LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. Cliap....:>>Copyright No. Slielf.....All. 2j UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AUG ^ m6 .^'ir.,.. ,..-,*»*• Greenhouse Management A Manual for Florists and Flower Lovers ON THE Forcing of Flowers, Vegetables and Fruits IN GREENHOUSES, AND THE Propagation and Care of House Plants. BY L. E. TAFT Professor of Horticxdtnre and La7id!iC(tj>e Garfleiihu/, Michigan Agricultural College, and author of ^^ Greenhouse Construction." ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK -^ ORANGE JUDD COMPANY 1898 '^- TWO COPIES RECEIVED. ^ \%<\< — ^•^'\'^ i i Copyright, 1898, By orange judd company n6 PREFACE. The florist finds that in his profession changes are continually taking place, and if he would succeed he must keep up with the procession. Not only are new and improved methods continually being brought into use, but the plants that he grows change from year to year. A few years ago camellias, tuberoses and bouvar- dias were among the plants that were most grown, but now, if grown at all, they have but a small place. Not only does Fashion change the classes of plants that are grown, but from year to year the varieties change, and the methods of culture improve. To inform hinu^elf as to the methods that have been found valuable l)y his competitors, one can, to be sure, look to the horticultural periodicals, which con- tain much valuable information, but tlie books to which he can go for advice are few and most of them are out of date. To sui)ply a source from which information as to the methods used by the more successful florists can be drawn, this b(K)k has been prepared. As originally written it consisted of about ten chapters, which were intended as a sort of jippendix to Greenhouse Construc- tion, but the subject of Greenhouse Management was deemed worthy of a separate volume, and accordingly the copy was withdrawn from the printer and consid- erably added to. An attem])t has been made in this book to give to florists an insight into the methods that are to-day being used by their intelligent and successful brethren. In nearly every case they have been tried by the author, or iii iy GREEXHOL'SE MANAGEMENT. bo lias seen the results of their use in numerous in- stances, so that they can be used without hesitation. It is lio])ed that the information as to the best methods of forcing vegetables will be of especial valuer as but little attention has been given that industry, which is one that is rapidly increasing in importance. Although this subject has perhaps received less space than it really deserves, we have endeavored to present it in a clear and concise form that can be followed and understood by anyone. In treating the standard crops of the commercial florist, such as the rose, carnation, violet and chrysan- themum, we have touched upon the time and method of cultivation and the general care required in growing them, but have not deemed it wortli while to go into lengthy descriptions of varieties, as they change from year to year ; the lists given, however, are those that are to-day deemed most valuable. Florists are more and more, each year, troubled by injurious insects and fungi. For many of them we have 2)ointed out the treatment, and have added a list of rem- edies which includes those that are considered most reliable. In the chapters devoted to the care of house plants, we have indicated the methods of growing and caring for the plants that are commonly grown in the house. Many of the illustrations are from drawings and photographs made under the direction of the author, and for the others we are indebted to the kindness of friends. Several were furnished by the publishers of the American Agriculturist, Avhile most of the half tones of the specimen pots, and of specimen blooms, as well as Figs. 4T, 91 and 02, were supplied by rhe pub- lishers of The Florisfs Exclimuje and American Gar- dening. AYe jire also indebted to Gardening aiul The American Florist. Many of the cuts illustrating the PREFACE. V interiors of grcoiilioiises used for various crops, ns well as the cultural methods used, were sn[)plied by various specialists. Thus, Mr. Alex. Montgomery of the Waban conservatories, Natick, Mass., furnished cuts of their rose houses; Fred Dorner & Son, Lafayette, Ins, . . . .230 CHAPTER XVIII. Grape Growing Under Glass, ..... 234 CHAPTER XIX. Strawberry Growing under Glass, ..... 248 CHAPTER XX. Fruit Trees under Glass, ...... 253 CHAPTER XXI. Management of House Plants, ..... 258 vi TABLE OF CONTEKTS. VU Page CHAPTER XXII. The Growing of Bedding Plants, ..... 274 CHAPTER XXIII. Pkopagation of Plants by Seeds and Cuttings, . . 287 CHAPTER XXIV. Propagation by Layering, Grafting and Budding, . 300 CHAPTER XXV. Insects of the Greenhouse, ...... 308 CHAPTER XXVI. Diseases of Greenhouse Plants, ..... 324 CHAPTER XXVll. Insecticides and their preparation, . . . .351 CHAPTER XXVIII. Fungicides, their Preparation and Use, . . • CHAPTER XXIX. 80IL, Manures and Watering, ..... CHAPTER XXX. Fuel— Coal, Oil and Gas, 356 360 376 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Fig. 1. Pres. Carnot rose, . , , 2. House of Bridesmaid roses, 3. Wire trellis for roses, 4. Hybrid roses pruned and tied down, . 5. Bed of hybrid roses in bud, G. Types of carnation cuttings, 7. Carnation house, short span to south, 8. Carnation supports, .... 9. Carnations supported by chicken netting, 10. Cariuitions supported by meshes of cotton twine, 11. Carnations supported by wire lathing, 12. Daybreak carnation, 13. Mrs. Geo. M. Bradt carnation, 14. Chrysanthemums trained to stakes, 15. Chrysanthemums supported by wire and twine IG. Chrysanthemum crown bud, 17. Chrysanthemum terminal bud, 18. Chrysanthemum, Eugene Dailledouze, 19. Chrysanthemum, ^Mayflower, . 20. Chrysaiithemum, Mrs. Fei'rin, 21. Chrysanthemum, lora, . 22. Narrow violet house, . . . 23. Hitchings violet house, . 24. Narrow violet house, improved, . 25. Single violet, Princess de Galles, 26. Box of Roman hyacinths, . . , 27. Double Dutch hyacinths, 28. Improved hyacinth glass, . , . 29. Single early tulips, . . , 30. Freesia refracta alba, . . . .31. Lilium Harrisii, .... .32. Forcing lily of the valley, . . , 33. Cyclamen plant, .... 34. Gladiolus May, .... 35. House of tuberous begonias, . . 36. Single tuberous begonia, . . . 37. Double tuberous begonia, .38. Gloxinia, ..... 39. House of gloxinias, 40. Fancy caladium, .... viii Page 13 15 20 23 25 28 33 41 43 45 47 .50 .52 59 Gl G4 G5 7'' 73 74 75 78 79 81 87 89 91 91 92 94 96 97 100 102 104 105 lot; 110 111 114 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. IX Via. 41. Orel) ills ill bloom, . . 42. Cypripedium Spiceriauum, . 43. Cattleya triaiia^, . . . 44. Orchid baskets, ... . 45. Aerides Savageanum, 46. PhaUii^nopsis grandiflora, 47. Potting and cribbing orchids, 48. Azalea in compact form, . . 49. Azalea witli open head, . 50. Hydrangea Otaksa, . 51. Cytisus, . . . • . 52. Bench of lilacs, 53. Kalmia latifolia, . 54. Specimen calceolaria, . . 55. Cineraria hybrida, . . 5G. Single Chinese primrose, . 57. Machet mignonette, . . 58. Adiantiim Farleyense, . . 59. Boston fern, . . . GO. Asparagus Sprengeri, . . Gl. Asparagus house, . G2. Fan p:ilm, .... G3. Dwarf rattan palm, G4. Variegated aspidistra, G5. Group of anthuriums and alocasias GG. Alocasia metallica, G7. Aglaonema pictuni, G8. Even-span lettuce house, . G9. Lean-to lettuce house, . 70. Lettuce pot plant, 71. Pot plant ready for market, . 72. Interior of lean-to lettuce house, . 73. Lettuce packed for local market, 74. Cucumber house, interior, . 75. English forcing encumbers, 7G. Interior of tomato forcing house, 77. Growing mushrooms on greenhouse 78. Crop of mushrooms under a bench, 79. Brick spawn, 80. French mushroom spawn, . 81. New mushroom in a cold frame, 82. Black Hamburg grape, 83. Grape house in fruit, 84. Eye cutting of grape, 85. Short cutting of grape, . 86. Bench of strawberry plants, 87. The crop gathered, 88. Fruiting strawberry plants, 89. Pear tree in pot, . 90. Plum tree in fruit, 91. A window garden, . « ■92. A well arranged window box, benches Page 118 120 122 123 124 12G 127 132 134 135 137 140 142 144 145 147 151 155 15G 157 IGl 1G3 1G4 167 17G 178 179 183 185 187 189 190 193 200 204 207 210 212 218 219 224 238 240 246 246 250 251 251 254 255 260 270 LIST OF ILLIT8T RATIONS. 93. Epiphyllum Iruuealuui, 94. A coilection of cacti and aloes, 95. A house of pedigree violets, • 96. Showing condition of stem for cuttings 97. Soft cutting of coleus, . 98. Geranium cutting, 99. Cutting of Arbor Vitae, . 100. Long cutting of grape, 101. Tongue or whip grafting, 102. Cleft grafting, . 103. Side grafting, 104. Budding, .... 105. AVingless female aphis, 106. AVinged male aphis, . 107. Fuller's rose beetle, 108. Ked spider, 109. Thrips, 110. Mealy bug, 111. Fumigation of a violet house, 112. Rose spot , 113. Spores of blacl<: spot, 114. Carnation rust, 115. Spores of carnation rust, 116. Spot disease of carnations, 117. Effect of spot on carnations, 118. Anthracnose of carnations, 119. Fairy ring spot of carnation, 120. Spores of fairy ring spot, . 121. Carnation leaf mold, 122. Botrytis or rot of carnations, 123. Bacteriosis of carnations, 124. Violet leaf spot, 125. Bermuda lily disease, . 126. Leaf blight of mignonette, . 127. The Kinney pump, 128. Crude oil burner, • • * rase 2>rin- kled occasionally, and the ventilation should have care- ful attention. It is best to use fresh sand for each batch of cuttings. POTTIXG AI^D CARE OF THE PLANETS. When the roots are three-fourths of an inch long, the cuttings should be potted off into two or two and one-half inch pots, pressing the soil firmly. The best soil for the potting of rose cuttings is made of equal parts of leaf mold, or decayed })asture sods, and garden loam, with a little cow manure and bone meal, and sand 4 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. in proportion to the heaviness of the soil. After being potted the cuttings should be placed in a house with a night temperature of a little less than sixty degrees. They require the same care as other plants, careful watering, with an occasional syringing to keep down the red spider, proper ventilation, and an avoidance of drafts and direct sunlight for a few days, being the main things desired. Unless tobacco stems are strewn on the beds, it will be necessary, once or twice a week, to burn tobacco stems in the house, or syringe them with tobacco water. From the time the cuttings are potted off until they have finished flowering and are ready to be thrown out, or rested, they should be kept growing, every precaution being taken to avoid a check, if the best results are de- sired. Some, however, i)refer to grow the plants rapidly until they are in four-inch pots, and then give them a short rest. As soon as the roots have filled the pots, and before the plants become pot-bound, shift to three or three and one-half inch pots. By the last of April, if they have had good care, the first batch will have filled four-inch pots and will be strong enough to plant in the beds for early flowering, while the others, as they come on, can be repotted, and will soon be large enough to be transferred to the beds. Only strong, well-grown plants should be used, and if possible all should be planted out by the flrst of July. By this early planting not only can a large crop of blooms be secured during the summer, when there is a good demand at a fair price, but the plants will be so strong that they will be able to give large crops during the fall and early winter, when they are most needed. Planting some of the beds by the. first of April, for summer use, will often l)e desirable. SOIL FOR ROSE.-^. While the different varieties will not always thrive with the same kind of soil, it is generally admitted that, THE FORCING OF ROSES. 5 at all events, a soil for roses should contain decomposed pasture sods and cow manure. The sod should be ob- tained during the previous summer from some old pas- ture with a thick, fibrous sod, if possible, and should be piled up with alternate layers of cow manure, using one part of the manure to from four to six of the sods, ac- cording to the character of each. The sods should be cut just thick enough to remove the thick, fibrous por- tion, and if from an average loam soil, neither very heavy nor light, but with a good admixture of clay, the compost prepared as above will be of a suitable charac- ter for the rose benches, but if the sods come from a sandy loam soil the addition of one part of clay to five or six of the mixture will be desirable. On the other hand, if the soil is inclined to be heavy, an equal quan- tity of sand should certainly be added. AVhile consider- able clay is desirable in soil for roses, tliere is danger of its being too heavy, as, even in shallow benches, if the soil at any time becomes too wet, particularly in the fall before the fires are started, or during a cloudy period in the winter, it will not only be longer in drying out than a lighter soil, bub '^ black spot" and other diseases will be much more likely to follow. Early in the spring the compost pile should be worked over and the coarser sods broken np. After lying in the pile for two or three weeks more it will be ready to place on the benches. When the houses are long, it will be convenient to have o])enings in the side walls, through which the soil can be thrown upon the benches, and if there are side ventilators this can be readily done. If it is not feasible to have openings in the sides of the houses, it will be a great convenience if a small car can be run along the edges of the benches. As an entire chapter was devoted to "Rose Houses" in the companion volume, *^ Greenhouse Construction," in which the form and width of house best adapted to the 6 GEEENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. crop was discussed at length, it is not thought necessary to devote space to it here. By reference to the other book, full information regarding these points, and upon such important matters as the pitch for the roof, ar- rangement of the ventilators, the method of estimating the amount of heating pipe required and the best way of arranging it, will be obtained. SOLID BEDS VERSUS RAISED BENCHES. For many years solid beds were almost universally used for growing roses and similar plants. They admit of supi^lyiug a full amount of plant food, but while they lessen the danger of injury from neglect in watering, they frequently do great harm if the ^ilants are over- watered, particularly if the sun does not show itself for a number of days, as they are a long time in drying out. For this reason they fell into disrepute, and were replaced, in most establishments, by shallow raised benches, as it was found that roses grown upon them, in four or five inches of soil, were less likely to receive a check during the dull days of early winter, when they are most in demand and bring the best prices. Upon solid beds, however, with good drainage, large crops are secured as the bright, sunny days of spring come on, and, what is of much imi)ortance, the plants can be grown for two or more years before they are thrown out, while upon shallow benches it is generally advisable to renew the plants each year. A method has now come into use that provides both for the thorough drainage and the aeration of the soil, as well as warming it up and drying it out. The solid beds are generally about seven feet wide, with two beds and three walks in a house twenty feet in width. The drainage is ])rovided, in some cases, by means of com- mon drain tile laid across the beds at intervals of fi'om one to three feet, while in others a foot or more in depth THE FOKCIXG OF ROSES. 7 of stones, or broken brick, is placed in tlie bottom and covered with eigiit inches of soik A few of our most successful growers secure bottom heat by running one or more steam pipes lengthwise of the beds at about the center of the layer of stones ; the heat distributes itself tlirough the bed, and is of marked advantage in wet, dull weather, in drying out the surplus water and warm- ing up the soil. Another favorite arrangement is to have three beds, each five feet wide, and four walks, in a house twenty-two feet wide. These beds have all of the advantages of the old solid bed, with none of the disad- vantages, and are equally well adapted to carnations, violets, lettuce and other crops. The watering of the plants by what is known as sub-irrigation has many ad- vantages, and is treated in another chapter. PLAi^TING THE HOUSES. Before the beds are filled with soil, ample drainage facilities should be provided, and if raised, wooden benches are used there should be cracks of nearly one inch between the bottom boards, which should prefer- ably not be more than six inches wide. When tile bot- toms are used the cracks can be somewhat smaller. To prevent the soil from falling through the cracks, or from filling up the openings between the stones in the solid beds, it is well to first put down a layer of sods with the grass side down, and upon these four or five inches of the prepared soil for a raised bench, or seven or eight for a solid bed, should be placed. This should be leveled off and firmly j^acked down. The beds are now ready for planting, and this should not be long delayed, as the thin layer of soil will soon dry out and will be in an undesirable condition for setting out the plants. The rows are generally twelve inches apart lengthwise of the house, so that a bed will hold as many rows as it is feet wide, and the plants are 8 GREEXHOUSE 3IAXAGEMENT. set twelve to sixteen inches apart in the vows, according to the strength of the variety and whether designed for one or two years' growing. Assort the plants, and use the smaller ones next the walk. Dig holes for the plants with a trowel, and set the plants ahout as deep as they grew in the pots, taking care not to break tlie *' balls," unless the plants have become pot-bound, when it is well to loosen the roots. Wlule it is always desir- able to work the soil carefnliy into place and to press it firmly about the roots, the soil between the plants should be smoothed off and the surface left light. Upon slop- ing benches, in particular, it is an excellent plan to have dei3ressions about the i)lants to hold water and cause it to sink down to the roots, for the first few water- ings, until the plants become established. If weeds start, as they probably will in a w^eek or ten days, the soil should be stirred as soon as they appear, and this should be repeated whenever necessary to keep the beds clean, until the roots fill the soil, when it should be dis- continued, as it is likely to check the growth of the plants by breaking the roots. WATERING AND VENTILATING. From planting time, every detail of watering and ventilating should be carefully performed, as any check now would seriously injure the i)rospect of a paying- crop of flow^ers. As soon as planted, and every bright morning thereafter until established, the plants, and also the walks, should be thoroughly syringed, and the beds should be watered whenever Ihey show signs of drying out, but while they should not suffer from lack of water, even greater i)ains should be observed that they are not saturated. This will also aid in keejung down the red spider, whicli only nourishes in a dry atmosphere. No plant recpiiies more care than the rose, about ventila- tion. Drafts of cold air upon the foliage should always THE FORCING OF ROSES. 9 be avoided, and it is generally a good thing, in a rose house, to have the ventilators arranged with this idea. If there is but a single row, they should be on the side from which the prevailing winds come, if hinged at the bottom, and on the opposite side if hinged at the top. While either extreme of temperature sbould be guarded against, it is quite as desirable to give the plants fresh air, at least for a short time, each day. In hot weather give all of the air possible, and leave on some even at night, at the ridge. Exposing the plants to great extremes of temperature is especially likely to bring on an attack of the mildew, and if it should ap- pear, as it often does, without apparent cause, the house should be kept somewhat closer than usual for a few days, and after syringing them the plants should be dusted over with sulphur. As the weather becomes cool in September, it is well to furnish a little artificial heat, to keep the temperature of tlie house above fifty-live degrees. One or two steam pipes, or a low fire in the hot water heater, will secure this and often prevent a serious check of the plants. With this care, firm, short- jointed wood should be secured, which will give an abundance of bloom. While fifty-eight degrees is given as desirable for a rose house, in order to secure the best results, with the various sorts some little deviation is advisable. The Meteor, among other kinds, needs a few degrees higher than that, while the Perle, Bride and Mermet, and others of the old varieties, should have a temperature a little lower than fifty-eight degrees, if the plants have been properly grown. It will generally be found best to do the watering early in the morning, and, on the warm, bright days when syringing is necessary, it should be done early enough so that the plants will dry off before night. In ventilating, care should be taken to avoid extremes, and it is best to give a little air as soon as the sun begins to 10 GEEENHOUSE MAN^AGEMEIfT. warm tlie houses, and tlie amount should be gradually increased, so that during the warmest and brightest part of the day it will be ten or fifteen degrees higher than at night. When the temperature is allowed to run up ten or fifteen degrees before the air is let on, and then the ventilators are opened wide, it will be almost sure to bring oil mildew. Plants grown with a judiciously reg- ulated supply of air will be in a much healthier condi- tion than those grown where extremes prevail. LIQUID MANURES A:SD FERTILIZERS. After the roses have started into growth, it will be well to give them an application of liquid manure once in two weeks. It will generally be advisable to pinch off the first flower buds that form, that the plants may throw all of their vigor into the development of stems and leaves. From the first benches planted, cutting can begin in July, and as soon as the crop is off the bed should receive an application of ground bone, at the rate of one pound 'vO twenty-five square feet. This should be slightly w^orked into the soil, and the bed covered with manure. A half inch of sheep manure will be prefera- ble, but if this cannot be obtained three-fourths of an inch of cow manure will answer. Unless mineral ma- nures are relied upon, the application should be repeated once in two months. During the dull weather from November to January, the mulching should be thin, but by February the amount used may be slightly increased. It is believed by many growers that the diseases like ^^ black spot," and mildew, and the other troubles, such as blind shoots, and imperfect flowers, may be at- tributed, at least in part, to the stimulating effects of stable manure. While they are not caused directly by its use, there can be no doubt but that the large quan- tity of sheep and cow manui-e used by many florists THE FORCIXG OF ROSES. 11 promotes a soft, watery growth that is particularly sns- cej^tible to disease, and, what is more to be dreaded, that a slight neglect, such as an improper temi)erature, or the application of too much water, will give the plants a check that will result seriously to them. The use of mineral fertilizers, on the other hand, tends to develop earlier, larger and better flowers, and the plants will be stronger, and with firmer stems and foliage, that will be less likely to be injured by neglect and disease. For these reasons it is a growing practice with many of our most successful rose growers to rely largely upon mineral manures, beginning as early as November upon old plants, although January will be safer for young ones. These fertilizers can be broadcasted either in a dry state or in water. For roses, a good mixture will consist of one part of nitrate of soda, two parts of sul- phate of potash, and ten parts of ground bone. These should be thoroughly mixed and applied broadcast at the rate of one pound to twenty-live square feet of bench, or at the rate of (me pound up to four pounds, accord- ing to the size of the plants, in fifty gallons of water. When roses are growing rapidly the broadcast applica- tion can be repeated once a month, but a less frequent application will be better for small plants, or if there is but little growth. The liquid applications can be made much more frequently, but care should be taken not to use too large a quantity of nitrate of soda, or sulphate of potash, as, if applied in excessive quantities, they will check the growth and even kill the plants. When the ground bone has been scattered upon the surface and mixed with the soil, an excellent liquid fertilizer is made by placing one pound each of the nitrate of soda and of sulphate of potash in two hundred gallons of water, for young plants, which amount may be decreased to one hundred gallons of water when the plants become full grown, n,pplying at intervals of from two to four 12 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. weeks. Tlie best time to fipply liquid manure is in tlic morning, when the beds are a little dry, as it will then be more evenly distributed through the soil. When nitrate of soda and suli)hate of potash are used as a top- dressing, one pound of each to two hundred scpiare feet of bed will be ample. Unleached wood ashes aflPord a desirable source for potash and phosphoric acid, and may be used at the rate of a bushel to two or three hundred square feet of bed. The potash will promote the development of firm, short-jointed wood, and, combined with the phosphoric acid, will favor the production of flowers. Many flo- rists still cling to the use of liquid fertilizers made from animal manures, and one of the best mixtures is com- posed of a peck of hen manure and a half bushel of sheep manure in one hundred gallons of water. The food contained in the few inches of soil in which roses are grown is soon exhausted, and it must be rejdaced in some way. The top-dressing of sheep or cow manui'e answers fairly well for this i)urpose, as well as for a mulch to keep the weeds clown after the roots of the roses have filled the soil so that stirring the surface will injure them, but it is unsightly, and keeps the surface wet and sour and prevents the ready access of the air to the roots, so that, although it is of much benefit during the summer months, it is a positive drawback during the winter. All fallen and diseased leaves should be removed and burned, and the surface of the bed should have an occasional stirring, to admit the air and to prevent the baking of the soil, but care should be taken not to dis- turb the roots. In addition to the other work men- tioned, it is desirable to be prepared at all times to fight insects and diseases. A description of the most trouble- some forms, and the treatment for them, will be found in another chapter. THE FORCING OF KOSES. 13 VARIETIES FOR FORCING. The varieties of roses that will be most profitable will depend, to a large extent, upon the character of the market, as well as upon the character of the soil available tor growing them in. To be profitable, a vari- ety should have a good constitution ; it should be a vigor- .^. TWO TYPES OF CARNATION fUTTINGS. prepared without the use of a knife. The terminal leaves, if very long, may be cut back (Fig. C). Cuttings may be rooted either in propagating beds or in boxes of sand. The bottom of the bed should be covered with a thin layer of cinders, or gravel, and about three inches of clean, sharp sand should then be put on. While it is not desirable to use sand that is very coarse or very fine, the character of the sand makes comparatively little difference, provided it is not of a quicksand nature and is free from organic matter. The sand should be compacted and thoroughly wet down, THE CARXA.TIOX. 20 and the cuttings set in rows about two inches apart and three-quarters of an inch between the plants in tiie rows. After a row is in place, the soil should be firmly pressed about them, and a narrow groove made for another row. The cutting bed should be in a temperature of fifty to fifty-five degrees at night, while five to ten degrees of bottom heat are desirable but not necessary ; during the day the house should be tlioroughly ventilated and the temperature kept as near sixty degrees as possible. Unless the cutting bed is in a north-side house, into which no direct rays can enter, the cuttings will require shading from nine until three o'clock on sunny days, and should be kept rather close for at least the first Aveek. The cuttings should not be allowed to get dry, as, if the lower ends of the cuttings become parched, they may as well be thrown out. The beds should be sprinkled on bright mornings, and under favorable condi- tions roots will form in three or four weeks. POTTING OFF. As soon as the roots have developed, the plants should be placed in flats of good soil, or in beds, at intervals of two inches each way. Some growers find that it pays them to pot off the cuttings, using two-inch rose pots, while others greatly reduce the labor by keep- ing them in the cutting box until they are planted in the field. Very good results can be obtained by this method with late-struck cuttings, provided an inch of rich soil is placed in the bottom of the box, and covered with two inches of sand. After the roots have been formed in the sand, they will find their way into the soil below, and thus obtain nourishment until they are l^lanted out. After being boxed or potted off, the young- plants should be kept at a temperature of fifty degrees until they have become well established. If, during this time, any of the plants start to throw up a flower so GEEENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. stalk, the center bud should be pulled out, or the plant pinched back, and all future attempts at flowering should be checked by pulliug out the terminal leaves from any plant that shows the least tendency towards it. As soon as the plants begin to thicken up, it is well to remove them to a cool house, or cold pit, where the temperature will be thirty-five to forty degrees. In the case of the December-struck cuttings, this will give them an opportunity to rest, and the plant will be less subject to disease than if kept growing continuously throughout the winter. At any rate, it is desirable that the young plants be estabhshed in the boxes by the first of March, that they may be removed to the cold frame early in April and become sufficiently liardened to be planted out between the 20th of April and the first of May. The planting time should be as early as the ground can be worked, and danger of severe frost is over. If taken at once from a greenhouse, they would be injured by the least frost, but if gradually hardened in a cold frame, a slight frost will not injure them. SOIL FOR CARNATIONS. Although in selecting a soil for planting out carna- tions, very light sand, heavy clay, or muck, should be avoided, almost any average loam soil adapted to the growing of vegetables will be suitable for the purpose. Given a congenial climate, and a medium heavy loam soil, with a proper supply of plant food, and an abun- dance of moisture, but with good drainage, there will be little trouble in growing carnations. The land should be well enriched with decomposed manure, and deeply plowed the previous fall, and in the spring plowed and dragged smooth. If manure cannot be readily obtained, one thousand pounds per acre of ground bone, or dis- solved bone black, will help out. The rows may be as narrow as one foot, or as wide as two and a half, or two THE CARKATIOK. 31 feet and ten inches. If the smaller distance is nsed, every ninth row should not be planted, and the soil worked with a hand cultivator, while the larger spaces between the rows will admit of cultivation with a horse, which will greatly lessen the amount of hand labor re- quired, and where land is not high priced, this i^ractice should be employed whenever possible. PLANTING OUT AND CULTIVATION. Having marked out the rows at the distance fixed upon, the ground should be cross-marked at intervals of from ten to twelve inches, for the plants. In planting the carnations, they should be set deep enough so that they are held firmly in place. If this is neglected, the plants may be blown about and perhaps ruined, but care should be taken that they are not too deep, as, particularly if on wet, heavy soil, and in a wet season, they will be apt to rot at the collar. Among the other causes that may produce stem rot is injury in the cutting bed, and if at planting out time any of the cuttings appear injured, as often hap- pens from too much water with too high a temperature and too little air, they should not be planted. During the summer the plants should be frequently cultivated, thus both keeping the weeds down and, by breaking the crust, forming a mulch conserving the moisture. It is a good plan to stir the soil as soon as it is dry after every rain, and even if no rain has fallen and no weeds are in sight, a shallow cultivation once in four or five days during the summer will be of benefit to the plants. If the soil is poor, an occasional applica- tion of liquid manure, or bone meal is often desirable. The only additional care that they require is the pinching out of all flower stalks that start, as soon as four or five offshoots form at the base of the stem ; this should be discontinued by the middle of July on plants designed for early blooming, but on others may be kept up until the middle of August. l):2 GREENHOUSE MAXAGEMENT. On li"ht soils and in drv seasons irnojition Avill 1)0 ol' great valne, but the mere wetting of the surface soil will often do more barm tban good. If irrigation is used at all, it sbould be sufficient to wet the soil to a depth of four or five inches, and the land should i-eceive a shallow cultivation before the surface has had time to bake. CARNATIOX HOUSES. Although the character of the house in which car- nations are grown has less to do with the success ob- tained than with the rose and some of the other crops, it will always be well to have the houses planned in such a way as to secure for the plants the most favorable conditions. While almost any shape of house will an- swer, it will be found of advantage to consider the con- ditions under which the plants are to be grown before making a selection. The principal demand and the highest price for the flowers is during the dark, dull weather of winter, and to secure blooms at that time it is desirable that the house be constructed with a light framework and large glass, and Avith such a pitch of the roof as will secure the most light and hetit from the sun. This will generally be secured in a three-quarter span house running east and west, and good results can be obtained either with a hmg slope, or with the short slope of the roof to the south (Fig. 7). AVhere a suit- able location can be secured, a form of house that was first designed for growing vegetables, with a lean-to roof and a width of from thirty-five t(» fifty feet, will be found well adai^ted to the carnation. If a slope to the south of about fifteen degrees can be secured, the roof can be given a slope of about twenty degrees, and the north wall will not be unduly hioh at the least width mentioned, but for greater widths the house can be built of a two-thirds span, or less, with from one-fourth to one-eighth of its roof sloping to the north. If the Tin: <'AI{KATIOX. > H o H a O d H S > > M O 33 o 34: GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. thrce-qiiartcr span, witli abcnit one-third of the roof upon one side of the ridge, and the remainder on the other, is used, it will seldom be desirable to have the house much less than twenty feet wide. When tlie flowers are desired during the fall and early winter, it becomes necessary to plant the house early in the summer ; and to grow them successfully during the hot weather it is desirable that provision be made for the removal of part or all of the glass. Some houses for this purpose have the roof formed of hotbed sash, that can be quickly taken oil and replaced, while others have permanent sash bars, with butted glass held in place Avitli wooden caps, that permit a part of the glass to be removed during the summer. Other growers find it well to provide for a supply of blooms during the spring and early summer, and unless the plants are flowered in the beds from which chrysanthemums have been removed, as mentioned in another chapter, si)ecial houses will be needed. It will generally be well to get them well established in the fall, and to carry them through the winter in a state of rest, at a low tempera- ture. For this pur})ose, a north and south even-span house is desirable, and if one has an old style house with small glass and heavy framework, it can be put to no better use. If one is to build a house for carnations, it will be best to construct it after some of the forms first de- scribed, as, if at any time it is no longer desired for car- nations, it will be well adapted to a number of other crops. As the crop requires thorough ventilation, it will be well to have a continuous row of ventilators in the south wall, and at least one row at the ridge. GROWING THE PLANTS IN THE HOUSES. Some of the growers have adopted, with good suc- cess, the plan of growing the plants during the summer THE CARN^ATIOiq. 35 in the houses in permanent beds, thus saving the trouble of transplanting, and they chiim tliat, as seems quite j)robable, the plants being saved from any check, they are less likely to be attacked by the various diseases to which this plant is subject. As the plants are more closely under the eyes of the florist, they are less likely to be neglected and a better growth can be secured, pro- vided the air can be kept sufficiently cool during the hot weather of summer. For growing plants in this way, it is desirable that the houses should be large and airy, and unless the sash can be removed from at least one side of the roof during the summer, abundant side ventilation should be pro- vided. The short-span-to-the-south houses seem well, adapted for this purpose, while the even span is prefer- able to the ordinary three-quarter span form. It is almost necessary that the benches be deep and solid. For a house twenty feet wide, no better arrangement can be made than that shown in Fig. 7, with two benches, each about seven feet wide, with walks at the center and at each side of the house. Sub-irrigation is especially desirable for the house-grown plants, and this can be readily arranged, according to the methods ex- plained elsewhere in these pages. It is even more desirable that proper soil should be provided than when they are first grown in the field. It should be not less than eight inches thick, and should consist of from one-half to two-thirds rotten sods, the balance being decomposed manure and sand, in propor- tion according to the character of the sods. The jolants may, if desired, be given one shift before they are planted out, but it is desirable that they be placed in the beds by the first of June. When there is a demand for flowers in the fall it is a good plan to plant in the open ground some of the early varieties, so that they can be covered with a frame when cold Aveather comes 36 GEEEK^HOUSE MAXAGEMEXT. in the fall. They will hloom freely for several months and the slight expense will be well repaid. BEDS AND BENCHES. The plants can be grown either in raised benches or in solid beds, which in either case will be about the same as described for the rose. If the latter are used, care should be taken to secure thorough drainage, but even then, unless great care is taken in watering, the crop will not be as early as on raised benches, although the flowers will be larger and have better stems, and the plants will give more blooms during the spring and summer. The bed can have its sides formed of plank, but it will be neater and cheaper in the end if cement or brick is used. Being near the level of the walks, it will be easier to get tlie soil upon them than on the benches, as the wheelbarrow can be run upon them. The bed also has the advantage of permitting the hold- ing of the flowers for several days ; the shallow bench, on the other hand, renders ])ossible the forcing of the flow^ers for a certain occasion. Unless there is some reason for wishing early flow- ers, the solid bed will be generally preferable, although it is a good plan to have a solid bed in the center of the house, with raised side benches. Fur the solid beds, about eight inches of soil will be required, while four or five inches will answer for the raised benches. The soil may vary, according to circumstances, but a good mix- ture is prepared from six parts of good garden loam and one part of decomposed manure. To this, if the soil is inclined to be heavy, may be added one part of sharp sand. For the shallow benches a larger proportion of manure is desirable. Another method of pre])aring the soil for the benches is to top-dress a piece of land early in the summer and turn it under, sowino- u])on it. in July, crimson clover at the rate of ten quarts to the acre, THE CARjq^ATIOl^. "37 In severe climates rye may be used instead. Tliey should be turned under early in the spring, before they have formed their heads, and will supply the needed fiber to the soil. The land should be worked during the summer, and will be ready for filling the beds. A similar preparation of the soil, where the plants are to be set in the field, is a good practice. Our experiments with greenhouse sub-irrigation show that it has many advantages, which are explained under that heading. If early flowers are desired, they should be benched from the middle of July to the mid- dle of August, but to be successful the house should have ample ventilation. The first of September is as late as the benching of any of the plants intended for early winter use should be delayed, but good results may be secured from late flowering kinds if they are boxed off before severe frosts come, and are kept in deep cold frames until tlie chrysanthemums are out of the way, when they may be set in the beds, or if the boxes are deep the plants can be left in them. This is an excellent way of handling Hinze's White. It is desirable to have the planting ground near the houses, so that the plants maybe placed in hand-barrows and carried to the houses, but it the soil near by is not suitable it is better to go to some distance, as the plants can then be readily handled if placed in boxes, loaded on a wagon and drawn to the houses. If the soil will fall from the roots without breaking them, no attempt should be made to retain it, but if it clings to them it will be better to take up a ball of earth and place it in the bed, provided it is not unsuitable for use in the house. If the plants are growing in soil that has become baked, unless the land can be irrigated it will be necessary to delay planting until a rain comes to soften if. PLANTIKO THE HOUSES. Having filled the beds with soil, when the proper time comes for planting it is well, if one has but a few 38 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. plants, to select ti dull day for the planting, or, if it does not come, the plants may be dug in the early morn- ing and placed away in the flats in some cool place until towards evening. With large numbers of plants this will not be possible. The distance required by the plants in the houses will dei:>end upon the variety, the size they have attained in the field, and on whether a large number of com- l^aratively small flowers is preferred to a smaller num- ber of large ones. For the former, plant so that they will touch, or eight or nine inches each way, while for large flowers have them at least a foot apart. Many growers prefer to have the long rows eight to ten inches apart, and those. across the beds from ten to twelve or more, thus giving a better chance to work the soil. Dig a good-sized hole with the hand or trowel, and set the plants about as deep as in the field, carefully si^reading out the roots and pressing the soil firmly about them. As soon as planted they should be thor- oughly watered, and in bright weather shaded for sev- eral days, but as soon as the plants have become estab- lished some or all of the shading should be removed, usinsf a stream of water and a scrub brush if whitewash has been used. As a temporary shading, nothing is better than to spray over the roof a thin mixture of water and clay, which can be readily removed. Daring hot weather it is well to leave every other row of the shading upon the roof. The houses will need thorough ventilation, although, upon the newly set plants, drafts of hot, dry air should be prevented. Even in severe winter weather, unless the houses are very open, a little air should be given for a short time each day. It is possible that one reason why such fine flowers are often grown in old, tumble- down houses, is that the cracks admit fresh air and let THE CARKATIOIs\ 89 out the heat when the houses are neglected and are not opened. WATERIKG AND VEN'TILATIN G. Most carnations thrive best in a temperature at night of about fifty degrees, and althougli they will give quicker results at sixty degrees, the blooms will be small and the plants will be quickly exhausted, so that in the course of the season the number of the flowers will not be half as great as in the cooler house. On the other hand, when kept at forty or forty -five degrees the plants will flower later, but as few will be produced during the winter, they will be able to give quite a crop as the warm weather of spring comes on, at which time, how- ever, there is less call for them and the prices rule much lower than during the winter. During the day the tem- perature will be determined largely by that of the air outside aud the amount of sunshine, but in a clear day it can run up to sixty-five or seventy-five degrees with advantage, provided the air is on the houses. It will probably be well to hold down to those temperatures, if it can be done by ventilating the houses and not secure too much of a draft of cold air. Air should be given at fifty-five or sixty degrees, and this is high enough for the day temperature in dull weather. Until the plants have become established, they will take but little water from the soil, and, after the first wetting down of the bed, care should be taken not to add more until examination shows that it has become slightly dry, when another watering should be given, sufficient to wet down through the soil. This will be a good rule to follow throughout the year. After the plants are established, during the hot weather of Sep- tember and October, and during the spring, careful watching is often necessary to prevent the suifering of the plants from lack of water, as, ])articularly when 40 GKEEJ^HOUSE MANAGEMENT. the heating pipes are under tlie benches, the roots may be in soil as dry as ashes, although the top soil may be quite wet. On the other hand, serious injury may occur when too much water is used, particularly on solid beds during- the dark days of winter, but if the above rule is observed, the danger of injury will be greatly reduced. The use of too much water, especially if accomi)anied by a high temperature, without ventilation, is likely to cause the development of galls upon the roots, and if numerous, the entire crop may be ruined, and it will often result in the rotting of the stems and lower leaves, even though the galls do not a})pear. On the other hand, water should be used freely in syringing the plants, wetting the soil as little as possible, for the first few days after planting, re})eating whenever the foliage becomes dry, and upon Avarni, bright days throughout the season, but it should only be done early ill the day, in order that the foliage may dry off, as, if it remains moist over night, it will invite the presence of the rust and other fungi. During dull weather the jdants should not be syringed, and care should be taken, when it becomes necessary to apply water to the soil, that it does not wet the foliage. If there is danger of the air becoming so dry as to invite the appearance of the red spider, water can be used freely on the walks and about the house, and in tliis way the needed mois- ture will be i)rovided. STAKING AND TRELLISING. As soon as the i)lants have become established, ar- rangements should be made for supporting them. For- merly wooden or cane stakes were used for the purpose, but they were not i\vm enough in the soil of shallow beds, and the ends ([uickly rotted off. In tying the stems to the stakes, they arc generally so drawn together that growth is hindered, and when it comes to cutting - THE CARNATION. 