Fig. 4. a, ground
level.—b, bench or table on which to
stand plants, 4-1/2 feet wide.—c, 4 inch pipe, 3 in each
house.—d,
pathway, 2 feet wide.
NEW YORK: GEO. E. WOODWARD & CO., 31 BROAD STREET, and ORANGE JUDD COMPANY, 245 BROADWAY.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1865, by GEO. E. & F. W. WOODWARD, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New York.
Cheap and effective propagating and plant houses, for Nurserymen, have become of late years a necessity from the great increase of the trade in flowering plants for the decoration of our gardens and green-houses, and the very extensive demand for the new and superior varieties of the native grape. Peter Henderson, Esq., of Jersey City, long known as an extensive and successful propagator, in an article written for the Horticulturist, thus speaks of his house and management:
"After many years of extensive practice, I have arrived at the conclusion that cuttings of almost every plant cultivated by the florist or nurseryman will readily and uniformly root, if the proper conditions of temperature and moisture are given them. It[Pg 47] matters little or nothing how the cutting is made, or what may be the color or texture of the sand or soil in which it is planted; these have little or nothing to do with the formation of roots. But an absolute condition of invariable success is uniformity of temperature and moisture. To attain this uniformity, the structure of the house is of vital importance; and it is owing to the erroneous construction of buildings for this purpose that so many have to deplore their want of success. I will briefly describe the construction of the propagating pit we have in use, and the manner of operations, which will best explain my views on the matter. The pit, which faces north, is 65 feet in length by 8 in width, and 3 feet high at back by 1 in front, the pathway being dug out to give head-room in walking. The front bench is 3 feet wide, walk 2 feet, and back bench 3 feet. All along the front bench run two wooden gutters 9 inches wide by 3 inches deep, the water in which is heated by a small conical boiler connected by two pieces of leaden pipe to the gutters. Three inches above the water in the gutters is placed the slate or flagging, (resting on cross slats of wood,) on which is two inches of sand. By regular firing we keep a temperature in the sand from 55 to 75°; and as the pit has no other means of heating, except that given out by the sand in the bench, the atmosphere of the house at night is only[Pg 48] from 40° to 50°, or 25 degrees less than the "bottom heat." In the daytime, (in order as much as possible to keep up this disparity between the "top" and "bottom" heat,) a little air is given, and shading the glass resorted to, to enable us to keep the temperature of the house down. And here let me remark, that when propagation is attempted in green-houses used for growing plants, (such houses facing south or southeast,) the place usually used for the cuttings is the front table; and it being injurious to the plants to shade the whole house, that part over the cuttings alone is shaded; the consequence is, that the sun, acting on the glass, runs the temperature of the house up, perhaps, to 80°, or above that of the bottom heat, the cuttings wilt, and the process of rooting is delayed, if not entirely defeated. All gardeners know the difficulty of rooting cuttings as warm weather comes on. When the thermometer marks 80° in the shade fires are laid aside; and if the rooting of cuttings is attempted, the sand or soil in which they are planted will be 10 or 15 degrees lower than the atmosphere, or the opposite of the condition required for success.
The advantage possessed by the gutter or tank, as a means of bottom heat, over smoke flues or pipes, is in its giving a uniform moisture, cuttings scarcely ever requiring water after being first put in, and then only to settle the sand about them. Still, when this[Pg 49] convenience is not to be had, very good success may be attained by closing in the flue or pipes, regularity in watering, and a rigid adherence to these degrees of temperature.
The propagating pit above described is used for the propagation of all kinds of plants grown by florists, such as Camellias, Dahlias, Roses, Verbenas, Fuchsias, Grape Vines, etc. The time required in rooting cuttings of soft or young wood is from seven to ten days. Last season, during the month of February, we took three crops of cuttings from it, numbering in the aggregate forty thousand plants, without a loss of more than one per cent. In fact, by this system we are now so confident of success, that only the number of cuttings are put in corresponding with the number of plants wanted, every cutting put in becoming a plant.
