58 



CROPS UNDER GLASS 



Mr. Zuck: We used to. In those days we did not know 

 about sterilizing, and we found it very necessary to change 

 the soil. 



Mr. Kilbourn : I might say we have grown carnations in 

 the same bench two years at a time, and I think in one case 

 three years, and we have not been able to notice any differ- 

 ence; but I would caution anybody not to put too much de- 

 pendence on the result of our slight experiment. 



Mr. Work : That is the way with all these things. If we 

 have adopted one practice and think of changing, we had bet- 

 ter try it on a small scale. 



Mr. Kilbourn : We found the dirt we carried out from our 

 carnations was useful in the kitchen garden. 



Question : For growing lettuce in benches, would you 

 recommend changing the soil? 



, Mr. Work: I don't know. Not very many are growing 

 it in benches. I would imagine that for a starter it would be 

 the wise thing to try it. One ought probably to try the two 

 practices side by side. 



Question: How about sterilization for flower soil? 



Professor Beal: They are not using sterilization very 

 much. Mr. Ward tried the system of sterilization for carna- 

 tions more extensively than anybody else in this country. 

 They find it successful and are still practicing it. There are 

 one or two other large growers who are using the system and 

 find it to pay, but the average florist does not. I was going 

 to ask how deep Mr. Zuck stirs his soil. How much of the 

 lower soil does he bring up each year? How deep does he 

 work that surface sqil down toward the bottom? 



Mr. Zuck : Our houses are so arranged that we can break 

 up the soil in the summer with the two-horse plow. We gen- 

 erally take the wheel and chain off and let it go right down. 

 I should judge it goes at least ten inches. We have plowed 

 that way year after year, so the soil is at least ten inches deep. 

 You never bring up the natural soil after two or three years. 