41 the flowers it often becomes necessary to cut tlie ties, in order to get the stems out unbroken. The same objec- tions, except the decay of the stakes, apply to the use of THE HOBAN StJPPOET. FIG 8. CARKATION SUPPORTS. rods of galvanized wire, ])nt witli tlie rods firmness can he secured by fastening them at tlie upper end to \vires stretched iiboye the bed, while the plants can be tied 42 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. more loosely if two strikes are used to each plant, or, better yet, by bending No. 9 galvanized wire into the shape of a hairpin, a suj^port will be formed that answers fairly well. There are also a number of individual sup- ports that have been brought out, and in several in- stances patented, during the last two years. Their appearance is shown in Fig. 8. Several of them are of simple construction and are sold quite cheaply, so that in time they will be no more expensive than the perish- able wooden stakes. In most cases they are designed to keep the lower leaves off the soil, and also to support the flower stalks. Nearly all of them are preferable to the single stakes, but most of them confine the stems rather more closely than is desirable. The Lonsdale stake, with a single ring, is only adapted to small-growing, slender varieties, but this stake with two rings, or some of the other kinds with two or more, answers fairly well except for the strong- growing sorts, where some method that will suj^port them without confining them so closely Avill be better. The Iloran support shoAvn in Fig. 8 has the disadvan- tage of being expensive and of being easily disarranged, but it serves its purpose well. A home-made form, de- signed by a Detroit florist, has heavy galvanized wire for the bows at the ends, and to these smaller cross wires are fastened. Between them common twine is woven to support the leaves and stems, so that in a gen- eral way it is much like the Horan support. Among the first to experiment with carnation sup- ports was Fred Dorner, of Lafayette, Ind., who finally designed a support that has been extensively used by florists all over the country, and with slight modifica- tions has been found adapted to houses of strong-grow- ing varieties. He used, to support the lower leaves, galvanized wire chicken netting with a fine inesh (Fig. 9), cut into strips eighteen or twenty inches in width. THE CARNATIOK. 43 ^ '0 M H H (?; ;?; 3 n Q w H o (14 44 CtReenhouse m.\nagement. These are bent into an inverted Y slinpe;, well ronnded over the top, and rre j^hiced between the rows of ])lants crosswise of the bed. To support the flower stems, he stretches No. 12 galvanized wire lengthwise of the beds about a foot apart, and npon these weaves a diamond- shaped mesh with cotton twine, as is shown in tlie illus- tration (Fig. 10). Two men on opposite sides of tlie bed can pass the twine back and forth (piite rapidly, at the same time giving it a twist about each of tlie wires. The jn-incipal objection to the wire netting is that tlie meshes are so large that the stems often become tangled in them and are much crowded, and that it is somewhat lacking in stiifness to stand up well. To cor- rect these failings, several have tried galvanized wire lathing, which has a half-inch square mesh (Fig. 11), and find that it answers much better in both respects. Another modification is in the weaving to support the stems, where, instead of the diamond-shaped mesli with wires a foot or so apart, there is a No. 18 wire stretched lengthwise of the beds each side of every row of plants, and to hold the stems in place the other way, across the beds other wires or twine are placed, so as to form meshes from four to six inches square, through which the stems will grow. If this is placed six or eight inches above the top of the A-shaped lathing, it will hold the stems so loosely that it will be little hindrance in gathering flow- ers or cuttings. One of the advantages of the A-sliaped lathing is that it keeps the leaves from resting on the damp soil, and as the hose, when watering, can be held beneath it, there is little need of wetting the leaves, and thus the danger for disease is greatly reduced. By lift- ing the leaves from the bed it also permits the air to cir- culate and aids in the drving" out of the soil. Whether the individual rings or the wire lathing are used, the best results can only be secured when they are in jdace before the flower buds form, as then it will THE CARl^ATIOK. 45 c H O C^ &- C -/: pi: 46 GREENHOUSE MAISTAGEMENT. be but little trouble to induce tliem to enter the rings or meshes as desired, while If they have fallen over and sprawled out over the bed before the supports are in place, it will be more difficult to secure stout stems and the desired straight upward growth. If they are early in place, little time will be required in training the stems, and the houses will present a very neat appear- ance. Before one decides what method of training to adopt, it will be well to visit houses in which the differ- ent forms are in use, or to experiment uj^on a small scale before investing largely in any of them. The best support is the one that offers least obstruction to han- dling the plants, cutting the flowers and working the soil. Their cheapness, durability and simplicity should also be considered. As stated above, the slender, up- right-growing varieties will be best supported by some of the methods first described, while the strong, rank- growing varieties will do better with the lathing and overhead mesh. If desired, the A-shaped netting can be used with the individual wire supports. DISBUDDING. While it will not pay for all localities and with all varieties, disbudding is almost essential for large mar- kets where there is strong competition and a demand at a good price for large, single flowers, on long and strong stems. Disbudding consists in the removal of all the flower buds upon a stem except the strongest one at the tip, or, as carnations are now used, a spray of three or four slightly smaller flowers is also desirable, and we can aid in its formation by pinching out the terminal bud and thus favoring the development of the side buds. If disbudding is to be practiced, the plants should be looked over once in t\vo weeks at most, and at the same time all needed tying and training of the shoots should be done. As a rule, growers who market their crops THE CART^ATTON^. 47 ttS GKEENHOUSE MANAGEMEXT. near home can grow their phmts under high culture and secure large flowers and long, stout stems, but if to be shipped long distances they will need to be growii with a firmer texture, that they may withstand hard usage. TOP-DRESSING AND LIQUID MANURING. The requirements of the crop will depend upon the character of the soil used for the l)eds. If composed of loam, stable manure and ground bone, the plants will be able to obtain food for several months, but by the first of November it will generally be well to apply ground ])one to the surface of the bed, and from that time on to give the plants an application of liquid manure once in two weeks. The application of a peck of wood ashes to each hundred square feet of bed once in six or eight weeks will be especially desirable in giving strength to the stems. For the further discussion of the use of manures and fertilizers for carnations and otiier crops, the reader is referred to the chapter on that subject. GENERAL (ARE OF THE HOUSES. As soon as the plants have become established, the surface of the beds should be stirred, to keep down the weeds and to loosen it, that the growth of the roots may be stimulated and the food supply increased. This sliould be kept up during the season, but it should not be deep enough to injure the roots. All dead and dis- eased leaves shonld be picked off, and all litter removed from the beds. The carnation is less troubled by insects than most flowers. Tlie green fly is about the only one that will require especial treatment, and for this the usual rem- edies can be used. The danger of the appearance of insects and fungous diseases will be greatly reduced, pro- vided the conditions under which the plants are grown are suited to them; and if they are so handled that they THE CARNATIOK. 49 receive nu check, the need of making use of innecticides and fungicides will l)e greatly lessened. The soil upon the shallow beds should be replaced each year, but upon deep, solid beds only the surface need be removed, as, unless it has become wet and sour, it will only require the addition of manure and a little fresh soil to grow another crop. If soil is hard to obtain for the beds, the old soil may be used again, if it is spread out thin and seeded with rye in August. By turning this under, and adding a good dressing of manure in the spring, it will be sweetened and supplied with the needed fiber and plant food. Among the trials of the carnation grower are the troubles known as the ''bursting of the calyx," and the "sleep of the carnation." The former is most common when the plants have been stimulated by high feeding, or grown at a high temperature and in a moist air. It is particularly likely to occur if the plants have pre- viously been kept quite cool. What is commonly known as ''sleep" in carnations may also be due to a variety of causes. Among them are sudden and extreme changes of temperature, too close, too hot, or too dry an atmos- phere, too much smoke, gas, lack of water, some injury to the roots, too much fertilizer, and anything else that can disturb the nutrition of the plant. VARIETtES. With the large number of seedlings that are brought out each year it is not probable that any list can be given that will be of permanent value, although in the points that go to make up a good carnation the following vari- eties stand quite high, and will probably be found valu- able for several years. The commercial grower will do best to confine himself, for the most part, to a few stand- ard sorts that he has tested, and which do well with his soil and care, but in order that he may kee]^ up with the 4 50 GREEKHOUSE MAKAGEMEN^T. times and be ready to compete successfully, he should, each year, test a few of the more promising new vari- eties, to learn if they will be better for him than his old kinds. Of the older sorts, those most grown are the Lizzie McGowan and Silver Spray, white ; Daybreak and Wm. FIG 12. DAYBREAK CARNATIONS. Scott, pink; Portia and Stuart, red; and Goldfinch and Bouton d'Or, yellow. Formerly, tlie white sorts were THE CARI^ATIOK. 51 grown in larger numbers than all other colors put together, but the increased use of the carnation, for pur- poses of decoration, has caused a very large demand for the varieties of the various shades of pink, and, as a result, the varieties of that color are now grown very extensively. Lizzie McGowan is the standard sort of its color ; it likes a light house, but does well on either beds or benches. The temperature should not be much below fifty degrees at night. As the plant is a slow grower, it should be planted early. It is a rather slen- der, upright grower, with large, regular, pure white flowers. Silver Spray is a desirable, early flowenng, white sort, coming in before the chrysanthemums. It sometimes 2)roduces defective flowers, but, as a rule, they are quite perfect, ujion long, stout stems. The plants bear freely, and the flowers keep well. Among the new sorts, the Ivory is particularly promising. The plant seems to be vigorous, productive and quite free from disease ; the flowers are a clear, ivory white, regular, and of a delicate fragrance ; the petals are large, well-fringed, and supported by a strong calyx and a stout, long stem. Among the other new sorts are Storm King and Alaska. Of the pink varieties, none have been more success- ful than Daybreak (Fig. 12). It is quite healthy, flow- ers freely, and the j^lants are strong and vigorous. It does best on a rather heavy soil and in solid beds, as it is less likely to burst its calyx and form side buds than when in shallow beds. The flowers are large, well- formed, of good color, and generally sell at the highest price. Wm. Scott is a good companion for the last variety. It has strong and healthy plants, and the flow- ers are large, regular, and even in color, and are borne on long, stout stems. The flowers are produced freely and have good keeping qualities. Of the other sorts. Mad. Diaz Albertini is one of the best. The flowers 52 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. are larger tlian Daybreak, very double, and witb less tendency to fade. The growth is strong, close, and healthy, the stems are strong, the calyx seldom bursts and the flowers are very sweet scented, but in the hands of many growers it has the serious drawback of being a shy bearer. Of the other pink sorts, Grace Darling and FIG. 13. MKS. GEO. M. BRADT CAKNATION. DOKNER & .SON. INTRODUCED BY FRED Annie Pixley may be spoken of as having desirable features. Of the red or scarlet varieties, few stand better with most growers than Portia, which has a very strong and vigorous plant, and the flowers are of a good color and substance, on stout stems. While Stuart is perhaps not {is productive as Portia, the plants are very vigorous and bealthv, and the increased size of the flowers adds con- THE CAKXATIOX. o3 siderably to its market value. Emily Piersou is a prom- ising late scarlet sort, and as the flowers, when well grown, are very large, they bring a high price. Of the yellow sorts, Goldfinch has a splendid plant, and has generally superseded Bouton d'Or and the older kinds. Mayor Pingree is a promising new variety. Helen Keller is one of the best of the variegated varieties, but it frequently is nearly a failure, and at best is not much in demand. Among the variegated kinds recently introduced, Mrs. Geo. M. Bradt (Fig. 13) is particularly worthy of trial. In addition to a long list of comparatively untested varieties, there are several sorts that are being largely planted, and which thus far seem very promising. Among them are Rose Queen, Bridesmaid, Meteor and Lizzie Gilbert. Uncle John, although very successfully grown by its originator and many others, has not been generally successful, and its culture is even now given up by many growers. Morello is a new dark red or maroon variety, with large, firm flowers on long, stout stems. It has a rich odor, and the plants seem healthy and prolific. Of the older varieties, Tidai Wave, Gar- field, Mrs. Fisher and Hinze's White are still grown extensively. CHAPTER III. THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. For hundreds, if not thousands, of years, this plant has been lield in high esteem by the inhal)itants of China and Japan. In the hitter country, a festival is held in honor of this, the national flower, and the nobles, as well as the peasants, enter into the festivities. The highest of all Ja})anese decorations is the Imperial Order of the Chrysanthemum, which is only conferred upon persons of royal birth, or, in rare instances, upon the nobility, and is regarded as a high distinction, even by foreigners. The chrysanthemum was introduced into Europe about two hundred years ago, but was not generally esteemed until the first part of the present century. The first European seedlings were grown in 1827, and the interest excited at that time has been kept up, by the curiosity and admiration over the developments that have from time to time been made. The present cen- tury i:)robably covers the history of the chrysanthemum in America, and it is said that the first American seed- lings of any value were raised as recently as 1879, by Dr. Walcott, of Cambridge, Mass. Since that time the interest has rapidly increased, until it is now the favorite flower of its season. The attention gwen to developing; new varieties from seed has given us hundreds of kinds, many of which excel in size, color, and form the best that have been imported. Among those who haA^e done most to popularize the chrysanthemum by importation of the best Oriental and European seedlings, or by grow- 54 THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 55 ing seedlings themselves, are Dr. H. P. Walcott of Mas- sachusetts, H. Waterer, Wm. K. Harris and Robert Craig of Pennsylyania, T. H. Spaulding, John N. May and Pitcher & Manda of New Jersey, John Thorpe and V. H. Hallock & Son of New York, Fewkes & Sons, and Wood Bros., of Massachusetts, E. G. Hill & Co., F. Dorner and H. AV. Rieman of Indiana, and Nathan Smith & Sons of Michigan. PROPAGATION BY SEEDS. New varieties are obtained by planting the seeds of the most promising sorts, and if the flowers have been cross-fertilized with pollen from plants of other desira- ble varieties, it is probable that some of the seedlings will show characteristics that will make them equal, or superior, to the parents. The per cent of plants that will show any value will be quite small, however, and perhaps nine-tenths of them will be discarded after one year's trial. The plants designed to be used as jjarents should be grown in small pots, and when the flowers develop, they should be placed in a dry room, Avhere there will be an abundance of sunlight and air. The largest and most perfect flowers should be selected, and all others removed as they develop. When the flowers are fully open, the rays should be cut with a pair of shears, just above the stamens and pistils. As soon as the pollen has ripened, it should be conveyed upon a camel's-hair brush, or a toothpick, to the stigmas of another plant. To secure the best results, this should be repeated for several days. It is thought by some that the flowers farthest from the center are most likely to produce good flowers. In selecting the parents, the objects to be attained should be kept in mind, and the choice should be care- fully made. If it is desired to know the exact parent- age, it is well to cover the flowers with paper or muslin 56 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. sacks, for a few days before and after pollinating. While the seed is ripening, the plants should be kept quite dry, and if proper surroundings cannot be given to the plants, the stems may be cut off and placed where they will not be in moist air. The seedlings are grown much the same as those of other plants, and require, after being potted off, about the same care as those grown from cuttings. PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. The usual method of propagating chrysanthemums is by means of cuttings. If large plants are desired, they are started in January or February, but when large blooms are wanted for exhibition purposes, the cuttings are often started as late as May or June, and the plants are grown to single stems and allowed to develop but one flower. In order to grow healthy plants that will give large and fine flowers, strong and vigorous cuttings will be nec- essary, and they will be best if they are taken from plants that have not been forced. It is a good plan to select strong plants in the spring and 2)lant them out of doors as early as it is safe. From these stock plants, cuttings can be taken that will give good plants for sin- gle flow^ers. In the fall, take up the old plants, place in boxes, and keep until midwinter in a cold frame where they will not freeze. Then take into the house, and a large crop of excellent cuttings can be obtained. The earlier ones will be just the thing for pot plants and for planting out as stock plants. In April, another crop of cuttings should be taken. These will answer for six-inch pot plants, and for eitlier single stems or ^^sprays," to be planted in the houses for cut flowers. Another crop of cuttings can be taken in June, but it will be better to lake them from plants set in the open gi'ound, as recommended above. While most THE CHRYSAXTHEMUM. 57 of the cuttings for late blooms slionld be struck about the first of June, the first or even the fifteenth of July will not be too late to secure good results, if they are properly handled. CAEE OF THE PLANTS. Chrysanthemums are grown by florists, either in beds or benches, Avhen the flowers alone are desired, but are to some extent grown in large pots, both as standard and bush plants, for purposes of decoration and for specimens, and in small pots for sale. The treatment required for each kind of plant is somewhat different. The bench and the bed both have their advocates for growing the flowers, but while some varieties seem to do better in one than in the other, it may, perhaps, be truly claimed that the plants in the bencljes are least likely to suffer from over-watering, while they will need greater care if they are to escape injury from neglect to water often enough, and good blooms can be obtained in either bench or bed. Unless top-dressing and liquid manuring are de- pended on to supply most of the plant food, the soil should be composed of about one part half-rotted cow manure and three parts thick sods, prepared as recom- mended for roses. If the soil is at all stiff, a small amount of sand should be added. At the bottom of the solid beds it is customary with many growers to place a layer of sods, with the grass side down, and cover them with about eight inches of the compost, while the bot- tom of the benches often has an inch of" rotten cow manure upon it, with from four to six inches of the pre- pared soil. The same, objections hold with this crop as with the rose, as to the excessive use of stable manure, and several growers are even now dispensing with the ma- nure and relying upon commercial fertilizers, prei)ared after special formulas, for the plant food needed by the 58 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. crop. Their success has induced a very great interest in the matter. During the early part of the season, the flowers are grown either singly on the plants or as ^'sprays," but later on the plants are trained to a single stem with one flower at the top. The cuttings for early flowers should be struck as soon as the first of April, and other batches should follow at intervals up to the first of July, when the cuttings for the single stem plants can be struck. The best cuttings are obtained from shoots that are firm and that have short internodes. Slender and wiry shoots, and also the weak and watery ones, should be avoided. The cuttings should not be over three and a half inches long, with the leaves on the lower half removed and the others reduced one-half in size. They may be rooted in small pots, pans or boxes, although if many are grown a cutting bed is desirable. The cuttmgs are inserted about half their length, in rows two inches aj^art, and about one inch in the rows. While bottom heat will hasten their rooting, it is not necessary, and good results will be obtained if placed near the glass, at a temperature of fifty degrees, even without bottom heat. If particularly fine plants with large blooms are desired for exhibition purposes, the cuttings should be placed singly in small pots containing a mixture of sand and compost at the bottom, and sand at the top. When the roots are half an inch long they should be potted, as they will be less likely to wilt than if the roots have become longer and are broken in potting. Place in two and one-half-inch pots, using a compost of rotten sods, loam and sand. Keep at fifty to fifty-five degrees, and from this time never allow the plants to suffer for lack of water, food, air, or room. When the roots show through the soil, repot into the three and oue- half-inch size, using a little richer compost, and when the roots have filled the pots, have the beds or benches THE CHRYSAJSTTHEMUM. 59 GO GREENHOUSR MANAGEMEXT. ready and [)laiit out at once, wliich, for the first batch, shoiihl be tlie last of May or the first of June. Have the soil firmly pressed down upon the beds and just moist enough to work well. The distance for planting will depend something upon the number of flowers to be grown upon a plant. If more than one variety is grown in a bed, place the taller ones at the north end in a north and south house, so that they will not shade the others. As a rule, the rows across the beds are ten or twelve inches, and the plants eight inches in the rows when three or more flowers are grown to a plant, or six inches each way if the plants are to be grown to single stems. Water the plants thoroughly, and until they become established syringe them often, and shade the roof, using whitewash, or better, Avhite lead and naphtha, mixed so as to make a thin wash. Until the roots have taken hold, care will be necessary to keep the soil from becom- ing saturated. In about a week, give the surface a good stirring and if more than one flower is desired from a plant, pinch out the tip buds to make them branch. As the side buds ])ush out, rub them oif at once, unless sev- eral flowers are desired, when we should allow three or four to grow and rub off the others. If more than this number of buds is desired to a plant, pinch out the end buds in the side shoots wdien they have made a growth of two or three inches, and allow two shoots to start from each, rubbing off all others. trainijs^Ct and trellising. Arrangements should now be made for supporting the stems. This can be done in various ways (the train- ing to stakes is seen, in Fig. 14), but the best method is to run a wire (N"o. 18) above each of the rows and tie the stems to wire rods (No. 9, galvanized), the upper ends of which are fastened to the wire. Another method THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 01 62 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. is to run three wires lengthwise of the bed, about a foot apjii't, the lowest one being one foot aboA^e the soil, and tie the stems to them. A third way is to run a No. 18 wire along the surface of tlie bed and another three or four feet above it, and between these stretch jute or binder twine, to which the plants can be tied (Fig. 15). Tlie plants for the late crop can be planted at any time from the first to the middle of July, or even as late as the first of August, and will require the same care and will be grown in the same way, except that they do not need more than five or six inches each way, and the tip bud is not removed, but is allowed to grow and form a long, single stem, from which all side buds are removed as they start. The stems are supported as recommended above and the same attention in watering and syringing will be required. The surface of the soil should be stirred occasionally, taking pains not to dig deep enough to injure the roots ; and the suckers that start about the base of the plants should be twisted off with the fingers, or carefully cut off below the surface of the soil Avith a knife. The growth of the plants should be carefully watched and if, at any time, it seems to slacken, or if the plants take on a yellowish color and the wood hardens, it generally indicates that the plant food in the original soil is about exhausted and that a new supply is needed. Some growers apply it in a mulch of sheep or cow manure, Avhich both supplies food and prevents the evaporation of moisture from the surface. Provided it is not due to the use of an excess of water, the yellow color is often an evidence that the plants are suffering from a lack of potash. At any rate, the use of a peck of unleaclied wood ashes to each hundred square feet of the bench will be a good thing. Others apply soot, either broadcast upon the surface, or in water. The use of ground bone upon the surface of the bed in THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 08 August, and again about tlic first of October, will be advisable. Li(iuid manures can also be used to advan- tage whenever the plants show the need of food, and it will always be well to use them freely once or twice a week, from the time the first flower buds show until they open enough to show the color of the flowers, when their use should be discontinued. On the other hand, there is danger from securing too soft and watery a growth, from the use of too much nitrogen in the manure, combined with an excessive amomit of water. This should be checked at once by slightly withholding the water, and by decreasing the amount of nitrogen supplied in the manure water. Aside from the thick and watery growth of the stems, the plants also show that they are growing too rapidly, by the appearance of their leaves, which are, in addition to being very large, thick and succulent, likely to become wrinkled and twisted. Until the growth has been checked and become hardened, the plant will not develop first-class flowers. Not only should the general appear- ance of the flowers be noted, but the needs of each plant should be considered, and it should be given more or less, or, perhaps, none at all, of the manure water. ''takikg" the buds aitd disbudding. As soon as the flower buds show, the plants should be looked over every day or two, in order that the flower buds may be ''taken" at the proper time. This word is given to the choosing or the selection of the bud or buds upon a plant that is to flower, after which the others are removed. The buds may be either of two kinds, which have received the names of ''crown" and "terminal." The name "crown" is applied to a single bud at the end of a shoot, upon which all of the other buds are leaf buds, as seen in Fig. 10. Just below the jloioer bud are several leaf buds that will be likely to grow up and, as 04 GREENHOUSE MAN A GEMENT. it were, smother the crown biid unless they are removed. x\.s a rule, crown buds appear quite early in the season, and if they are taken then, they will not make good flowers, and even thongh it is thought best to use a crown hud (if one is formed before August 15), it will be better to remove the crown bud and all but one of the leaf buds below it. A shoot will be developed from FIG. 1(). CROWN BUD. this, which can be trained up and a "late crown" bud that it may form can be taken. Later in the season it will be likely to produce a terminal bud. As a rule, it will be better not to take any buds until towards the last of August for the early sorts, and from that time until the middle to the hist of September for the late kinds. The crown buds are preferred by English grow- THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 05 ers, but except in special csisc.s are not iiiiicli used in America, as they are seldom I'ouud ou i)lants grown from late struck cuttings, and because, especially in the case of varieties that have very full flowers, they are likely to be imperfect, owing to the increased number of petals that they form. Another point against flowers from crown buds is that the leaves below the flower are FIG. 17. TERMINAL BTJD. small and scattering. In many cases the flowers from crown buds are larger and the stems are stouter. It can then be seen that they may be preferable in the case of varieties with weak stems, or thin flowers. The other buds that may be taken are known as "terminals," because they form at the ends of the stems. They can be distinguished from the crown buds by hav- 5 66 GREEN'HOUSE MAKAGEMENT. ing three or more flotoer bads below them on the stems, as seen in Fig. 17. As soon as these other buds have become large enough to admit of its being done readily, they shonld be removed. This can be easily done with the fingers, or, as some prefer, with a pen- knife, forceps, or pointed scissors. If in any way the bud becomes injured, the next best upon the stem should be taken and the others removed. It will be well to begin the disbudding at the end of the stem, so that if a bud is injured there will be one lower down that can be left to form a flower. The flowers from terminal buds will not require more than two-thirds as long a time to develop as crowns, but as crown buds often form from four to six weeks earlier than the terminals, upon some varieties it may sometimes be necessary to take an early crown bud, if needed for exhibition purposes ear- lier than they can be obtained from terminals ; and early crown buds are sometimes taken in the case of early varieties from which early flowers are desired, but except for these reasons, and for those above given, the termi- nal buds are generally taken. Terminal buds seldom are ready to be taken until the middle of September, but whenever they appear the remaining buds should be removed. Flowers for exhibitions need about the same care as those for sale, except that it will pay to start them a lit- tle earlier and to give them a more liberal space in the beds. SINGLE STEM PLANTS IN POTS. A convenient size, whether for exhibition, decoration, or for sale, is a single stem plant, either in a four-inch pot or a five-inch pan. These can be taken from the last batch of cuttings, and it is a common practice to pot off for this purpose any plants that have not been planted or sold. They will need exactly the same care as the single stem plants in the beds. Another method THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 67 of growing single stem plants in pots is' to place from three to six in pots or pans of larger sizes. These plants being in pots will require greater care than those planted in the beds, to prevent their drying ont, and during the hot weather they should be watered at least twice daily, and should be syringed in the morn- ing and again in the afternoon of bright days. The pots can be kept in well-ventilated and partially shaded houses, or out of doors where they will not be likely to be neglected. Plunging them in coal ashes will lessen the danger of injury from the drying out of the soil, but at the same time it will increase the chance of harm coming to them from careless or excessive watering. Especial care should be taken to have the plants free from aphides at this time, and to secure it the houses should be given two or three thorough fumigations just before the buds open. While a light fumigation, if nec- essary, will not hurt the flowers, it will be better not to be obliged to use tobacco, either as smoke or as a spray, after this time. Particularly for the late flowers, the ventilators should be kept wide open during the day, but should be closed at night when the outside temperature drops below forty. If the house is damp, so that there is dan- ger of the moisture condensing on the flowers after they have opened, it will be well to have a little heat on the houses, and if necessary leave the upper ventilators a little open. Syringing should be done early enough to give the flowers time to dry off before night. SPECIMEN" POT PLANTS. Chrysanthemums are often grown in large pots for exhibition or decorative purposes. The cuttings are started about the first of March, and require the same care as those grown for planting in beds, instead of do- ing which, however, they are shifted until they are in 68 gree:nhouse mak'agement, ten- or twelve-inch pots, as may be desired. With each sliift the amount of manure in the soil can be increased, until finally it is the same as used for the beds. When the plants are eight or ten inches high, according to the distance between the buds, the tip should be pinched out. This will cause the side shoots to develop, of which eight or ten should be allowed to grow. These should be evenly distributed around and along the cen- ter stem. When these are four or five inches long they should, in turn, be pinched back, and from two to four shoots allowed to form on each. While more shoots can be left if desired, a handsome plant will be formed from this number of shoots, and the flowers will be larger and finer than Avith a larger number. The pinching should be done not later than- the first of August, in order to give the plants time to develop their flower shoots and buds. If large flowers are desired, only one flower should be allowed to form on each shoot, all other buds being rubbed off as soon as they form. When the plants are disbudded, all injured and diseased leaves should be taken off, and a number of short stakes of galvanized wire should be set around the plant, to which the flower stems should be tied. In this way they can be trained to form a symmetrical plant. Plants in six- or eight-inch pots are also very useful, either for decoration or for sale. They will require about the care outlined above, except that they need not be started until April 1st. In order to form compact, shapely plants, the leader should be pinched lower, and not more than five to eight branches allowed to start. STAI^DARDS. As show plants and for exhibition, a few standards and half standards are grown. The former have bushy, or unibrella-shai)ed, tops at a hight of five or six feet upon a smooth, bare stem, while the stems of the latter THE CHRYSAKTHEMUM. G9 are three or four feet high. These plants are grown from cuttings, generally suckers, started in December or January, and receive about the same care as the sin- gle stemmed plants. They are not stopped until the desired hight is reached, and the head then formed is trained as desired. While the greatest pains is taken to prevent the development of side shoots on the young l)lants, the foliage should be preserved, and not removed until the head is formed. FIELD CULTURE. When the plants are grown in the field, as is still sometimes practiced by amateurs, the soil should be thoroughly prepared, and enriched either with stable manure or commercial fertilizers. If well hardened in a cold frame, tne plants may be put out as so(m as dan- ger of severe frost is over, which will be by the middle of May in most localities. The plants, to be well grown, will require about the same care in pinching and train- ing as was described for the pot-grown plants. If side stakes are desired, they should be inserted near the stem of the plant, and incline outward. In this way they can be taken up with the ball of earth, and potted, with- out being disturbed. In dry seasons, it will be well to scatter a mulch along the rows, to keep the soil from drying out and, when water is used, to prevent baking. Whenever the soil seems dry, water should be given the plants, even- ing being the best time to apply it. If the soil has been properly enriched, no liquid manure need be given these plants while in the ground, but if they fail to make a satisfactory growth from a lack of plant food, a forkful of decomposed manure can be used to advantage around each plant. AA'hen water is applied, it will be washed out and carried down to the roots, where it will bo taken up and used by the plants. The ])lants should be taken 70 GREEi^HOUSE MAKAGEMENT. np and potted by the first of August, and will need about the same attention as the plants that have not been planted out. STAKING THE POT PLANTS. All pot plants should be provided with a center stake, or wire rod, to which the main stem should be tied, and bush plants will need from three to seven, in order to keep the side shoots in place, and prevent them from breaking down. When perfect plants are desired for exhibition purposes, considerable attention is given to the training of the plants. Commencing at the time of the second pinching, the side shoots should be drawn into place and held there with loops of raffia. When pinched the next time, hoops or rings of wire can be fastened to the stakes, and the laterals can be tied to them. With large plants, a second, and even a third, rinsf will be found useful. LIQUID MANURE. As soon as the plants have become established in the beds, they should receive applications of liquid manure once a week until the flowers open, and the j^tot- grown plants will need this treatment, commencing the first of July. It is also well, as soon as the weather becomes hot and dry, to mulch the plants in the beds with an inch or so of cow or sheep manure, which will both hold the moisture and supply food for the growth of the plants. As the flower buds develop, there is par- ticular need of liquid manure, and if furnished freely it will increase the size and perfection of the flowers. When the buds open, and during the period of flower- ing, no manure should be given them, and great care should be taken in watering the plants. VARIETIES AND THEIR CLASSIFICATION. The work of crossing the varieties has been carried so far that it is hard to tell where one class ends and THE CHKYSAKTHEMUM. 71 another begins. The usual classification takes into account the shape of the florets and the appearance of the blooms, and divides the chrysanthemums into In- curved, Reflexed, Japanese, Anemone, Japanese Anemone, PomjDon and Pompon Anemone. The incurved class is made up largely of Chinese varieties, which have broad, strap-shaped florets that are curved inward, and give the bloom a spherical or globu- lar form. As a rule, the florets are regularly arranged, and make a symmetrical bloom. The reflex class differs from the above in that the florets curve outward, and thus show only their inner face. A perfect flower of this group should have broad florets, a full center, and an even, symmetrical arrangement. As a rule, the florets overlap so closely that the blooms are quite flat. Cul- lingfordii may be taken as an example of this class. In the Japanese, the short tubular florets found in the incurved group are replaced by others that may be of almost any shape, length or size, flat, quilled, or fluted, short or long, straight or twisted, thread-like or ribbon-like. The group includes such sorts as Major Bonnaffon and Kioto, classed as Japanese incurved, and Viviand Morel as Japanese reflexed. The Anemone flowered class have in their disc or center, short quill-like florets, surrounded by rows of broad, flat florets forming a horizontal border. A Jap- anese section of this class has about the same variation in the character of the ray flowers as is found in the Japanese class itself. The Pompon group contains plants with small and regular, but quite close, blooms, that flower profusely. The florets are all the same, and form a globular bloom from one to two inches in diam- eter. They are quite hardy, and are among the best for the amateur. The Anemone Pompon class differs in having disc flowers that are quilled like those of the Anemone group. V2 GREEirHOUSE MA:^AGEMENT. SELECTION^ OF VARIETIES. Among the things to be considered in a variety are tlie liabit and strengtli of the phmts, the character of the foliage and the color, size, shape and substance of the flowers. \'ery few of the kinds of five years ago are now grown to any extent, so great has been the improvc- FIO. 18. CHRYSANTHEMUM KItgKNK l>An.LKI)( >rZE. ment with this flower. For the ])i'odiR'ti()ii of cut flow- ers it is particularly desirable that such kinds be selected as will afford a sncces.