1084 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



Febbuaby 28, 1907. 



of the various ingredients of the mixture, 

 Schander turned his attention to the 

 effect of the coating itself. It is evi- 

 dent that the coat of lime and copper 

 sulphate on the leaves would cut out a 

 large part of the light reaching the 

 interior of the leaf and thus act as a 

 shade. 



In the first experiment three sets of 

 bean plants were planted in the open 

 ground and covered with glass in such a 

 way that the framework supporting the 

 glass left the sides open to the air. One 

 set of plants was sprayed with Bordeaux 

 mixture, in the second set the glass was 

 sprayed, giving the shade effect, and the 

 third was left untreated under clear 

 glass. During the entire development of 

 the plants both the plants under the 

 sprayed glass and those whose foliage 

 has been sprayed directly showed a 

 deeper green color with larger leaves and 

 better growth. The unshaded plants 

 showed the yellowish color characteristic 

 of plants suffering from too much light. 

 Of course, the temperature and moisture 

 conditions were the same for each group. 



In another case the leaves of grapes 

 were sprayed with the Bordeaux, partly 

 on the upper side and partly on the 

 lower surface. If the beneficial effects 

 of the spray resulted from the chemical 

 action of the mixture both sets of leaves 

 ought to act alike. It was found, how- 

 ever, that the leaves sprayed on the upper 

 surface alone showed beneficial results. 

 These were of a deeper green and con- 

 tained a larger quantity of starch than 

 the others. 



In a later experiment parts of leaves 

 were covered with chemically indifferent 

 substances -like thin paper. The covered 

 portions always showed a deeper green 



color and contained more starch than the 

 exposed parts. These experiments seem 

 to show that the beneficial effects of 

 Bordeaux mixture aside from its fungi- 

 cidal properties are due to its action in 

 moderating the intense illumination of 

 the summer sun. 



Conclusions Reached. 



From the observations and experi- 

 ments which I have reported here we 

 must arrive al^ the remarkable conclusion 

 that during the bright weather from late 

 spring until early fall most of our cul- 

 tivated plants suffer from too intense an 

 illumination. When this illumination is 

 cut down, as in all plants which are 

 commonly sprayed, the plants thrive bet- 

 ter than in full sunlight. This is com- 

 monly observed in apple trees, grape 

 vines, potatoes and other plants which 

 are commonly sprayed. 



In the greenhouses the situation is 

 complicated by the great rise in tem- 

 perature which becomes injurious to 

 plants, but aside from this the illum- 

 ination itself can easily become injurious. 

 Shade-loving plants like palms, etc., are 

 injured even by long exposure to moder- 

 ate illumination and roses soon show 

 signs of injury in bright summer weather. 

 The first and most evident sign of too 

 intense illumination is a pale green or 

 yellowish color. Finally the leaves 

 formed become smaller and none of the 

 tissues manufacture the normal amount 

 of starch. This soon results in weaker 

 growth and slender shoots on the plants. 

 In roses the effect of too much light can 

 be easily seen in summer by the pale 

 green leaves. Even a few days of cloudy 

 weather will suflBee to change the ap- 

 pearance of the whole house to a more 

 normal, darker green. 



FEEDING FOR EASTER BLOOMS. 



It is now only a few weeks till Easter 

 and any crops that seem tardy and back- 

 ward should receive special attention so 

 that they may come up to time. 



With the increase of sunshine, which 

 we may now expect, there is less danger 

 of weakening stock by feeding and, if 

 it is in vigorous condition, the risk of 

 doing damage" by a judicious rise in tem- 

 perature, both at night and in the day- 

 time, is reduced. Houses which are com- 

 ing along too slowly can, without any 

 danger, be raised from 3 degrees to 4 

 degrees at night, with a corresponding 

 rise during the day, so long as ventila- 

 tion can be freely indulged in. Gen- 

 erous applications of liquid feeding will 



also help to develop the crop more rap- 

 idly. 



