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January 12. 1905. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



405 



THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF 



GRAFTED ROSES m FORCING 



BY ALEXANDER MONTGOMERY, jh.. 

 WABAN ROSE CONSERVATORIES, NATICK, MASS. 



COPYRIGHT, 1904. BY FLORISTS' PUBLISHING CO 



Cultural Methods. 



Presuming that I may have inspired 

 in some at least a desire to make a 

 trial of grafted roses, I will take up 

 the details of making the grafts 

 and the subsequent handling of the 

 I>la.nts. The 'process of making the 

 grafts will be given in considerable 

 (ietail, as it is the basis for success, 

 the after care of the grafted and own- 

 root plants differing in but few par- 

 ticulars. To begin at the beginning: 



Procuring the Stocks* 



As the best stocks at present come 

 from Britain, I should advise giving an 

 order to some reliable nurseryman. 

 This should be done during the summer 

 preceding the fall when the stocks 

 are to be delivered. The next thing to 

 do is to keep posted on the exact date 

 of the shipment and arrival of the 

 same, and if one cannot be around per- 

 sonally to see that they are rushed 

 through the custom house, this import- 

 ant work should be intrusted to a brok- 

 er in whom one may have confidence, 

 with instructions to see that the ship- 

 ment is delivered as quickly as possible 

 after arrival. I have no doubt but 

 that many thousands of stocks have 

 been ruined beyond recovery by being 

 left lying carelessly around warehouses 

 in boxes with covers off, exposed to 

 drying winds, thus allowing them to 

 shrivel up long before they reach the 

 grower. In the cases of small growers 

 living in the same section, it would 

 seem to be advisable to club together 

 and have their separate orders sent as 

 one large shipment. This would un- 

 doubtedly cheapen the cost of shipment 

 as well as facilitate the delivery of 

 the goods. 



It mu.st not be understood, however, 

 that early lifted stocks, as a rule, are rec- 

 ommended, for nothing will give the 

 grower more trouble than a lot of green 

 Manetti that have been shipped before 

 they were thoroughly ripened. Tliey will 

 almost cfrtainly shrivel up and no 

 amount of care that is bestowed on them 

 will be able to prevent this, flenerally 

 speaking, it will be after the middle of 

 December before first-class Manetti can 

 reach this country from Britain. 



Heel in at Once. 



On the arrival of the stocks, if they 

 have been properly packed, the bun- 

 dles will be slightly moist and the 

 stocks should appear fresh and plump. 

 Now right here is the very place where 

 many beginners have made great fail- 

 ures, and straightway blamed their 

 dealers for sending poor stuff. There 

 may be, and undoubtedly are, many ex- 

 cellent ways of handling Manetti at 

 this particular stage, but the one I 

 mention has given very satisfactory 



results and beginners would do well to 

 follow it. All packing or covering 

 should be removed from the bundles 

 and the stocks immediately plunged in 

 trenches in soil to two-thirds of their 

 depth and given a thorough watering. 



they will be ready for potting, but 

 if they are kept cool, and about 40 

 degrees is right, there need be no hurry 

 about the matter as they ought to keep 

 in this condition for at least a month; 

 and if two or three batches are potted 

 each week they will come along in 

 about the right quantity for grafting. 

 If the stocks are allowed to remain 

 in the trenches until they have just 

 started to make white rootlets they will 

 generally take root more quickly when 

 potted. Two and one-half inch pots are 

 the proper size to use and, indeed, if 

 the stocks are properly rooted this size 

 will be found quite small enough, for 

 it must be remembered we expect to 

 have a good-sized plant on the stock 

 before it is ready for a shift to a S'^/j- 

 inch pot. Pot good and firm, firmer 

 than you would rooted cuttings; water 



Bundle of Manetti Stocks as Received from Europe. 



taking care to wash the soil well in 

 about the roots. It is not necessary to 

 plunge the stocks separately; they will 

 do just as well in bundles, if all cover- 

 ing is taken off. 



Potting Up. 

 In from four or five days to a week 



thoroughly and place in a house with a 

 temperature of 45 degrees at night to 

 50 degrees in the day. Do not water 

 again until you are absolutely certain 

 they need it, or, I might better say, so 

 long as the soil remains moist they will 

 require no water at the roots. Dampen 

 the stems of the stocks three or four 