^ion throughout the season. Although they are often in the market before the mid- dle of September, there is but little call before the first THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 73 of October, but from that time until the close of the season one should be able to show plants in flower. Among the best of the very early kinds is Lady Fitzwigram, white ; following a few days later are Mar- quis de Montmort, a large early pink sort ; Mrs. E. G. Hill, a very handsome, large, pink variety, also Lady FIG. 19. CHRYSANTHKMUM MAYFLOWER. Plairfair, another desirable pink variety. Among the early yellow sorts are Marion Henderson, with a hand- some flower of good size :ind coloi" ; Miss M. M. John- son, with a full incurved golden yellow flower; Yellow Queen, Golden Wedding and H. L. Sunderbrucli, Glori- osum and Mrs. J. G. Whilldin are still valuable early 74 GBEENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. yellow kinds. Of the new yellow varieties none is more promising than Modesto. It is of a pleasing shade of light yellow, and in form, size and ^^petallage" is quite satisfactory. Among the later yellow varieties are W. H. Lincoln, H. W. Rieman, Eugene Dailledouze (Fig. 18), Major FIG. 20. CHRYSANTHEMUM MRS. PERRIN. Bonnaffon and Mrs. F. L. Ames. Of the other white sorts, coming after Lady Fitzwigram, Autumn Bride is a very promising pure white variety, as are Mayflower (Fig. 19) and Mme. F. Bergman and Mrs. H. Robinson. Among the other well-known white sorts are Niveus, THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 75 FIG. 21. CHRYSANTHEMUM lOKA, GKOWK BY NATHAN SMITH «& SON, ADRIAN, MICH. 7r; GREENHOUSE MAKAGEMENT. which has an excellent stem and foliage and very large liowers, and Queen, a splendid sort with ])erfect foliage and handsome liowers that keep remarkably well. Ivory, early, Minnie Wannamaker, medium, and Mrs. Jerome Jones, late, of the older kinds, are still valuable. Of the })ink kinds, Mrs. Perrin (Fig. 20) is a promising new variety, while lora (Fig. 21) has made an excellent im- ])ression as an exhibition variety. Yiviand Morel holds a high place as an early variety, and Harry Balsley, although not good in plant, has a good color. V. H. Hal- lock, Eda Prass and Mrs. Bayard Cutting are also good. Among other sorts worthy of a place in a collection are Clinton Chalfant, Jos. H. White, Pres. W. R. Smith, Inter-Ocean, Georgienne Bramhall, Eldorado and Mutual Friend. Cullingfordii still deserves a place as a dark red, as does Hicks Arnold as a bronze. John Shrimp- ton has been well received as a maroon variety. The flower is of good size, color and form, and the stem is stiif and well clothed. The principal call is for white, pink and yellow flowers and of course the largest nnm- ber of plants should be of those colors. Some Ave or six years ago, Mrs. Al])heus Hardy, a white variety with its ray flowers studded with short hairy growths, and a year later Louis Boehmer, which differed in being of a dirty pink color, were introduced, but have found little favor, except as oddities, with flo- rists. In addition to tlie above, the class is now repre- sented by Miss Annie Manda, white, Wm. Falconer, pink, and W. A. Manda and Patrick Barry, yellow^, Avliich are improvements over the original varieties. Golden Hair and R. M. Gray are still later and better varieties. INSECTS AND DISEASES. In addition to the green aphis, chr3^santhemums are frequently infested with a black form. These can be THE VIOLET. 77 destroyed by the same remedies us are used for the others, l)ut they are harder to keej) in check. Fre- ((uently, when phiiits are grown in pots, the lower leaves are lost. This may be due to a variety of causes, such as crowding and lack of air, too much water, lack of frequent syringing, exposure to drying winds, etc.; and a remedy can he found by avoiding eacli and all of these things. We also find that the foliage often takes on an unhealthy color, which may be due from the plant being in too small a pot, lack of food, too much or too little water, crowding, or exposure to the wind. Having found the cause, the remedy will be a])parent. Whatever method of growing the plants is prac- ticed, the best results can only be obtained when strong cuttings are used, and when tlie plants are kept growing without a check from the time they are potted till they are through blooming. For the ^'Leaf Spot" and other fungous diseases, the plants should be sprayed with cop- 2)er sulphate solution. CHAPTER IV. THE VIOLET. Few of our greenhouse plants have so steadily maintained their hold upon public favor as has the mod- est violet. It is easily grown and is so generally useful that no florist can do without it. For the winter flow- ering of this plant, a greenhouse in wliich the night temperature will not be above forty-live degrees is desir- able, but tliey are often wintered in cold frames, and give an abundance of blooms ns tlie warm weather of spring comes on. If a greenhouse is not at one's dis- posal, the plants may be covered with a narrow frame, 78 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. around which a wider and deeper one is placed. If the space between the frames is packed with horse manure, and the outer frame banked up with the same material, double sash, mats and shutters will keep out frost, except in very severe weather, and a fair crop can in this way be obtained. VIOLET HOUSES. While for the successful growing of violets certain requirements must be observed, the form of the house seems to be of less importance than with many other FIG. 22. NARROW VIOLET HOUSE. plants. Good results can be obtained in lean-to, even- span or three-quarter span houses, but, as a rule, if a house is to be constructed especially for this crop, an even-span house will generally be preferred. The prin- cipal objection to the three-quarter span house is the amount of strong sunlight that the plants are subjected to, owing to the exposure to the south. This can to some extent be corrected by good ventilation, and the form of house has the further advantage of being more generally adapted to other crops, in case the culture of the violet should at any time be given up. THE VIOLET. ■ "-•?H '•■4 »^';v.''-'^ Si ■■-:-■■;' 80 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. Ill tlie past, narrow houses from ten to twelve feet in width (Fig. 22) liave been most used, but those of recent construction are twenty feet and even wider. Among the requirements for a violet house are (1) ven- tilating arrangements that will furnish an abundance of fresh air. On this account, ventilators are necessary in each of the side walls of the house, as well as a row at the ridge. It will be desirable to have the houses stand. a little apart to secure this, as well as to prevent the lodging of the snow between the houses. (2) The houses should be so glazed as to avoid drip. For this reason a rather steep roof is desirable; the sash bars should be provided with drip grooves and the glazing should be carefully done. Use 14x14 or lOxlO inch glass, butted without i)utty, and held in place with a wooden cap. Take pains to lay the i)anes with the curve up and with the thick edge at the bottom. If carefully laid there will be little drip, although there will be rather more than when the glass is lapped and laid in putty. (3) Use wide, solid beds and have a walk along each wall Avhere it will occupy room of little value to the crop. Thus for a house twenty-two feet wide (Fig. 23) we should have two beds each seven feet wide, and three walks, the center one being two feet and six inches, and the outer ones one foot and nine inches wide. If they are given proper attention in a house of this kind, the plants will do much better, and will be far less likely to be attacked by disease, than when grown in dugouts and other houses with heavy rafters, and covered with hotbed sashes that cause a large amount of drip. Most of the narrow (ten or twelve foot) houses that have been used for the violet have had two side beds and a center walk, but rather better results will be obtained with a bed in the center of the house seven or seven and (me-half feet wide, and a walk along either wall of the house (Fig. 24). THE VIOLET. 81 Some lijive fouiul less i rouble from s[)ot and other diseases when the })hints are ])hiced m the lionses early in the summer, without being* planted in the open around. It' this is done, it will be well to take out every third or fourth row of glass. Although sash h(uises are not desirable on account of the drip, they have the advantage of permitting the removal of the roof, and are very commonly used when the plants are TICr. '24. NARROW VIOLET HOUSE, IMPROVED. placed at once in the house w ithout being planted out of doors. The use of hot water for heating the house will be preferable, unless it is a part of a large range, when steam may be used. The piping should be sufficient to secure a temperature of forty degrees during the coldest weather. While a few degrees less than this would do no harm, it will be undesirable to have it go much higher, forty-five degrees being as high as the tempera- ture should be raised at night by fire heat. If it is likely to go above that degree, air should be given. 82 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. While it will always be best to buy wrought iron pipe, if one has four-inch cast iron pipe on hand, a violet house will be a better place for it than one requiring a high tem^^erature. PROPAGATION. Violets are generally propagated from cuttings of the young shoots, although the old phmts are some- times divided. Care should be taken to select the cut- tings from healthy plants, and if only those from strong, vigorous plants, that have given large numbers of large, perfect flowers, are used, the tendency will be to develop an improved strain of the variety. On the other hand, if they are chosen at random, from plants that have been grown at a high temperature during an entire win- ter, it will not be strange if weak plants, that will quickly succumb to disease, are obtained. Cuttings may be made either in September or October, or in the spring. If made in the spring from plants that have been forced, they will have a weaker constitution than if taken from strong and vigorous plants. If made in September, the runners are cut off four or five inches long, and set in a bed of light, sandy soil. By carefully watering and shading them for a few days, they will soon take root. These plants, if covered with a cold frame and mulched with leaves, will be in excellent condition for planting out in the spring. In case old plants have been wintered in a cold frame, good cuttings can be obtained in the spring from them, but, lacking these, the plants in the greenhouse can be used as stock plants. The cuttings may be made the last of March or the first of April and placed in a cutting bed ; after rooting, they should be boxed or potted off in sandy soil, or, if the ground is moist, or so situated that it can be watered, they may be planted out without previous treatment. As a check at the time they are trans- THE VIOLET. 83 planted /rom tlie field to the house has much to do with inviting the development of the violet disease, it is by many thought best to set the young plants at once in the greenhouse beds where they are to flower, and thus avoid the check that is likely to be incurred when they are grown in the field and then transplanted. SOIL AND PLANTING OUT. While violets will give good results upon almost any good soil, they will succeed best upon one that is moist, but well drained, and while heavy is not so stiff as to bake or crack. If the soil is naturally rich, the use of from five to ten pounds of ground bone to the square rod will give stronger and healthier plants than if they are grown with stable manure. The plants, when grown out of doors during the summer, should be set about nine or ten inches apart in the rows, which should be at intervals of twelve or fifteen inches, unless large numbers are grown, when they are better if placed thirty inches, so that they can be worked with the horse. The care required by them is simple, but they should not be neglected. The run- ners that start should be cut off, to cause the plants to thicken np, and if the summer is a dry one they should be mulched and, as a last resort, watered, a treatment that should suffice to keep down the red spider, which might otherwise trouble them; at any rate, frequent shallow cultivation should not be neglected. As fall approaches, the plants should be taken up and placed either in a cold frame or upon beds in the greenhouse. While some growers use six- or seven-inch pots, nearly all violet growers place them in beds, in which the soil is from five to eight inches deep, and composed of four parts of rotted sods to one part of cow manure. The beds, whether shallow or solid, should be raised above the level of the floor, so as to bring the 84 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. plants near tlie glass, that they may have all of tlie light possible. The distance at which the plants shonld be placed in the beds varies from eight to ten inches, according to the strength of the plants. In case the soil in which the plants have been grown is light or exhausted, the ball may be broken and most of the soil shaken off, but if it is still worth using, the unbroken balls should be set in the bed, with the least possible disturbance. For a few days, the plants sliould be shaded and syringed frequently, with thorough ven- tilation, in order that the check from transplanting may be reduced as much as possible. All yellow and dis- eased leaves should be picked off as soon as the plants have become established. Great care should be taken that the temperature of the house does not get above forty -five degrees at night, although ten degrees more during the day will be desirable. Especially if some or all of the pipes are under the benches, great care should be taken in watering, as the soil at the bottom of the bed is likely to l)ecome dry, unless this is properly attended to. When surface watering is given, the water should be applied until the bed drips, and it should then be withheld until the bed begins to di-y. Particular attention should also be given to prevent any drip ui)on the plants or the bed itself. With good care, a house of violets should average twenty to thirty flowers per plant, and there are records of much larger crops. GROWLING THE PLANTS IN THE HOUSE. If the plants are to be grown in the beds in the house they should be in place by the middle of May, if not before. The soil for this purpose should be even richer than is re(piired for field-grown plants when they are set in the house, and in addition to the rich com]iost a liberal quantity of gronnd bone can l)e used to advan- tao-e. If an old solid bed is to be used, the surface THE A'lOLET. • 85 should be taken olf and three or four inches of compost, composed of tliree parts of rotten sods and one part of decomposed cow mannre, added. While one strong plant in a place will generally make a good chimp, some growers use two or three. About once a week or ten days the surface of the bed should be loosened and all runners should be pinched off. In four or live months after the plants Avere set, strong plants will be formed and flowers will show. As the weather gets colder, and before severe frosts come, the sash should be placed on the house, but the arrange- ments for thorough ventilation should be ample, and it should at no time be neglected. Care should be taken to regulate the time of water- ing, to permit the plants to dry off before night. If they are syringed, it should be only early in the mo.rn- ing of bright days, and, so far as possible, the water should not be allowed to fall upon the leaves when it is applied to the soil. As sub-irrigation not only admits of applying the water without wetting the surface soil, but aids in keeping the foliage dry, it is especially desirable for this crop. For several years many growers have experienced considerable loss from what is known as the "violet dis- ease." Really, there are a half dozen diseases that attack the violet, any one of which may practically )"uin the crop. The * 'eel- worms" {Xematodes) also work havoc, particularly in poorly drained soil, by causing galls upon the roots. Tlie violet diseases are, undoubtedly, one and all, invited by unfavorable conditions of growth or sur- roundings. A superabundance of fresh stable manure might cause a soft watery growtli ; a high temperature and lono* continued forcinor would also weaken their vitality and render them easy victims. The real cause is that the spores (seeds) of the different diseases tind 86 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. conditions favorable to their propagation and growth. Much can be done to hold them in check if the decayed leaves are frequently removed, and the germs destroyed. AVith healthy plants to start with, and with proi:>er care in watering and ventilating, the danger of the appearance of the various violet diseases will be greatly reduced, but if any of the plants show traces of any disease, the injured leaves should be pulled off and burned. The surface of the soil should also be occa- sionally stirred and all litter removed. The violet is troubled by few insects, the most trou- blesome being the aphis and red spider ; frequent fumiga- tion for the former, and syringing for the latter, should hold them in check. VARIETIES. Until recently the Marie Louise was more largely grown than all other varieties put together. It is of a rich, dark blue, with a whitish center. The flowers are large, firm, and quite fragrant. When healthy, it is vigorous and quite floriferous, but for several years many florists have been unable to grow it successfully, owing to its liability to the attack of some of the various diseases of the violet. Lady Hume Campbell has with many growers super- seded the above kind. The plants are strong, compact, and quite free from disease. The flowers are large, double, extremely fragrant, with long stems and of a light blue color. The Farquhar is a new sort that has been less thor- oughly tested, but the very highest claims are made for it so far as health, vigor and freedom of bloom, and the form, color and fragrance of the flowers are concerned. Swanley White is still the best of its color, but is little grown. THE VIOLET. 87 Recently there has been considerable interest in sin- gle varieties, as they are generally less subject to disease and are freer in flowering than the double sorts. They have little substance and are less called for than the double flowers. In Paris, however, they are all the rage and they may soon become the fashion in this country. California is among those most largely grown. It has large, rich green leaves that stand up well from the FIG. 25. SINGLE VIOLET, PRINCESS DE GALLES. Grown by Fred, Boulon, Sea Cliff, N. Y. ground. The flowers are large, of a rich, bluish purple color, and very fragrant. Flower stems long and stout. Thought by some to be identical with Mad. E. Arene. Luxonne has petals about the same size as those of the California, but they appear larger, as they open out 88 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. flat. A freer bloomer, flowering from September until April. V Princess of Wales (de Galles) (Fig. 25), is rather smaller than Luxonne, quite free from disease and of a handsome violet color. Admiral Avellan has dark green leaves, and large reddish-purple flowers that are very fragrant and lasting. CHAPTER V. BULBS AND THEIR CULTURE. During the last ten years this class of plants has come to the front for winter forcing, and bulbs now stand next to the rose and carnation in the attention that is paid to them for this purpose. The kinds that are most commonly used are Roman Hyacinths, Lilies {Lilium Harrisli and cancUdnm), Narcissus of various kinds, Freesias, Tulips, Lily of the Valley and Callas. Although a few callas and tulips are grown in this country, most of the bulbs are imported during the summer and fall from Holland. As a rule, we may say that bulbs recpiire a rich loam soil, to which about one-fourth its bulk of sand has been added. The bulbs are imported as they ripen, and will be received at intervals from August to November. They should be at once potted off. Some growers pot about one-half of the bulbs as soon as they are received, and the others are kept from four to eight weeks, that they may be later in coming into flower, and thus give a succession. HYACINTHS, TULIPS AND NARCISSUS. The Roman hyacinths, tulips, narcissus and similar bulbs, when grown for cut flowers, are placed in shal- BULBS AND THEIR CULTURE. 89 00 GREENIIOrSE MAJ^AGEMENT. low l)oxcs (Fig. 3('>), that, are of a I'onvonienfc size for handling-, at a distance a])art e([ual to about twice their diameter, and so that they Avill just show above the sur- face. If desired for decoration, ratlun* than for cutting, they can be placed in pots or deep pans, of from fonr to six inches diameter, with smaller intervals between them. As soon as potted, the soil should be moistened, and they should then be placed where they can be kept cool, in order to give the roots an opj^ortunity to develop. If one has a cold pit they can be placed in that, but any well-drained spot out of doors, where they will be somewhat sheltered from tlie sun, will answer. The boxes and pots should be so placed that they can be readily covered with from three to four inches of coal ashes or sand. This will hold the moisture and keep them from drying out, but an inch or so of hay over the ashes will aid both in holding the moisture and in keep- ing them cool. If one does not have a cold pit, an empty cold frame can be used to store the bulbs in, and if this is not available, the boxes and pots should be so arranged that a frame can be placed about them as win- ter comes on. By covering them with sash, mats and shutters, the frost can be kept out. Hay or straw could be used for the same purj)ose, and is desirable for the early sorts, as it hastens their development, but they fre- quently attract mice and the bulbs may, as a conse- quence, be destroyed, so that it is not safe to use them for the late bulbs. As soon as the roots have filled the pots, the plants may be taken out. It is best to start only a j^art of them at a time, and these should be placed in a cool greenhouse near the glass, at first, and then removed to one where the temperature is at least sixty degrees. The Eoman hyacinths should be kei)t in :i frame for fully two months, but as a rule six weeks will sufhce for narcissus. If either, however, is placed in the forcing BULBS AND THETR CULTURE. 91 FIG. 27. house before tlic roots have made their growth, tlie flower stalk will be weak, and nothing will be gained, even in earliness. As a rule, the Roman hyacinths, and Early Roman and Paper White narcissus will be in bloom by the 15th to the 20th of December, and by bringing them in at intervals of ten days or two weeks, they can be had in bloom until the first of March, and even later, if de- sired. Tulips can be brought in be- fore Christmas, and by proper care in se- lection of varieties and in handling can be had in bloom all winter. Daffodils do not flower, as a DOUBLE DlTTOHj.^^lg bcforC Fcb- HYACINTHS. ruary. Dutch hyacinths (Fig. 27), which are so commonly grown for bedding pur- poses and for decoration, are not forced to any extent for their flowers. If de- sired for sale or to brighten up the houses, they should be grown exactly the same as the Roman hyacinth and tulips. The Roman hyacinth is still the favorite, and although the red and blue varieties are sometimes grown, the num- ber of white ones used exceeds both of fig- 28. improved the others a hundred fold. hyacinth glass. If good results are desired with Dutch hyacinths, it will pay to buy good bulbs of named sorts, and they will be found jirofitable if grown for retailing. The bulbs can be placed singly in five-inch pots, but they will be rather more attractive if from three to five are placed in a pan six or seven inches in diameter. 0-3 GREENHOUSE MAXAOEMRXT. When used as honso plants, hyacinths may he flow- ered in glasses made for the })nrpose. These consist of a flask to liohl water, with an enlargement at the toj), in which the bulb is placed so that it will barely touch FK;. '29. SIXGLK KAUI.Y Tl'LIl'S. the water. Roots will soon form and grow downward into the water. The glasses should be ke])t rather cool and out of the direct sunshine until (he roots have formed. An improved form of hyacinth glass is shown "BULBS .V5n^D their CULTURE. 03 in Fig. 28. Tliis has an inner tube in wliicli the routs are confiiied. Of narcissus, the Paper White is the favorite with the florists. It is very easily forced and comes at a time when there is a scarcity of white flowers. The Early Roman and Yon Sion, Incomparable and Trumpet Major daffodils are most largely grown of the other kinds. The tulips (Fig. 29) are highly esteemed for their bright colors. They range in color from white and yel- low to rose, scarlet and crimson. The single sorts are generally used for forcing ; the Due Van Thol, being one of the best early sorts, is about the only one that can be brought into flower by Christmas. By the first to the middle of January such kinds as La Reine and White Pottebakker, white; La Belle Alliance, scarlet; Brilliant, vermilion ; Yellow Prince and Chrysolora, yel- low ; Rose Grrisdelin and Cottage Maid, pink ; Keizei- kroon and Joost van Yondel, striped, can be brought into flower. Among the later sorts, Murillo, double pink, and Tournesol, red and yellow, will be found desirable varieties for forcing. As a rule, the solid col- ors in tulips will be found preferable to the striped varieties. By bringing in the Due Yan Thol about the last of November and giving it seventy degrees, it will flower by Christmas. With this and other varieties that show a tendency to have short stems, marked ben- efits can be obtained if they are shaded with cheese cloth or some similar covering. These varieties are most esteemed for early winter and to follow them there is a long list of named sorts in solid colors or vari- egated. For other varieties of tulips and narcissus, the reader is referred to any of the bulb catalogues, that are issued each year. The crocus is also largely grown for purposes of sale or decoration. It requires the same care as the tulip, but is generally used to fill pans, or to border pans of 94 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. FIG. 30. FKEESIA KEFKACTA ALBA. BULBS AND THEIR CULTURE. 95 bulbs of otbcr kinds. The colors are wliite, yellow or purple, solid or striped. Freesias (Fig. 30) are generally placed in boxes at intervals during the autumn and kept upon a bench in a cool greenhouse, or in a pit, for five or six weeks, a'fter which they are gradually brought into heat. LILIES {Harrisii and ccmdiclum) The lilies require about the same care as the above mentioned bulbs. They are frequently placed in six- inch pots, or in boxes about five inches deep. The Lilium HarTisii or Easter Lily (Fig. 31) is sometimes received from Bermuda, where it is extensively grown, by the middle of July, but the bulbs are immature, and far better and about as early flowers will be obtained if they are given another month in which to develop. Even after the pots have become filled with roots, several months must pass before the flowers will develop. As soon as .the flower stalks start, the lilies should be placed in a cool house for a week or so, before being placed in the room where they are to be forced. A very high temperature is required to bring them in by Christ- mas, but from the middle of January until April, flow- ers can be had in abundance, if proper steps were taken to secure a succession. Those for Easter should be brought into the house from the lOtli to the 15th of November. Lilium candidum and Z. longiflorum require ex- actly the same care as the Bermuda lily, but they are stronger growers and do not force as readily. The bulbs of all the lilies are graded according to their diam- eter, the size ranging from twelve to eighteen centime- ters (5-7 inches) to thirty or thirty-five centimeters, or about twelve to fourteen inches in diameter. The sec- ond size, eight to ten inches, is generally used for forcing. !m; GREENHOUSE MAXAGEMEXT. LILY OF THE VALLEY. Lily of the valley })ips are geuemlly imported from Hamburg, Germany, about the middle of October. FIG. 31. LILIUM HARRISII. When received, they should be packed away in the orig- inal bundles, in boxes of soil, and j)laced in some cool BULBS AXl) THKIll rifLTURE. 97 place to comi)lt'(o tlu'ir period of rest until about a month before they are to be flowered, when they should be placed about an iuch ai)art in boxes of sand or sandy loam, with the pips about half their length in the soil. They should be placed in partial shade (Fig. o'i), where r ^ > > ^ > 5C they can have a strong, bottom heat of nearly one hun- dred degrees. If tlie pii)s can be kept in a cool i)it, where the temperature is about thirty-five degrees, until readv for forcing, flowers can be obtained in three weeks, 98 OREEIS^HOUSE MAN"AGEMEN"T. or even less. AVlien placed in a cold storage house, iliey can be kept for a jTar. Unlike other bulbs that are forced, they do not require to form roots before being bronglit into heat. THE TUBEROSE. The tuberose, some ten years ago, was extensively forced, but it receives little attention to-day for winter blooming. For spring flowering, the first lot may be l)laced in four-inch pots soon after Christmas, and plunged in damp sphagnum or sand, in a forcing house, where they will have a bottom heat of eighty degrees. A succession can be secured by starting others at inter- vals of three weeks. If designed for flowering in the fall, the bulbs should be kept in a cool ])lace, where they will be moist enough not to dry out, until August, when the first batch can be started, and with a second a few weeks later, flowers can be obtained from Novem- ber until January. CALLA. The calla is one of the easiest flowers to force, and it can generally be used to good advantage. The bulbs should be potted in August, having first rubbed off all suckers, and after receiving a good watering sliould be kept for a month in some cool place, where they will not be allowed to dry out. It requires a richer soil than most bulbs and delights in an abundance of water. A seven-inch pot will answer for a large bulb, and if a larger pot or tub is used, there should be several bulbs placed in it. As soon as the season of growth is over, the pots shouVd be placed on their sides, and kept in a cool, airy place, without water, for several months. Unlike the hyacinths and narcissus, the calla can be grown for several years without renewing the stock, although many florists prefer to purchase each year BULBS AXD THEIR CULTURE. 99 bulbs grown in California. The Little Gem is a minia- ture calla that has many uses. Of the other bulbs, the lilies are the only ones that can be forced for a second year, after having had good culti- vation in the open ground for two years. While the others are worthless for forcing, or even for bedding, if good results are expected, the tulips, in particular, can be used to good advantage by planting them about the shrubbery, and under the edges of evergreens. OXALIS. Although not a florists' bulb exactly, the oxalis should be more commonly grown. The Boweii, red; Lutea, yellow; and Versicolor, red and white, are among the most desirable sorts as pot j^lants, or for hanging baskets, vases, etc. They have a decorative effect and find a ready sale. The bulbs should be planted in a rich, sandy compost in October, in small pots, and will require no care, except an occasional watering, until they have filled the pots, when they should be shifted into the four-inch size. The oxalis is well adapted for use in hanging baskets, window boxes and as a border for beds, as well as for use as a pot plant. The bulbs should be started at inter- vals during the fall, if a succession of bloom is desired. They may be planted where they are to flower, or the bulbs may be placed in three-inch pots and shifted to the beds or pots. A good bulb Avill fill a five-inch pot, or several may be placed in a large pot or pan. The oxalis does well at quite a range. of temperature, but about sixty degrees will give the best results. When through flowering, and the leaves begin to turn yellow, water should be gradually withheld. During the resting period the bulbs may be left in the pots, which should be turned on their sides in some place where they cannot become wet, or they may be taken out and kept in boxes. 100 GREENHOUSE MA.NAGEMEXT. CYCLAMEX. The cyclamen (Fig. 33) was formerl}' sown in the spring, but better results are obtained if the seed is planted in September. Tlie plants are kept in two-inch pots until March, when they should be placed in four- inch. About the middle of Mav. thev should be re- no. 33. CYCLAMEN. moved to a frame and, if well cared for, will be large enough for six-iuch pots by July. They should be cov- ered with cloth sash during the summer, but it should be raised to give thorough ventilation. During the summer the plants should be syringed BULBS AND THEIR CULTUKE. lOl if the weather is hot and dr} ., and they should have plenty of fresh air. Liquid manure should be given when the roots have filled the flowering pots. As cooler weather approaches keep a little closer and if the plants have been kept in a cold frame remove to a house where they can have some heat, if necessary to secure a warm, dry atmosphere. During the winter they should be kept at 55 or 60 degrees until through flowering. When the leaves begin to turn yellow induce rest by moving the plants to a cooler house and gradually withholding water. They should not be allowed to become dust dry so that the bulbs will shrivel. After a short rest the new leaf-stalks will begin to start and the bulbs should be repotted into four- or five-inch pots, using a light and open but rich compost, and giving thorough drainage. Repot when necessary up to six- or seven-inch pots and give the same care as the first year. FORCIJs^G THE GLADIOLUS. The gladiolus is coming into favor as a bulb for spring forcing. It can be grown with but little care, and the flowers will be even finer than those grown out of doors. The bulbs need to complete their period of rest before they are started into growth, and notliing will be gained by planting them before the last of December, unless bulbs are used that have been forced the previous year. They can be grown either in beds, boxes or pots, but one of the latter will generally be found preferable, as it admits of keeping them in a cool place until the roots have formed, which is desirable. They also do well planted out in tiie beds with carna- nations and even in rose houses, but it will be best to start them in pots and transplant them to the beds after the pots have become filled Avith the roots. They can be grown in the boxes about the same as Holland bulbs, using rather heavier and richer soil. 102 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. The bulb should be barely covered with the soil, and as there is clanger of the damping off of the shoots if over- watered, it is a good plan to have the surface half-inch FIG. 34. GLADIOLUS MAY, ORIGINATED AND GROWN BY THE CUSHMAN GLADIOLUS CO. of sand. Water thoroughly and place under the benches, where the temperature will be fifty degrees, BULBS AIS'D THEIR CULTURE. 103 until tlio roots have filled the soil ciiul the leaves have started. Grradually increase the heat to sixty and to seventy- five degrees. When the buds begin to form, give liquid manure once a week. If proj^erly handled, the flowers will be ready to cut by Easter. Among the best varieties for forcing are May (Fig. 34), Buchanan and Shakespeare. CHAPTEE VI. TUBEROUS BEGONIAS. During the past ten years, few plants have increased in public favor more than the tuberous begonia (Fig. 35). The plants are I'apidly propagated from seed, and can be grown as readily as geraniums, while for six months of the year they are resting and require no care. For pot or ont-of-door culture they have few superiors. The "tubers" can be purchased at reasonable rates, or they can be grown from seed. PROPAGATION. The seeds should l)e planted about February 1, in shallow flats or seed i)ans. The boxes or pans should be half filled with broken crocks or other drainage, upon which there should be about an inch of fine compost, composed of rotten sods, leaf mold and sharp sand. Moisten the soil and scatter the seeds quite thickly, cover with a thin layer of sifted sphagnum and fine, sand, using just enough to hold the seeds in place. To prevent the soil from drying out, cover the box with glass, paper, or, better yet, long fibers of sphag- num. Place out of the direct sunlight, in a moderate bottom heat, with a night temperature of sixty degrees. If glass is used, it is well to cover it with paper and to 104 GREE>^HOUSE MAXAGEMEXT. ,«>.. -.^Vv«j^^^ TUBEROUS BEGONIAS. 105 keep it slightly raised, to afford ventilation. When the seeds have germinated, the sphagnum and pajier should be removed, and a close and warm atmosjihere should be avoided. As soon as the second leaves appear, they FIG. 36. SINOLE TUBEKOUS BEGONIA. should be pricked out in flats or i^ans, and from this time on they should never be allowed to stop in their growth. lOG GREENHOUSE MANAGKAIEKT. A good potting soil for the begonias is made of well- rotted fibrous sods, to which the same amount of a mix- ture of well-decomposed leaf mold, cow manure and sharp sand in equal parts is added. A little ground FIG. 37. DOUBl.fi TUBK1U)US HKGOXIA. bone will also be of value. As soon as the plants begin to crowd, they should be placed in pots, and should be repotted wdienever the pots are filled with roots. If desired, they may be grown in flats or in a cold frame TUBEROUS BEGONIAS. 107 during the summer. For the first few weeks, they should be kept in a narrow, low house, where thoy can be near the glass and with a temperature of sixty to sixty-five degrees. They should be shaded from tlie sun, and will be benefited by frequent applications of liquid manure. As the season for rest approaches, they should be gradually dried off, and stored where they will be dry, in a temperature of forty-five to fifty degrees. They can be kept in any frost-proof cellar. If the air is very dry, they should be jolaced in a box and covered with dry soil or sphagnum, to prevent shriveling. The tubers should be started into growth in March or April. They may be placed in small pots at once, or they may be started in shallow boxes filled with sphagnum. The first pots should be but little larger than the tubers, but the plants should be shifted as soon as the roots show the necessity. Good results can be obtained when the final shift is into seven-inch pots, but the best ])lants and largest blooms cannot be secured in less than ten- inch pots, and some go still larger. As a rule, it may be said that, for specimen plants (Figs. 36 and 37), the repotting should be kept up as often and as long as the roots fill the pots fairly wx*ll, and the larger the pots that can be filled with roots, the better the results. Throughout the season, frequent applications of liquid cow manure should be made, and if it is desired to grow them in small pots, they should be top-dressed with cow manure as soon as the roots fill the pot after the last shift. During the summer, when grown in a greenhouse, they require an abundance of light and air, but tlie best success cannot be obtained unless draughts of air and direct sunshine are avoided. The optimum temperature for growth is about sixty-five degrees, and during the summer the air should be cooled and kept moist, by frequently wetting down the walks. For out-of-door culture, the plants should be hard- lOS GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. ened in a cold fnniio, ;ind sliould Ix' ])la]iied out, eillier from flats or foiir-incli pots, as soon as djiiiger I'roni frost is over. They are particularly valuable for bed- ding, as they have no insect enemies, and are not injured by heavy rains. When they begin to ripen off, they should be taken np, dried so that the soil will shake off, and stored in a dry cellar. Of the named varieties, the following are recom- mended for growing in pots, by F. J. Meech & Sons, the well-known tnberous begonia specialists of Charle- voix, Mich. '^Double: Glow, bright scarlet; Incendie, flaming scarlet ; Triomphe de Nancy, creamy yellow ; Mrs. Windsor, shell pink; Marquis of Stafford, crim- son ; Mrs. Hall, white ; G. Bryceson, deep salmon ; Lafayette, cinnebar scarlet (the only one of its color) ; Mrs. Cornwallis AVest, very free, yellow ; A. F. Barron, deep pink ; Terre de Feu, deep rose, flowers very large and heavy ; Blanche Duval, creamy white, tipped blush." As the best single named sorts for bedding, Mr. Meech names: ^Trince of ^^ales, crimson scarlet; Norma, red- dish magenta ; Queen Victoria, rose ; and Mrs. F. A. Willard, cream center, blush outside." There are very few sorts that succeed better as bedders than selected seedlings of good strains. THE CANNA. Although most used for out-of-door bedding pur- poses, the canna is quite largely grown by florists in the greenhouse for purposes of propagation, and as a decora- tive plant. For the former, the plants may be started in midwinter, after they have had a short rest, first dividjng them so that there will be a strong bud u]ion each piece, by placing them in shallow beds of very rich, sandy compost, where they can be given sixty-five to seventy degrees with a good bottom heat. After the first THE GLOXINIA. 109 tliorongli watering, tliey will require liUle more until they have begun to grow, after whicli it^ should be applied liberally. As soon as the new shoots that form have developed roots, they should be carefully taken off, and either placed in other beds to still further multiply, or they may be potted off. The same thing may be done with growing plants at any time, but the most common method is to plant in the open ground in the spring, and continue to divide the plants, as above, until the last of August, when those desired for winter propagation are taken up and planted in the greenhouse beds. This method of i)ropagation is, of course, used only with new and high-priced kinds. Ordinarily the '^roots'' are stored on racks, or in trays, in some place where it is neither very moist nor so dry that they will shrivel, and where a moderate temperature can be maintained. If well dried when stored for the winter, a warm potting shed, warm and dry cellar, or the space under the benches of a warm greenhouse, if out of the drip, will answer for them. For flowering in the greenhouse, dormant plants, or those at almost any period of growth, provided they have not been long in flower, may be placed in pots, tubs, or beds, and after forming roots will soon develop a number of strong shoots and supply s,n abundance of bloom. Among the best varieties for this purpose are the >vell-knowi> Madame Crozy, Florence Vaughan, Ohas. Henderson, Explorateur Crampbel, Alphonse Bouvier, Egandale, and Queen Charlotte, as well as the newer Italia, Austria and Burbank. THE GLOXINIA. (Smningia s2Wciosa.) Gloxinias are in nearly all colors, from light rose to dark purple, and in the better strains many of them are beautifully shaded and striped. As a house ]ilant for sum- mer blooming (Fig. o'S), or for greenhouse decoration (Fig. 39), the gloxinias have few if any superiors. They require little care, except in watering, and during the 110 GREEN"HOrSE MANAGEMENT. winter tlioy are dried off and packed away. Tliey are readily grown from seed or by means of leaf cuttings, but when only a few plants are required, it will be as well, even for the florist, to buy one-year '^dried roots.'' These should be potted in February or March, in three- or four-inch pots, according to their size, the top of the bulb being just level with the surface, and placed near the glass in a tem- perature of sixty degrees, where tliey will have a little bottom heat. Until the leaves start, very little water will be required, but from that time it should be gradually increased, giving the plants all they can use, as, if at any time they are allowed to wilt, the flowers will be much in- jured. Gloxinias do well in a compost of two parts of rott .n pasture sod and one part of well-rotted cow manure, to which enough sand is added to open up the soil. Instead of the rotten sods, equal ])arts of garden loam and leaf mold may be used. Thorough drainage should be given by filling the pots two- thirds full of charcoal, or broken crocks, cov- ered with a layer of sphagnum. As soon as the leaves extend beyond the edges of the pots, the j)lants should be sliifted to the five- or six-inch size, in which they can be flowered, or sold as house plants. If designed for use as cut flowers, they can be planted out from the small pots, or the boxes, in which they may be started, either on benches in the greenhouse or in frames outside, where much less care will be required. When thus grown, they should be mulched with sphagnum. During the season of growth, every precaution should be taken that thev do not receive a check. FIG. (;l()Xixia. THE GLOXINIA. Ill \\ liiK' lln' ;it inosjilu'iT slioiild l>r kc\H inoisi 1>\ >_vi'iiimiiu" till' walks ;iiul hi'iirlii's, i)M>rlu'ai| uaUUMiii;' or .svriuoiuo- of the plants slioulil he avi>iileil, as. if drops of water remain on the leaves thev will be s[)i)tled. ami their beauty will bvMiiarred, if thev are not entirely ilestroveil. (hi warm, bright morniniis a liiu' spray upon the leaves will soon evapi)rate, ami, while being benetii'ial to the |>lants. will do no harm. They shouhl. ai all times, lie sliaiieil from the direel sunlight, ami during the hottest part of the summer, in addition to the wash u})ou the glass, a. hith sereen. ov ehuh shaih* will be desirable. NiMuilation should be given in good weather, but strong draughts of air sliould be avoided. When kept near the glass, ami with proper iitten- tion to watering and ventilating, the gloxinia has few insect enemies, but if neglee'ted, tlu^ thrip and spider will be troublesome. The use of tobaeeo stems about the plants, and freipuMit light fumigations, will destroy the thrips, while the s]Mders ean best be fought by reg- ulating the moisture o\' the air. If onlv a few plants are grown, tlu^ infested leaves can be sponged. Should ••rust" api^ear upon the leaves, the diseased portions must be eut otf and burneil. In ease it shows on the same plants u second year, it will be best to throw them away. Plants started in February should )>e in bloom from June or July until August and Se}>tember, and a siie- eession of plants will give tlowers until the chrysantlu- mums come in November. Aft^er the tlowers appear, tluMr season ean be prolonged if kept in a slightly lower tem}Hn*ature. As soon as the flowering })eriod is over, watering should be graduallv lessened until the leaves turn yelhnv, when it should be discontinued. Tin* loaves should then be eut otf, and the plants in the pots laid on their sides under the benches in a warm i\n)m, or they mav be shaken out and placed (dose FAXf'Y r'ALADTUMS. 