This question of liquid feeding is one 

 of the subjects upon which the grower 

 often fails. In fact, it is at the present 

 stage of rose growing the most impor- 

 tant, even to experts; for how many of 

 them really know just what ingredients 

 they are administering to their plants 

 and in what proportion? Neither do 

 they know what the chemical admixture 

 will result in, food or poison. As a re- 

 sult many are the failures, illustrating 

 the old adage that "a little knowledge 

 is a dangerous thing." 



The information conveyed in such es- 

 says as that read at the American Eose 

 Society's meeting in Boston last year 

 by Mr. Pray on liquid fertilizers must, 

 if given serious study by the student of 

 rose culture, result in shedding light in 

 many dark places. And, as I mentioned 

 in my notes of last week, the credit of 

 all this work is due to the American 

 Eose Society, to the energy and deter- 



mination of its officers and to the moral 

 support given by its members. 



The meeting of last year was the most 

 successful in its history. In the char- 

 acter and quality of its exhibits, its pre- 

 miums and in the practical, scientific and 

 everyday character of the essays it will 

 be hard to surpass. Yet we are not 

 dead to the pleasures of hope. 



The premiums offered this season are 

 numerous and valuable; the essayists are 

 men of national repute in their different 

 pursuits; the questions for discussion 

 are of the greatest importance to every 

 grower, dealer or lover of roses; the les- 

 sons to be learned will undoubtedly add 

 to our profits, the brotherly feeling thus 

 engendered will keep a warm glow in our 

 hearts for, at least, one year when we 

 can again renew it at the next annual 

 meeting. All of which will redound to 

 the honor and glory of our enthroned 

 queen. Eibes. 



CUTS AND CONDITIONS. 



About how many flowers per planf can 

 reasonably be expected from roses of 

 the ordinary varieties? 



Are solid beds an advantage over 

 raised benches for roses when it is de- 

 sired to grow stock two or three years 

 without replanting? With a rather sandy 

 soil will the usual layer of broken stone 

 or cinders beneath the beds be necessary 

 for drainage? 



In a climate that is usually quite 

 sunny in the winter will not north and 

 south houses be as favorable for pro- 

 ducing good results as east and west 

 houses? 



Will a rather sandy soil, but which is 

 rich and productive, be good for roses? 

 Roses grown outdoors in this soil make 

 splendid growth, bloom well and seem 

 to be healthy, W. H. C. 



The average cut from the different va- 

 rieties depend}^ so much on the attend- 

 ing conditions, such as soil, climate, as- 

 pect and character of house, that it is 

 an almost impossible task to estimate 

 anywhere near what they will do. Brides 

 and Maids in a well constructed, well 

 heated and well watered house under 

 skillful care will produce, on an average 

 during the season, twenty-seven to thirty 

 blooms of all grades. Hybrid teas, such 

 as Liberty, Meteor and Richmond, will, 

 under like conditions, produce at least 

 one-fourth more. Beauties will be doing 

 well if the average is in the vicinity of 

 seventeen. 



When roses are to be carried over 

 without transplanting, solid beds are cer- 

 tainly preferable to table benches. The 

 writer last spring, in. March, had the 

 opportunity of inspecting some houses of 

 roses in the vicinity of Boston, which 

 were then in their third year. These 

 were on solid beds. The varieties were 

 Liberty, Maid and Bride and finer roses 

 it would be hard to meet. The grower 

 was even then contemplating running 

 them another season. 



If the subsoil is of a very sandy nature 

 there should be no necessity for any 

 kind of artificial drainage. 



My experience, and the experience of 

 many good growers of my acquainlKance, 

 is that north and south houses are better 

 suited for summer, fall and spring crops 

 and that they usually fail to produce 

 paying crops during the winter solstice, 

 when prices are at their best. 



The ideal soil for roses is a good 

 fibrous loam with an admixture of clay. 

 Where the soil is of a sandy nature it 