In this narrative of our system of propagating, Mr. Editor, I have not attempted to theorize. I give the plain statement of operations as we practice them, thoroughly believing that the want of success in every case must be owing to a deviation from these rules. Ignoring entirely most of the maxims laid down in the books, such as "use a sharp knife," and "cut at a joint," we use scissors mostly in lieu of a knife, and we never look for a joint, unless it happens to come in the way. We are equally skeptical as to the[Pg 50] merits of favorite kinds and colors of sands or other compounds used for the purpose. Of this we have reason to be thankful, for a nicety of knowledge in this particular in the head of a scientific (?) propagator may sometimes become an expensive affair.
A friend of mine, a nurseryman from the far west, deeply impressed with our superior horticultural attainments in the Empire City, hired a propagator at a handsome salary, and duly installed him in his green-house department; but, alas! all his hopes were blighted. John failed—signally failed—to strike a single cutting; and on looking about him for the cause, quickly discovered that the fault lay entirely in the sand! but my gullible friend, to leave no stone unturned, freighted at once two tons of silver sand from New York to Illinois! Need I tell the result, or that John was soon returned to where the sand came from?"
During the past year, Mr. Henderson has erected an extensive range of houses, after the following description and plan:
"I have read and examined from time to time, with much interest, your remarks and sketches of Plant Houses, and it is not to dissent from your views that I now write, although it seems to me that your ideas run all one side of the matter, for your designs and descriptions are almost exclusively of an ornamental[Pg 51] character, and adapted only for conservatories or graperies, leaving the uninitiated commercial nurseryman or florist to look in vain for something to suit his case. I have said that your ideas seem to be one-sided, in describing only ornamental erections; they seem also so in your uniformly recommending the fixed roof principle. Now, for the purposes of the florist or nurseryman, I think there is but little doubt that the advantage is with the sash over the fixed roof. The difference in cost is trifling; probably a little in favor of the fixed roof; but balanced against that is, that your house, once erected on your favorite plan, you are emphatically "fixed." It is not portable, (unless made in sections, which is only a bad compromise with the sash plan,) and any alteration requiring to be made, your roof is of but little or no value. But the most serious objection to it is the difficulty with air. I have never yet seen a house built on the fixed roof principle that had means of giving air so that plants could be grown in a proper manner, and I could name dozens who have been induced to build on this plan, that one year's experience has given them much reason to regret.
Fig. 4. a, ground
level.—b, bench or table on which to
stand plants, 4-1/2 feet wide.—c, 4 inch pipe, 3 in each
house.—d,
pathway, 2 feet wide.
We are now adopting for plant houses, low, narrow, span-roofed buildings, formed by 6 feet sashes, one on each side, the ends of the houses facing north and south. These we attach three together, on the "ridge[Pg 52] and furrow" system, as shown in sketch. This system presents great advantages, and, by using no cap on the ridge piece, air is given in the simplest and safest manner, by the sash being raised by an iron bar 9 or 10 inches long, pierced with holes, which answers the double purpose of giving air and securing the sash, when closed, from being blown off by heavy winds. There is no necessity for the sashes being[Pg 53] hinged at the bottom, as might be supposed; all that is required being to nail a cleet along the wall plate, fitted tight to the bottom of each sash. Every alternate sash is nailed down; the other is used in giving air in the manner described.
The advantages of such erections are so obvious, that I need not trespass much on your space to enumerate them. The plan can be adapted to detached buildings already up, by erecting houses of the same length alongside; or, in the erection of new houses, if not more than one is wanted, it may be put up with a view to further extensions. I have had four houses on this plan in operation for nearly two years, and I have never before had so much satisfaction with any thing of the kind. Intending next season to remove my green-houses from their present site, all shall be put up after this style."
Messrs. Parsons & Co., of Flushing have also built several houses similar in design for the propagation of[Pg 54] grape vines. These latter are heated by brick flues and have proved very satisfactory. The vines are grown in beds and not staked. Pot culture in the usual manner would require greater height of roof. The only objection that we can see to houses built in this manner is the accumulation of snow in the furrows. Mr. Henderson assures us that this is not an objection of any moment in this latitude, and that the expense attending the removal of snow is too slight to be considered.