11') to^vllicriii single layurs in boxes, <»r on .shelves, where they sliould be barely covered with sand, and kept in a cellar, or room, where the temperature will be about fifty-five or sixty degrees. In case anyone desires to raise the ^'bulbs" fnmi seed, the following brief directions may be of value : Sow the seeds in February in pans or in pots drained as above ; the soil should be the same as for the bulbs, except that no manure should be used ; cover lightly, and after syringing, shade and place in a room with a temperature of sixty-five or seventy degrees. The seeds will germinate in about two weeks, and the plants will then need careful attention to prevent damp- ing off. When large enough, they sliould be pricked out in flats, placed in a brisk bottom heat, and later on transferred to pots. Re-pot finally to the three-inch size, and give the same care as large plants ; by the end of July they should come into flower. When growth is over, they should be dried off and stored for winter. From a good strain of seed, one should be able to obtain a good collection of plants, but if it is desirable to propagate any particular variety, cuttings of the leaves should be taken soon after the plants finish flow- ering. If the petiole of a leaf, with the lower half of the blade attached, is set in the sand where it will have bottom heat, a bud will soon develop from wiiich a bulb will form. FANCY CALADIUMS. The so-called fancy caladiums (Fig. 40), occupy about the same place among the summer foliage plants as the gloxinias do among the flowering ones, and much the same reasons can be given for their popularity. Most of the varieties in cultivation are from (Jaladium Mrolor, a native of Brazil, and they naturally require a high tem- perature for their perfect development. They are readily propagated, by removing the 8 114 GEEENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. suckers that start out from the old tubers soon after they are brought into growtli, or by cutting the tubers into pieces, on each of wliich there is, at least, one bud. The cuttings can be left on until they have formed roots, but will start most readily if placed, with the cut- tings made from the old tubers, in sand in a propagat- FANCY CALADIUM. ing case, until roots have formed, when tliey can be potted off. AVhen the period of growth begins, which is about the first of March, the old bulbs can be potted off, using equal parts of rotten sods, leaf mold or j)eat, sand and cow manure. ^Fhere will be less risk, however, if, before they are potted, the bulbs are placed in sand, with bot- FANCY CALADIUMS. 115 torn heat, until tlie roots have started. After the bulbs are potted, they sliould be kept at a temperature of six- ty-five degrees, with a little bottom heat. At first, lit- tle more than frequent syringing will be necessary, but after the leaves start the amount of water required will rapidly increase. They need partial shade, but if it is too dense, the color of the foliage will not come out well. Throughout the entire period of growth, they should not be allowed to suffer for lack of water, and the air should be kept moist by syringing. If given a mild bottom heat, growth will be hastened, and they will soon be ready for a shift. As a rule, a five- or six-inch pot will carry them through the season of growth, if free use is made of liquid manure, but some of the stronger bulbs may be grown to large specimens by potting them up to six- or seven-inch pots. If an early effect is desired, five or six of the bulbs may be placed in one large pot. Caladiums need ventilation and plenty of room. If properly hardened, they can be used in the conservatory or the sitting room, but they will not thrive with the temperature below fifty-five degrees. As the tempera- ture drops and autumn comes on, and the leaves begin to droop and die, the water should be gradually les- sened, until they are ready to be packed away for winter. This should be in some place where the temperature will not fall below fifty-five degrees. Even during the win- ter the water should not be entirely withheld, as, if kept too dry, rot at the center may ensue. Among the twelve best varieties are, Candidum, Chantinii, Clio, Leplay, Mad. A. Bleu, Mad. Marjolin Scheffer, Meyer- beer, Mons. A. Hardy, Princess of Teck, Reine Marie de Portugal, Reine Victoria and Triomphe de V Exposition. Owing to the fact that new forms are being constantly brought from Brazil and others obtained by crossing, any list is, at best, a temporary one. CHArrER VTT. OKLlllD CULTURE. As the requiromoiit:^ for the snecessfnl o-rowing- of orchids become better understood, tlie extent to which tliev are grown will rapidly increase; even now, they form a part of all large collections, and have quite an extensive sale as cut liowers. The orchids may be divided into two classes, the terrestrial and the epiphytal. To the first section belong such species as live upon, and draw llieir nour- ishment from, tlie ground. Others grow upon the trunks and branches of trees, or upon rocks. They thrive under varied conditions, some being on the branches of trees overhanging streams or pools of \vater, where the atuu)si>here is (piite damp, while others cling to rocks on the mountain side. Many kinds are found only in the toi)s of lofty trees, and some are generally on the trunks near the ground. Orchids have also been found at altitudes as high as 14,000 feet, but the jungle seems preferred by them, although many forms grow at an altitude of ".^OOO to 8000 feet. They are widely dis- tributed thrt)ugh the tropics, being found in great quan- tities upon both hemispheres, and man}^ handsome forms are found in the tomi)erate zones. The tropical orchids abound in Venezuela, New Grenada, Peru, Central America and as far north as Mexico. In the Eastern Ilemisjdiere, they are found in the East Indies, Australia, Ceylon ami Tiulia, and they are grouped according lo habitat into East Indian forms, which ilonrisli in a night temperature .of seventy 116 ORCHID CULTURE 117 to seven iy-fivi3 degrees in siuumer, and sixty iu sixty-five degrees Jn winter, with about ten degrees liigher dui'ing the day; Brazilian a?id Mexican forms, with a night temperature of sixty-five to seventy degrees in summer, and sixty in winter, and the Peruvian orcliids, tluit do not need over fifty-five to sixty degrees at night in sum- mer, and forty-five to fifty degrees in Avinter; in eaeli case they may be ten degrees warmer during sunny days. In our treatment of orchids, we should endeavor to provide them with surroundings similar to those that they are aceustomed to, in a wild state. Many of the East Indian orchids are supplied with an abundance of moisture for a part of the year, during which they make their gi-owth, and rest during the dry season. As they grow upon tree tops and on the sides of mountains, they are fully exposed to all movements of the air, and from tliis their need of an abundance of fresh air can be readily seen. The Peruvian orchids, on the other hand, are found at high altitudes, where the climate is cool and moist, and the supply of water throughout the year is abundant. For such species, it will be seen, it would be im- proper to provide any extended period of drouth. While some of these plants grow in the full sunlight, others are found in the dense jungles, and will not stand the full sunshine, even of ourclinuite. ^I'he conditions under glass are, moreover, quite different from those in the open air just al)ove, and for most jdants, it is desirable to pro- vide some way of shading them, during the summer months. For this purpose, permanent shading, using some wash for the glass, rolling blinds, canvas or net- ting, may be used. Orchids are collected and sliip[)0(l to this country and Europe in large quantities, and can be purchased, while yet dormant, at comparatively low ])rices. Most of the im[)oi'ters are large growers of orchids, and, if desired, can furnish established plants, at prices rang- 118 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMEKT, OKCHID CULTURE. 119 ing from less than one dollar for small plants .of com- mon varieties, to hundreds of dollars for rare ones. If dormant phmts are obtained, the dead and decay- ing portions should be cut off, and the healthy growths si)onged with some insecticidal solution, to destroy the scale and other insects that may be upon them. They may then either be placed npon sphagnum in a shaded portion of the house, where they should be kejit com- paratively dry until signs of growth appear, or in pots or baskets nearly filled with broken crocks, charcoal and other drainage. By the latter method, they can be watered more freely, and stronger growths can be ob- tained. As soon as the roots appear, the drainage should be covered with a mixture of fibrous peat, sphag- num, and finely broken crocks and charcoal. With many orchids, the plan of hanging them in the house with the roots up, for two or three weeks, is an excellent one, particularly with Phalaenopsis, Vanda, Aerides and similar genera, as it lessens the chance from decay, on account of water collecting between the leaves. Nearly all orchids should be kept in the shade until they have become established. ORCHIDS FOR BEGINNERS. In making a selection of orchids, Chve should be taken to choose species that are easy of culture, that are quite sure to flower, and that are ornamental. If kinds can be selected that are low priced, all the better. The appended list contains sorts that fulfill these require- ments. STOVE ORCHIDS Night, summer 75°, winter 65°. Day, summer 85°,winter 75°, Calanthe Veitchii. Cypripedium villosum. Cypripedium Boxallii. Dendrobium nobile. " caudatiim. " Wardianum. " Harrisianum. Oncidium papiHo. *' Lawrencianuni. Plialaenopsis ainabilis. ** Spicerianum. (Fig. 42.) Stanhopea iusignis, 120 GREEKS HOUSE MA^^\GEMEKT. ¥lO. 4J. CVPKlFKnUM Sl'U'KKI AM j>l. (Grown by ritoher & Mamlu, Short Hills, N. J.) ORCHID CULTURE. 121 INTERMEDIATE ORCHIDS. Night, summer 65° to 70°, winter 55° to 60°. Day, summer 75° to 80°, winter 65° to 70°. Aerides odoratum. Laelia anceps. Cattleya Gaskelliana. " purpurata. " Mossise. Lycaste Skinneri. " Percivaliana. Phaius grandifolius. " Trianse. (Fig. 43.) Trichoi^ilia sua vis. Ccjelogyne ocellata. COOL HOUSE ORCHIDS. Night, summer 55° to 60°, winter 50°. Day, summer 65° to 70°, winter 55° to 60°. Cypripedium insigne. Odontoglossum Rossii majus. Epidendrum vitellinum majus. Oncidium tigrinum. MasdevalliaLindeni(Harryana). " unguiculatum. Odontoglossum grande. Zygopetalum Mackayi. " Pescatorei. "While a room is desirable for each group of orchids, it is not necessary, and good results can be obtained with all in one room, if the East Indian and other stove forms are placed at one end, which is kept quite warm, while the Mexican and Peruvian forms are grown at the other. Moreover, the classification is at best a provi- sional one, as some of the stove plants would thrive in an intermediate house, as would several of the cool house orchids. THE POTTIXG OF ORCHIDS. Orchids may be grown, according to their nature, upon pieces of bark or cork, or in baskets, pans or pots. The baskets are generally made of cypress or cherry, in a square or octagonal form, or as cylinders, boats, or rafts, as shown in Fig. 44. The mateiial is cut into strips about three-(|narters of an inch square and from four inches to a foot or more in length, according to the size of (lie plants. Holes are bored about half an inch from the end of each stick, and galvanized or copper No. 18 1;>2 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. wire is run through them, binding them firmly together. Loops are made at the upper end of these wires, to Avhich the handles are fastened. For growing in pots, Cypripediums (Fig. 4:2), Cat- FIG. -13. CATTLEYA TKIAN/K. tleyas (Fig. 41), Aerides (Fig. 45), Lycaste, Oncidinms, Masdevallias, Epidendrums. La^lias, Pliala^nopsis, Van- das, Calantlies, Detidrohinms (Fig. 41), Tri- chopilias, Odontoglossums, Pliaius, Coelogynes and ORCHID CULTURE. 123 Zygopetalnms, may be selected. Many of them do fully as well, however, in orchid })ans, and, with the exception of Cypripediuni.s, Phaius, Lycaste, Coelogynes, Calan- thes, Masdevallias and Zygopetalnms, which are terres- trial orchids, baskets will' generally be fonnd better for them. Stanhopeas need an open pan or basket, while Cattleyas, Lselias, Phalaenopsis (Fig. 46), Vandas, Den- no. 44. ORCHID BASKETS. drobiums, Odontoglossoms, Epidendrums, and a few others may be grown in sphagnum, on rafts, or upon blocks of wood or cork, but they will require more atten- tion than if grown in baskets. The terrestrial forms, as enumerated above, should be grown in pots about one- third filled with broken crocks, over which a layer of sphagnum is spread; upon this the plants are placed in 124 GREE^N^HOITSE MANAGEMENT. a mixture of equal parts of good loam, ni)roiis peat, chopped s])liagnum, broken crocks and charcoal. Lycaste and Coelooyne are benefited by an admixture of sand, and Calantlie by chopped, sandy loam sods, while a lit- tle decomposed manure will be desirable for the others. FIG. 45. AERIDES SAVAOEANUM. The top of the soil should be a little helow the edge of the pot to aid in watering (Fig. 47, E). When epiphytal orchids, such as Ljfilias, Cattleyas, Phalsenopsis, Vandas, Dendrobiums, Odontoglossums and Aerides, are grown in pots, they should be nearly tilled with potsherds and covered with a layer of peat and sphagnum ; the plants placed upon this, with their roots covered with coarse peat and chopped spliagnum, should be held in place by pegs and stakes. If a small ORrHTD CULTURE. 125 pot is inverted in tlie bottom of tlie large one, before the potslierds are put in, the drainage will be imi)roved and will be less likely to become sonr. For Vandas, Phalaenopsis and other true epiphytes, peat is not necessary. It wdl generally be advisable to raise the plant two or three inches above the top of the pot (Fig. 47, A, B and D), but in covering the roots, care should be taken not to raise the sphagnum much above i:he base of the pseudo-bulbs, as it might both cause decay and prevent development of the flower scapes. AViien orchids have been freshly potted, great care is necessary in watering until roots have been devel- oped. When orchids need repotting, as much of the old material as possible should be shaken off, without breaking the roots, and the plants then placed in pots as before. If plants are to be grown in baskets, the size selected should be as small as can well be used, and the basket- ing should be done in the same way as the potting, using coarse potsherds and sphagnum at the bottom, and filling up with fine potsherds and chopped sphagnum. The plants should be placed upon tiiis and the roots covered with sphagnum. For Cattleyas, Laelias, Den- drobiums and Odontoglossums, coarse chopped peat should be added to the compost, while for Aerides, Phalaenopsis and Vandas it is not used. Many of the true epiphytal orchids, such as Vandas, Aerides and Phalaenopsis, as well as Cattleyas, Laelias, Dendrobiums, Odontoglossums and Epidendrums, may [dso be grown u])on blocks of wood, rafts, cylinders and pieces of cork and bark, upon which they are bound with copper wire, the roots being covered with sphag- num, with which peat is mixed for the last five named. While there is much less danger from over-water- ing when these plants are upon blocks than when in baskets, it is also true that watering becomes necessary 126 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. much more frequently, in order to prevent their drying out. For this reason, unless careful oversiglit is given the plants, the basket will be better tlian blocks and rafts, except, perhaps, for certain species of Epiden- Irum, Odontoglossum and Dendrobium. FIG. 46, PHAIi^NOPSIS GRANDIFLORA. The repotting of orchids is generally done just before growth commences. It should be performed annually in the case of Calanthe and Phaius, but a top- dressing will be all that most species require, until they outgrow their basket or pot. ORCHID CULTURE. 127 WATERINTt 0R(THIT)S. When the plants are starting- into growth, if the moss is kept saturated with frequent waterings, the new growths are liable to rot off, hence the moss should be FIO. 47. POTTIXG AND CRIBBING ORCHIDS (After R. M. (rrey) The dotted line upon the pots shows the amount of drainage used ni each case. kept only barely moist. As the growths develop, more water can be given, and towards the last of the season there need be no limit, provided the pots and baskets are I'i^ OREENTIOUSE MANAGEMENT. ])roperly drjiiiu'd. If tlio plains nro ii]h)ii rafts (tr hlocki-?, they should \k' syriiii;x'd (wo or three times ii (hiy during the summer, and should be occasionally soaked by being dipped in water. Plants in baskets should receive sim- ilar treatment, and whenever they are dry in the morn- ing they should be dipped. It is an excellent plan, during the bright days of summer, to close the liouse by the middle of the afternoon and syringe the i)lants with a fine rose. By wetting down the walks once or twice a day, in hot weather, a moist atmosphere can be obtained, which will be favorable to the growth of the 1)1 ants. Hai'd Avater should hot be used for orchids, and a cistern in which rain water can be caught is quite desirable. For use in winter, it is well to have a tank inside the house, so that the water will be of the same temperature as the plants. CARE DURING GROWTH. As a rule, orchids make their growth during the summer, and rest during the winter. When the season for growth approaches, the temperature should be raised ten degrees, and the air kept moist. Since the epiphy- tal orchids obtain most of their food from the air, tlinmgh their roots, an abundant supply of moisture should be maintained in the air so hmo- as o^rowth is made. During the middle of the day, it is well to dry out the atmosphere and admit fresh air by ventilation, when it can be done without unduly lowering the tem- perature. TREATMENT DURING RESTING STAGE. As winter approaches, the growths will harden, and the plants enter on tlieir period of rest, during which time the temperature should be lowered about ten de- grees, and maintained at the following temperature for winter: Stove orchids, night, G5°; dav, 75° to 80°. In- OROHTD (TLTURE. 1:^0 termcdiate liouse orclii(l>>^, mj^li^? ''>5° (o (K)'^; diiy, 05'' to 70 '. C'oo] liousc oreliids ten degrees lowei". During the resting stage, the Cattleyas, Laelias, Dendrobinnis and similar forms, should be kept as dry as possible and not shrivel. On the other hand, several genera, such as Aerides, Vanda, Phalaenopsis and Zygo- petalum, keep up more or less growth during the winter, and should be given more water than the others and never allowed to become dry at the roots. The Dendrobinms and Calanthes of some species drop their leaves as soon as growth is over, and, in order to ri])en the growth, should be placed near the glass, and kept quite dry. Although the moisture should be withheld, during the winter, the atmosphere should not be allowed to become hot and dry, and on bright days the walks and tables should be wet (h)wn. MANAGEMENT DUKIKG BLOOM. There is quite a variety in the habit of bloom in orchids, as some forms like Lcelia anceps, Cattleya Tri- ancB, Calantlie, Ccelogxjne, Phaius and Cy2)ripedium i7isign€ bloom in December, during the resting period, while many bloom during the summer. When the blos- soms open, it is a good plan to remove the plants to a cooler house, as, in an atmosphere that is cool and dry, they will last much longer than in one that is hot and moist. If the droji is not more than ten degrees, no harm will be done to the plants, especially if the change is made gradually. If the blossoms are wet, in syring- ing, they soon become spotted and fade, hence no water should be allowed to fall on the flowers. From the fact that most orchids can be grown in baskets, and hang from the sash bars, where they take but little room, many florists are taking up orchid grow- ing for the sale of cut flowers, and find it very remuner- ative. 9 180 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. DISEASES, INSECTS AND OTHER ENEMIES. The '^rot" and "spot" are among the worst diseases of the orchid. The former is caused by a superabundance of water at the roots, and the method of prevention is plain. If rot appears, the diseased portion should be cut away. Spot is most troublesome when rotting ma- nure, or similar material, is placed at the roots, although a sour compost, or overwatering, brings it on, especially if the house is kept closed. Slugs are among the worst enemies that the orchid grower has to contend with, as they sometimes eat off the soft flower stalks, and destroy the points of the new roots. They can be trapped by placing sliced potatoes on the benches, and the same thing will attract snails, wood lice, and roaches, although molasses and some form of poison is used for the last tw^o. It is always safe to place a little cotton batting around the base of the flower stalk, to protect it from its enemies. Various scale insects are also frequently trouble- some, and for these, as well as for mealy bugs, thrips, red spiders and similar insects, some insecticidal wash, as whale-oil soap, should be used. Strong tobacco water will also be quite effectual, as will fir tree oil. Kero- sene emulsion will also destroy the insects, and, if prop- erly prepared, will not injure the plants, although after a few hours it is well to wash it off. The other insects that attack orchids are the same as are troublesome to a great variety of plants, and similar remedies should be used. CHAPTER VIII. AZALEAS. {Azalea Indica.) As a rule, the azaleas used by the florist are im- ported from Europe. They are obtained in the fall, and should be potted at once and placed in a cool room, where they can be shaded for the first few days. While they should be watered sparingly at first, the frequent syringi)ig of the plants should not be neglected. Dur- ing the winter the plants should be kept in a cool house, and will need careful attention in watering, ventilating and fumigating. The amount of heat they will require will depend upon their condition, and the time the flowers are needed ; as a rule, 40 to 45 degrees at night, and ten degrees higher during the day, will be satisfac- tory. As the principal call for these plants is at Easter, most of them should be brought into flower at that time, but by taking a little pains to accelerate some plants and retard others, their development will be so distributed that they can be had in bloom for several months. While in flower, if in a cool house they will last longer. After flowering, they should not be neglected, as, if they are not given proper attention at this time, they will not make a satisfactory growth, and flower buds will not be formed. They should be ke})t in a partially shaded house until the middle or last of May, when, if settled weather has come, they should be plunged in some par- tially protected, but unshaded, place in light, well- drained soil. Marsh hay, or some similar material, will be desirable as a mulch to keep the roots cool and, unless they have been repotted, a thin covering of rotted LSI 1 oo GREENHOUSE MAXAGEMEXT. manure will be of advantage. Frequent watering and syringing will be necessary, but while they should not be allowed to get dry at the roots; care should be taken not to give them an excess of water, since, plunged as they are, it might be fatal to them. Good results can also be obtained in a well-ventilated and partially shaded greenhouse. For the use of the florist, at least one-half of the plants should be white and the others mostly pink or FIG. 48. AZALKA IN COMPACT FORM. salmon, although a few scarlet and variegated ones will be valuable in the collection. Deutsche Perle is one of the best early whites, and Bernhard Andrea alba will mIso be satisfactory. Vervasneana. Tmperatrice des Indes and Simon Mardner are among the best ])i)ik and rose sorts, while Cocarde Orange, scarlet, and IMme. C^amille Van [janghenhove, variegated, have shown up well. Aza- HYDRAN^GEAS. loo leas succeed well in a soil comi)osed of one part each of fibrous peat, rotten peat and garden loam, with the addi- tion of sand in proportion to the character of the soil. In Fig. 48 is shown a well-grown azalea, with a com])act head, while Fig. 49 shows a more open form, wliicli would be preferred by many. The principal enemies of the azalea are the red spider and thrip, for which reme- dies are given elsewhere, together with descriptions of the insects themselves. HYDRANGEAS. As a house plant, or for the florist, to be used for jiurposes of decoration, the hydrangea is always desir- able. Coming as it does at Easter, it can be used to good advantage for decoration, or in baskets or designs of cut flowers, and the sale of plants in five-, six-, or seven-inch pots is generally large, and at remunerative prices. As a rule, there will be a demand for the plants as late as May or June, which will enable the florist to clean out the plants that were late in coming into bloom. It is well to have the i)lantv^ out of the way as early as possible, in order to make room for other plants. Hydrangeas are readily propagated from half -hard cuttings, struck at any lime from Febi'uary to June ; for Easter sales they should be in the cutting bed as early as March. After being ])otted off they can be handled in various ways, that requiring least care being to plant them out as soon ;is the weather permits, in the open ground, where they should be mulched and watered if the season is dry. To secure hushy plants, they should be headed l)ack, and the branches pinched once ; late pinching will destroy the flower buds which should form the first season. As autumn approaches, they should be taken U]) and potted, using jiots of generous size. To ripen the wood, they should b(^ placed in cold frames, wheie they should have abundant ventilation, i:U GREENHOUSE MAN"AGEMENT. llic glass noino- roinovod on briglii (1;,ys. Thoroiioh ril>oiiino- is nooossiiry, if tlie best results aio desired. AVhoii iJK' weather gets cold, thev should be placed in a cool given house, or shouhl be i)acked away in a cool ]>it, where they should be kept iu a dormant condition until January. About twelve weeks will be required to bring them into tlower, ami the time of starting them will depend upon the date at which Easter, or any other i « PH^ ^^^^^^isF^vmi H^^^B^^^^Hk^Jfl p^^r F ■ i J ..M FU;. 4!). AZAl.KA WITH AN OPEN UKAD. occasion for which they are desired, comes. At first, they slumld be given 50 to 55 degrees at night : this may soon be laised to GO or 65 degrees, and even 70 degrees may be given, if necessary in order to brins: them into bloom in tinu\ After they are thoroughly started, the plants Avill use a large anumnt of water ami should not be stinted. When they hnve filled the jiots with roots, they should receive liijuid manure two or three times a week and a top-dressing of half an inch of well-rotted HYDKANGEAS. 135 manure will be of advantage to the plants. At no time during their growth should they be crowded as, for the best development, they need an abundance of room. In order to form a symmetrical ])lant, the branches sh(juld be staked, and if tlie shoots are too thick the weaker ones should be removed. In order to harden the plants, as soon as the flowers have expanded, they FIG. 50. HYDRANGEA OTAKSA. should be given a lower temperature and an abundance of air. Another method is to grow the plants in pots, plunged in the ground out of doors. Here they will require the same care as when planted in tlie ground, except that more attention to watering tliem should be given. By July they should be large enough to be shifted 130 GREENHOUSE MAN^AGEMENT. to six-inch pots, and should then be headed ])ack, their final pinching being given in August. The cuttings made as late as June are best growu in a cool house, during the summer, either in pots or planted in the beds. If large specimeu plants are desired, they can be obtained by cutting back the old plants after flowering, and growing them another year. The best varieties are Hydrangea rosea, Otaksa (Fig. 50), and Thos. Hogg. A red-branched variety is also quite ])opular as a house plant, but it does not force as well as the others. The Kosea is the earliest to flower, and is generally of a clear pink, although, like all of the others, its color is variable. Otaksa, with flesh colored flowers, is, perhaps, most grown by florists, as it is most in demand as a house plant. The Thos. Hogg is a white variety, and is especially desirable for Easter decora- tions. By the use of iron filings in the soil, or by apply- ing alum water, the flowers of this variety, and of Otaksa, take on a light blue color. Peat or soil con- taining iron, will have the same effect. If hydrangeas are kept dormant until March or April, they will come into flower in May or June, and Avill make excellent plants for the porch or veranda, and in tubs or vases can be used with good effect upon the lawn. CYTisus {Genista). Although this may be classed among the old-fashioned flowers, it is one of the most useful to the florist and is one of the best spring-blooming house plants. Cytisus (Genista) Oanariensis has, in the past, been most commonly grown by florists, but 0. racemosus is now taking its place; by some it is regarded as a distinct species, but it is quite likely only a garden variety. It differs from C. Canariensis in having longer and pointed leaflets and a longer i-aceme of larger flowers. Either form is readily propagated from cuttings CTTISUS. 137 taken off in February or March. They need only ordi- nary care, but should be kept in growth during the sum- mer. They may be planted in the open ground in May and left there until September, when they should be taken up and potted, or they may be placed in four-inch ^ "s^ ; » * ji^ *--^» I . W^iMi igmgi '-■^^K 1^^^ ^■h w^^ V *" ^^^^^,^ - : ^^^^^^^H H ■ S^E'^ ■•^^HHjl ^^^B| /^jag \ ;^^H^^''^' IhH HI HH^^H|^^'.hf^^ -t' "^^^w^K^Bi s^^kySpHR s^^^ IBp H^K , ■>^/ "^ Sppj mSM ^E^ H^^l Hb^P^ 'H "s .'>• jfc^ , ^ r H : ^J : ^^^hBH , jg||[| ^ FIG. 51. CYTISUS. pots and plunged. Tliey may also l)e grown in a cool, well-ventilated gi-eenhouse and sliould in any case be large enough to go into five- or six-inch pots by Septem- l)or. They naturally branch, but tliey can bo thickened up by pinching tliem in once or twn'ce. Some florists 138 GREENHOUSE MA.NAGEMENT. even use sheep shears in cutting them back and thus pro- duce a dense head. If desired in a standard form, they can be so grown by selecting a strong plant, and train- ing it to a single stem to the hight desired and rubbing off all side shoots. It is then topped and a head formed. During the winter the plants are allowed to rest at a temperature of 45 or 50 degrees, until within seven or eight weeks of the time the flowers are desired, after which they will need 60 or 65 degrees. With proper handling, a plant can be kept in flower for two to four weeks, and a succession of bloom can be secured for six weeks or two months. After flowering, they should be given a partial rest for two or three months, when they should be repotted, and plunged out of doors. The after-treatment is the same as for small plants. An average sized potted plant is shown in Fig. 51. ARDisiA {Ardisia crenulata). This plant adds to an attractiveness in leaf and flower, that of showy red berries, which often hang on for a twelve-month. While it can be grown from half- hard cuttings during the summer, the use of seed is more simple and gives better plants. These should be sown in an open, sandy soil, and if placed in a stove temperature with a strong bottom heat, should germi- nate in two weeks. Although the seeds germinate thus readily, the seedlings are somewhat difficult to start into growth. The stronger ones should be potted off and kept rather close until they have become established. They should be kept growing until in four- or five-inch pots, and, as soon as these are filled, liquid manure should be given until the blossoms form. To aid them in set- ting their fruit, they should be kejit in a rather dry atmosphere and near the glass. If, after the fruits have set, they are kept at 45 or 50 degrees, they will last much longer. During their growth, they do best if kept GARDENIA. 139 at a stove temperature during the summer, after which they will be best at 50 to 55 degrees until the period of growth begins in February, when the temperature should be raised. When the plants lose their lower leaves, if rested and then cut back and repotted, a new head can be formed. Young plants are, however, most satisfactory. The thick, waxy leaves of the Ardisia render it little subject to insect attacks, although the scale and mealy bug are sometimes troublesome ; they readily yield, how- ever, to the usual remedies. THE GARDENIA ( Gardenia florida). When grown in a warm, moist atmosphere, and kept free from scale, mealy bugs and other insects, this plant, with its profusion of white, waxy flowers, with their unequalled fragrance, and shining, gi-een leaves, is certainly worthy of admiration. It is readily propagated from half-hard cuttings under a handglass, or in a propa- gating case, with strong bottom heat. The rooted cut- tings should be potted in fibrous, sandy soil, and should be gradually hardened, but to avoid a check they should be kept at a stove temperature with bottom heat. They like a peaty, fibrous soil with an admixture of sand, and, with proper attention in the way of watering and repot- ting, cuttings struck in the early winter will make strong plants in one season. During their growth, the water supply should not be stinted, and frequent spray- ings should be given. When the growth is completed, they should be allowed to ripen their wood, and then receive a partial rest by restricting their heat and mois- ture. Young plants, at most two years old, should be used, and it will not pay to attempt to recuperate a stunted plant. Gardenias are quite subject to the attack of some of the more common greenhouse insects, such as the red spider and scale, but with proper care they will 14(1 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. not be troublesome. If tliey make tlioir aj)pearance the ordinary remedies eaii be useil. THE FORCING OF HARDY PLANTS. Although this is a comparatiyely new industry, it is worthy the attention of every retail florist, as the flowers from many of the hardy plants have much merit for cutting, in themselves, and, what is of fully as mucli importance, they are a new thing and out of season, and FORCINT, OF HARDY ]>LANTS. 141 are likely to be mneh soiig'lit after, if properly brought to the attention of the pal)lie. A considerable immber of the hardy shrubs are well adapted for forcing, but the best results will be obtained from those that naturally flower outside previous to the first of June. We should also select well-grown plants, that have been prepared for the purpose, and be sure that they have a resting period of at least two or three months, before they are brought into heat. Deutzia gracilis and D. scabra were among the first to be forced, and are well adapted for it. The various kinds of lilac, {Syringa tmlgaris and its varieties, also S. Persica) Fig. 52, force readily. The many varieties of mock orange [PMladelphns coronarius) are also easily forced, as are the snowball ( Viburtmm Opnlus sterilis) and V. plica- ium. SpircBa Van Houttii and Exochorda grandijiora give good results, but they should be kept cool and forced slowly. Among the other plants adapted for forcing are Azalea mollis, Kahnia glauca and K. latifolia (Fig. 53), Daphne Gneorum and Andromeda speciosa and A. floribunda. The plants may be cheaply imported from Europe, all prepared for forcing, or they may be grown by the florists. Whether the small plants are propagated, or purchased from some nurseryman, they should be planted out in nursery rows and grown for two or three years. In order to secure a mass of fibi-ous roots that will favor their growth in pots, they should be trans- planted each year. When strong enough for forcing, they should be dug as soon as the leaves drop in the fall, and potted off, using a light, but rich compost. Wet down thoroughly and set in some sheltered place until there is danger of the cracking of the pots by frost, when they should be removed to a deep, cold pit. Here they will require no care, except an occasional watering if they become dry, and airing on warm, or bright, days. 142 GREEN^HOUSE MANAGEMENT. About Christmas, the first batch can be started, and others may follow at intervals. Place at first in a cool greenhouse and gradually increase the temperature until it is 60 degrees, at which time the growth should be started. The development of the buds can be aided if FIG. 53. KALMIA LATIFoLIA. the shrubs are frequently sprinkled. The care needed by these plants is about the same as that required for other plants under similar conditions. AYhile most of the herbaceous plants will have little value for forcing after the first season, many of the CALCEOLARIAS. 143 deciduous slinil^s can be used more than once. After flowering, they should be removed to a cool room and from there to a cold pit, from which they should be planted again in nursery rows, and in two years can again be used for forcing. CHAPTER IX. CALCEOLARIAS. The public is beginning to appreciate the value of calceolarias as spring-blooming pot plants. They are very interesting in their structure and striking in their general appearance (Fig. 54). For early planting, the seeds, which should be of some choice strain, are sown as early as the middle of June, but for April flowering, during which month they should be in their prime, reliance should be had on July-sown seed, while to secure a later succession another batch should be put in some time in August. The seed should be sown in shallow pans upon a light compost, with a slight covering of sifted soil, and placed in a cool house, or, better, a frame, which should be well ventilated and shaded. If the frame is in a sheltered spot, faced to the North, and a lath screen is used in addition to a shaded sash, which is raised a few inches above the frame, we have given the seeds and future plants as nearly perfect surroundings, during a hot, dry summer, as can be secured. As soon as large enough, the seedlings should be pricked out into flats, and later into two- and three-inch pots, using a rich, fibrous compost composed of equal parts of rotted sods, loam, decayed manure and sand. Leaf mold can be added to advantage for the small plants. The plants should be 144 gree:n"hol'SE management. returned to the fniiiie and kei)t tliei'e until November ; they will need copious watering, on which account per- fect drainage is necessary. The leaves shonld be kept as FIG. 54. .SPECIMEN CALCEOLARIA. dry as possible, except that they should have a gentle syringing on warm, sunny mornings. The green fly must be kept down at all hazards, as, if it gets the start, it will be hard to control ; to aid in this, chopped tobacco stems may be scattered between CALCEOLAKTAS. 14; the pots, both in the frame and in ilw house. As soon as the })hiiits begin to l)e i)()t-l)oun(l, shift into four-ineh pots and later into five- and six-incli. They should be removed into a cool greenhouse, where they can be kept at about 40 degrees, as soon as there is danger of frost working into the frame, which should be coyered upon cold nights with mats, during the last month. Keep the FK;. 55. (CINERARIA HYBRIDA. plants near the glass, but shade from the direct sun- light. The early started plants should be established in their flowering pots by the first of December, and should be in flower soon after New Yeai-'s. During the winter, give ventilation even on cold days, and give attention to the watering, so that the plants can bv no chance 10 14() GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. become dry. Keo]) ilio moisture olT the leaves us much as possible. As soon ;is tlic roots fill t he jwts after the final shift, supply manure water liberally, but discon- tinue its use when the flowers begin to open. In addition to the plentiful use of tobacco stems upon the greenhouse benches, to keep the aphis in check, frequent light fumigations should be given. To avoid disease, keep the leaves dry, and at once remove and destroy all diseased and decaying leaves. With careful management, the greenhouse can be kept in a blaze of color from January until the middle of May, and florists will find a growing demand for cal- ceolarias as house plants. CINERARIAS. The greenhouse cineraria occupies about the same place, both in the conservatory and the house, as the calceolaria, and it flowers at about the same time. The single forms are of little value for cut flowers, but some of the double kinds may become useful. The cineraria is even more injured than the calceolaria by a hot, dry air, and a slight frost that might not affect the calceo- laria would prove very injurious, if not fatal, to it. Like that plant, its greatest enemy is the green fly, but the principal reliance must be i)laced on the chopped tobacco stems, or the vapor from tobacco tea, or extract, as tobacco smoke, unless in a mild form, affects the foliage. Unlike the calceolaria, the cineraria delights in vrater upon its leaves and on every bright morning, even in winter, the plants should be syringed. In a general way, its care is the same as given for the calceolaria, and may be briefly stated as follows : Sow the seeds in shallow pans, from June to August ; prick out the young plants in flats or pots, and later transfer to three-inch pots, repotting, before growth is checked, into five- or six-inch pots. Sometimes they can CINERARIAS. 147 be made to fill even larger sizes. The soil should be of a ricli, light compost, with an increased amount of manure for the older plants. Cinerarias should be kept in a well-shaded frame or cool house from the time the seed is sown until October, when they should be placed where they can be kept at 45 degrees at night. The plants, when in large pots, should have liquid manure FIG. 5G. SINCJLE CHINESE PRIMROSE. once or twice a week. By careful attention to the time of sowing the seed and to the forwarding of the plants, constant bloom can be secured through the winter and. spring. While the method will not be much used in practice, a promising ])lant can be perpetuated by taking off and rooting the suckers that form after the flowers fade. A well-grown sjiecimen plant is seen in Fig. 55. l-iS GKEEi^"HOUSE MA:N^AGEMEiCT. PRIMULAS. Although more modest in their appearance than the showy calceohiria and cineraria, the primula (Fig. 50) has been and still is a more general favorite. The sorts that are most commonly grown are the single and double forms of the Chinese primrose {Primula Sinensis). The sin- gle primulas may be divided into two classes, the fimbri- ated and the fern-leaved, each of which has flowers in two colors, white and rose. They are grown from seed from May to July, in well-drained seed pans. The soil should be light and fibrous, and the covering should be light and evenly distributed. If the soil is well mois- tened before the seeds are sown, a glass laid over the pans will hold the moisture so that but little more need be applied, if they are placed in a cool, shaded frame. The seedlings should be pricked out into pjins or flats, which should be well drained, and the transfer to pots and the repotting should be the same as for cinerarias ; as a rule, however, the plants can flower in five-inch pots. After they get to growing, they should be Avell watered and tlie foliage should be wet down occasionally on bright mornings during the summer; after winter comes on, the leaves should be kept rather dry. After the middle of September, the plants should be grown in the house at an average temperature at night of 50 degrees. As with the other plants of this kind, liquid manure should be applied as soon as they have filled the pots, after the last shift. Primulas should be kept near the glass, and, although they like a certain amount of sunlight, they require partial shade, during the heat of the day in sum- mer, from its full intensity. It is well to pinch the flower buds from young plants, as it checks the growth of the ])lants if they are allowed to develop. In ])otting the primulas, care should be taken not (o i)ress the soil too tirmly, as it would obstruct the free i)assage of the MIGKONETTE. 