yo 7 tue 
WEST CHICAGO 
ILUNDIS 
By means of a quickly moved covering 
arrangement, one man can steam our 12,000 sq. ft. cloth house in 
three days—using an oil fired (automatic) boiler. It eliminated weeds, 
verticillium, wilts, etc. very effectively, and was well worth the cost 
in our experience. For full details, see GROWER TALKS, September 
1953, page 3. 
Steaming cloth house soil. 
d. Steam 
180° for 30 minutes. Grower Talks, August 
and September ‘53, give details. If you don’t 
have steam, how about the new Steam-Flo port- 
able steam generator—under $600. Capacity 
of 300 sq. ft. in 2-3 hours. Write Rough Broth- 
ers, 4227 Spring Grove Ave., Cincinnati 23, 
Ohio. 
Chemicals? O.K. for insect and weed control, 
but considered second to steam in controlling 
soil diseases. 
If chemicals are used: Chloropicrin (tear gas) 
does the most effective job of killing disease 
organisms. However, plants are very sensitive to 
it—must not be used in a house where plants are 
growing. Also, takes some days for all gas to es- 
cape from soil. Not as dangerous to growers 
account strong odor. Trade name: Larvacide. 
Methyl Bromide: less effective in killing disease 
organisms, but far less prone to injure plants. 
Clear Methyl Bromide can be used in a house 
with other plants with normal precautions. MB 
is more dangerous to growers since it has no 
strong characteristic odor. MC2 is MB with a 
small % of Chloropicrin as a warning agent— 
but also enough to injure plants. 
e. If nitrates and potash are very low or blank 
add 11% Ibs. of 10-8-6 (Vigoro) or its equiv- 
alent per 100 sq. ft. Cuttings will definitely take 
off better and quicker with nitrate and potash 
testing medium. 
f. If soluble salts test high 
Or if nitrate or potash tests are very high, soil 
must be thoroughly leached before planting. 
We don’t find it necessary to test each bench 
before planting. Experience will soon tell you 
what to expect in your own soils. 
Excesses of nutrients and of total salts are often. 
associated with a hard tight soil—lack of hu- 
mus. 
#3. PLANTING—WHEN AND HOW 
Point #1. Good cuttings. Even with the best of 
preparation, a poor cutting will never make a good 
plant. A good cutting should be husky yet soft 
(succulent) 4-6 inches long, well rooted (roots 
1-1 1% inches long) —and clean! 
Point #2. When to plant. For normal season 
crops, bench cuttings 3 to 4 weeks prior to catalog 
pinch date. That's about July 4 for Thanksgiving 
Mums. Cuttings planted earlier will produce poor 
sprays, be too tall. Planting later will give good 
sprays, but short stems. 
Point #3. Bench cuttings directly. Gives better 
growth, saves a lot of work. There’s no trick to it 
if these steps are followed religiously. 
a. Nutrient Levels, 
(especially nitrate and potash) , must be low to 
medium. Too high burns roots; too low starves 
plants. Avoid excess of total soluble salts, too. 
Solu-bridge tests check this. 
b. Add plenty of Humus. 
Add 4 by volume yearly—peat or manure, or 
a combination. 
' ¢. Steam soil the day before you bench. 
Fork soil with a potato hook if it’s a bit warm. 
We hold off steaming till cuttings actually ar- 
rive. Some growers wait a week or two between 
steaming and planting. Often they add Gypsum 
5 Ibs. per 100 ft. and leach heavily. Both from 
our own experience, and that of many modern 
growers, we believe that if soil has ample humus 
If the rules of direct 
benching are followed 
closely, roots like 
these should be typ- 
ical within 7 to 10 
days after planting of 
cuttings. This cutting 
was direct benched 
the day after soil was 
steamed. 
