCTOBEU 20, 1904. 



ROSES. 



Seasonable Notes. 



During the winter months, when the 

 days are short and the duration of sun- 

 shine is reduced to a minimum, the gen- 

 eral care of roses, upon which so much 

 of our success depends in producing 

 blooms in quantity and quality to make 

 both ends meet, necessitates great at- 

 tention, skill and vigilance without ceas- 

 ing, both night and day. 



If we are determined to succeed, the 

 demands on our time and attention are 

 immediate and pressing, as no crop un- 

 der glass is so impatient of neglect as is 

 this queen of flowers and the grower 

 who fails to put his soul, energy and 

 skill into the subject had better be out 

 of it. 



To enable the grower to give them the 

 proper attention he must becc«ne an 

 ardent dnd careful observer, noting 

 every failure and trying to trace its 

 cause. The act of searching for a cause 

 will be the means of obtaining additional 

 knowledge regarding the wants and char- 

 acter of each variety and also lead to a 

 systematic study of the diseases to which 

 they are liable and the most effectual 

 method of combating such. 



The long, dreary winter, with its lack 

 of sunshine and cold, moist atmosphere, 

 is the time to try the skill, ingenuity 

 and patience of the grower and put him 

 on his mettle, and he who faces his 

 troubles with courage, energy and knowl- 

 edge is sure of success. 



What I consider as one of the most 

 essential elements to success is to under- 

 stand the true theory of watering, for if 

 this knowledge is lacking there is certain 



to be trouble during this season, when 

 evaporation is on the decrease and root 

 action is less lively. In my long ex- 

 perience as a rose grower I have noticed 

 that the majority of complaints during 

 the winter season about stock going 

 back can be attributed to over-watering 

 and over-feeding, and rarely to the lack 

 of it, and as a consequence I am natu- 

 rally inclined to put a deal of stress on 

 this subject. 



Any neglect in tying and training at 

 this season is bound to reflect on the 

 future crops, for if shoots and branches 

 Are allowed to scramble and trail over 

 the bench the eyes are certain to break 

 weak and produce a crop of blind wood. 

 Each shoot should be tied neatly and 

 separately, allowing suflBcient space be- 

 tween for free circulation of air, so 

 that after applying the syringe the foli- 

 age may become dry with as little delay 

 as possible. 



A thorough knowledge of the theory 

 of ventilation is also necessary to the 

 rose grower and the reduction to an ex- 

 act science should be practiced, as there 

 is great danger to even the finest crops 

 if indiscriminate ventilation is resorted 

 to. Vigilance, careful watering, a thor- 

 ough knowledge and practice of ventilat- 

 ing and temperature is the price of a 

 crop of high grade blooms. Rises. 



FEEDING BEAUTIES. 



I have started to feed Beauties that 

 were planted May 1 with weak cow ma- 

 nure liquid. Is it advisable, and if so, 

 how often? B. P. T. 



Not knowing the condition nor stage 

 of growth these Beauties have attained 



Dendrobium Thyrslflorum. 



it is rather a difficult matter to give 

 advice upon. If they have attained a 

 strong, vigorous growth and filled the 

 bench with roots, they may be in a con- 

 dition to use a weak dose of liquid food 

 once a week. I have, however, found it 

 advisable to refrain from the use of 

 liquid stimulants on young stock, and 

 rather prefer giving them a light mulch 

 till the days begin to lengthen. Liquid 

 feeding has a tendency to produce a 

 softer growth than is safe to enter on 

 the winter with. Bibes. 



DENDROBIUMS. L^ _- 



There are few more showy orchids 

 than the dendrobiums and the photo- 

 graphs reproduced, from plants grown 

 at the establishment of Harry G. Self- 

 ridge, at Lake Geneva, Wis., show what 

 fikill and care can accomplish. C. H. 

 Gebhardt, the gardener in charge, sup- 

 plies the following description and cul- 

 tural details: 



Deodrobium Thyrsifloram. 



"The flowers are one and a half to 

 two inches across, spirally arranged like 

 grapes. The sepals and petals are 

 white, throat orange yellow. It is from 

 India. We keep this dendrobium at the 

 resting season in a Mexican house, where 

 the night temperature is from 50 to 5& 

 degrees. During March and April, when 

 most of dendrobes start into growth, we 

 put them in a cattleya house, with a 

 night temperature of 60 degrees and day 

 rise of about 5 degrees. During summer 

 months, from May to August, we put 

 them in our East Indian house, with a 

 night temperature of 65 to 70 and day 

 75 to 80 degrees. During September 

 and October we return them, first to the 

 cattleya house, and during winter to the 

 Mexican house. In winter we give water 

 only enough to keep the compost and 

 surface moist and prevent the latest 

 formed stem from shriveling, the amount 

 being gradually increased as the young 

 shoots appear. When new growths be- 

 gin to make roots water must daily be 

 given liberally until they have completed 

 their growth, when a diminution should 

 be made until the plants are again at 

 rest. And so with the sprinkling and 

 dampening down, a corresponding dimi- 

 nution must be made during the declin- 

 ing months of the year until winter 

 comes again. We give plenty of ventila- 

 tion in summer, from top and bottom; 

 in spring and in fall, according to the 

 weather, and in winter only top ventila- 

 tion, as we are not able to open any 

 bottom ventilation in winter, as all the 

 side walls are banked with leaves to- 

 keep the houses warmer. We keep D. 

 thyrsiflorum suspended from the roof. 



Dendrobium Wardianum. 



"This is from Burmah. The flowers 

 are three to four inches across, wax- 

 like in texture, sepals white with purple 

 blotch at the tip; petals white heavily 

 tipped with purple, lip bright yellow, 

 with maroon blotches. We cultivate 

 thorn similar to D. thyrsiflorum with the 

 exception that in summer we give them 

 more sun and after the growth is com- 

 pleted hang them in our rose house, sus- 

 pended from the roof in the full sun. 

 In winter,^ from November until March, 

 we keep them in a north lean-to house, 

 where the temperature is 45 degrees at 

 night and keep them nearly perfectly 

 dry until March, when we bring them 

 first to the Mexican, next to the cattleya 

 house until the buds start to open, then 