149 water. In repotting, while it is advisable to keep the lower leaves well down upon the soil, the crown should not be covered. The double primulas are increased by division. After flowering, the leaves are removed from the lower portiou of the stems and moist sphagnum is packed around them. If placed in a frame, and kept rather cool and moist for a couple of weeks, roots will form and the branches can be taken off and repotted. For a few days, until they become established, they should be kept rather close, after which they should be gradually hardened. The plants require about the same care as the single sorts, except that as they are forced for their flowers, a somewhat higher temperature should be given them. Another species of primula, P. ohconica, has for several years been considerably grown, but has now nearly gone out of use, from the fact that it is poisonous to many persons ; but for this, it is a desirable plant, as it is multiplied readily, either by division, or seeds, and furnishes its delicate pinkish-white flowers in profusion. Although it is easier to keep the aphis in check upon primulas than on either cinerarias or calceolarias, as they admit of fumigation, it is always well to keep the benches strewn with tobacco stems as a precaution. MIGNONETTE. Few plants can l)e grown with as little care and attention, and yet the number of florists who reach the highest success with mignonette is com])aratively smnll. A narrow, span-roof house, with a solid bench on either side of the walk, seems best adapted to this crop. Thorough drainage should be secured, and in no way can it ho o])tained more readily than l)y placing drain tile across the beds, about flfteen inches below the sur- face. They will have a marked efl'ect if placed twelve 150 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. to twenty-four, or even as much as thirty-six, inches apart, but a closer arrangement will be better. The soil for the plants should be not less than fif- teen inches deep and many of the best growers prefer eighteen or twenty. Its composition may vary consid- erably, but a preparation of four parts well-rotted sods, four parts of garden loam and one part of decomposed manure is desirable. In filling the beds with this amount of soil, more than usual care is necessary that it be well pressed down and compacted. If the compost is coarse, a fine seed bed can be obtained by spreading sifted soil over the bed to the depth of an inch. The bed should be sown before it has time to dry out, the usual date being about the first of August, or a little earlier in some cases, in drills fifteen inches apart, cov- ering with sifted soil to the depth of three-eighths of an inch. It is a good plan to scatter sand in the drills in which the seeds are to be sown, and to use the same material for covering them. The bed should now be thoroughly watered, and from this time it should not be allowed to become dry. The use of cloth or lath screens, until the plants have appeared, is desirable, after which they should be removed. The ventilation should be ample, preferably from the ridge, and air should be given at all times, as the plants, at this period of their growth, should be kept cool. Good results can also be obtained in shallow beds, by placing an inch of cow manure in the bottom and filling up with three or four inches of rich but light com])ost. When the true leaves appear, the plants should be thinned so that they will stand at least twelve inches apart in the rows. In about two months the flowers will form, and if large spikes are desired the laterals that form on the leading shoots should be removed. This should also be done with the shoots that apjiear later on, as fine spikes can only be secured when disbudding is MIGNOXETTE. 151 f-^ M r-J^% ^** FIG. 57. MACHET MIGNONETTE. 152 GREENHOUSE MAN'AGEMENT. carefully done. A night temperature of 45 degrees is generally considered a maximum for the mignonette and 40 degrees is preferred by many ; during the day the ventihition should be such as will keep fhe temperature as near 58 degrees as possible. In caring for this crop, the well-known grower, Mr. J. N. May, of Summit, N. J., uses fine brush stuck into the soil around the plants to support the spikes, and this seems as good as any other Avay of trellising, although a desirable method is shown in Fig. 57. Where the caterpillars are troublesome, the method used by Mr. May to keep out the moths will be desira- ble ; it consists in covering all openings with mosquito netting. The use of hellebore, slug shot, or of Paris green, either in water or plaster, in a very dilute form, will also be a sure remedy. The most destructive dis- ease of this crop is described and figured in Chapter XXV. The seed ordinarily sold is very uneven and much of it will give Avorthless plants. It is always desirable, after securing a good strain of mignonette, to select seed for future use from the plants that are nearest to per- fection. In this way the type will be fixed and an improved strain for forcing will be secured. The variety known as Machet (Fig. 57) is one of the best for forcing; it has a strong stem, dark green, healthy foliage, and the spike is large and fragrant. Miles Spiral is preferred by some. Some growers have had good success with pot cul- ture. The seeds are sown in flats or beds, and the seed- lings pricked out into two-inch pots. When large enough to repot, they are transferred to four-inch pots, using very rich soil. They, of course, will need to be staked and tied and should receive the same care as when grown in beds, CHAPTER X. FERNS. For greenhouse or house decoration, or for supply- ing florists with '^green," ferns, and Adiantums in par- ticular, are very useful. While many species are easiest propagated by the division of the plants, others are com- monly grown from spores, which should be sown at once, although the spores from some species can be kept for some time. They should be sown either in pans or pots, or on beds, using garden loam, over which half an inch of fine sphagnum should be placed. Moisten this thoroughly and scatter the spores evenly over it, and after sprinkling cover with glass. Water only when they show they are dry. Keep covered until the seedlings have started. It will be best to prick out the young seedlings into flats, from which they should later be transferred to pots. Pot them in soil one-half leaf mold and the remainder of loam and sand. For propa- gating en a large scale, a box covered with a glass sash, of suitable size, will answer. The seed bed can be pre- I)ared upon the bench itself. Ferns for dwellings should be grown at 55 to 60 degrees, as they will then be firm and well hardened, and will thrive far better than soft, spindling plants, in the dry atmosphere of the living room. For small fern pans, two or three plants will be enough. Fern pans can be filled to advantage by using some erect growing kind in the center, with fine Adian- tums, Selaginellas or similar kinds, around it. Many varieties are readily increased by dividing the crowns. To increase them rapidly, they should be bedded out where they can be kept well moistened at a 153 154 GREEXHOUSE MANAGEMENT. temperature of 60 to 65 degrees. In dividing and transferring to pots, it is hardly desirable to make a very fine division, as, although more plants can be obtained, they will be slower in starting and less satisfactory. During the spring and early summer, the young plants should be kept in a cool house or in a frame, where they can be properly shaded and watered. If to be used for cutting, the best results can be obtained if the i)lants are bedded out. This should be done early in August, in order that the plants may have time to develop and harden off. The beds should con- tain from four to five inches of compost, consisting of two parts pasture sods and one part each of sand and rotten manure. For most ferns a temperature of 60 to 65 degrees is desirable, and the stove ferns are benefited if it is slightly higher, although some of the greenhouse species do well if it is considerably lower. For the florist's use, in addition to the well-known Adiantum cuneatum and gracilUmtim, such others as A. elegans, A. Capillus- Veneris, A. concinnum and A. c. latum, A. St. Catlierina and A. decorum will be useful. Adiantum Farleyense (Fig. 58) is among the best of the Adiantums for decorative pur23oses, but except for very elaborate cut-flower work, it will be less useful than some of the more delicate sorts. The Pteris serrulata and P. s. crisfata, and other forms that are readily grown, are also desirable for planting out, either on or under the benches, while Pteris treynula, and its varie- gated foi-m, P. argyrea, and P. cretica alba lineata should not be neglected. When ferns are shifted, or planted out, they should be shaded from the bright sun for several days, and the foliage should be frequently syringed. If to be used for cutting, after thev have made their G;rowtli, tlio shadinor should be taken off, and abundant ventilation should be given, in order that the fronds may harden off, and thus FERNS. 155 stand up longer when used. The florist will find spec- imen plants, and baskets and pans of ferns useful in dec- orating his house, as well as for outside work. If well- grown and of well selected kinds, the visitor will be attracted to them, and they will have a ready sale. For large conservatories the large tree ferns are quite desirable. While the Blcksonia, Cyathea, and 156 (^REEKHOrSE MANAGEMENT, other similar forms, grow very slowly, and, as a result, are imported in a dormant condition, at a large expense, the Ahophila Australis is quite rai)id in its growth and is readily propagated from spores. Ferns thrive in a moist atmosphere, hnt while they need a steady supply of moisture at their roots, an excess is sure to bring serious consequences. The thrip and scale are among the worst insect enemies of ferns. For FIG. 59. BOSTON FERN (NEPHROLEPIS EXAL,TATA BOSTONIEN8IS). the former, the frequent spraying of the plants with tobacco decoction will be found useful, or moderate fumigation may be employed upon the stronger kinds. The scale insects are most likely to make their ajipear- ance on plants that have been neglected, and if they appear the plants should be dipped or sprayed with ker- osene emulsion, or fir tree oil, and receive better atten- tion in the future. Ferns, as a rule, do not thrive as house plants, but for this purpose, the sword fern {JVepJu^oIepis exaltata) SMILAX. 157 is one of the best, as it can stand a dry room better than most of them. A variety of the sword fern to which the name of iV. exaltata Bostoniensis (Fig. 59) has been given, has been recently introduced. It has a graceful drooping habit and seems well adapted to house culture. Of the more delicate and yet easily grown kinds are Davallia Fijiensis, Onychmm Japonicum, Microlepia Mrta cristata and the Gymnogrammes (gold and silver ferns). SMILAX. This for many years has been, and, in fact, it is yet, one of the most commonly grown and the most useful of the plants used by the florist as '^green." It is readily grown from seed, which should be sown any time from January to March, after soaking it for twenty-fours in warm water. The seedlings should be potted off, and as soon as they fill the thumb pot they should be shifted to the three-inch size. AA'ith proper care, they should be ready to plant out by June or July. While deep, raised beds are often used for growing smilax, less constant attention to watering will be required if it is grown in solid beds. In the first case, five or six inches of rich compost will be required, while for the latter it should be at least eight inches deep. It is desirable that there should be ten or twelve inches between the rows, and six or seven between the plants. For the training of the smilax, No. 14 galvanized wire should be stretched in two lines above each row, one line being near the bed and the other from six to ten feet higher. The green twine, thread, silkalene, or other material, used for training the smilax, should be fastened to these wires above and below. As the shoots start into growth, they should be trained up the proper strings, and they will need frequent attention that none of them get astray. Watering should, of course, not be neglected, and on 158 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. bright days syringing will be helpful. After (he first crop is off, an application of manure may be made to the surface of the bed, or reliance may be had on liquid manure. While the principal call for smilax is at Christmas and Easter, it is needed at all times during the year, and a supply should always be kept on hand. Many growers throw out their smilax beds at the end of each year, but unless they have been unduly forced, good results can be obtained from them for several years. If to be retained, they should be dried off and kept dor- mant for tAvo or three months in the summer, and before they are brought into growth again the surface soil should be removed and replaced with a rich compost. If dried off in the early sprino-, a bench can be erected over the bed for bedding or other plants. Smilax, to be well grown, should have a night tem- perature of GO degrees, with the usual increase durnig the day. As with ferns, after the growth has been made, if it is hardened by gradually increasing tlie amount of ventilation, smilax will keep longer after it is cut. Under the best conditions, a cro]) can be secured by November, and two others can be taken off during the season, but, as a rule, two crops are all that can be cut. ASPARAGUS. This valuable climber was slow m coming into favor with the public, partly because it was by many associa- ted with the vegetable of the same name, but it now seems to have come to stay. In a general way, its culti- vation is about the same as has been given for smilax, from which it differs principally in its method of propa- gation. Asparagus is best propagated from cuttings of the young stems. If nnule in May and rooted under a hand glass, or in a propagating case, they will be strong ASPARAGUS. 159 FIG. GO. ASPARAGUS SPRENGERI. 160 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. enough to give a tair crop the second year. A more common method is by tlie division of the old phints, and, after potting them off in light soil, plunging in a mild bottom heat. Strong plants should be set preferably in solid, although they will do fairly well in deep, raised beds, about ten or twelve inches apart ; if planted closer than this, every other plant should be removed after the sec- ond year. If well grown, from three to five strong shoots should be obtained from each plant. Asparagus is forced for several seasons, being best from the second to the fourth year. During the summer, it should be dried off, from June until August, and treated the same as smilax. The species most commonly grown is Asparagus plumosus; although a dwarf form, A. plnmosus nanus, is preferable for many purposes. The latter is more nearly like a fern, as a rule being only eighteen or twenty inches high, and as it has shorter joints, it is much more plume-like in appearance. A new form. Asparagus Sprengeri (Fig. (50), is claimed to be a strong grower, but of graceful habit, and of a bright green color. It will remain fresh for a considerable time even in a heated atmosphere. When grown rapidly, A spar agns plumosus, and to some extent, its dw^arf variety, has the habit of sending up stems with the lower part devoid of foliage, and as this is worthless, some growers, among them W. H. Elliott. Brighton, Mass., have erected liouses with high roofs (Fig. 61 ), thus enabling them to cut a good '^string" above the bare portion of the i)lant. Aside from their delicacy, and their rich, green color, all the greenhouse species of asparagus are found more valuable than smilax for decorations, or for cut-tlower work, where permanency is desirable, as they will remain fresh for a number of days, if the ends are in water. The temperature required is slightly lower than is needed by smilax, but with the exception of this, and ASPA.RAGUS. 101 11 1G2 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMEXT. the points noted above, the care required is not unlike that needed by that well-known plant. CHAPTER XI. PALMS, PANDANUS AND ARAUCARTAS. Few families of plants contain more cultivated species than does the one to which the common name of palm has been given. Although they have for long years been grown quite generally in greenhouses, they are coming more and more into favor for purposes of decoration. The well-known Fan pahn (commonly known as Latania), and the Corypha, with its broad leaves, were formerly used for this pnri)ose, but they were often badly torn, even with the most careful han- dling, and they did not grow in favor; although desira- ble in the conservatory, other kinds are now regarded as more useful. The present favorites are some of the pin- nate leaved Arecas and Kentias, and they seem admir- ably adapted for it, as they are not injured by rough usage, and as they succeed better than most palms in a dry atmosphei-e, they are much used as house plants. Nearly all palms grow readily from seed, and although thousands are imi:»orted annually, hundreds of thousands are eacli year grown in this countiy from imported seed. The seed should be obtained as fresh as possible and planted immediately, in sandy loam soil, in a good bottom heat. Although they can be sown on the beds, it is best to use pans, pots, or boxes, in order to be sure of proper drainage. While TO degrees can be taken as an average temperature for germination, some stove phxnts need more, and a few greenhouse forms will start as well at a lower temperature. If the seeds are PALMS, PAKDAKUS AKD ARAUC ARIAS. 163 large, with tliick, bony coverings, germination can be aided by filing through the shell and soaking for twenty- four hours in hot water. As soon as properly germinated, the plants should be potted off in three parts rotten sods (or two parts of leaf mold and two of rotten sods), one part of rotten manure and one part of sand; if the soil is stiff, a little peat or leaf mold can be added to advantage. During the sum- FIG. 62. FAN PALM LiviSTONA (Latania Chinensis). mer, the young plants should be kept in the growing house at about 70 degrees. 8ome of the plants with small leaves grow quite well in comparatively small pots, but as soon as they fill them with roots, liquid manure should be added. As a rule, there is more harm done from over-potting them than from under-i)otting. In case a i)lant needs a change of soil, when a shift is not desirable, the loose soil can be removed and the roots cut away, and the plant can go 164 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. back into the old size without crowding. Wlienever pahns are repotted, they should be shaded and carefully syringed for a few days. As the season of growth approaches, unless the plant is repotted, liquid manure should be applied. Oftentimes it will be of advantage to FIG. 63. DWARF KATTAJV I'ALM {Jihapis humifis). remove the surface soil from around a plant and rei^lace it with rich compost. During the summer, it is well to remove the large plants from the house and ])lunge tliom, under a partial shade, out of doors, where they will be somewhat shel- tered from strong winds. A lath screen makes an excel- PANDANUS. 165 lent covering for palms and similar plants. Many of the palms can be kept in the full liglit, but should be l)lunged in the ground to lessen the danger of their dry- ing out. If properly supplied with water, palms are better off out of doors than in the house ; although the leaves may become slightly yellow, they will recover their Screen color on beins: returned to the house. As noted above, while the Latania (Fig. 62) (properly Livistona Chincnsis) and Corypha ( Lividona Australia) are much used, both for the greenhouse and house, the forms commonly known as Kentias {Howea Belmoreana, H. Fosteriana and Rliojialostylis Baiteri), the Arecas {Areca hifescens, A. rubra and Hyophorhe Verschaffellii), Seaforthias (Archonlophcenix Alexandrm and A. Chmninghamiana), Date Palms (Phoenix dacty- lifera, P. rupicola and P. redinata), and Rhapis {Rliajns flabelliformis and R. humilis) (Fig. 63), are generally useful and are much more grown. PANDANUS. These plants, commonly known as Screw Pines, from the spiral arrangement of their leaves, are both interesting and, particularly in the variegated forms, attractive. Pandanus utilis, the best known species, is easily grown from seeds, which start readily in a strong heat, and should be potted off in a rich, sandy compost containing leaf mold or rotten sods. During the sum- mer, they need a ^lartial shade and a high temperature. Tn well-drained pots, they can use large quantities of water during the growing period. The air should be kept moist at that time by frequent syringings, but in the winter water should be used sparingly, both in the pots and on the leaves. The other forms that are commonly grown are P. candelabrum (Javanicus) variegatus and P. Veitcliii, the latter being more useful than either of the others. They 100 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. jire propugatcd ))y t;ikiii<; oiT and looiiiif; tlic suckers whioli form iilxml, tlie bnsc of the i)huit.s. If these are })lacod in .sand in a propaij^ating case, ilicy will take root r(>adily, and can then be i)(>ttcd off. These si)ecios rc'fpiire the same care as has been outlined for the P. nlilis. THE ARALIA. Of the other decorative ])hints, uoue are better than tlic Aralia (inchuling Panax and Fatsia). AVhile the common hardy and half-hardy species grow readily from cuttings of the roots, only a few of the stove si)ecies of tiie Aralia, such as A. GuiJfoyliiy propagate with ease from cuttings of the stems, and other forms, such as A. lepUiplujlla and A. Veitcliii, are generally grafted. 'IMie above nuMitioTuni forms are among the best of the Aralias ])roper. Aralia V. griwillima has long, nar- I'ow, undulated leaflets (with white midribs), and is an im])rovement on the species. Panax plumosum and P. Victoria, both ])r()bably yarieties of P. fruticosuni, are delicate plants, with plume- like leaves, which are variegated in the latter. They are proi)agated by means of either stem or root cuttings, or by suckers, '^^riie more showy stove Aralias are now placed Avith Fatsias. Of these Fatsia papij rif era, F. Japnn- ica (syn. A, iSie/joldii), and the white and yellow varie- gated forms of the latter, are especially valuable. They are j)ropagated from seeds, from suckers, or from cut- tings of the stems. '^Phe plants of all these genera need a rich compost, of equal parts of rotten sods, manure and sand. ARAUCARIA. This is one of the few conifers grown in green- houses. The more common species are Araucaria excelsa, the Norfolk Tsl.-md 1*1 iie, and A. imhricata, the Chilian Pine. Propagation is by seeds or cuttings. Tho AR AUG ARIAS. 167 seeds arc a long time in germinating, and generally have a low vitality. They should be sown in a mild heat. If cuttings are used, they are taken fi'om the tops of plants in the autumn and placed in sand, where they should be kept at a cool house temperature until they begin to callus, after which they should have a gentle lie. Ci. THK VAl;li:r. \TKI) ASIMDrs'l'KA. heat. Then place in four-inch pots, using rich loam and sand, and keep rather close until they have become established, when they need more air and water. After this, they need ordinary care and should be repotted each summer before growth begins, until they are in eight-inch pots; after that, once in two or three years will answer. 168 GliEEN HOUSE MAXAGEMENT. ASPIDISTRA. Tliis goiuis, oT wliii'li A,^/)i(/i.'ll of the ovary, while the Oordy- lines have many : the tlowers of the Cordyline are also much smaller than those of the Dracama. In the genus Dracaena, we find only a few species in cultivation, D. itniriiimt, D. Draco. D. clUpfira, D. fraifrivi^ and its varieties, D. (lohliana and D. iiKnyi- nata being best known. Among the (V)rdylines arc the following si)ecies and varieties: C. aniainlis, Aiu^- ]JKM;^iq"AS AXD CORDYLINES: 10!) firdis, Baptistiiy cannmfolia, excelsa, gloriosa, imperi- alism indivisa and its varieties, inaguifica, splendens, stricta, stricta congesta, tpvmimdis and Youngii. Sev- eral of the above, which are often pat down as species, are merely varieties of the well-known Cordyline {Dra- cmna) terminalis. Many of the Oordylines produce seed abundantly, and these can be used for propagation ; they are sown in light, sandy soil, at a temperature of 60 degrees, and are potted off and treated the same as cuttings. Cuttings of the stems are commonly used for the propagation of the less common species, as well as Dracaenas. The tips can be top-layered, or can be cut off and rooted; the lower portions of the stems are then cut into pieces two or three inches in length, and these are placed on the sand of a cutting bench and covered with sphagnum; they may be covered with sand or light soil, but there is more danger of decay. The fleshy roots of some species may be treated in the same way. In a sti'ong bottom heat and with proper watering, sprouts will soon be sent out from both the stem and root cuttings, and as soon as these are of suitable size they should be cut off and rooted the same as any other cutting. In a propagatiiig case, there will be but little risk, but it is still surer to root them in water, or by the saucer system. In the case of choice species, the cuttings are sometimes set singly in small pots, filled with sandy soil, which are then plunged. In this way, all danger of breaking the roots in potting, thus checking the growth, is obviated. A light, rich soil, with perfect drainage, seems to suit these plants. If properly handled, they can be kept in quite small pots, and overpotting should be carefully avoided. While some of the species belong in the stove, others will thrive with greenhouse treatment. During the summer they can be kept outside in a frame, or in a ITO * GREENHOUSE MAN^AGEMENT. house Avhere tliorougli ventilation and frequent syring- ings can be given ; as Avith the Croton, the red spider and thrip are the worst enemies of these phxnts, and sim- ihir remedies should be given. Dracwna marginata and D. fragrans are about the only plants of that genus that are of value to the florist ; D. Draco is a magniHcent plant for a large conservatory, while, although D. GoJdiana is a very pretty little plant, it is of small value commercially. Of the Cordylines, C. indivisa, Austrcdis, grand is, and terminalis, with their many varieties, are most useful. Some of the varieties with large, bright-colored leaves, such as C, AUace- Lorraine, Baptist ii, imperialis and gloriosa (syn. Sliep/ierdi), present a more striking appearance in the conservatory, and if carefully handled will do well for decoration. CROTOXS (CODI^UMS). Few stove plants are more striking in their appear- ance than well-grown Crotons (or Codiaeums, as they are more properly called), and none are easier to propa- gate and care for. Although it is sup.i)osed that all have come from not over three species, the variations in shape and color of leaf, and the habits of the plant, have been so great that there are hundreds of well-marked varieties in cultivation. AVhile Codiaeums will grow at temperatures as low as 50 or 55 degrees, it is better to give them fJO degrees as a minimum night temperature in w^inter. They are readily propagated by top-layering the main stem or side branches, or, as is much easier and a more common method, by terminal cuttings of the half-hard wood. They may be made at any time, but generally the best plants are produced when started in the winter or early spring. The cuttings root readily when placed in sand in a pro^xigating case or hotbed, but as they are likely CROTONS. 171 to be checked if the roots are broken in potting, it is better to i)lace them singly in small pots filled with light, sandy soil, and plunge in strong bottom heat under a hand glass, or other propagating case. As soon as rooted, they should be gradually hardened, until the j)ots fill with roots, when they should be repotted in a fibrous, sandy compost and returned for a few days to the propagating case, or a hotbed, to avoid a check ; after being hardened and established they may be taken out. They require at all times a moist atmosphere to keep them free from the I'ed spider, and hence frequent syringing is necessary. While they should never be allowed to become dry, care should be taken against over-wateriug, and as a safeguard they should be kept in as small pots as possible, helping them out in their growth with liquid manure. The use of water from which the chill has been taken will be of great value. If branching plants are desired, they can be secured by heading back the main stem to the proper point and, later, pinching in the branches. In this way, large specimen plants can be grown. In order to have them take on a good color, they should be given as much light as possible, by keeping them near the glass and out of the shade of other plants. Codiaeums can be used to advantage in brightening up a conservatory, or cool house, but the change from the stove room should be gradual, lest the plants receive a check and the leaves drop. While they have been used for bedding with success in the southern part of the country, it is only in warm and protected situations that they thrive north of latitude 41°. When thus used out of doors they should receive daily syringings. Among the best varieties are CodicBum DisrcBlii, C. Evansianum, C. gloriosum, C. illiistris, C. inter i^uptum, C. picMm, C. Qtieen Victor ia, G. recurvifolium , 0. Roths- cliildiaitum, G, varieqatum, G. Veitchiiaud G. volutum. 172 OREENHOUSE MAXAGEMEXT. Witli the exception of tlio red spider, as iiieivl loiied above, the only other really troublesome insect enemy is the thrip, but with a proper amount of moisture, air and light, neither of them is particularly to be feared. RUBBER TREES. For decorating purposes, or as a house plant, the rubber tree has few equals, owing to its ability to with- stand rough usage and neglect. The plants are gener- ally i^ropagated from single eye cuttings, and in this way they are multiplied quite rapidly. The plants are topped about the first of January and the tips are placed in the cutting bed. To succeed well in growing plants by this method, large, plump buds are desirable and the wood should be quite firm. If the plants are started into growth as they should be, the buds upon the stem towards the upper end will swell, and the stems can now be cut up and a ctttting made from every portion that contains a bud. If the wood is hard, they will strike quicker if every cutting has a portion of bark removed from one side at the base of the bud, or cuttings can be made by splitting off from the stem the buds witli bits of wood two inches long and one-fourth inch thick. The cuttings need a strong bottom heat, and iC they can be in a propagating case, all the better. Some growers place the cuttings in pots filled with leaf mold and sand and plunge them into the cutting bed. When grown in this way, the lower leaves are generally quite small and, as they are inclined to drop from the stems, the cuttings are likely to make spindling plants. A better, but a slow^er and more expensive, method of propagating the plants is by top-layering. For this, a plant from six to twelve months old, with short- jointed, thick stems, should be selected, and one that has lost its lower leaves is as good as any. To induce them to throw out roots, the stem should be cut or pierced. CYAXOPHYLLr.U ANT) SPn.TJJOGYNE. IT-') the best way being to bend ilie si em and make a sloping cut, upwards and towards the center of the stem, from Mn inch and one-quarter to an inch and one-half in length, according to the size of the plant. The plant is then wrapped with wet sphagnum, or moss of some kind, and staked securely. If kept properly moistened, roots will soon be emitted and the cutting can be potted off within four or five weeks. The buds left on the stem of the old plant will soon break and a branching plant will be formed. When propagated in this way, the young plants will be strong and vigorons and will be clothed with large, well-colored leaves from the pot u]), and the time required will be comparatively short. The common rnbber tree and its variegated form are both propagated in this way. Rubber trees should be kejit at about GO degrees, and during growth need an abundance of liquid manure and frequent shifling. Ficus ParreUi, a beautifully variegated stove plant, is readily grown from cuttings or eyes, and requires the same care as Ficus elastica, except that as it is deciduous, more care should be taken to give it a period of rest during the winter. CTANOPHYLLUM AND SPH^ROGYNE. When well-grown, these are the most attractive of our stove foliage plants. They have a general resem- blance, although the former has a nearly smooth stem and leaves, while those of the latter are quite hairy and fuzzy. They can be grown either from crown or eye cuttings, or from seed, if it can be secured. The eye cuttings are made by cutting the stems into pieces about two inches long, with a node at the center, and then splitting them, so that one of the opposite buds will be in each half. The cuttings may be placed on a layer of sphagnum in a propagating case and covered with sand, or, as is better if only a few are to be grown, by filling a 174 GREENHOUSE MA.NAGEMENT. small pot half full of fibrous peat, or sphagnum, and after the cuttings have been placed upon it, filling the pots with sand and plunging in a hotbed or propagat- ing case. As soon as rooted, they should be repotted in a mixture of fibrous peat, rotten sods and sand. Thor- ough drainage is desirable, but the atmosphere can hardly be kept too moist, as the leaves expand ; if the air is allowed to become dry, the leaves will be shrivelled and imperfect. Daring the resting period, in winter, the tempera- ture may drop to 60 or b5 degrees, but while making their growth they like a temperature of 75 or 80 degrees. When properly grown, they will be but little trouble, but they should be carefully watched tliat the mealy bug does not gain a foothold. The most desirable species of these plants are Splmrogipie latifoUa and Cyanophylhnn magnificum. The foliage of the former has a particularly unique appear- ance, owing to a well-marked network that extends over the leaves. MARANTAS AND CALATHEAS. The genus Maranta formerly contained a large number of desirable stove plants, but most of them have now been placed in the genus Calathea. However, as they require about the same care, they can be treated together. The plants have tuberous or creeping rhi- zomes, and one species yields the arrow root of com- merce. Although most of the species can be readily propagated by dividing the plants, the long rhizomes can also be made into cuttings. If cut up into pieces two inches in length, and these are placed in moist sphagnum in a hotbed or propagating case, tlie dor- mant eyes will each throw out shoots. These can be separated, rooted and potted off the same as any cutting. The Maranta thrives in a loose, rich, moist soil, composed of rotten sods or leaf mold, peat and sandj KEPEN^THES. 175 loam, with perfect drainage. If propagated by division, the best time is in the spring before growtli starts ; tlie plants should be sbaken and the rhizomes separated, leaving at least one eye upon each piece. After being- potted, they should be watered and placed in a hotbed or i^ropagating case nntil they become established. After being gradually hardened, they can be taken out. During the summer, they like an abundance of moisture, particularly in the air, which can be secured by frequent syringings. During the summer tliey should have partial shade, with partial rest in the win- ter, and repotting will be desirable in the spring. Among the best varieties are Maranta McoIoi\ M. Cliim- horacensis^ M. Porteana, and M. smaragdhta. Of the Calatheas, we have Calathea Kerclioviana, O. Legrelli- ana, C. Leitzi, C. Makoyana, C. Massangeana, C. rosea- picta, C. Van der Hechei, C, VeitcMi, C, Warscetvic- zii and C. zebrina. KEPE^NTTHES. This interesting genus of plants is not difficult of cultivation, if a proper amount of moisture in the air is provided. They are propagated from ti]3 cuttings, or by cutting the ripened stem into pieces one or two inches long and placing them in moist sphagnum and fibrous peat in a brisk bottom heat, in the same way as the Drac^na is increased. Nepenthes thrive best in orchid baskets in fibrous peat and sphagnum, and as soon as the shoots have thrown out roots, they should be so arranged. The plants should never be allowed to become dry, and during their period of growth frequent syringings should be given them. The temperature for Xepentlies should not be allowed to drop below 60 degrees. When well grown, each leaf should bear at its extremity a pitcher from two to six inches in lengtli, according to the variety. Among those of easy culture 170 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. BIEFFEXBACHIAS. 1/1' T arc sucli well-known sorts as Nepenthes Dommiana, N. Hookeriana, li. Mastermtna and .\'. Jifffflesiaita. DIEFFENBACHIAS. The plants of this genus are very attractive ar>cl are readily grown. Tliey are generally pro]){igated by cut- ting the stems into single eye pieces, and if these are dij)ped in land plaster and slightly dried, it will lessen the liability of their decaying in the cutting bed. They can be started in the same way as explained for Cordy- lines, or })ots can be half filled with sandy soil, on which the cuttings are placed, and the pots filled with sand and plunged in a brisk bottom heat. As soon as the roots form, the cuttings should be potted in a rich, sandy compost, containing either peat, or rotten sods. Spring is the best time to propagate Dieffenbaciiias, as they require a high temperature. They should be kept near the glass, and repotted as is necessary. If desired, bushy plants can be secured by heading them in, and by a liberal use of manure water they can be grown to a large size. They need a moist atmospheie, and during the summer, syringing shouhl not be neglected, as otherwise the red spider will gain the ascendency. Among the best kinds are the Diefenhachia Baum^ D, Botvmanni, D. Leopoldii, D. magnijica, D. regina, and Z). rex. Resembling the above are several desirable species of Schismatoglottis, which are grown in about the same way as Dieffenbachias. ANTHURIUMS. In every collection of stove plants there should be at least a half dozen species of this showy and interest- ing aroid. The two classes, flowering and foliage, give us, on the one hand, a variety of large, velvety, distinctly veined leaves, and, on the other, flowers that are very durable, always present, and striking in form 178 GREEKHUUSE MANAGEMENT. ANTHURIUMS. 179 and coloring. By hybridizing, many new and promising varieties have been recently brought out. They are readily grown from seeds, when they can be obtained, but the usual method is by means of suckers and cuttings of the rootlike stem. The cuttings root readily in most species, but they should not be taken off until roots have been formed. Anthuriums FIG. 67. AGLAONEMA PICTUM. need a temperature of at least 55 degrees excej^t when in flower, when they may be kept slightly lower, al- though some of the foliage sorts are benefited by 60 or 65 degrees at night. A slight shade from the bright sun is beneficial to them, and like all plants of the kind, they need an abundance of water while growing and should never be allowed to become dry. In the sum- mer a daily syringing should be given them, with slight 180 gree:n^house manageme^^t. ventilation. Thorough drainage is necessary for them, and in j^otting the pots should be half filled with broken crocks on which the plants should be placed in a com- post made of fibrous peat, sphagnum, fine crocks and 8and, formed into a mound from one to three inches above the top of the pot. The plant should be held in place, if necessary, by means of small stakes. As the plants grow they should be repotted, using the same com- post with the addition of a little rotten sods and manure, for the flowering sorts in particular. Of the more desirable and common, hence lower priced, sorts are Anthurium Andreanum, Avith its large, dark red, leathery and corrugated recurved spathe; it is easily grown and a perpetual bloomer. A. Sclierzerianum, with long leaves and scarlet spathe on red stems; the spadix is spotted with the salmon flowers. A. S. maximttm is a form having much larger spathes; other forms of A. Srherzerianum vary in the color of their spathes. A. Ferrieriense (at upper part of Fig. 65), is a strong grower resembling A. Andreanum, except that the spathe is reddish pink with a white spadix. The spathe is not recurved as in that species. There are also many varieties and species of each of the above. Among the foliage anthuriums the better kinds are A. crystallinum, (at right of Fig. 65), with large, cordate, white veined, dark green velvety leaves; A. Waroqueanum {cQnier oi Fig. 65), deep green, velvety, lanceolate leaves often thirty inches long and eight or ten wide; and A. regale, having large cordate leaves Avith white veins. Antlitirinm ornatum and A. spkmdens are also valuable. One thing that makes this genus of plants particularly desirable is that, if reasonably well cared for, none of the insect pests of the greenhouse trouble them. ALOCASTAS. Allied to Anthurium is this genus of foliage plants, which, when Avell grown, present a striking aj^pearance. ALOCASIAS. I8i with their distinctly marked and often oddly shaped leaves. Like the Anthuriums, the plants are propa- gated from suckers, seeds or cuttings of the rhizomes. The soil suited to them is not unlike that for Anthu- riums, except that a larger proportion of lime can be used. They prefer a temperature of 60 to 65 degrees at night during the winter, and 75 or 80 degrees in tlie summer, with a moist atmosphere. An exception to tliis rule regarding the soil is Alocasia maci'orhiza, and its variegated form, which delight in a rich compost of fibrous loam, sand and rotten manure in equal parts, in wliich, with an abundance of water and plenty of heat, they will grow to a large size. One of the most inter- esting species is Alocasia Tliihautiana (at the left in Fig. 65), which has curiously lobed, greenish-black leaves, with broad, white veins. A, metalUca (Fig. &Q), (prop- erly A. cuprea) has glossy, metallic, dark green leaves, with a purple luster beneath. Aglaonema (Fig. 67) is an Arum closely allied to Alocasia and requires the same care. CHAPTER XIII. LETTUCE FORCING. Within the last ten or fifteen years, the growing of crops of winter lettuce, in houses es2)ecially erected for the purpose, has become quite an important industry in many localities. Owing to improper methods of han- dling the crop, it was for a long time thought that hot- beds were preferable to forcing houses for lettuce grow- ing, when large perfect heads were desired, but except for late fall and early spring, they are but little used to-day. While every large city has one or more persons en- gaged in lettuce forcing, the industry seems to haye reached its largest dimensions in the vicinity of Arling- ton, Mass., and Grand Rapids, Mich. Owing to the perfection of their methods, the lettuce growers of Arlington and Belmont have been able to compete with local growers, in the New York market. The industry is a comparatively new one in Grand Rapids, as it is but little more than ten years since Eugene Davis engaged in the business upon a small scale. So success- ful has he been that hundreds have gone into it, and the glass area used for the purpose has doubled each year since 1888, until in 1891 several hundred thousand square feet of glass were used in the erection of houses for lettuce forcing. The markets of Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Chicago, Milwaukee and, in fact nearly all of the largo cities within a radius of from 300 to 500 miles, are supplied with Grand Ra])ids lettuce, and it has been sent nearly one thousand miles to New 182 LETTUCE FORCIKG. 18: 184 CtKeenhouse maxactEmext. York cit}', and there competed successfully with the Long Island and Arlmgton product. Much of the success obtained by tliese growers is due to the fact that they have varieties well adapted for forcing, and yet the kinds grown at Arlington and Grand Eapids are quite unlike. At the former place, and in fact throughout the lettuce-growing section of New York, Xew England and A'ew Jersey, tlie cabbage or head lettuce is grown, the favorite sorts being selected strains of White Tennis Ball. Those that seem best adapted for the purpose are Hot House, selected and largely grown by AV. W. Eawson of Arlington, Mass., and Belmont or Big Boston, which is the favorite sort with Hittinger Bros, of Belmont. At Grand Rapids, the only kind grown is one obtained by Mr. Davis by se- lection from Simpson, and which is known as Grand Rapids. Although in many markets it has been claimed that only head lettuce would sell, the dealers have sel- dom been able to supply the demand for Grand Rapids lettuce since it was introduced. Among the strong points of this variety nuiy be noted (1) its early maturity, as it develops about one week sooner than any other variety ; (2) the closeness of planting that it will admit of, owing to its erect habit of growth. This permits the growing of as large heads Avhen planted six inches each way as can be obtained from the spreading Tennis Ball sorts, at eight inches. (3). It seems to require less care, and to be less injured by neglect than most other varieties. Improper ventila- tion or watering frequently leads to the appearance of mildew, rot or burning of the leaves, but it is far less noticeable in the Grand Rapids than in any other variety. LETTUCE HOUSES. The even-span house (Fig. (18) is still commonly used for lettuce growing, but is being supplanted by the three-quarter span liouse, and by tlie lean-to LETTL'CE HOUSES. 