638 



The Weekly Florists^ Re vie w» 



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ArousT 2, 1000. 



■ryv.'' 



foliage before the buds begin to expand 

 is the best 'remedy the writer knows of. 

 You would not term the aster beetle a 

 brown fly, so your trouble is most likely 

 an aphis of some kind. Any of the 

 nicotine extracts will prove a most ef- 

 fectual destroyer of the green and black 

 fly. They should be diluted with about 

 200 times their bulk of water and ap- 

 plied with the Eclipse compressed air- 

 sprayer, often called the knapsack 



sprayer, a most useful little apparatus. 

 If you think it tedious to find out what 

 is a 200th part, fill the cylinder two- 

 thirds full of water, then add a 2-ineh pot 

 of the nicotine. This mixture is so color- 

 less that it does not stain the fairest 

 flower and is death to the a{)hi8 on 

 roses, carnations or chrysanthemums. 

 The spray is so fine and niistlike, and 

 it is so much diluted, that it is not at 

 all expensive. W. S. 



THE RICHMOND ROSE. 



From many sections of the country 

 comes the report that young plants of 

 the Richmond rose are still on the grow- 

 ers' hands, with the end of the plant- 

 ing season rapidly approaching. It ap- 

 pears that every grower who bought 

 stock of the introducer of Richmond 

 has the past season been propagating 

 for all he was worth. As every piece of 

 wood put into the sand roots and makes 

 a plant, the result is that every one has 

 stock to spare. It is the unanimous re- 

 port of growers that Richmond is easier 

 to propagate than any other rose now 

 largely grown. Next year the jtrii-e of 

 young stock Mill doubtless be no more 

 than moderate at the best. 



MULCHING MIXTURES. 



To get mulching material in good con- 

 dition for fall and winter use, it ought 

 to be prepared now, as the manure and 

 soil can be obtained in any condition 

 desirable. A compost consisting of two- 

 thirds decomposed cow manure and one- 

 third good, fibrous loam, should be put 

 into a neat pile for two or three weeks. 

 It should then be chopped uj» fine, uuich 

 finer than compost for roses, and turned 

 over two or three times at intervals of 

 ten days. 



When it is in a fine, mellow conditictn, 

 it should be jtut through a -y, -inch 

 screen or a fine sod crusher, it is tiicn 

 ready for use and should be stored where 

 it will be protected from the cold fall 

 rains and snow. If bone meal or other 

 fertilizers are to be used, they can be 

 added at the time of applying. 



Danger in Weeds. 



While in the pile, and indeed at all 

 times, the material should be kept clear 

 of weeds, as these attract insects which 

 make them a depository for their eggs. 



Material which has been lying neg- 

 lected and covered with weeds all sum- 

 mer is not fit to be put into the mulch 

 ])ile, as it is invariably swarming with 

 thrips, red spider, etc., which delight in 



such undisturbed quarters, and wliicii 

 multiply rapidly when taken into the 

 congenial temperature of the rose house. 

 I have no doubt that this accounts for 

 those swarms of thrips which make their 

 appearance in the houses during winter 

 and spring, as from personal observa- 

 tion I have found these pests become 

 more numerous just after an applica- 

 tion of mulch. By getting the material 

 ready now, it may save some hours of 

 anxious worry when the short, dark days 

 begin. 



It will also be wise to look after the 

 soil required for potting the young stock. 

 Having the soil in good condition and 

 handy for this purpose constitutes one 

 of the first elements of success. 



RlBKS. 



THE ROSE. 



(t'oiiclimi"!! of a piiper by M. Sdimli. foreinmi 

 for J. !•'. Wlk-ox. Coiiiicll Itliitrs, In., i-cii<l before 

 the NebrnHka State IlortU-iiItiiral .Society at 

 Oiiiaba, July 12, ]!)0(i.l 



Need of Early Fire. 



