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Mabch 30, 1911. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



47 



ting the consideration of the house, for 

 good roses can be grown in any house 

 that has sun and air, although for econ- 

 omy in handling the large houses are 

 to be preferred. 



There are two methods of preparing 

 a house; one is to build wooden or 

 cement benches, and the other to con- 

 struct solid beds. The purpose for 

 which these are to be used at other 

 times, if they are not to be used all 

 the year for growing roses for cut 

 flowers, has much to do with coming to 

 a decision as to which to put in. 

 Wooden benches we believe to be abso- 

 lutely essential for young plants in 

 small pots; the root action is better 

 and the convenience of handling is a 

 desirable qualification, but for the com- 

 mercial production of cut roses a solid 

 bed is, in my opinion, to be preferred, 

 and we are using it almost exclusively. 



Our method of constructing a solid 

 bed may be of interest to some. Our 

 subsoil is a clay, impervious to water 

 to any extent, and thus devoid of 

 drainage. We make the sides of our 

 beds of cypress plank or of cement, 

 and these sides are fourteen inches 

 high above the level of the ground. We 

 cut into the clay subsoil, leaving the 

 bottom V-shaped, and in this trench 

 lay a 2-inch or 214-inch common land 

 tile, according to the length of the 

 bed, with a sod over each union. These 

 tiles drain to cross tiles, which are the 

 outlets. We then fill the bed with 

 coarse gravel to within eight inches of 

 the top of the boards or cement. 



The Froduction of Blooms. 



The beds are then ready for our 

 soil, which is prepared as I have de- 

 scribed. We use six inches of soil, and 



Isaac S. Hendrickson. 



(President American Gladiolus Society.) 



Eber Holmes. 



(MaiMKer of the Koee Exfalbltlon, National Flower Show.) 



the two inches left between the top of 

 the plank and the soil will allow for 

 watering and mulching the beds from 

 time to time. Good drainage is assured, 

 and good drainage means air in the 

 soil, for air is essential to root forma 

 tion. 



Given, then, a good plant, well estab . 

 lished and growing, and a solid bed 

 such as I have described, there are 

 two methods in use to build up a plant 

 before beginning to cut. One of these 

 is to pinch all the new canes t soft, and 

 the other method is to allow these 

 canes to mature, and then to cut back 

 to a good length when the bud shows 

 color. Of the two methods the latter 

 seems more satisfactory, as a plant is 

 built lower and the breaks will come 

 stronger. 



The question of how many cutting 

 leads a plant should carry is important. 

 Too much wood and too many shoots 

 often mean small flowers, and the num 

 ber of leads can be controlled by taking 

 out the weaker ones, leaving six or 

 seven to each plant. This does not 

 mean six or seven bottom canes, but 

 that number of growths which will 

 produce flowers, and seven flowers per 

 plant per crop is enough to insure a 

 paying proposition and a good quality 

 of bloom. 



Cropping or Continuous Cutting? 



Having covered the subject up to 

 the mature plant in the bench or bed, 

 the next feature to consider is crop- 

 ping or continuous cutting. Two ways 

 are open, and there is a question as to 

 which is to be preferred. By cutting 

 back or pinching soft, a bench of 

 ylants can be brought into crop as a 