185 lettuce house (Fig. 69). Unless of the low ridge and furrow plan, lettuce houses should not be less '#- # than twenty feel wide, and [»rereral)l}' sliould l)c as wide as thirty to thirty-three feet. Houses forty 186 GREEX11018E MAiy A(; EAIKNT. and fift}' foot wide :nv not iini'onnnon and prove satisfactory. The loan-to lottni'o house doseribod in (iroonhouse (\)nst ruction is cheaply constructed aiul gives excellent, results, particularly if built upon a side hill, but the thrce-([uarter s[)au house is su})- plantiuii' it in some localities, autl will be found ju'ct'erablc Tor houses u])on level iiround that are more than thirty feet wide. The benches may be either raised or solid, a I'onnnon plan when three beds arc used in houses twenty feet wide being" to have one solid bed in the center and raised benches at the sides, or the ar- rangement may be reversed. in some of the largo liouses, even if as wide as thirty-throe feet, one solid bed is made in the center, leaving only space for narrow walks next to the walls, but a center walk in addition is desirable. Solid beds raised one or two feet above the walks, and not nu)re than tifteen feet wide, are generally preferred to raised benches. In many sections where fuel is chca[>, the old-fasli- ioned Hue is still used with good results, and in fact ji large per cent of (irand Rapids lettuce is grown in ilne- heated houses. Steam is also largely nsed, and the heat- ing plant is cheaper than hot water to ])ut in, hut, even in large houses, hot wati>r in small ])ii)es is preferred by many who have nuule a carciul test of the two methods. COMMERCIAL LETTl'CE CK0WIN(;. AVith good management, three or four crops of let- tuce can he harvested, and the houses can then he used for the growing of vegetable plants, cucumbers, or toma- toes. It is desirable to have the tirst crop come on by Thanksgiving, or before, and for this j)urpose the seed should bo sown in an old cold frame, or in a seed bod outside, es})ecially })repared for the ])urposo, about the last t)f July or first of Angust. Tlie bed should be marked olf into row's six inches apart, and the seeds COMMERCIAL LETTUCE GKOWIKG. 187 scattered tliiiily in tlie di'ills, or tliey may be sown broad- cast. They should be covered witli about one-half inch of soil, and the surface of the bed rolled, or pressed down with a board. After giving the bed a thorough water- ing, it should be covered with lath screens, and watered whenever it shows signs of becoming dry. When the plants have formed their first true leaves they should be transplanted to about two by six inches, or, if in drills. FIG, 70, rOT I'LA.N 1 liJ.ADV FOR PLACING IN PERMA- NENT BED. TENN, EXPERIMENT STATION, thinned to two inches in the row. These plants will be ready to transplant to the beds about the 15th to the 20th of September, and all designed for the Thanksgiv- ing trade should be in the beds by the first week in October. If the Christmas market is preferred to Thanksgiving, the seeds need not be sown until the mid- dle of August, or a portion of the crop can be put in early and the balance held for a succession. About the first of October, a second sowing should be made, and another for the third crop about the first 188 CHEENHOTTSE MANAOEAfENT. of December, in beds or flats in tlie forcing liouse. Tbaf. tliere may be no delay, it is a good plan to make a small sowing every week or two. When one inch high the plants should be pricked out into beds or flats, three or four inches apart each way, and as soon as they crowd should be placed in the beds at a distance of six inches for the Grand Rapids and seven and a half or eight inches for the large Tennis Ball sorts. Another method, Avhich is more economical of room, is to prick out the plants in flats or beds one and one- half or two inches each way, and when they begin to crowd transplant to the permanent beds, at distances varying from three to four inches, according to the variety. They are grown in this way until the leaves touch, when the extra plants are taken out, leaving the permanent plants from six to eight inches apart. POT CULTURE OF LETTUCE. A method of growing lettuce in which the plants are placed in flower pots has been tested by Prof. S. A. Beach of the Geneva, N. Y., Experiment Station, and Prof. R. L. Watts of the Tennessee Station. The seed- ling plants are pricked out in two and one-half or three- inch pots, and are grown there until the plants crowd, when the pots are placed close together (Fig. 70). They are then transferred to the permanent beds, where they are plunged at the usual distance, so that the tops of the pots will be covered one-half inch. They will require the same care as when planted in the bed and when marketed the plants may be slipped out of the pots, or not, according to circumstances. It is claimed for this method that there is no check from transplanting, that the beds will only be occupied for four weeks, while if the plants are pLaced at once in the permanent beds it will be at least eight weeks before the crop can be taken off, and that ihere will be less PREPARATIOK AN^D CARE OF THE BEDS. IBO loss in marketing, as, whetlier in the pots or not, the balls of earth (Fig. 71) will prevent the wilting of the leaves, and with proper care the heads can be kept over a week. Our experience in lettuce growing in pots does not Avarrant our recommending it for general use, although the above claims have for the most part been substanti- ated. We find, however, that the check from trans- planting is more than counterbalanced by the reduced size of the plants grown in pots, while by the use of the FIG. 71. POT PLANT READY FOR MARKET. TETOT. EXP. STATION. system of transplanting recommended above there is lit- tle if any saving in room, while the labor of transplant- ing is less than will be required in handling the pots and in plunging. There will undoubtedly be less loss when the plants are marketed with balls of earth attached, and this may make it a desirable method of growing let- tuce for supplying small dealers. PREPARATION" AND CARE OF THE BEDS. When shallow beds are used, the soil will all need to be replaced each year, but in solid beds it will suffice J 90 GREENHOUSE MAKAGEMENT. FIG, 72. INTERIOR OF I.KAN TO I.F.TTl'CK HOISK, HITTINGER BROS., BKLMONX, iMASS. PREPARATION AND TARE OF BEDS. IHI if three or four iiiclies of tlic sin-facc soil are removed, and the Ix'Jiches tilled up witli fresli manure, wliieh shoukl be thoroughly worked into the soil. The best compost for lettuce growing is made by mixing one part of fresh horse manure with two ])arts of rich, sandy loam. If this can be prepared in June, and worked over in Au- gust, it will be in good condition to use by the time it is wanted in Septeml)er. The raised beds will need about five or six inches of soil, and. after each crop has been taken off, it will be well to add about an inch of thor- oughly decomposed horse manure. The soil in the solid beds should be ten inches deep, and should also be top-dressed as above. After setting the plants, the beds should be thor- oughly wet down, but while the plants are small care should be taken not to saturate the beds, particularly during dull weather in the winter. On sunny days the plants may be syringed in the morning, but if they are syringed in dull weather, or at the edge of evening, it is likely to invite the development of mildew and rot. As soon as growth starts, the bed should be worked over with a hand weeder, and this should be repeated once in two weeks, until the plants cover the bed (l^ig. 72). The temperature of lettuce houses should be kept below 50 degrees at night and in dull weather, while 45 degrees is high enough for the cabbage sorts at night. The houses should be kept well ventilated, using the sash that opens opposite to the direction of the prevailing- wind, whenever this is possible. Keep coolest just after planting and when they begin to form heads. The most troublesome insect pest in lettuce grow- ing is the green fly or aphis, but this can be kept in check, if taken in time, by the use of tobacco stems. It is well to cut them up by passing them through a hay- cutter or coarse sieve, and then scatter the pieces over the beds. The stems themselves can be used in the I'.)-.' GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. same way and will tend to keep tlie lly in check. As soon as the ju'esence of green fly can be detected, the house should be filled with tobacco smoke. This should be repeated at the end of two or three days, and, if properly done, the aphides will be destroyed. As the insects develop, the tobacco smoke does not seem powerful enough to destroy them, and if for any reason fumigation has been neglected too long to be eifective, resort must be had to some other insecticide. A strong decoction of tobacco stems and tobacco extract will destroy them, while pyrethrum or buhach seems quite effectual as a remedy against adult aphides, and may be put on as a dry powder with a bellows, or in water with a syringe, using at the rate of a tablespoon- ful to a gallon. When the houses are large, a small spraying pump will be convenient for applying these and similar insecticides. When given proper conditions, the beds planted the first of October can be cut for Thanksgiving purposes, and can be cleaned out ready to be reset by the first of December. The next crop will develop by the first of February, and the third crop will be off by the first of April. Under especially favorable conditions, two or three weeks can be gained upon this, which will allow a fourth crop to be taken off by the middle of April. About two months should be allowed for growing the plants after sowing the seed, and seven or eight weeks more for the growth of the heads after planting out. This wnll be none too much during the cloudy and short days of November and December, but as the sun gets higlier in February and March, six weeks will gen- erally suffice. In marketing lettuce, the heads are placed verti- cally in baskets or boxes (Fig. 73) when supplied to the local trade, or in barrels for distant shipment. It is best to pack the cabbage sorts with the stems u]), while PREPARATION AND CAKE OF BEDS. 193 f M H C3 o W O •=! O O O > > to H 1^ 13 194 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. I he Grand Rapids and similar sorts are laid on tlieir sides with the butts overlapping. Ventilate in warm weather, and line the barrels with newspapers in winter. Cover the top of the barrel with burlap. As indicated on a previous page, the Grand Rapids is one. of the best varieties for forcing purposes, while Boston Market, Hot House and Belmont are the best of the cabbage varieties. ELECTRO CULTURE OF LETTUCE. Some eight or ten years ago Mr. W. W. Rawson of Arlington, Mass., noticed that lettuce seemed to be ben- efited by the light from the electric street lamps, and to test its efficacy he placed a 2000 candle power arc lamp over one house, and ten 30 candle power lamps inside another house, with the effect of hastening the maturity of the crop fully five days, which would make a saving of fifteen days for three crops. Mr. Rawson is so convinced of the value of the electric light that he now has three 2000 candle power lights over one of his houses, and finds himself repaid three-fold by the effect on the crop. These results induced Prof. Bailey to make various tests at the Cornell Experiment Station of the efficacy of the electric light upon the growth of different plants. After several years' trial, he finds decidedly beneficial effects from the electric light upon large lettuce plants, Mud that the maturity of the crop may be hastened at least one week. The lights were not run more than five hours a night. The results obtained by Prof. Bailey agree quite closely with the conclusions of various French investigators. It was found that naked lights inside the house injured most plants, but when opal globes were used the effect was quite beneficial in the case of let- tuce. When the light enclosed in an opal globe was hung outside, about six feet above the glass, the best LETTUCE IN HOTBEDS. 195 results were obtained. Even when forty feet away, the plants were noticeably benefited, except those newly transplanted, which were injured. Radishes, beets and spinach were also benefited Avhen the lights were placed outside the houses, although the naked light inside the house was detrimental to their growth. It has not been determined whether the effect of the light is in increasing the hours of growth, or in hasten- ing the rapidity at which they grow during the custom- ary period. The effect upon tomatoes and cucumbers is, if anything, injurious, and Mr. E. A. Lorentz of Orange County, New York, reports that with a street light 325 feet from the house, and running every night, all night, radishes were induced to run to seed, and the same effect would have been produced upon the spinach had it been given time. Upon lettuce, however, the effect was ben- eficial, and the crop was marketed two weeks earlier than that grown in another house, not exposed to the light. LETTUCE 11^ HOTBEDS. When one has a forcing house, or can afford to build one, it does not pay to grow lettuce in hotbeds iu the Northern States earlier than the fifteenth of February or the first of March. If one has no forcing house, or other place for starting the plants, a small hotbed can be made for growing them as early as the middle of Jan- uary, and they will be large enough to transplant by tlie middle of February. If they are put in thickly at first, and again thinned out, as recommended for growing them in forcing houses, a large number of plants can be started in a small bed, and besides saving labor in caring for the large beds, it will admit of giving the plants a fresh bed when finally transplanted. Hotbeds can be used to good advantage in connec- tion with a greenhouse, as seeds planted about the first of February will form plants large enough to place in the !Mi (;i;i:i:n iioisr: ma n A(;i:mi;n'I". lioihods hy (ho lil'lotMUli lo (lie t woiUy-lil't h of l<\>l)ruarv, aiul will 1)0 \vi\i\y for iiiarkol as soon as (ho (hiid crop has b(HM\ cut froiu \\\c house. By sow ini; sihmI a( iiilcr- vals oT (hri'c or I'our weeks, a suecession can be obtaiiUMl (\\m\ hotbeds ami I'ohl iVauu's until liold-^rown crops nia(uie. WIumi (here is a donianil for loKneo durin*:^ N'(>vond)i'i\ i( can be urown in eold frames at a low eosi, and if tlu\\ are (K'e|) and are well eovi'red on cold nights, i( can bo carried un(il Thanksgivinu". For lio(bi>d and cold frame uses, (ho forcini;' house sor(s answer vi>ry well, and such varieties as (Miicaixo Marki't. DtMiver Market, anil Ulaek Seeded Simpson, will also be found desirable. coNDrnoNs I'oi; 8r( "ckss. 'rin> |)rincipal reason why tlu> U't t nee specialists have sucli riMnarkable success is that ev(M'y (h'tail of handlin*;' the cro[) is properly attiMuU>d to. As of prime importaiu'o wt' consider (1), the char- iictor of (ho soil. This should 1)0 of a sandy nature, with less than iive per cent of clay. If the clay is ])resent in much larger (plant it ies thc» surfaci' of the soil, on becom- ing dry, will bake and form clods, and as it will remain wet and cold after watering, it is likidv to induce the appearance of the rot. A good lettui'o soil, i)roi)erly supplied with drainagt\ will allow the sur])lus water to puss through it, aud the roots will i)iMielra(e (o a much groalor dep(h (ban in a eold, heavier soil. {'i.) They not only have suitable variolies, bu( (lu> best growers (ako i)ains (o have seloc(ed plants from seleeted S(Hh1s of sidin'tcd strains o( those varieties. Hav- ing found a varietv adapli'tl to the wants of a particular nnirkel, eaoh gi'ower should rais(» his own seed, sol(>c(ing it from ])lants that conu' lu'arest his ideal, carefully |)ul- ling up all othei's before t hev ha\e blossiuns. Care should bi' taken to reject all of the small, light sihmis, as CONDITfONS roll SL'CCESS. 1 IfT tliey will develop mueh weaker plaiiLs lliaii will be obtained fVom large, [)liirn}) need. Wlieri transplaiitinfr, the weak plants slioiild be rejected, and in this way an even stand of plants will be secured that will be ready for cutting at the name time, tlius both securing a better croj) aiul a saving in time. ()i.) Careful attention to regulating the tempera- ture at night and to vcntihition during the day. The burning of the edges of the leaves, which is so trouhh- some with head lettuce, is undoubtedly due to some neg- lect in these pai'ticulars. Sixty degrees answers well as a day temf)erature, but even at this, air should be given, and if it rises higher the ventilators should be opened wide. (4.) Securing a steady growth of the plants and guarding against a check. Aside from the top-dressing that is desirable after each crop is taken off, the applica- tion of a little ground bone, wood ashes and nitrate of soda to the surface, will both increase the size of the plants and hasten their maturity. (5.) So handling the houses that insects and fun- gous diseases cann(jt gain a foothold. CHAPTER XIV. CUCUMBERS, TOMATOES AND MELONS AS WINTER CROPS. For many years, the forcing of tomatoes and cucum- bers for winter marketing has been quite profitable near some of the large eastern cities, but at the present time there are fewer inducements to engage in the business than formerly, owing in part to the low price at which the southern-grown crops can be placed on the northern market, and the competition from the large number of persons who are now engaged in the business. During tlie spring and early summer, after the time when lettnce can no longer be grown with success in the houses, there is still an opportunity of growing both of these crops with profit, as the houses can be used for nothing else at this time, and there will be but a small expenditure for fuel. In the winter, however, the expense of keeping up the necessary high temperature in the houses will be very large, and the prices sometimes run very low, but with good care fairly profitable returns will be secured. When these crops are grown in beds, a crop of beans or lettuce can be taken off before the entire space will be needed by the vines. If either cucumbers or tomatoes are grown in solid benches, to follow a lettuce crop, the growth of the plants can be hastened, and fuel can be saved, by digging trenches under where the rows of ])lants are to be set, one foot wide and deep, and filling with fi'esh horse manure. This will gradually decom- pose and will furnish bottom heat to accelerate the 198 CUCU31BERS UKDER GLASS. 199 growth of the plants and, later on, supply food for the development of the crop of fruit. CUCUMBERS UNDER GLASS. Many growers have found the cucumber a j^rofi table crop, particularly to follow the second or third crop of lettuce, to be sold during the early summer. While cucumbers thrive in lean-to or span-roof houses, the three-quarter span forcing house seems particularly adapted to their growth. The house should be arranged so as to provide for thorough ventilation, but as cold air is injurious to the tender plants, the ventilators should be so situated as to admit fresh air without producing a draft. Ridge ventilators, hinged at the lower side, seem best of all for this purpose. The heating apparatus should be arranged to fur- nish a night temperature of 65 degrees, and the pipes should be, at least in part, overhead. Perhaps the best arrangement will be to have the flow pipes overhead, and one or two returns on each side brought back on the plates, with the remainder under the benches, where they will provide the necessary bottom heat, when raised benches are used, or in the walks in houses with solid beds. This arrangement will prevent any downward currents of cold air upon the plants. The tables or beds may be arranged as in a rose house, or they may consist of a wide bench in the center and a narrow one at each side (Fig. 74). A house eighteen feet wide will be adapted for growing cucumbers, but any width up to thirty feet may be used, and the wider houses will gen- erally be preferable. When used as a succession crop, the cucumbers are not started until about December or January, but with a good market they will be found profitable if started in the fall, and fruited during the wintei*. The seeds should be sown either in four-inch pots, or in trans- 300 GREEKHOUSE MAKAGEMEl^T. PLANTING AISD TKAINIJ^G. 201 planting boxes, using liglit, sandy compost. Only one or two plants should be allowed to grow, but it is well to use one or two extra seeds. When the seeds are sown, the pots or boxes sliould not be filled more than one-half full of soil, but as the plants develop they should be filled up with ricli compost. The seeds will germinate best at 70 or 80 degrees, and if started in a lettuce house, they should be placed in the warmest jiortion, upon about six inches of fresh horse manure, over which three inches of soil should be placed, and covered with hotbed sash, to hold the heat. Another method is to sow the seeds in flats filled with sand, and transplant to pots. The beds should be ten to twelve inches dee]), with an inch or so of drainage at the bot- tom. Upon the clinkers, or similar material that is used for this purpose, a layer of rich pasture sods should be placed, and on this about six inches of rich compost, ])repared about the same as for roses, except that more manure is desirable, and the soil used should be of a rather more s-.nidy nature. While in the pots, the plants should not be checked by lack of water or of plant food, and under no conditions should they become pot-bound; they can be easiest cared for if plunged in a brisk bot- tom heat. PLANTING AND TKAIXING. When about to run, they should be planted out, giving each plant at least four square feet of space. In houses with wide beds, it will be well to have the rows at least three feet apart, while five or six will be prefer- able, and to grow the plants with two in a box or pot, setting them three feet apart in the rows, and training the plants in opposite directions. Between the rows the trellises are placed. These consist ot wires one foot apart upon either side of an A-sha]ied framework, extending nearly to the glass. The vine will be trained up on either side and it will form a series of galleries, 202 GRESNHOUSE MANAGEMENT. within which the cucumbers can be gathered and the vines tended. Still another way, in lean-to, or three- quarter span houses, is to plant them in rows two feet apart, with five or six feet between the rows, training them towards the south upon wire trellises inclined at an angle of about 45 or 50 degrees. The rows should be about five feet from the south side of the beds. For use in ordinary even-span houses, with a wide bed in the center, and narrow ones on the sides, a good method is to plant two roAVS in each of tlie side beds and four in the center, at intervals of two feet each way, but so that the plants in one row will stand halfway between those in the adjoining row. The wires, each of which is to support one of the vines, are placed one foot apart and run from the walls to a point below the ridge, at a distance of from ten to twelve inches below the glass. Stakes or strings are used to support the vines until they have reached the wires upon which they are to run. When the vines in the outer row have reached a point over the edge of the center bed, they should be pinched off, as should those in the center bed when they reach the ridge. This will cause side shoots to be sent out upon which the fruits will be formed. When grown in solid beds, the necessary bottom heat can be provided by making a hotbed under each row. When the rows are close together, it will be nec- essary to place the heating material under the entire bed, but if three feet or more apart, it will only be nec- essary to make a bed of fresh horse manure, about one foot wide and deep, which is tramped down and covered with eight inches of soil. When upon raised beds, the required bottom heat can be secured from steam or hot water pipes, as can also be done in solid beds. To supply a crop during the early winter, the seed should be sown about the first of August, and can be transplanted to the bed in about one month. In less than POLLIKATIOK. 303 two months after being placed in the beds the cucumbers should be ready for market. If to follow the second crop of lettuce that will be taken off in January, the seed should be sown the first of December, and after being transplanted into four- or five-inch pots, will be ready to be placed in the beds as soon as they are filled with roots. For a few days after the plants are set in the beds, the temperature at night should not be above 60 degrees, but as soon as the plants are established it should be gradually raised to 65 degrees at night, and it may reach 80 or 85 degrees during the day if the sun is shining, but it will be desirable not to have it above 70 degrees in cloudy weather. With tins high temperature, there is great danger of red spider, and the walks should be wet down morning and evening, and the plants should be occasionally syringed on bright mornings, with water from which the chill has been taken. Unless the soil is deep and rich, liquid manure can be used to advantage once a week after the roots have penetrated all parts of it, especially if the plants are close together, and mulching is also advisable. POLLINATION". In order to secure the development of fruit upon most of the common varieties of cucumbers, artificial fertilization of the flowers must be resorted to, when they are grown in forcing houses during the winter, unless a hive of bees is placed in the house for the pur- pose of carrying the pollen from the staminate flowers to tiie pistils. It can be done by taking the pollen upon a small brush and dusting it over the pistils, and will be necessary unless some of the English forcing varieties are grown. They will develop without pollen, and it is thought by some growers that they should not be polli- nated, as it is likely to cause an enlargement at the ends of the fruit. Of course, the seeds will not fill out unless f;*4 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT, It^ ,'«^ *fci> JWflfiv r^iU \H^ Vw^ttii SION HOUSE. DUKE OF EDINBURGH. TELEGRAPH. PIG. 75. ENGLISH FORCING CUCUMBERS. TYPICAL FORMS GROWN AT CORNELL EXPERIMENT STATION. VARIETIES. 205 the flowers are fertilized, and this will be an improve- ment, ill addition to wiiat is gained in the improved form of the fruits, and in labor. As the fruits develop, the larger ones should be sup- ported by slings of .raffia, to relieve the vines of their weight and prevent their being torn from their supports, but if the vines are carefully tied to the trellis, with raffia, the ordinary varieties can be grown without tying up the fruits. The crop should be ready for market in from sixty to eighty days from the date of sowing the seed. VARIETIES. For most markets the common garden varieties are the only ones that are profitable, the White Spine and a strain known as Arlington White Spine being most commonly grown. The English forcing cucumbers have a flavor distinctly their own, and retain their green color much longer than the ordinary sorts. They often reach a length of two feet, and are edible after they attain their full development. Of the forcing sorts, Sion House (Fig. 75) is most commonly grown. It is smooth, regular in shape, and something over a foot in length ; Telegraph is long, smooth and slender, with a length of from sixteen to twenty inches ; Marquis of Lome is still larger, and is an excellent variety for one of its size. Duke of Edinburgh is another very long variety. In growing cucumbers under glass, the black plant louse and the spotted mite are quite troublesome, but they can readily be kept in check by syringing the plants with fir tree oil, or tobacco water. The plants are also suVjject to the attack of various fungous diseases, one of the most injurious of which is the powdery mildew. For diseases of tliis kind, evapo- rated sulphur will be found an excellent remedy. THE FORCING OF TOMATOES. The tomato flourisiies under about the same con- ditions as the cucumber, and may be grown in the same ;^()(l GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. house, with oooil results. Tf it is (h>siiv(l, two crops cmi be gTowu, one ripeuing in December iun\ tiie otlier in April. Kor tlie iirst eroj), tlie seed sbouUi be sown iu July, and tlie seedlings transphiiited into shallow boxes iu Auiiust ; about the tirst of Se})teuibei- tlu>v uiay be placed in four-inch pots, or again in Hats, and bv the tirst of October may receive their final transplant- ing. This can be into ten-inch pots, into beds similar to those used for cucumbers, or into deep boxes. If grown in pots or beds, the soil should be })repared in the same way as for cucumbers ; if boxes are used, they should be one foot deep and from ten to eighteen inches square, according to the number of plants grown in them. The large size with four plants will, perhaps, give best results. Unless a large crack has been left in the bottom of the box, several holes should be made, in order to provide thorough drainage. For commercial growing, the use of beds is preferable, with two rows of plants on side benches three to three and one-half feet wide; from eighteen to twenty inches each way will be right for wider beds. If a succession is desired, seeds may be sown at intervals of four weeks, and for the second main cro}) the sowing should be nuide about the first of December. When the plants are desired to follow the crop of let- tuce taken oif in February, the seeds may also be sown at that date. The same care will be required as for the seeds sown in August. The best temperature for the tomato for the first few weeks after jdanting is abont 55 degrees, but when established it should be raised to about (>5 degrees, and should not be allowed to fall below 00 degrees at night. During the day the temperature nuiy run up to 75 or 80 degrees, but ventilation should be given when it can be done without creating a draft or dr<>])]>iug the temperature below 05 or 70 degrees. If only a cool THE FORCING OF TOMATOES. 20' >■ > f H cj W > o O tr" w O 20S GREENHOUSE MANACtEMEXT. house is avtiilahlo for shirtin^ii- (lie jtlaiils, ji hotbed should be made for ilieiii. the same as for the encumber. As recommended for the cucumber, it is well to fill the pots or boxes only about half full at first, thus allow- ing of the application of a liberal amount of rich com- post, when needed TRAINING AND PRUNING. As soon as the plants start into growth after being finally transplanted, some arrangement should be made for supporting them. They may be tied to stakes (Fig. 70) with raffia, or, which is perhaps a better method, to vertical snpports of linen twine. If a stent wire is rnn along the rafters over each row of plants, the twine can be fastened to it as a support, while the lower end can be held in place by a stake, inserted near the plants, or it can be tied to the plant near the ground. Others use trellises similar to those described for the cncnmber. If early fruits are desired, the vines should be trained to simple shoots, and all snckers that form in the axils should be rubbed out as soon as they show themselves. At the hight of six feet, the growth of the main shoot should be sto])ped. If the growth is so rank as to shade the plants, some of the larger leaves should be pinched off, but if they have plenty of light and air, the leaves should all be allowed to develop, unless they become diseased, when they should be removed and burned. AVhen the crop is not particularly needed as an early one, two or three shoots maybe trained from eacli plmt, if desired. In either case, the method of ])runing and training is the same, and the shoots should be tied at frequent intervals, to hold them in place. If tiie plants have been set about twenty inches apart each way (from eighteen to twenty-four according to the variety), the pruning recommended above will be ample. For the winter and early spring crops, artificial fer- tilization of the blossoms is very desirable. At the VARIETIES. . 2(l9 i'lmv the pollen is shed, the liousc should he kept quite warm and the atmosphere dry. By geutly shaking or tapi)ing the blossom shoots, the ])o]len will be scattered to some extent, but larger and more regular fruits will be obtained if the flowers are artificially cross-fertilized. Perhaps the easiest way of doing this is to take pollen, obtained from flowers collected the previous summer and dried, upon a small paddle and touch it to the stigmas of the flowers. Bees may also be used for fer- tilizing this cro[). As the fruits develop, if large vari- eties are grown, it will pay to support the clusters by means of slings of raffia. From the i)lants started about the first of August, fruit should be obtained in Novem- ber, and from three to four months will be required by the spring crop after the seed is sown. VARIETIES. In selecting varieties for forcing, the very early angular sorts should not be chosen, as, when forced, they are very small and irregular ; neither should the very large, rough sorts be used, as they will be more irregular than when grown in the open air. The Beauty is one of the best of the purple sorts, and Ignotum and Volunteer, of the red kinds, answer well for the spring crop, but as an early winter variety, the Advance, or Lorillard, should l)e used. Nicholson is also well adapted to winter forcing. From two to five pounds per phuit, according to the season, would be a fair crop, and the wholesale price will vary from ten cents per pound in May, to forty or fifty in January, and at this rate will be quite remunerative. GEN'ERAL RULES. To obtain the best results in forcing tomatoes dur- ing the winter months: (1.) The house must be built so as to afford the plants as much sunlight as possible ; it should have a space of at least six feet above the tables, 14 210 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. and tlie heating apparatus sliould be ample to keep the Iiouse at CO dogr(>es during the coldest weather. (2.) The phints sliould be of forcing varieties and should never be subjected to a check for want of food, water, air, or warmth, or from an excess of any of these. (3.) In watering, use enough water to moisten the entire soil, and tlien withhold until the plant shows signs of need- ing more. When the plants are small, and at other times when the fruit is not setting, syringe the plants on FIG. 77. GROWING MUSHU(JOMS t).\ (iUElCNHOl'SE HENCHES. bright da3^s and keep the walks wet down. Whenever fruit is setting, the house should be kept warm and dry. The atmosphere can be deprived of much of its moisture by ventilating during the warm part of the day. The red spider is one of the w^orst enemies in the tomato forcing-house, but the above treatment will keep it in check. If the soil is kept too wet, the develop- ment of nematodes or eel worms upon the roots is invited and they frequently rot off. The stems and foliage are also attacked by various bacterial and fun- MUSHROOM CULTURE. 211 gous diseases. They are induced by overwatering, or ventilating, and by syringing the phints upon dull days and late in the day, when tlie moisture remains a long time upon the foliage. When fungi of any kind appear, the diseased portion should be burned and the plants syringed with ammoniated copper carbonate, or copper suli^hate solution. MELONS. During the early summer, vegetable houses can often be used for forcing melons, with profit. They should be started in March, and grown in four-inch pots until the lettuce or other crop is taken off in April. The care is the same as for the cucumber. Hackensack is one of the best sorts for the puri)ose. CHAPTER XV. MUSHROOM CULTURE. It often happens that in greenhouses there is no occasion for using the space beneath the benches for ordinary greenhouse croj^s, and many florists have found in the mushroom a crop that can be grown at a slight extra expense of labor and material, and if a good yield is obtained the proceeds may more than equal those from the plants grown on the bench itself. If any of the tables are not to be used until spring, a mushroom bed can also be made upon them, and the crop can be har- vested before the bench is needed. The best results are obtained at temperatures of from 55 to 60 degrees, and this is secured in the average green- house. When houses are run at a slightly lower tem- perature, a larger amount of heating material can be 212 GKEENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. used, and if the sides of the table are closed in, the tem- perature can be kept at tbe desired point. The great trouble in growing mushrooms under the benches is in the soaking of the bed by the drip, but when the plants on the benches are planted out, there will be less drip than when grown in ])ots, ami with care in watering, no harm need be done. If drip cannot be prevented in PREPARATION' UF THE MATERIAL. 213 any other manner, it can be kept from the mushnjom bed by placing spare shutters or glass sash over the bed, at an angle so that the water will be carried away. Fig. 77 illustrates the use of spare benches in the greenhouse, for mushroom growing, while Fig. 78 shows the results that may be obtained under the benches. In growing the niushroom, quite a quantity of manure is required, and it is considerable labor to pre- pare it and to make the bed, but as the manure, after being used to grow the mushroom, is worth as much as before for many greenhouse crops, the labor of prei)ara- tion only can be charged to the mushrooms. Mush- rooms are usually grown in cellars, where the heat and moisture can be controlled, but they can even be grown successfully in open sheds during the fall, and in Eng- land tliey are very largely grown in the open air. When grown in hothouses, the thing to avoid is an excess of heat, which would destroy the bed, but in the ordinary rose houses, or those of a still lower temperature, they can be grown without difficulty. PREPARATION OF THE MATERIAL. For the growing of mushrooms, fresh horse manure is necessary, and if this is carefully prepared, if the spawn is good and if the proper conditions are given, mushrooms are (piite a sure crop. For this purpose, the horses should be fed on hay and grain and not on roots, as they injure the manure for mushroom beds. It has been recommended by some, that all straw be shaken out and only the clean droppings used, but while it is not dosiral)le to use the clean straw from the bedding, if it is urine-soaked it may be used to advantage to the extent of at least one- half. Manure that has been made for several weeks, if it has not become ''fire-fanged," can be used, and, in fact, it is better to use manure that has been well j)acked down in a pile for a montli, even, than to take manure as made in small \v tiu* surfjuv has fal- len to iH> iloii'nvs, Whon brioks luv uj^ovI, thov sluuild Went into twelve lU" tifioon pieoes, and inserieil in thi> Inni at iuter\als of ton lo iwolvo inohos. jii> that ihov will Ih' ov^veivd fullv an iuoh. Tho tlako spawn should Ih^ instn'ted in about iho s^uuo wav. using alnuit ono-half as nuioli. If grown in a oool plai'o. or if thoro is danger from moist\uv, it is well tooovorlho bod. after spawning, with two or three iuohos v>f litter, if it is not to bo nuddod at onee. By molding is nieant» eovering the bod with loam to the de}Uh of about lwi> iuohos. This oau bo done imnieiliaielv .after spawning, but unless the ovuulitions are partieularlv favorable, it will be jjafer to dola\ it until from the tifth to tho tiM\th vlav. \ot it should not be \n\l o\X after tho twelfth dav from sp.awniug. Tho loam used for this pnrpv^so should bo abiuit the same as for pivpariug tho bed. Sod frv>m an i>ld pasture, ganlou soil or sandv loam, will answer, but any soil oontaining uuioh olay or a ovuisidentblo ipuintity of sand should bo rejeetod. All elods and eoarso nuittu-ial of all kii\ds sliould be thrown out. and it should then be plaootl over all exposed parts of the bod, to tho depth o( from i>no and ono-half to two iuohos, and tirmlv piU'Koil di>wn. partioularl\ on tho edges o( tho bods. OAKt: or iMir t^KO. The best results are obtained w Iumi tho bods are in an atmospheiv of about oS degrees; this oau vary four or five degrees eaeh way, but if niisod alnno (>o dogioos a failure may bo expoetod. (hi tht^ other htnul. thi> tem^Hniituiv of tho air may fall sovoral dogroos below tho fi^EVzing point, but if tho Invl is oioorod with si>voral iuohos of litter, and tho heat is ko[>t in by nuvms of mats WATKRIN'O rUE BEDi^, 221 arjd blankolH, no Ijurm will bo done. For all t^^mpera- turc'H under 4o iUtiirintn, covering hIjouM not be nejrleeted. In warm roornn, and after the air beeonieH warm in Hum- mer, tlie muhli rooms will be Jigbt and with long Bpin- dling gtemH, while the bed will Boon be exhausted. When kept at 05 to 58 degrees, tlje mushroomn will appear in seven or eight weeks, a^;cording to the warmth of the bed, after HpawTiing, while at 00 degrees, it may not be much over six weeks, but the crojj will not last. WATERING iJfi: liEDS. When properly prepared, especially if the bed is in a cellar, or in a shaded house, watering should not Ix; necessary, but when artificial heat is used the beds quickly dry out, and should be watered, if the mush- rooms have begun to form. The water should be at 90 \() 100 degrees, and should be used in sufficient quantity to wet down the mulch. If clean, soft water is used, it may touch the small muHhrooms without injuring them, and may be used in suflicient quantity to moisten the covering soil, but it nhould not ramU the, manure. As soon as th(.' rmi-hroonjs Jire up, liquid njanui-e or fresh urine may be used with good effect. If the air is not dried out by the heating f)ipes, a sufficient degree of moisture can be maintairjcd by sprinkling the walks. Wafer should never be used at tlie time the spawn is beginning to run, as it may ruin the bed. rjATFTKHryr; the crop. In England, where muslirooms are so commonly grown, they are distinguished according to their devel- opment, as ''buttons," "cups" and ''broilers." The "buttons" are the mushrooms gathered while quite small, and before the "veil," or the membrane which connects the cu]> with the stem, bursts ; they are always .^' T^ G Ri: !• X 1 1 ( ) r S I-: Ar A X A ( ^ !■ M K T^T. i;:illiorod at this st;ii;v ^\hcu uschI for soups, ;nul if i;r()\vii froiu Kiviu'Ii spawn, Tlio English musliroonis, if to ho usotl for olhor ])urp()sos ilian in soups, may ho gathorod just aftor tlio frill hroaks, whon I hoy aro kiu)\vn as onps, or mav ho loft unlil llio ou})s hogin to opon out Hat, wiion tluMr nso is indioatod hy tho iianu^ tliat has hoou givon thoni, hroilors. Care shouUl bo takon to gathor thoni hoforo tlie gills turn hi-own, as thoy will lose thoir flavor and become tough and loathory. While broilers weigh con- siderably nu)re than oups or buttons, they do not bring- as muoh ])or pound, and as the bod will be exhausted muoh sooiuM- whon thoy are allowotl to develop than if l)iokod before tho frill breaks, it is not always profitable to grow them to tho largest size. The oup is the size most generally marketed, and they are gathered by giv- ing them a sharp twist and ])ull, and placing in baskets with the stems down. Pulling will he found jiroforablo to cutting, as none of tho I'rop will then bo wastciband tho mushrooms will keep fresh longer than if the stems are cut otY. When mushrooms are gathered, it is best- to take all that will answer, and the picking should be at frocpuMit intervals, that none may become too old. In pai'king tho mushrooms, they should first be sorted into throe sizes, and after removing all dirt with a soft brush, pack them carefully in the boxes or baskets provided for the pur[)ose. If to be sout any distance, a shallow, wooden box will bo desirable, but for local nuirkets, lio:ht has- kets holding from one to ten pounds, aooording to the wants of tho custonuM's, may be used. The mushrooms should bo packed (]uito tirndy, and if mow than two layers aro })laced in the jiaokagos, they should bo separated by soft paper, (^uo-pouiul pac>kagos are most O(uumouly used. A well-made mushroom hod will remain in bearing about til roe mcmths. and although if ko}>t at too low a A NKW MI'SHIiOOM. 2'Z'\ IcnijX'riil iiiv' i( m;iy cojitiniK! io y\c\i\ a crop for five oi" six riioiiUis, tlic loliil \\i'\*^\\\, will ho no riKjro tljiin in the firsl; cjiHo. The spawn (;iin prodiuM; uboui ho many mush- roorriK and will kcf^p on, over a |)orioro lioat than »nir ooiuu\on nuislu'vHMu, it also iiooils muoh uum'o nuusturo, ami maiiv o( tlio failiuvs tliai ha\o boon hum wiili i;i\nv- iuii' it can iivnorallv l>e triuod to tlio laok of t>no or ti\c other. As a rule, howovor, it has boon found ratlior irroguhir in boarin^-, but whon ouo learns its prv^por oaro. it isoortaiulv proniisiug- as a winior uiushrooni. and vorv valuable for sunuuer i:ri>\vini:\ Ouriui: the sunuuer a hotbed has been found to answer well for i:rv>\vini: this nuishroom (I'^K- '^^^• *'U;. SI. IHK NKW Ml SUKOOM y.ititirifUS siif>riirV.-:rt lis^ IN \ rol,l> KKAMK. After the bed is spawned siuue other erop niav be put in atul can be taken otT before the uiushrooiu will appear. .\ eillAr MlSHKOONl HOI SK. ^Fauv persons desire to arow niiishroouis who per- haps have uo oiveuhouse, or who have no plaee in it suitable for thoiu. Aside from the needed heating a[)pa- A CHEAP Ml'SIfliOOM HOf SK. ;>25 ratus, a Iiouhc tliat will anKwcj" for llio jiurpoHP oar) bo conKtrncted at a KMiall coM,. A coiivciiicril fojii) i- built about the name as a nar- row evon-Kpan groeiiljoiiHe, except that there is but little j(laHH in the roof and gables. Use posts about nine feet long, and having made an excavation three and one-half feet deep, twelve feet wide and of the desired length, set them around it aljout four feet apart, and so that they will be two feet in the ground. Double board upon the outside of the posts, and conjplete tiie gables and roof the same as if for a barn. A still cheajjer roof can be constructed b}' using boards covered with hay. A small sash every fifteen feet along the roof will give all the light needed to handle the crop. l^ank the excavated soil against the outside of the walls, up to the level of the plate. Constructed in this way there will be room for three beds, one above the other along each wall, with a three-foot walk in the center. The bottom tier of beds should be made on the floor, and if the others are placed thirty inches apart, it will give space for the making of the beds and caring for the crop. With the walls well banked, the necessary heat can be provided by four or five ojie and one-half-inch hot water pipes. If a house twenty feet wide is prefei'red, it should, in addition to the three tiers of beds along each side, have three or foui- beds six feet w^ide in a rack through the center of the house. la CHAPTER XVI. ASPARAGUS, RHUBAKB AXP CAIXIFLOWER. The foroiiii:: of the?o vogottiblos in tlio aivonboiise is becoming an important industry with many llorists, as nearly all the money obtained for them is elear gaii^ '. the space they occupy is luit likely to be used for otlier purposes and there is no outlay except a snuill anuuint foi- labor, and this is paid for several foki by the returns from the crops. ASPARAGUS FORCING. The plants used for forciui^ asparagus are fron\ old, out-of-door plantations, or they may be grown from seed to the age of three years, the seed being sown early in the spring in drills fifteen inches apart, upon rich and mod- erately heavy sandy loam. One pouiul of seed will be sutlicient for 200 feet of drill. As the seed is slow to germinate, it is well to sow with it a few radish seeds, which will soon a})pear and will mark the line of the drill so that cultivation can begin at once. The seeds should be covered one inch or slightly more, and the soil compacted. The seeds need good cultivation the first year, and the following spring can be planted out to develop strength. As they will remain only two years, they can be placed quite thickly, if the soil is well enriched. A space of two and one-half by one foot for each plant will answer, although a little more is desira- ble. Here they are grown for two seasons, and can be dug just before the ground freezes, and used for forcing purposes. kSIucc the sowing ()f the seed, a period of two ASPARAGUS FORCING. 