Our aim should be to bring the roses 

 into winter with plenty of good, vigor- 

 ous, well-ripened wood, not stunted or 

 soft and spindling. Many a crop of 

 flowers is lost, or at least seriously in- 

 jured, and often the prospects for the 

 whole of the winter months are ruined, 

 by not starting the fire in time. In 

 August and September we often will 

 have cliilly, wet days and nights. Do 

 not neglect to run a little heat througli 

 the houses, if it is only to take the chill 

 and danij)ness out of tlie air. It will 

 repay you with interest. You will not 

 have nmch trouble with niihU'w and 

 other fungous diseases. You also will 

 not be so niucji afraid to syinge when 

 you know that you will have the fire 

 going at iiiylit, so red spider will not 

 j/et a start, which means much by No- 

 vember, when the weather conditions 

 may be so that you will not dare to 

 syringe sometimes for a week or nu)rc. 



Place to Cut. 



Meanwhile the roses liave been kept 

 nicely tied uj), all the weaker stems dis- 

 iHidded or cut back and we are beginning 

 to cut some flowers from some of the 

 strongest shoot.'^. The stems should not 

 be cut too low on the young roses, leav- 

 ing four to six eyes, according to the 



condition of the plants, while weak stems 

 may be cut lower or cut out entirely. As 

 the plant grows stronger the practice 

 of cutting two or three eyes is the best 

 with most varieties, Beauties being an 

 exception, as most of the flower stems 

 come from the base, or near the bottom, 

 of the plant, and should be left with 

 four to eight eyes. It is impossible to 

 cut the flowets by any formula or set 

 rule; the difference in varieties and the 

 condition of the plants varies so much 

 tiiiit almost each individual plant de- 

 mands a ditferent way of cutting. 



This apparently simple operation is 

 accountable in a large measure for our 

 high or low grades of flowers. I find 

 it more difficult to teach the cutting of 

 the flowers than the watering, or any 

 other operation pertaining to rose cul- 

 ture. 



Temperature and Ventilation. 



The temperature most suited to our 

 tea roses is from .I;! to 58 degrees at 

 night and (i() to (iS degrees in (lay. On 

 exce|»tionally liright days the tempera- 

 ture may go ui» to 70 or 75 degrees, 

 lieauties are kept about 2 degrees 

 warmer. 



The airing or ventilating of the rose 

 houses is of great importance during 

 the whole year; particularly during the 

 fall, winter and spring they need very 

 close watching. It often happens that 

 the ventilation has to be changed four 

 or five times an hour. Good judgment 

 is necessary in airing. Never raise the 

 ventilation too much at one time, but 

 go around often and raise it by de- 

 grees. Avoid all sudden changes and 

 draughts; a cold draught of air admitted 

 suddenly is apt to check the plants and 

 cripple the flowers, besides causing mil- 

 dew, and may mean a setback for a 

 month or six weeks. This mistake is 

 most apt to occur in tho early morn- 

 ing hours, when the sun commences to 

 strike the glass, and may be partially 

 avoided by shutting down the fires as 

 soon as the sun appears, raising the 

 ventilation ])art of an inch and so 

 gradually raising the temi)erature of 

 the house. 



Watering and Mulching. 



The beds must be frequently examined 

 during the cold weather. They may 

 appear moist on top, while heat from 

 the pipes has dried them from below. 

 Always water so that the moisture pene- 

 trates to the bottom and then let the 

 bench alone until a good watering is 

 lu'eiled again. Of course there are al- 

 ways places wliich need a little extra 

 water between times, but the grower will 

 soon find those places. 



.Most growers give a light nudidi of 

 manure about the first of October or 

 earlier, and then no more until the 

 middle of February or March. 



Artificial fertilizers, such as bone meal, 

 blood, wood ashes or lime, arc used dur- 

 ing the winter months. A light water- 

 ing Avith liquid manure beginning in 

 .January and used every two or three 

 weeks is a great stimulant. Artificial 

 fertilizers should be used with great 

 caution, particularly by beginners. It 

 is easily overdone. Use a little at a 

 time, and so ascertain the amount most 

 beneficial. From the middle of March 

 on manure and manure water, or any 

 (juick acting fertilizer, can be used more 

 freely without injury. 



Mtich more could be said of every 

 operation in the culture of roses, but it 