227 years and six months lias ela[)secL I'lie })laiits can be forced in almost any place where a temperature of fifty or sixty degrees can be secured, bat the llorist will gen- erally utilize some of the space under his benches, or it may be he has a solid bed or even a raised bed for which he lias no use for a season. Tlie soil should be a rich, sandy loam with arrangements for thorough drainage. For early cutting, they can be planted at the time of digging, about the middle of November, while the bal- ance of the plants should be stored in a pit or cool cellar and brought in at intervals of four weeks, to give a suc- cession. The plants should be set from six to twelve inches apart, each way, according to their size, and should be well wet down. For the first ten days after setting, they should be kept rather cool (45 to 50 degrees) and given a chance to establish themselves. Afterward, the temperature should be raised to 55 or 00 degrees, and if still higher it will aid in the forcing proc- ess and should be given, if needed, for other plants. During the day it can be run up as high as 80 to 85 degrees. The asparagus will use a large amount of water, but unless it has had the chill taken off, and ample means for drainage provided, it can do far more harm than good. In sotting out the asparagus in the house, the crowns should be covered about an inch, except in localities where a blanched article is required, in which case, unless they can be shut in from the light, additional soil should be added. In about six weeks from the time of i^lanting, cutting can begin and will continue accord- ing to the temperature and the strength of the plants until they are exhausted. They can then be thrown out and the space filled with others. If care is taken to secure a succession, asparagus can be cut continually from Christ- mas until the field-grown article is offered in the s])ring. Aspanigus may also be grown in cold frames. The plants should be set about one foot each way, and at the 22S GREENHOUSE MA:N"AGEMENT. end of two years a crop may be taken. In tlie fall, put up the frame and fill it with horse manure, banking up against the outside of the frame with the same material. Cover Avith sash and shutters to keep out the frost. Early in March, remove the manure over the plants, wet down the beds thoroughly, and handle the same as any cold frame. V^^INTER RHUBARB. With but few changes, the directions given for the forcing of asparagus will apply to rhubarb. The drills should be somewhat further apart, and a pound of seed will be sufficient for 300 feet of drill. In setting the plants in the field, they will need at least three and one- half by two feet, while in the greenhouse they should have a space of from fifteen to eighteen inches square, and if the roots are very strong twenty-four by eighteen will be none too much. Nothing will be gained by set- ting the plants before Jan. 1, or until they have had a period of rest. After the stalks are half grown, liquid manure can be applied to advantage once or twice a week. If the soil is properly drained, the plants can use large quantities, but it should not be used too copiously unless the chill has been taken off from the water, other- wise the growth might be checked. The Linnaeus is an excellent forcing sort, but as with all other larae varie- ties, the crop will need to be harvested when about half grown, if the plants are placed as thickly as recom- mended above. The crown of the plant is quite tender and care must be taken, when gathering the stalks, not to break it off. For spring use, rhubarb may be grown in cold frames, the same as asparagus, except that the plants should be two or three feet apart each way. THE FORCING OF CAULIFLOWERS. While cauliflower is, to ;i considerable extent, forced in hotbeds for spring use, it has also come into popular THE FORCING OF CAULIFLOWERS. 229 favor as a winter vegetable. • It can be very easily raised and there is no reason why, with a good market, it may not be a paying crop. The seed of the first batch should be sown either in a flat or in a bed out of doors, about the first of Septem- ber. The seedlings will be of a suitable size to prick out into other flats in about three weeks and can be set in the beds by the middle of Octob:r. The soil and the beds should be about the same as for radishes, except that the cauliflower requires a rather more nitroge- nous soil. They should have about the same temperature as lettuce and radishes, and the rules given for the watering and ventilating for those crops will answer for the cauli- flower. The plants should be set about eighteen or twenty inches apart each way, and should be ready to market from the 18th to the 30th of January, according to the care they receive. Plants for a second crop should be sown about the first of November, and after having been pricked out and grown in a flat five or six weeks, they can be re-transplanted to other flats at four inches, or can be placed in four-inch pots to be grown until the first crop is out of the way, which sliould be by the early part of February. The plants at this time should be large and strong and will quickly make their growth, — perfecting marketable heads early in A[)riL As with all forced crops, the plants should never be checked, but should be so handled that they will make a regular growth from the time the seed is sown until the crop is harvested. If space is available a continuous succession of cauliflowers can be obtained for the table or market, by making a sowing every two weeks. The time allowed for the development of the heads does not allow them to reach full size, but when half grown they Avill bring nearly as much as if left two weeks longer, and it is best to cut them at the size of ;230 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. from four to six iiicliet^ in diameter, iis it allows the bed to be cleared for another crop. There is little differ- ence between a good strain of Snowball cauliflower and any of the better strains of Early J)w\arf Erfurt that are on the market under diii'erent names. CHAPTER XVII. RADISHES, CARROTS, BEETS AND BEANS. FORCING RADISHES. One of the first vegetables to be forced was the radish. and althongh it has perhaps held its own, there certainly has not been any marked increase in the amonnt raised for winter. The demand in the spring for liotbed and frame radishes has grown to large i)roportions. The crop can be easily raised in the winter, and there is no reason why the area of glass now devoted to it cannot readily be doubled. The crop succeeds well on either a well-drained, solid bed or a deep, raised bench, filled with from four to six inches of rich, light loam ; the greater depth should be used for the long-rooted varieties, Avhile the bed can be more easily regulated, and as good results can be obtained, if the soil is not over four inches deep for the turnip-rooted sorts. The seed should be sown in drills, varying from five to six inches ai^art, according to the variety, as some kinds have small foliage that will enable the plants to grow close together, while other forcing sorts will need at least six inches. If the seed has been tested and known to be good, it could be scat- tered in drills half an inch deep, at intervals of three- fourths of an inch. It would be better, however, as RADISHES, CARKOTS, BEETS AND BEANS. 231 some of the plant.-: miiy be destroyed, to i)lant the seeds somewhat closer, say at intervals of half an inch. The seeds should be covei-ed and the soil leveled off and l)ressed down. If the soil is moist, as it should be, one watering at the time of sowing will be all that is neces- sary until germination is completed. During their entire growth, radishes need thorough ventilation and the air. should be on at least for a short time each day, except in the most inclement weather. The night temperature should be about 50 degrees, with a minimum for best results of 45 degrees, althougli if it drops slightly below 40 degrees occasionally little harm will be done. With a full amount of air on, it will do no harm if on bright days the temperature of the house runs uj), with sun heat, to 70 or 75 degrees, but as a radish grows best in a cool temperature, nothing over 60 or 65 degrees should be given, except by sun heat. When the second rough leaf begins to form, the plants should be thinned out so as to leave a plant every one and one-half or two inches in the rows. AVhile the plants are small, only a small amount of water is used by them and care must be taken not to saturate the bed. Syringing will be helpful on bright mornings. The first sowing should be made about the first of October and to secure a succession should be repeated every three weeks. The principal enemy of the radish in the forcing house is the green aphis, which can be kept in check by fumigating with tobacco twice a week. With proper conditions for growth and a clean house, they seldom appear. For spring use, the radishes should be sown in hotbeds about the 1st and 15th of March and in a cold frame on the 15th of April, after which they can be grown in the open air. The best variety for winter forcing is a good strain of \Vhite-Tipi)ed Scarlet Turni]), Cardinal, Globe or Scar- let Globe, although the Scarlet Turnip and French 232 GREENHOUSE 3IANAGEMEKT. Breakfast are still much used. Twenty Day Forcing and similar kinds are very early, but as a rule the small size more than offsets this advantage. Long- Scarlet and AVood's Frame are among the best for hotbed and cold frame use. CARROTS. Carrots have not been largely grown in greenhouses, as they can readily be carried over winter from the pre- vious summer. They should be sown in the same way, and require about the same care, as the radish, when grown either in the forcing house or hotbed. In the latter place and in the frame they are grown to a con- siderable extent. The Early French Forcirg is the kind commonly used under glass. BEETS. This also is a profitable ci'op, either for the forcing house or hotbed. The best variety is the Eclipse, although the Egyptian is much used, as they are quick to develop and have small tops. The seed should be sown in drills twelve inches apart, and the plants should be thinned three or four inches in the rows when they have two leaves. A crop of lettuce or radishes can be grown between the rows and taken off before the beets need the room. If given a high temperature, the plants run to tops, hence the house should be kept at 45 or 50 degrees, and given free ventilation. FORCING BEANS. While grown extensively for the winter markets of London, and Paris, the bean has not come into much prominence as a forced crop in this country. It requires a temperature of from 65 to 70 degrees for its successful growth and to m;iintain tliis requires a largo consuni])- tion of fuel, so that the [H'oduct must bring a higli ])rieo to be remunerative. In connectioii with tomatoes or RADISHES, CARROTS, BEETS AND BEANS. 233 cucumbers, beans can, however, be grown as a catcli crop. They can be grown either in the beds or in pots. If in the latter, five or six beans are sown in a seven- or eight-inch pot, and are grown without shifting, using liquid manure after the roots have matted. If to be grown in the bed, they can be sown in drills one foot apart and three inches in the row, and should be thinned to stand about six by twelve inches, or they can be started by sowing three or four beans in a four-inch pot, and as soon as the first two leaves have formed and before they become pot-bound, transplant to the bed, placing them one foot square, first removing all but two plants ; in this wa\% the ground can be utilized to the best advantage and a succession can be maintained. During the growth of the plants, the air should be kept rather moist, to keep down the red spider, but water should not touch the foliage. When they are in flower, in order to set well they should have good venti- lation and the air must be kept rather dry. They can be aided in the fertilization of the ovules if they are hand pollinated. The 8ion House and Osborne Forcing are generally used for this purpose, although Golden Wax and other early wax sorts are well suited for winter forcing. CHAPTEE XVIII. GRAPE GROWING UlfDER GLASS. While the low price at which California grapes can he placed on onr markets has rendered the raising of grapes in greenhouses, as a commercial venture, decid- edly nnprofitahle, the vinerv is likely to remain a part of private greenhouse estahlish men ts, and as there is a dearth of literature upon the subject, a brief statement as to the proper methods to pursue is here appended. Writers upon this subject are generally very exact in their advice, but while much de])ends upon the char- acter of the soil, and the amount of moisture and heat furnished in a forcing grapery, this exact treatment is not so necessary in a cold grapery. In fact, grapes have been grown with success in greenhouses with but little, if any, more care than should be given the hardy grapes in the open air. It is desirable, however, that a well pre- pared bed or border be fui'uished tlu^n, particularly as grapes under proper conditions will live for many years. THE GHAPE BORDER. In choosing a soil for grapes, the heavy clay as well as the light, sandy loams sliould not be selected. If nothing better can be secured, the former may be used, as mixed with sand it will be made friable, but the light sandy loams are not lasting enough to be used as the base for the vine compost. If turf cm\ be obtained from an old pasture, that has a thick fibrous sod and a heavy sandy or light clay loam soil, it will be found to be well adapted for grape growing. This should be 234 GRAPE GROWING UNDER GLASS. 235 l)n)kcn up, and for every five yards of sod, about one yard of lime rubbish, a small quantity of cliarcoal, broken bricks and calcined oyster shells, should be added. It will also be well to add one hundred pounds of broken up bones. If this compost is prejmred in the fall and piled up so as to shed rain, it will be in shape to use the next spring, although if necessary it may be used at once. As a rule, if the soil is fairly rich, no manure should be applied with the compost, but it can be added as a top-dressing whenever needed. In case the best turf that can be obtained is thin and growing upon exhausted soil, cut it to the depth of two inches and mix it with equal parts of rich garden soil and half decomposed strawy manure. A Avell drained, deep, moderately rich garden soil will give good results with- out preparing any special border, if properly top-di-essed. As soon as the vines get to bearing, it is well to scrape oif the surface soil, if it can be done without destroying the roots, and add a comj^ost of equal jjarts of turf and stable manure. The vine border should be as wide as the roof that is to be covered, and may be entirely within the houses, or half inside and half outside, with the roots passing out through arches in the wall. The border should be about two feet deep, but it need not be made to its full width at the time of planting. If five or six feet wide, it will suffice for the first year, and additions can be made until, by the beginning of the fourth year, the full width has been reached. To ])rovide the necessary fertility for the vines, mineral fertilizers are desirable, as they i:)roduce a firm and healthy growth that is less likely to be injured by unfavorable conditions than the soft, watery growth obtained from stable manure. If one peck of wood ashes, two pounds of ground bone and one-half pound TM) GREEXHOUSE M A X \l^ KMENT. dL" iiitrjite ol' 8oda are used to one liumlrcHl sijuaiv feci of boidor, it will have an excellent eli'eet. In addition (o this application, an inch or so of linely rotted manure should be spread over the border, both to furnish food and to act as a mulch to i)revcnt evaporation from the surface. SELECTIXG THE PLAXTS. The best plants are grown from ejT cuttings, and should be planted when one year old. These will make a stronger start than layers from old i)lants, or than plants two or three years old. In selecting the varieties, the method in AVhich they are to be grown shouKl be considered. The tirst choice will always be Black Ham- burg, as this is easily grown and thrives in either a hot or cold viuery. As a rule, fully half of the vines should be of that variety, and for commercial purposes it will be as well, at least so far as the yield is concerned, if the other half are also of that sort. For a cool bouse, 20x20 feet, the following varieties, in numbers as indicated by the figures in parentheses, could be used : Black Hamburg (6), medium. (Fig. 83.) Royal Muscadine (2), white, early. Buckland Sweetwater (3). white, medium. AHcante (1). black, k^te. Rose Chasselas (1), red. early. White Frontignan (I), white, medium. Golden Hamburg (1), greenish yellow, medium. Muscat of Alexandria (1), amber, late. Lady Downier (1), black, late. A hot vinery of the same size could be filled with : Black Hamburg (5), black, medium. Royal IMuscadine (i), white, early. Muscat Hamburg (1), black, medium. Syrian (1), white, late. Muscat of Alexandria (1), amber, late. Lady Downer (1) black, late. Rose Chasselas (1), red. e*irly. Barbarossa (1), l)lack, late, large. rXKE THE FIRST SEASON. 23'7 Buckland Svvoctwnter (1), wliiio, medium. Grizzly Fronti^nan (1), dull red, medium. Alicante (1), black, late. Golden Hamburg (1), greenish yellow, medium. If the plants have been grown in pots, so that the roots have matted, the balls should be broken \\\k At any rate, the roots should be carefully spread out in an excavation about nine inches deep, and covered with fine soil, each row of roots being covered sefjarately. If the border is all inside the house, the plants should be placed about two feet from the wall, unless the heating pipes are next to the wall, when a distance of three or even four feet will be none too great; if part of the ])order is outside, they may be planted inside so that the roots can run out through the arch, or they may be planted outside, and brought in tlirough the opening, at a a depth of five or six inclies below the surface of the b(>rd('r. About the first of May is a good time to plant the vines, although the time might be varied two or three weeks either way, depending upon the conditions in which the vines have been kept. The proper time to ])lant is after the buds begin to swell and before they burst. The custom is to jdant the vines about three feet apart, although some prefer a greater distance. CARE THE FIRST SEASOIN^. As soon as the vines are planted, they should be cut oack to a strong bud within a foot of the ground, and a single shoot from this should be trained to the trellis, rubbing otf all side shoots that form on the lower half of the rafter, but after it has reached a hight of six or eight feet it may develop at will. This wil.l enlarge the leaf surface and will make the lower portion of the stem much stronger than if the vine was only allowed to develop at the tip. Many growers advise glazing the roof of the gra- peries, so as to leave half-inch cracks between the panes, 238 GREENHOUSE MAKAGEMENT. thus providing for ventilation and watering, as a suffi- cient amount of fresii air and rain for this purpose can enter through the openings. In this way, tlie graj)es can be grown with much less care than in tight houses, and good results are often obtained in favorable seasons. On the otlier hand, if the summer is cold and wet, far *^ i*'^ ^w^f^-im ^ >''% J P hi^ mk FI«. 82. BLACK HAMHUHi} CRAPES. better returns will be received if the house is so arranged tlnit the amount of ventilation and water can be regu- lated to suit the conditions. In a cold grapery, the ventilation should be grad- ually increased, as the weather wnrms up, and after the middle of June the ventilators can be left wide open at night until the first of September, except in cold, wet TRAILING AND PRUNTKa THE SECOND SEASON. 239 weather, when they may he pF>rtly closed. Less ventila- tion should he given in a hot vinery, and the house should he closed at night and opened during the day, when it can be done without droi)ping the temperature below seventy degrees. TRAINING AND PRUNING THE SECOND SEASON. A vine that has been planted out one year and that has been trained as directed, should be cut back, a montli or so after the leaves have fallen, leavhig a stem from four to six feet long, according to the strength of the vine (Fig. 83). From this, a strong bud should be allowed to develop a leader, to extend the vine up the rafter, which should be treated in the same way as the leading shoot of the first year. All side buds should be rubbed olf as they sta,rt, below the bottom of the rafter. If the vines are very strong, a few of the stronger side shoots, if grapes set upon them, may be allowed to ripen one bunch each. These laterals should be pinched off when they reach a length of twelve to fifteen inches. The simplest and one of the most satisfactory forms of trellis is made of No. 12 galvanized wire, stretched about one foot apart and fifteen inches from the glass. Another method of training the vines, if they are strong, and of obtaining a little fruit the second season, is by layering the vine in a ten-inch pot four or five feet up the* cane. This shoot may be allowed to set a few bunches, and the stem below will make about as good a growth as if it had not been layered. After ripening the grapes, the layer may be cut off at the lower end of the rafter, and may be used for planting out, or as a pot plant, while the main stem will be in good shape for its third season's growth. A third and very good method of pruning the vine after being ])lanted out one year, especially if its gTihvth has not been strong, is to cut the cane back' to thcv hot- 240 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. I'RIJNINO AND TRATNTNO THE TlTllll) SEASON. 241 (ojii of llie ruficr, and Irjiiu IIk; same as ilio iirsi year, riil)l)iii<^" out' all shouts iliat break I'or six I'eefc above tlie rafter. PKUNINO AND TRAINING THE THJKD SEASON. The vines should he cut hack at tlie same time as tlie previous year, leaving about six I'eet of the nuiin cane above the ))ottom of the rafters, or, if the cane was allowed to grow as first described, ten feet may be left. Tlie buds upon this shoot should break into strong lat- erals, upon vvhicli the fruit is borne. Not over two buuches should be allowed, even upon the strongest shoots, and the latenils should he pinched after one or two leaves beyond the last bunch have formed. A lead- ing shoot should be trained from the strong bud at the up])er end of the main stem, from which all lateral shoots should be rubbed. AVhen growth is over in the autumn and the leaves have fallen, the vines should })e cut back for the fourth season. The laterals should be cut back to one bud and the leaves should be cut so as to allow about five feet of the stem to extend u\) the rafter. This is known as the spur system of ])i-uiiing, and after the leader has reached the end of the lafter it merely consists in cutting the laterals back to one bud. SUMMER PTNciriNrx, disbuddinCt and thinninci. As soon as the buds break, all extra shoots should be rubbed out, and during the season the vines should be frequently examined and all superfluous shoots removed. As a rule, if large bunches are desired, only one should bo left upon a spur, although two may be grown upon strong shoots. Each year, as soon as the fruit has set, the shoot should be i)inched off, leaving one leaf beyond the last bunch, and if laterals start, they should be rubbed off. Not only should the surplus shoots and bunches be removed, but if large berries are desired the bunches themselves should be thinned out. 10 'M:l GREENirorSR MANAGEMENT. . When tlie grapes are al)out. tlie size of peas, tlie eenter of tlie buiR'hes eaii be cut out with scissors, and when those on the outside have set in clusters of three, one or two of the berries can also be reniovei]. In forming the spurs upon the sides of the main shoots, it sometimes is necessary to remove some of the shoots that start. As a rule, the laterals should not be nearer than twelve or fifteen inches, and sometimes a distance even greater than tliis is desirable. The length to which the laterals may be allowed to grow before they are pinclied in, is determined by the distance at which the vines are planted. If placed three feet apart, the laterals will interlace at eighteen or twenty inches and should be pinclied back at the point of meeting. All superliuous bundles, and all tendrils at the same nodes with the remaining bunches, should be removed at the same time. While it is desirable to pinch in some shoots and thin out others, to i)revent the vines from becoming too thick upon the trellises, on tlie other hand, great harm can be done by thinning too much, as the leaves are the assimilating organs of the jilaut, and, np to the capacity of the plant and the trellis, the greater the amount of leaf surface, the greater will be the growth. WATERING AND SYRINGING. Grapes thrive best in a warm, moist atmosphere, which not only tends to keep the i-ed spider in check, but promotes the growth of the ])lants. A proper degree of moisture should always be maintained in the border by watering wlienever it shows signs of being dry, and in the air by wetting walks and syringing the plants. Syringing is particularly desirable at the time the vines are breaking, ami on bright days should be performed two or three times, until the slioots have started and the flowers are opening, but it should then be discontinued, TEMPERATURE AND VENTILATION. 243 as the polliiuition is more perfect if the air is warm and dry. Fertilization is aided by giving the vines a thor- ough jarring. The i)ollen is generally shed in greatest abundance by the anthers during the forenoon of bright days, and its distribution can be assisted by giving thor- ough ventilation, which will remove all surplus moisture from the air. As the bunches develop, the air should be kept moist by the free use of water upon the border, etc., but syringing the foliage at this time is not to l)e recom- mended, particularly with bearing vines. During the ripening period the air should again be dry, and water should be very s})aringly used. TEMPERATURE AND VENTILATION. Ventilation is not only for the puri)Ose of regulat- ing the temperature of tlie houses during the day, but it serves to admit fresh air and also, to some extent, con- trols the moisture in the air. The air should be admitted on bright mornings as soon as the sun is well up, and the amount of ventilation sliould be gradually increased as the season advances. In i)leasant weatlier, the ventilators may remain open at night, but, although grapes have been grown with success in houses where the ventilators are opened in the spring and not closed until fall, it is better to regulate them according to the weather, and in cold, wet spells, such as occur fre- quently, the houses will be better off if closed. In the hot vinery, although the house should be opened to admit fresh air, the amount of ventilation desirable is considerably less than in cool graperies. When first started, the hot graperies should be given a temperature of about 50 degrees at night, with from 65 to 70 degrees during the day. This should be raised in three or four weeks to 60 degrees at night, and it may be 75 to 80 degress, or even more, during the day. On ^W GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. briglifc clays in the s})ring, air may be given for three or four hours during the middle of the day, but it is well to close up early, in order that the heat from the sun may be trapped, and used to warm up the houses for the night. FORCING GRAPES. This term is now used in reference to several oper- ations. In a strict sense, it applies to the starting of the yines by the aid of artificial heat, at any time from December to February or March, with the object of securing fruit in advance of the main crop. Forcing is also necessary with varieties that will not ripen without artificial heat, which may be used to start them earlier than would otherwise be possible, or it may be used to ripen them in the fall, or both. Another use of the hot vinery is to grow varieties that require a rather higher temperature than is afforded by our climate. If vines are to be used for early forcing, they must be brought into this habit gradually, and by starting them one year by the first of March it will be possible to start them a fcvV weeks earlier the next year, and by continuing this, the time at which they can be started will be carried back to January, or even December. It will take about five months for the early varieties to be brought to maturity in the forcing house. Firing may begin about the first of March in the hot vinery, for the main crop, and should be regulated to give about the same temperature as in the forcing grapery proper. At the time the fruit sets, and as it ripens, rather more heat will be required, in order that ventilation may be given. If the season is cold and wet, the fire heat will do much to hasten the growth. KEEPING THE FRUIT. When thoroughly ripened, the fruit of some vari- eties will hang on the vines for a long time. By main- taining a temperature of about 45 degrees, and securing a dry atmosphere by thorough ventilation, some of the CARE OV THE V1:N^ES IN WINTER. 24:0 thick skinned sorts can be kept nntil March. An easier method, however, and one by which the grapes can be kept considerably later, is by cutting off the bunches with six or eight inches of cane attached, and placing the end of the shoot in a bottle of water; the bottles can be arranged in racks, in a dry, dark room, where the temperature is kept at 40 degrees, and where a close, dry atmosphere can be maintained. In this way there will be no trouble about keeping them fully a month longer than would be possible if kept upon the vines. CARE OF THE TINES IN WINTER. After the leaves have fallen, the vines should be pruned and prepared for winter. In the cold grapery, they should be laid down close to the wall, where they may be covered with sand or loam, or wrapped in mats. During bright days the house should be ventilated. If proper care is given to ventilation during the day, the hot vinery can be used for growing crops during the winter that need 45 degrees as a maximum temperature. The vines can be laid close to the wall and shut away from the interior of the house, by means of wooden shutters. Before they are taken out, if the interior of the house is sprayed with a solution of sixty grains of corrosive sublimate, or of copper sulphate, to one gallon of water, the spores and germs of the various diseases of the vine will be destroyed. It is also well to annually whitewash all of the brick and stone walls. PROPAGATION. Having obtained a stock of plants, it is frequently desirable to increase them, which can readily be done, either from eyes or short cuttings. Strong, well-ripened shoots, with large but firm buds, should be selected when the vines are pruned, and for eye cuttings (Fig. 84) make them into ])ieces one and one-half inches long, with a bud in the center, and after removing a shaving r.ur> GREEN llorsH MANAGEMENT. of wood from tlic iimlorsi(l(\ ])lac'0 tliom in iljc cuiliiig 1)0X08. Those should bo Jibout throo iiiohos doop and have about two iuohos of rich pottiuu: soil in tbo bottom. Upon this i)hK'o tlio cuttino-8, with (ho ovos up, and soatlor on sand until tho oyos havo boon oovorod about half an inoh. Koop thoni niodoratoly oool nntil Jan- FU;. S4. KYK(HTTINH! OK UKAPK. rui. 85. isiioirr ( I TTiKO. OF tJKAl'K. uarv, ^vhon thov should bo givon bottom boat, in a cool ])ropaiialini^- houso. Caro should bo givon in watoriui^ not to saturalo tho soil: and to losson tho amount of ovapo- ratiou il may bo woU tt) oovor the sand with a thin layer of sifted s})haonnm as a muloh. Tho short cnttin*2:s (Fig. ^^">) are made in much tho same way. o\oo}>t that tho stem is out olf just above the bud and about an inoh and one-half below it, making a cutting about two inches long. After removing a shav- ing of wood from (he Iowcm" end, (hey are inserted verti- cally in the cutting boxes, wliieh should contain three inehes of shar]) sand. As soon as roots have formed, (ho cuttings should bo })ottod olf and i)]unged in a mild l)()t(oui heat. Hy repotting as needed, j)lants can bo grown (o a bight of two and one-half feet by the middle of Juno, when, if oarofully ])lanted in (he border, they will do oipially as well as yearling i)hints. If not needed as pennanont plants, they will be excellent for use as pot plants. Layering may also be resorted to. rOT PLANTS. If well grown, (he plants will be large enough to furnish fruit the following year, but, as a rule, they are cut back, repotted and grown for tho second year before they are allowed to fruit. When at a fruiting size, they should be cut back to eight or ton buds and plunged iu i'OT r LA NTS. 247 a luirrow, ]()W lioii.so, ulioiit tlic iirrio the pormanoni vines tiro Ktartcd. The vines may bo iiainod to vviro troilisoH, or tliroo or four stakos may bo placed in a pot around th(; odgoH, and tlio vino arranged in a spiral form iu'oiind thorn. 'I'h{,' jjots sliould bo mulohod witli Jiall'-doconi- j)OH(;d manure, and after the fruit has set, liquid manure should be used freely. Tlio same general ]'ules as to j)inehing, watering, ventilating, etc., iipl>ly liore, as with vinos j)ermanontly planted. If one does not have the means to erect a span roof, or oven a lean-to grapery of the usual width, very good results can bo obtained against the south side of a wall or fence, by erecting a wall about two feet high and tlir(;o foot from the back wall, upon which conmion hot- bed snsh is j)laced upon end and leaning against tlio back wall. If a wooden framework eighteen inches wide is built out from the hack wall to receive the sash, it will inci-oase the size of the house and provide for top ventilation, The most troublesome insect in the grapery is the red spider, which can be kej)t in check by syringing. Jf either of the mildews apjx^ar in a gra])ory, an ap[)li- ciilion of the co))pei' sulphate solution, or ammoniated copper carhonate, should be used (.Sec Chapter on Insects aiul Discjisos), or, if it is the powdery form, evaporated sulphur will be found ellectual. CHArTER XIX. STKAWBEKKY GROWIi^G UNDER GLASS. When iirojierly handled, few greenhouse crops will afford more interest and pleasure to the amateur, or more profit to the commercial grower, than the straw- berry when grown as a winter crop under ghiss. The requirements are a well-lighted house, in which a tem- perature of 65 degrees can be maintained during Feb- ruary and March, and where the i)lants can be placed near the glass. The plants should be obtained from phxntations set early in the spring previous, or in July or August of the year before and not allowed to fruit, by layering the first runners that form in July, in two and one-half or three- inch pots that have been plunged near them. Unless the soil is a rich, sandy loam, the ])ots should be filled with good compost. In about two weeks the pots will be occupied by roots, and the phmts should then be repotted into four-inch pots and j)laced in a cold frame. Here they should be kept during the fall, requiring careful attention in watering, and being repotted to five- inch and again to six-inch pots, which should be the fruit- ing size, as soon as the smaller sizes have become filled with roots. If, at any time, leaf l)light or any other fungous disease appears upon them, the ])lants should be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. In order to foi'co successfully, the ])lants must form strong crowns and harden them before winter comes on. As freezing weatlier a])i)roaches, the frames sh(mld be covered with glass, to i)revent the breaking of the ])ots 248 STRAWBERRY GROWIi^G UNDER GLASS. 249 250 GKEEI^HOUSE MANAGEMENT. by frost. Plunging the pots in stind or coal iishes will also be desirable on the same account. The plants should be kejjt in the frame until about the first of Jan- uary, after which short rest they can be brought into heat. If a succession is desired, only a 2)art of the plants should be started at first and these should be placed in a room where a temperature of 4u to 45 degrees can be maintained at night, with thorough ventilation during the day. All dead and diseased leaves should be removed and the plants sprayed with a one to one FIG. 87. THE CKOP GATHERED. thousand solution (one ounce to eight gallons of water) of copper sulphate, to destroy all spores of fungi. Other lots should be brought in at intervals of two to four weeks. In five or six weeks after growth starts, the plants will blossom and they should then be transferred to a warmer room, or the temperature must be raised to 65 or 70 degrees at night. The pollen will be shed most freely in a warm, dry room and these conditions must STRAWBERRY GROWING UNDER GLASS. 251 be secured in order to have the flowers ])roperiy ferti- lized. Tiie pollen will, however, need to be trtmsl'erred b}' liund from the stamens to the pistils, and it can be done best by means of a small caniei's-hair brush, at the same time carrying along any siirpkis i)ollen that may be found, on a small spoon or wooden paddle. Care must be taken that pollen is conveyed to every jHstil, or the fruits will be irregular in form. The pollinating should be repeated every pleasant morning. As soon as FIG. 88. FRUITIXr; STRAWP.KKRY PLANTS, CCKNELL EXPERIMENT STATION. the fruit has set, the application of liquid manure should commence, and should be repeated two or three times a week until the fruits begin to color. If moi'e than eight or ten fruits set upon a plant, the smaller and imperfect ones should be removed. The plants should never be allowed to suffer for want of water, and occasionally on warm, bright mornings the foliage should be syringed, but this is not advisable while the plants are in blossom, or after the fruit begins 252 GREENnOUSE MANAGEMENT. to color. Ill oi'dor lo koop llii^' IViiil from flic (liii>i|) Huil, where it will Ix^ likt'ly to rot, .some sii|)|).>ii iiiiisl \)v pro- vided. Mr. IIiiiiii, of I he ('Onu'II Experiment Siatioii, wlio liiis been (|uite sueeessfnl in I'oreini;" stra.\v])erries, is well j)lea8ed with cork chi23S, and with fine netting l)hiced npon the pots, as seen in Fii^-. 8(3. Jn ahont a month from the time the frnit sets, the berries will be- gin to ripen, and in ten days to two weeks the jdants may be tiirown out and rei)la('('d with others, wdiicb will need the same care, cxce[>l that less attention need be paid to pollinating" the flowers. The red spider and aphis may be troublesome, unless ])i()})er remedies are used. The variety selected will have much to do with the results secui'cd. For the best success, it should be an early sort, with rather short j)etioles and small leaves, that is little subject to disease. Unless other perfect flowering plants are grown to provide pollen for them, ])istillate sorts should not be selected, although other- wise many of tiie im})erfect-flowered varieties arc well a,da])ted for forcing. The J5ed(>r Wood, a perfect-flow- ered variety, is one of the best, its |)rinci})al fault, being the light color of the fi-uir. Among tlu^ later sorts Sliarpless and ]*ark(M' Kark^ are well adapted for forcing. Although the results will be less satisfactory, fruit may be obtained four or five weeks earlier, by sliortening the period of rest. in a good market, well-grown fruit (Fig. 87) will bring from two to four dollars ])er quart in February, and not over a dozen plants, which in six-inch pots will not occupy more than three or four square feet, will be reciuired to furnish them, and they will not occupy the houses more than ten or twelve weeks. There is also a call for the plants, while in fruit, at prices that will be (piite remunerative. A well-grown plant with a crop of fine fruit, as seen in Fig. 88, is a handsome ornament for a table. CHAPTER XX. FRUIT TREES UI^DER GLASS. In many sections of the country the climate is not adapted to the growing of such fruits as the peach, apri- cot and nectarine in the open air, and although these fruits can generally be obtained in the market in their season, as a rule the varieties are not of the best quality from the fact that the most desirable varieties, so far as quality is concerned, are generally lacking in hardiness and are consequently unproductive when grown in the open air. On this account there seems to be a growing interest in orchard houses and in the forcing of fruit under glass. While a cheap lean-to house built against a wall will give good results, the form best adapted to the pur- pose is the even-span. If the expense can be afforded, the curvilinear roof is desirable, as it gives more room for the growth of the trees. While good results can be obtained without fire heat, it will be necessary if the fruit is to be forced, and may save a crop if the weather is cold or wet at the time the trees are in blossom, or while the fruit is setting, as a check at that time may prevent the setting of the fruit. Ample ventilation should be provided at the ridge and will be desirable in the side walls, that a good circulation of air may be procured. The trees may be grown either in pots or tubs, or planted out in borders in the house. The former is desirable from the fact that the trees being portable can be placed close together during the winter, and the con- 254 GREENHOUSE MAKAGEMENT. ditioiis ciiu be controlled better, l)ut on iJie oilier hand there is tlie disiidviinta' A POT. will re(iuire somewhat larger sizes FKUIT TREKS UN I) Mil GLASS. ^55 cliiy, while IJio clierry aiid pcjicli I rccs will do host in a sjiiidy loMiii s.)il. When lirsl, policd, nboiit oiu^ pjirt of (U'coMiposcd lua-niii'c^ to livo parts of soil will he siillicient, hut for ropotXini;' and top-drossin^' the a.iuoiiid of inaiiiiro can he douhled. It will also he well to add for each hiishel of soil a, four-inch iK)t each of ground hoiH^ and wood ashes. 'IMie repotting s ho u 1 d he done after the growth has ripened in the fall, hut if the roots have not hecionic niat-teil it. will not he necessary each year, as it will often sultice if the sur- face soil is I'einovc^ and a top-dressing added. When thelmds hegin to swc^ll in the s})ri ng, the trees should he syringed on hright nioiai- ings, hut they should he kept rather close and dry while they are fig. 9o. KAKLYTKA>fspAi:KNTGA«K FKinT- m h I OS so m, and particnlar care shonld he taken that they are not checked in their gvo^vth from a,ny cause nntil after tlie fruit has hegun to swell. After this time the trees should he syringed in the morning and again in the aJ'ter- /^-)() GKKHNirorSK MANAOKMKXT. noon of bright (lays. AfUT Iho seeds begin to fonii it will be well to eiilier lop-di'ess iUv. ])hints witli horse ur sheej) manure or to ci|)])ly liijuid manure. 11' the ei'op set is a hirge one, the surj)his fruits sliould be removed. The distance at wliieh tliey shouhl be k'ft will de])end both on tlie growth of the plant and the number of fruits ui)on it, but except for llu; cherry and plum they sliould not he less than six inches apart:, and if well distributed a single fruit upon a shoot or spur will be am])le. Aftei- the cj-oj) has been gathered and the end of the growing season apj)roaches, water should be gradually withheld and all the ventilation ])ossible should be given. This will aid the trees in ri])ening their growths and in securing firm fruit buds that will be less likely to be affected by changes of temperature during the winter, than when they are loose and open. If in })ots it is often well to ])lace the trees outside for a few Aveeks in the fall, but they should be returned to the houses before severe freezing weather comes. During the winter they may be packed closely together and t he si)ace that they occupied in the summer can tiien be used for some other cro])s. During the winter the trees should be ])runed. This Avill consist in cutting the new growth back about three-fourths and the thinning out of sur])lus shoots. In the case of the })each and nectarine, especially, this should be thoroughly done. After they have been i)runed, it will be well to spray the trees thoroughly with a strong solution of copper sulphate, and just before the buds start Bordeaux mixture can be used to advantage. For aphides and other insects that may appear, the usual renuMlies should he used. AVhile the labor of watering can be lessened by plunging the pots to their rim, during the summer, in a light litter of sonu^ kind, care must be taken that the roots are kept in the])ots, and it will be desirable to have KiMirr 'IKI'KS I NDIlIt (II.ASS. :t^}'\ lliciii rcsl/ iijtoii ii, couple of l)ii(',ks or soiiio siiiiihir sup- ports. W liilc I, he jx'Mr, clicrry ,*in(l plum ciiii Ik; i;i'ovvii best ill j>ots, the jK'iich and iK'(;t;i,i'iiie should either he phieed in iiii-^c boxes, or ])lanled out in a borih'i". This .shoukl be prepared lo the (h'j)th of two feet and its sur- face will noe(l (o \h\ i-o])-dr(;sse(l once or twice cjich year. If in lean-lo, or three-cpiarter s])an, liouses IIk; trees may he trained upon I luMiorth Avnll, or on trellises just beiieatl) tiie glass if even-span, hut as a ruh' tlu' j)yr:nni venlilatini;- the houses, the full air being Icd't on, ('\('e[)t when cold, chilly winds ])re- vail. In th(! wiid,ei-, aftiir the trees have I'ipened, tlie sasli sliould ])e handled witli the id(^a of protecting tlie trees from extremes of temperature, ventilation being desiral)le on wjii'm or bi'ight days lo pi-ev(!nt ilu^ swelling of the buds. In selecting varieties of ])each for I'oi'cing, only those of high (piality should be taken. Early Kivers, George IV, Mountain ivose, (jrosse JVIignonne, Old- mixon, Early and Jiiilc ('rMwfoi-d, Eoster and Elberta. being among the best soi'ls for tlu; pur|)ose. Any of tlie better variel ies of apricots and nectarines can be used, and any of the pears that succeed on dwiii-f stocks, such as Souvenir du (^ongres, Ijouis(» lionne (Eig. ^^0' Angoul(!me and Anjou, will give satisfaction. Among the 1)1 ums the (dioi.'c should be made from among I he Gage (Kig. IH)) varieties and such other sorts as Dia- mond, V'/Aiv, ('Oe's Golden Drop, (iiand Duke and Monarch. 17 CHAPTER XXI. MAN'AGEMENT OF HOUSE PLANTS. If one does not liave even tlie simple form of veranda conservatory described in Greenhouse Construc- tion, fairly good success can be obtained with a few house plants, with either a southern or western exposure. For most flowering i)lants the windows opening to the south are preferable, even to those with a western outlook, as, during the sliort days of Avinter, the phants in the latter will have but little sun, and tlien it Avill be too low down near the horizon. For a few plants, the windows look- ing to tlic east nniy 1)0 used, and for ferns and similar shade-loving sorts they are desirable. While the north windows may be used for some of that class of plants, it is not a desirable exposure. In case a bay-window upon the south side of the living room can be obtained for flowers (Fig. 91), very good results can be secured. It should be sei)arated f rom the room by glass doors, that can be thrown open or closed, at pleasure, but in case they are not to be had, much of the labor of keeping the plants in good con- dition can be saved if curtains are provided, to be used when sweeping. In addition to hooks for hanging bas- kets and bracket stands for pot plants, it will be well to have a shelf, from one to two feet in width, according to dimension of the window, upon which to arrange the smaller plants. This should have side juGces one to two inches high, and a zinc lining. The bottom could then be covered with coarse gravel or fine pebbles, and a much better growth could be secured, as the plants in small MAi«"AGEMENT OK llolSK I'LANTS. 2^.) |)()ls would I licii 1)0 lesslikdy io dry (>u(. A simple jMop- {igatin*; bed cini be very ejisily jirnuv,ii;e(l by supplying the iiccesHiiry clejui s;mi(1, and abini[) to furnish bottom heat, unless lu'nting [jijx's run along under the shelf, when they would only need (o be boxed in. In ease the lamp is used, it will be necessary to provide some sort of a shield lo })revent it from selling fire lo the wooden shelf. A shallow galvaniz<:Hl iron i)an lilled wilh i)laster, sus])ended above the hi nip and close to the l)ottoni of the shelf, will answer the purpose. If an ordinary window is to b(> us(m1, it will be well to liave a similar shelf, at Ihe hight of flu^ window sill. If nuide two or three feet longer (ban the window is wide, it will hold a considerable number of i)l;inls. For the bay window and tlie common wiiulow as well, if the size of the room admits of it, a })lant stand with slu^lves in the form of stairs, or with a ilat toj), ciin be used to good !i and foiirtoon iiu'lios uido and placo in iho bottom six iiu'bos of compostod inannro, to whii^'h wood ashos and uround bono lia\o beon addod. If tlio fvM'nior niothod is nsod. drills fov tliosood aiv niado six inohos doop and ton inches apart, in whioli tbo soods are sown as soon as the ground I'an bo worked in the si>ring". They shonUi be dropped in a seatterini;' manner in the drills so that thev will be two or three inehes apart. Tlanted in tliis way. there will be ten or twelve plants in eaeh foot of the donble rc>ws. When low-prieed seed is used, twiee as many may be planted and the surplus plants removed. If the bottom o( the treneli has been tilled with eompost. as was reeonnnended above, a little soil siionld be sprinkled over it and the seeds sown. In either ease they should not be eovered uitli more than two inehes of soil at tirst. If the weath- er is very eold after the seed is planted, it will be well to eover the rows with a lii:ht muleh or boards, renunim;- them as the weather beeomos warmer. After the i>lants ai^pear above irround the trenches should be gfadually filled, taking eare not to eover the crowns. The danger of rot and blight will be lessened if the covering soil is sandv. If the ground is not ready when the seed should bo sown. i>r in the case of choice varieties, the seed may bo sown in souu^ warm spot, or in boxes or pots in the liouse or cold franH\ and the plants transplanted when one or two inelies high. I'nless Si>wn in pots care should be taken in transplanting not io break the taproots. When well grown, most of tlie stronger varieties will reach a hight of six feet and uill need a substantial sup- port. In some places bushy branches of trees may bo used, but a neater and generally more satisfactory sup- port can be obtained from oitlun* a twine, wire or w ire- netting tivllis. This should bo fnun four io six feet high. u]H>n strong, well-braced supports. It will be de- sirable to have a row of stakes for each row : thev nniy BLLIiS i-Oh TJIK LAWX. 270 oithor ha vertical (jr iridiiiod ho tliat tlio topn toucli. The strings may be run vertically, but it will be better if tbe wires are arranged eitber liorizontally or diago- nally. Wbatever .su[)|)OJt.s are to be used, they should be in place soon after the plants appear above ground, and care should be taken to have the bottom of the trellis at such a bight that the plants can readily reach it. There should be a slight liollow where the rows are, so that rain water will be held, and to permit of the ready watering of the Burfaee if the weather becomes dry. Sub-irrigation for sweet peas gives excellent results. It can be j)rovid(;d by laying three-inch drain tiles, into which water can be turned, along the rows, just below the surface of the ground. In order to pre- vent the loss of water by evaporation, the surface of tiie soil should be covered, as soon as the weather becomes dry, with two inches of fine grass, straw or other litter. If the flowers are not picked it is of the utmost impor- tance that the seed pods be removed as soon as they form. If this is neglected, the plants will be likely to dry up by midsummer. BULBS FOIt THE LAWX. Many of the bulbs used for the decoration of the lawn in summer are started in the greenhouse in the spring and are then transferred to the ground outside. Among them are the caladium, canna and dahlia. The Caladium esculentum, which is the species most commonly used for lawn planting, should be dug after the leaves have been cut by frost, and after being dried should be packed away in some moderately warm, dry place. I'o prevent excessive drying, it is a good i)lan to place them in shallow boxes and pack dry soil or sand about them. In March or April the bulbs should be j)otted off singly in i)ots whose diameter is about twice that of the bulbs. They like a rich, light soil, and after 280 CiKEENIIOrSK MANAlJEME^sT. being thoroughly wiitered slionhi bo ]ilacccl in a uarni room. If the potting has been delayed, they can be ad- vanced by giving a strong bottom lieat. After the leaves have appeared they will stand a considerable amount of water, provided the })ots are well drained. Cannas should be put away for the winter in about the same manner as caladiums, but will stand a some- what lower tem})erature. although it should be kept well above 40 degrees, ^lany varieties do well if placed in })ots or boxes, or planted out in beds, for several nuuiths in the fall, for supplying flowers and brightening up the greenhouse. It is also well to pot otf some of the bulbs in the winter, after they have had a short rest, and thus secure flowers in the early spring. The usual plan has been to keep the bulbs in the cellar, or under the green- house benches, until danger of frost is over and then after dividing them so that there will be at least one strong bud on each ]>iece, planting them in the open ground. Quicker aiul better results can be obtained, however, if they have been started in pots or boxes before they are transferred to the beds outside. With choice varieties it is possible to increase the rapidity of propagation if the bulbs are planted on beds in a greenhouse where they will have a brisk bottom heat about midwinter, in a short time new shoots will form, which can be taken oft' and in turn ])lanted out to reproduce. Several of the new sorts, such as Italia and xlustria, seem to be well adapted for flowering in pots, but the texture of the petals is such that they do not succeed out- side in most parts of the country unless they are planted in partial shade. For ordinary use, either on the lawn or in the house, there are few^ if any better sorts than the well-known Mme. Crozy. Florence Vaughan is perhaps the best yellow spotted variety. Among the other sorts that have been generally successful are thp: ])AnLi\. 281 Al])liun.se Boiivicr, P^xplorateur Cnuii[>bul, Egaudalc, deoffrey St. Hilliare. J. D. Cabos, Paul Marqiiant and Pres. Cariiot. THE DAHLIA. This old favorite is again becoming the fashion, and even now is usurping the attention that lias for some years been given the sweet })ea. The single sorts may Ije grown successfully from seed, but for the double vari- eties it is better to rely upon cuttings of the stem, or division of the roots. The cuttings j-oot readily in sand, and if started early will give good results. In dividing tlie roots, it is necessary that there should be a bud at the end of each. The operation can be most readily per- formed if the stools are slightly started into growth be- fore the division is made. Dahlias like a deej), rich, moist and rather heavy soil, aiul in few })lants Avill a little extra labor in the |)r('])aration of the soil be bettejr repaid. An excess of nitrogenous manure should be avoided, as it will give a rank growth of leaves and few Howers, while a sandy soil is likely — owing to its usual deficiency in plant food and moisture — to give rather small plants upon a few small roots, and with undersized flowers. If moisture and l)lant food are provided, excellent results can be secured upon a sandy loam soil. The plants should be set in the beds as soon as danger of frost is over. They will be best in rows, if a large number are to be grown, and with a large collection it will be well to have them far enough apart to admit of cultivating them with a horse. Owing to their love of moisture, it is very desir- able in ' dry summers that the surface of the soil be ke])t loose to the depth of two inches, to lessen the amount of evaporation. As commonly grown, allow ing th-em to form shoots freely, most varieties re(iuire staking to prevent the 282 GKEENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. breaking down of the stems by high winds, but many of the new varieties have short stiff stems that make this unnecessary. A better way of training the plants, which will seldom require staking, is by pinching off the shoots after they have two nodes above ground and allowing four branches to form, all other shoots being removed. In this way four stout shoots will be secured which can be trained to single stems, if large flowers are desired, or they may be again pinched and thus made to form as many shoots as are wislied. Another metliod, where large flowers are desired, is to allow but one main shoot to grow. This will become quite large and ti'ee-like and will require staking. When the tops have been killed by frost they should be cut and, if severe freezing weather is likely to follow, the roots should be dug ; after the removal of most of the earth and partially drying them, if the soil is wet, they should be stored in some cool but frost-proof and mod- erately dry cellar. The cactus dahlia is likely to become the favorite flower for late summer and early fall, and in the new varieties there are many handsome forms and brilliant colors. The original plant was carried from Mexico to Holland in 1872. It was named Dahlia Juarez, in honor of the President of Mexico. Instead of the quilled flo- rets found in other forms those of the cactus dahlias are flat and strap-shaped. The following list of varieties is recommended by the Cornell Experiment Station: Cactus, Mrs. A. Peart, white ; Nymphaea, pink ; Wm. Agnew, scarlet orange ; Maid of Kent, scarlet and white ; Black Prince, dark red ; large flowered, Grand Duke Alexis, white ; Ethel Vick, pink ; Rev. C. ^Y. Bolton, variegated, red and yellow ; Fern Leaved Benuty, banded, red and white : pompon. Guiding Star, white, imbricated ; Vivid, scar- let orange, and Ami Barillet, single, scarlet. HARDY ORNAMENTAL GRASSES. 283 HARDY ORNAMENTAL GRASSES. For j)lantiDg on the liiwn in connection with shrub- bery and strong growing sub-tropical phxnts, there are many ornamental grasses that can be used with good effect. Although generally spoken of as hardy, most of them are greatly benefited by winter protection, and in many parts of the country even this is not sufficient. They delight in a rich and moist but well-drained soil, and in suitable locations present a handsome and striking appearance for three or four months in the year. Among the most desirable are several species of Eu- lalia. Under favorable conditions Eulalia Japonica Zehrina will prove very attractive. It is a tall growing sort, with long, narrow leaves transversely marked with broad patches of yellow. In the fall its flower spikes form open, feathery plumes. It propagates readily by division of the clumps, and, if well mulched, wall pass the winter in well-drained soil where the climate is not too severe, but where there is danger of winterkilling the clumps can be taken up in the fall and planted in pots or shallow boxes. Placed in a cool cellar or cold frame, they will require no care except an occasional moistening of the soil if it becomes dry. In the spring they can be started into growth and planted out after danger of frost is over. Of the other species, Eulalia Japonica vai'iegata, which is the same as the above ex- cept that the stripes are narrow and longitudinal, and E. gracillima univitata are most desirable. The latter is six or eight feet high, Avith quite narrow leaves which bear a single longitudinal stripe. It is quite hardy and in most parts of the country will pass the winter in the open ground without protection. Arundo Donax variegata is another strong-growing form which in most localities should be wintered in a cellar or cold frame. The Fountain grass, PennUetum longistylum and its purple variety, P. RiqypeUanum, are .t}!^-t OREKXTTOrsK MAXAOEMFXT. excellent ms a border for other orn^^ses and stroiio-grow- ing ]>l;iHts of nuv kiiul. It is propagated from s«>ed, whicli is freely })rodueed, tlie seeds being sown in April and grown the same as other annuals. In some sections the Pampas grass is also sncccss- fnlly grown and presents a very striking a])ivaranee. Seyeral forms of bamboo can also be used to advantage for lawn planting, and in some localities can be wintered successfully in the open ground. SrCCULEXTS. For bedding purposes, sonu^ of the succulents, such as Echeyerias, are largely grown and their use for this ])urpose seems to be increasing in public favor. whiK' ihe cacti proper, the aloes and agaves are so easy of cultiva- tion, so interesting in habit and attractiye in flower, that in eyery collection they are nuuv or less ntnnerous. (M" the cotyledons [I^Jrhfrcriff) the foiMu known as scnoKia (/IdKca is most used f(U- bediling. It ]u-opagates rtuidily by uu^ins of otfshoots from the parent })lants, whieh only need lo be separated and ])otted off. or by the use of leaf cuttings. l>v the latter method, the leaves are separated — pulled off and luu cut — from the parent plant, in the fall or spring, and after the end has callused over they are set in the cutting boxes, where they should haye only enough water to keep them from shriyelling. Koots will s«nu\ form and the bud at the l)ase of the leaves will start, and form a plant large emuigh to use tlie following season. Succulents of all kinds should be kept moder- ately dry during their resting period in the winter, but vyhen growth starts in the s]u-ing water should be given in generous quantities, and, unless they haye been recently repotted, liquid manure can be used to advan- tage. They delight in a sandy soil ami tluu-ough drain- age. During the summer, the i>lants used for bedding SUCCULENTS. ;>s:) pnrpofiCfi should have a fair aniouiii of water, altliou-li tliey have few equals as bedding plants when the supply is short. JJuring the winter they ean be kept in a eool house (45 degrees). Several forms, such as Cotyledon yibhiflora meiallicu (commonly called EJieveria metallica) are desirable for winter flowering and many of them, including several annuals, can be readdy increased from seeds. The KIG. O.'i. Kl'II'HYLLU3r TRUNCATUM. houseleeks, Mesembryanthemum, and similar forms, require much the same care. Of the other succulents, the Cereus and the leaf cacti Phyllocactus and E|)iphyllum (Fig. 93) are most commonly grown. The most desirable species of the lirst genus are (J. grandiflorns, (J. Macdonaldi and C. Iriamjularis and the rat-tailed cactus {C. fia(j(:Uifonnu). x*8(J GREENHOUSE HAXAGEMENT. They are increased by cutting u]) the stems into pieces three inches long and rooting them under the same conditions as the Cotyledon. Soon after the srowtli starts, suckers and branches will be sent out. it will o-enerallv be best, in case an old stem was used for the cuttings, to cut these olf and root them, which can be readily done. The EpiphylUims and other leaf FIG. 94. A COLLECTION' OF CACTI AND ALOES. cacti are often grown as standards, by grafting them upon Pereskia stocks. The form of graft used is a mod- ification of the cleft graft and is known as the saddk^ graft. Among the otlier desirable forms are the Opun- tias, with their flattened leaf-like stems, the Mammil- larias and Echiuocactiis. witli their spherical forms, and a number of handsome species of aloes (Fig. 94). CHAPTER XXIII. PROPAGATION^ OF PLANTS BY SEEDS AND CUTTINGS. In order to keep up a supply of plants and to mul- tiply individuals of merit, some method of propagation must be employed, the one selected being that best suited to the particular species or v^iriety. Many of our plants are known as annuals, from the fact that they will Gfrow and mature seed in one season, after which they die. As a rule, such plants are reproduced the follow- ing year from the seeds, which are freely produced. The methods of propagation known as grafting, budding and layering, are also sometimes employed in growing greenhouse plants, but a more common way is by means of sections of the plants, known as cuttings, which are removed and subjected to such influences as will induce them to throw out roots. Another method of division, used with plants thh'c sucker freely, is the division of the roots, the plants being separated into two or more i)ortions, each consisting of a piece of root sur- mounted by a stem, or at least bearing a bud. When- ever it can be used, this is one of the surest methods of multiplying ])lants, and some species can be increased very rapidly when other methods fail, or are, for some reason, unsatisfactory. GROWING OF PLANTS FROM SEEDS. Not only are our annual plants readily increased from seeds, but the method is also employed in multi- plying many of our biennials and perennials, and is our only means, except in case of sports developed by bud 287 •.\ pivstMit ; tirst. the soods slu>iiKl \h' |)luni|». woll-ripcMUHi. •,\\u\ thov must still [>ossot^s thoir vitality unimpairtHl. Tlio host ivsults will bo ohtaiiuHl if. al'l^M' tho soods havo hocu oloanod and propiM-ly ilriod, tlu>\ :\\v plainnl in ]>a[>or saoks, oi\ bottor mm. in tin boxos or <;lass boltlos. and kopl in a dry room, at a toni|HM'atiiro of 50 doiiroos. If tlu\v bavo boon projUM-ly driotl, (c\\ i^ccdti will bo injurod ovon if tbo toniporatnro falls ludow t bo fivo/inii^ lt*>int. but vitality will bo bost prc^sorvinl if tlu>y aro kopt at a modorato. ovi>n toniporatiiro: ospooially sbonld a biiih toniporatiiro bo avoidod for oily s(vds. Sooond, tbo soods must bo oxposod to a lomptn*atnr(^ siiitOil to tluMT iuhhIs. and a propor snp[)ly of moisturo. with froo aoooss oi air. must W' alTordotl tliom. Tlu^ iiMiiporatiiro ro(]uirod for tbo liormi nation of soods is about tbo samo as is noodod by tbo plants, but ii(M'mina- lion will bo bastonod if it is somo \cu or tiftoon do^roos bigbor. Wbon 4.'> to 50 dogroos issnitablo for tbo plants at night, tho soods should bo givon from 55 to (10 dogroos, and if tbo oxooss oan bo in tbo form of bottom boat it will bo ovon moro bonotioial : a similar in- oroaso will baston tbo liormination of tlu' soods o\' plants that noo(i (it) to 10 dogroos. Aftor tbo soods bavo boon sown, thoy should not ho allowod to boooino dry, and yot groat oaro is nooossary that tho soil doos not boooino saturated. Partioularly with small soods that nood but a thiti covering, it is well to havo tboni shaded, as well as to keep them ocnorod. and thus prevent tho ra})id evapora- tion of the water, and tho oonsotiuont drying out of the soil. If in tho shade, the moisture oan bo retained by moans of a pane of glass pla.eod over tbo box or pan. but if so situated that the direet rays of the sun oan fall upon them, it will ho well to eovor tlie ghiss with paper. '] \)<- jrlaHH ,-lioiiM }><• Hlij.'litly lillc^l to afTord uwomh of air. I''<;r lioIfliuj( tli«; Hoil, .-liallow woodorj bo\r;H or flat,-; ;iri-:\v<;r r;v(;ry juirpo-fc, alt lK)iif(l) Aowd florJHtH [>rc*fc'r unj(lazf;(j, cart.licnwarc H(:f-<\ pariH ; in eitlHT case, thor- ou<(li (]rainaj(M rnuHt bf? fjrovidod by nieariH of holf^H or craokH iri i Ik; hot torn.-. WlH;ri only a f(;w of a kin^l mc to bo H^>wn, a nlial- low ci^^ur box will annvv^rr ff>r nrnall hckjh, and boxoH with a (Jcptli of fioni one or orio and ono-lialf to two and ono-half itif;lK;H, ai;oordin;( tn tli(; r.\yj; of iho needs, are an)[)h'. In l;jr;(e eHtabliHbrncntH, the Heed bedn can, if denired, be made upon tlie f.^rrjenbou-'C benelien, thoroiif(b drai?ia;/e beinr^ provid(!d for. 'I'Im! Hoil for the h('('(\ In-d varieH to Home extent with tli<' rharaetcr f»f tbe plant-, but, an a rule, tlie Hame noil aH \H used for pottinf( will answer, altbouf^b it will be im}novr'd by the addition of f,W(;nty-five per eent of Hand, cspeeially for (;ov(!ring the H(;edH. Tbe depth of eover- in^r will vary with th(! nize of the need, but, under glans, it will be from three to live tirneH thfir diameter, while in the oj)en ground it will bo about fifty per eent deeper, varyin^^ with the eharar;ter of tiie Hoil. While Keedn may be sown broadeaHt, it will r(enerally be found lie.st to have th'-in in drills about one ineli a|»art for .-mall H(»(»dH, and two inehcH for the lar;(er onen. In tilling th(! boxes with .soil, pains sliould be taken to pr(!Hs it, into tin; (;orners, and we must not forget the ri(u;essity of leavinf^ the soil Hli;.ditly below the edge, to prevent the water riiiiniii;^ otT. The proper depth of soil for eovr-ring the Heeds, wlien they need one-eighth of an ineh or more, eaii be secured in various ways ; one b(Mng by making shallow trenches across the seed beds, slightly deeper than the covering needed and, after Bow- ing the seed, filling tin; tnMiches; while another is by filling the box HO that, for seeds that require covering a fpiarter of an inr b. when the noil has been leveled off I'J 290 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. and slightly pressed down, it will he alxmt une-lialf inch below tlic edge of tiie box. After sowing the seeds, either broadcast or in rows upon the surface, fill up the box with light, prepared soil, strike it off and press it down. A wooden float of convenient size, with handle, will be useful in sowing seeds. In this way, a uniform depth of covering soil will be secured and the surface will be sufficiently pressed to hold the water. With a little practice, the depth can be adjusted for any size of seed. When the sowing has been completed, the boxes should be thoroughly watered, after which, as with plants in pots, the seed boxes should not be watered until their appearance indicates the necessity, and then enough should be applied to thoroughly wet the soil. When the boxes can be placed for a few minutes in a water- tight bed, holding two inches of water, the soil will be moistened without danger of washing the seeds, or of causing the plants to damp off. As soon as the first true leaves show, the seedlings should be pricked out, either in flats or small pots ; for many plants, the flats will be preferable for the first transplanting. THE FORMATTOl^ OF NEW TARIETIES. While it is possible to obtain new varieties of many plants by merely growing seedlings, others almost invari- ably reproduce themselves, and with them we must resort to artificial crossing, or hybridizing. In fact, although some progress may be made in improving those of the first class, by selecting the more promising seed- lings, far better results can be obtained if we control the parentage by artificial pollination. For any desired improvements, we should select as parents two varieties that have the desired qualities well developed, and transfer pollen from the anthers of one PKOPAGATION BY CUTTIXGS. 291 to the stigmiis of the other. To do this i)roperly, pre- caution must be taken that no other i)ollen gains access to the stigmas. This can be done by first removing the anthers from all perfect flowers that are to be used as females, before the petals open, and covering them with small paper sacks. We have thus prevented tliem from being self fertilized, or crossed with pollen of unknown orig-in. The anthers may be pulled off with tweezers, or the corolla may be cut away, thus permitting their easy removah As soon as the stigmas have developed, the pollen from the otlier parent should be applied, using a tooth- pick for small flowers, while the anthers may be broken out from large ones with tweezers, and the pollen dusted over the surface of the stigmas. To secure the best results, a superabundance of })ollen should be used. The bag should then be replaced and kept on four or five days. In this way, we may hope to secure seedlings some of which, if they do not surpass them, will possess to a high degree the good qualities of both parents. PROPAGATION^ BY CUTTIKGS. Success with this method of propagation depends uj^on the condition of the plants, and the surroundings to which the cuttings are exposed. As a rule, most of our perennial greenhouse plants are grown from cut- tings. In some cases, seeds are not readily obtained, and in others the seedlings do not make desirable plants, or they do not reproduce the variety. In a great majority of these cases, cuttings are readily obtained and rooted. The plants from which cuttings are taken should be strong and vigorous ; if stunted by insects or by improper surroundings of heat, light, temperature, or food, or weakened by excessive production of flowers, the results will be quite unsatisfactory, and it will be equally so if soft, watery growth, produced by a high temperature 2d2 GEEENHOUSE MAXAGEMEXT. PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. 293 and excess of nitrogenous food, is used. The use of cuctings from plants enfeebled by disease will be even more disastrous, as the plants produced will not only be susceptible to the attack of the same and other diseases, but they may even have the germs of the disease within them when severed from the parent plant. On the other hand, it is always best to propagate from individual plants that, in their vigor, freedom from disease, prolificacy, or in the size, shape or color of their FIG. 96. IMPROPER AND PROPER CONDITION OF STEM FOR CUTTINGS. flowers or fruits, show unusual merit. If such plants are marked in some way (Fig. 95), cuttings can be made from them at the proper time and thus a strain of pedi- gree plants can be established. Greenhouse plants are generally multiplied by what is known as soft cuttings of the stems. They are usually made from terminal shoots, although if cuttings lower down the stem can be obtained in the })roi)er condition, they will readily root and make good plants. ;>0-J: GKEENIIOUSE MANAGE3IEIIT. While a soft, watery growth is not desirable, cut- tings cannot, as a rule, be induced to root readily after they become woody, and the usual test is to reject all cuttings that when bent do not snap off, rather than crush down without breaking, the latter behavior indi- cating that the fibro-vascular bundles (woody fibers), have formed (Fig. 90). Cuttings made from stems in that condition root slowly and sparingly, and the plants will be weaker than when made from those in the proper condition. For a few plants like the rose, a firmer condition of the wood is desirable. Soft cuttings should have a bud at the top, and from one to three inches of stem. Unless a cutting can be made three inches long and have its base in proper con- dition, it will be better to shorten it to one inch, and, if necessary, the length may be even less, its stem being principally of value to give a secure hold in the cutting bed. Cuttings of this kind should have at least one leaf, and sometimes from two to four arc left. Those at the lower part of the stem should be removed, and the others shortened in (Fig. 97). FIG. 97. SOFT CUTTING « OF coLEus. In this way the amount of evapo- ration will be checked and the cuttings can be placed nearer together. Cuttings should be so handled that they will not wilt. It is well to use a sharp knife, and to cut off the stem at nearly right angles. Neither, however, is really necessary, and in many cases the cut- tings can be broken off without the use of a knife. If in the proper condition, most cuttings will root readily from any part of the stem, but with others that root with diffi- culty, and especially if they have become too hard, it will be well to have a bud near the base of the cuttings, as roots are most readily sent out from near the nodes. THE CL'TTIKG BED. ^^95 THE CUTTING BED. Cuttings root readily in sand, but, although the sil- ver sand that was a few years ago insisted u})on is not a necessity, it should be free from organic matter. The sand should also be sharp, and of about medium fineness ; if too fine, or too coarse, it should be rejected, as the one packs together and obstructs the entrance of air, while the other admits it too freely, and dries out too readily. The cutting bed should have sufficient drainage to let off any surplus water, and bottom heat should be provided in some way. A narrow span-roof house, or a lean-to to the north or east, makes a good propagating house. It should afford ample means of securing ventilation. The sand should have a depth of about three inches, and, although not necessary, the best results will be obtained if it is renewed after each batch of cuttings is taken out. After the sand has been thoroughly wet down and has drained off, the cuttings may be inserted. They should be placed in straight rows across the bed, so that the leaves of the cuttings do not quite touch. It is a good plan, if space permits, to have the rows about twice as far apart as the plants are in the rows. Having made a narrow trench for the cuttings, they are inserted about one-half their length, the sand is pressed firmly about them and the bed is wet down. For the first few days, it is well to give them at least partial shade from sun, either by placing lath or cloth screens over the glass, or by spreading paper or cloth over the cuttings. With a slight shading of the glass, the latter can generally be left off after the first week. While precaution must be taken against excessive watering, there is also danger from allowing the bed to dry out as, if they wilt, the cuttings are much injured. Especially on summer days, an occasional slight sprin- kling will be l)eneficial. The ventilation should be care- fully looked after, and the arrangement should be such 296 GREEKHOUSE MANAGEMENT. as will prevent a draft over the cutting bed. As soon as the roots have reached a length of half an inch, the cut- tings should be potted into small pots and will need care- ful watering and shading for a few days. While the above instructions apply to most plants, there are a few that, owing to some j^jeculiarity of con- struction or growth, need different treatment, and among them are our common Pelargoniums (geraniums), (Fig. 98), and many of the cacti and other succu- lent plants. These are more or less succulent, and if placed at once in a cutting bed and treated as above, are likely to rot off. After being made, it is well to si3read them out and allow them to wilt for from one day to one week, and then place them in a rather dry cutting bed, or they may at once be potted off, using a soil containing at least one-half sand. If, after giving them one thorough watering, water is with- helduntil they begin to wilt, cuttings handled in this way will often show smaller losses than when grown in a cut- ting bed. Many plants do not strike readily unless in a moist warm air, and for such a hand glass or propaga- ting cjise must be used. SAUCER PROPAGATION. Another method of rooting cuttings that gives excellent results when bottom heat cannot he secured, is by placing them in earthenware i)ans of sand, two or FIG. 98. GERANIUM CUTTING. CUTTIifGS. 29? tlii'ee inches deep, wliicli are kept constantly saturated with water. The other treatment, such as the makins: and setting- of the cuttings, Avatering and ventihiting, is exactly the same as for the cutting l)ed. Some of our common plants, like tlie oleander, root even better if placed in clear water than when in a cutting bed, or the saucer with its mud. Any kind of glazed earthenware vessel, of a suitable size and depth, may be used, but if it is unglazed tlie water will need to be much more frequently added. EYE CUTTINGS. Many plants, such as the dracasnas, cordylines, Dieffenbachi{is and others that form very few terminal shoots, have latent or adventitious buds upon their stems, and if these are cut into sections, about three inches long, and placed in a strong bottom heat in a ])ropagating case, shoots Avill soon be sent out, whicli can then be taken off and rooted in sand. It is often bene^cial to split the sections and place them in the sand with the rounded side uppermost. The eye cutting used in propagating the grape (Fig. 84) differs in having a thin shaving of bark removed from the side opposite the btid. ROOT CUTTINGS. It sometimes happens that it becomes necessary to multiply plants rajiidly that do not grow readily from cuttings of the stems, and which either increase in number very slowly from the roots or fail to make good plants when grown in this way, and some other form of multiplication must be tried. If they have a tendency to sucker from the roots, we can use what are known as root cuttings. These are made by taking the roots of such ])lants and cutting them into pieces fi'om one to three inches long. The i)ieoes should be placed in flats, either on propagating benches or in hotbeds, and covered 208 GK£E2^H0USE MAXAGEMENT. with about one inch of sandy soil. AVith bottom hent, they will soon callus and send out roots and one or more stems. The after-treatment is the same as for stem cuttings. HARD CUTTINGS. Some plants root readily from the wood of the pre- vious year's growth, even after it has become hard, if made and callused while tlie stems are dormant, so that they will be ready to send out roots as the leaves appear. What are known as short cuttings need ts^ bottom heat to start readily, but with pro])er attention are excel- lent for the propagation of grapes and other deciduous plants that root readily. They are from two to three inches in length, with a strong bud near the top, and with a strip of bark and a little of the wood removed from one side for ^, „.. about* an inch from the lower end FIG. J)"J. Cl TT1N<; OK AKP.OK viTK. (Fig. 85). They should be in- serted in shallow boxes of sand with about an inch of rich compost in the bottom, so that the buds will be just covered. They need a cool room where they can have a little bottom heat, but the temperature should be low enough to retard the swelling of the buds until after the roots have appeared. While they must not be allowed to become dry, only a little water will be needed until the leaves appear, and an excess must be avoided. A layer of soil at the bottom of the box or propagating bed will permit of the cuttings remaining some con- siderable time in the sand, or they can be taken out at once after rooting, and boxed or potted off. Many of our conifers, such as the improved varieties of arbor vitie (Fig. 9!)), retinosporas, junipers and CUTTINGS. 290 utlions, arc readily ])ru|)agate(l I'roiii cuttings of the ripened wood made in the winter. If they are in any way tender, it will be best to collect the wood in the fall and i)ack it away in moist sphagnum in a cool cel- lar, until the cuttings can be made up. In a general way, they are made in about the same way as soft cut- tings, but are rooted and cared for more as the short, hard cuttings. In the spring they are planted out in nursery rows. Long cuttings are from six to eleven inches long, with a bud at the bottom and another about one inch from the upper end (Fig. 100). It will be of advantage if a little of the bark is removed near the base, as was recommended for the short cuttings. These cuttings should be made in the fall, and packed away in a cool cellar or buried in some well drained spot out of doors. It is generally customary to place them in bundles with FIG. 100. LONG CUTTING OF GRAPE. the butts up and cover with about two inches of soil, over which enough straw or other rubbish is placed to keep out the frost. As soon as severe freezing weather is over, the mulch should be removed, and when they have callused the cuttings should be planted in drills twelve to fifteen inches apart, and one to two inches in the rows, with the buds just covered. This is a cheap way of propagating grai)es, currants, gooseberries, wil- lows, poplars, and many shrubs and vines. HALF-HARD CUTTINGS. Intermediate between the hard and soft cuttings are those sometimes called ^'half-hard," in which the woody fibers have begun to form. Such plants as the rose, and many of the shrubs, when used in a soft state, are likely 300 GREEKnOUSE MAXAGKMEXT. to decay in Hio cutting bed, and with tlicni ;i soniewliat firm condition of the wood is desirabk'. They are made in about the same way as the soft cuttings and require the same care. Witli many of the shrubs, it is a good plan to secure a heel of the old wood, if i)ossible, at the base of the cuttings. LEAF CUTTINGS. Several plants are most readily grown from what are known as leaf cuttings, among the plants propagated in this way are the rex begonias, gloxinias, and bryo- phyllum. If a leaf of bryophyllum be placed on a cut- ting bed, the buds along the mai'gin will develop and send out stems and roots. The small plants can then be detached and pK GHAFTiNo. ^Qy^^^ cxtcnt at tlic tiuic of orafting and as soon as orowth has commenced the remaining portion nuiy be cut away. Many other kinds of grafting have been practiced at various times and by ditferent propagators, but none produce better results than the methods here described. In all cases except when large stocks are cleft grafted it will be necessary to wrap the graft with wax string, ral!ia, or yarn, in order to bind the cion and stock firmly together. Care should also be taken that all cuts are smooth and true, and a sharp knife with an even bevel from the back to the eda^e of the blade sliould be used. GRAFTINCJ WAX. :>(»:) GHAFTIXd WAX. AVlioii the grai'L is miidc u})on ;i stock iit a point below the level of the soil, there will be no necessity of covering the cut surfaces with any other material, as t he moist soil will answer the i)urpose. Whenever the graft is made at a point where it will not be covered by the soil, some preparation should be used to prevent the evaporation of water from the cut surfaces. For this l)urpose, nothing is better than grafting wax. There are many formulas for this mastic, most of which con- tain varying proportions of resin, beeswax and tallow, or linseed oil. As a cold wax to be used with the hands, a good proportion is, four parts resin, two parts beeswax and one part of tallow or linseed oil. After melting, it should bo poured into water and left to cool until it can be held in the hands, Avhich should be well oiled. It should then be pulled, the same as candy, until it takes on a light yellow color, after which it can be made into sticks of convenient size for use. This will be found of the right consistency for use in a warm room, or in warm Avoather outside. For use out of doors in cold weather, the wax should have one part less of resin (three ]iarts resin, two of beeswax and one of tallow) and should bo well worked before it is taken out. As a thin mastic, to be ai)})lied with a brush, or the fingers, some of the alcoholic waxes may be used. They contain al)out 10 parts white resin, and one part beeswax (oi- one jxirt tallow) molted together ; after removing from the fire and partially cooling, stir in enough alco- hol to give the right consistency. Keep in a tight bot- tle to prevent evaporation. BUDDING. Propagation by means of buds is only a modification of that by grafting, and in fact it is often called bud- grafting, or shield grafting. It consists in the insertion 20 ;)(><) GREEN HOUSE M A XAG EMENT. of ;i piece of l)Mrk, t'ontaiiiiiiu- ;i hiul, iiiuler (he baiK (»!' another phint of the same or a ek>sely ivhited species. The plant npon whicli the bud is placed is known as the stock and it should be in a oi-owing condition, so that the hark will lift readily. The hud should be dor- mant, tirni and well developed. In preparing tlie cion. i-.<«^iA^Jp^^Ky^ FIG. i(H. BrnnixG. the leaves should be cut olf about three-eighths of an inch from the bud, as shown in the illustration (Fig. 104). In the o})en ground, budding is generally performed toward the end of the ]>eriod of growth, the buds being those that have developed that season, but in the green- BUDDING. 30t house ifc is done in tlie winter or early in the spring. The stocks are ripened" off, and given a rest until Jan- uary, when they are brought into growth and, as soon as tlie bark will slip, the budding is performed, using buds that have been kept dormant. A ^^ T" shaped cut is made in the bark, generally as near the collar as possi- ble, and tlie corners are lifted up so as to permit the insertion of the bud. In removing the bud from the cion, the cut is started about half an incli below the bud and is continued U2)ward so as to take off a thin shaving of the wood until it is about half an inch above the bud, where the strip is cut off. The lower edge of the bark is inserted beneath tlie bark of the stock, and the bud is pushed down as far as it Avill readily go. For many plants it is fully as well, or'fjetter, to remove the shaving o:^ wood from the bud before placing it in the stock. If, however, it cannot be done without injuring the bud, the wood should not be removed. It should then be wrapped with raffia so as to press the bark of the stock firmly down around the bud. As a rule, two or three turns below and two above the bud Avill be sufficient ; care should be taken in Avrapping not to cover the bud, which should be in sight between the edges of the bark. A portion of the top of the stock should now be cut off, to check the growth and promote a union with the bud, and as soon as the bud has formed leaves of its own, the remainder of the stock should be cut away. While almost any form of knife can be used for budding if it is sharp, the regular budding knives have thin blades and rounded points. Unless it has at the end of the handle a piece of ivory to be used in lift- ing the bark of the stock, the point of the blade can be arranged to serve for this purpose, by slightly rounding it. CHAPTEE XXV. INSECTS OF THE GREENHOUSE. Few of our greeiiliouse })laiits are free from the attack of insects, and many of them are greatly injured by i)arasitic fungi, so that constant watchfulness is necessary if they are to he kept in a healthy condition. In this chapter we shall describe some of those that are most troublesome, and give remedies for their destruction. It should be mentioned, however, that if proper care is oiven to the selection of the stock fiom which the plains are propagated, and if attention is ])aid to providing them Avith suitable soil, a congenial temperature and the necessary amount of water and fresh air, the plants will not only be more likely to escape attack, but will be nuu'li less injured if the insects and diseases appear. It Avill be found that the fungicides are for the most part intended for use as preventives rather than cures, and to be etl'ectual will need to be applied before the dis- ease has any hold upOn the plants. The same thing is true with many of the insecticides, to the extent that they are most eifective before the insects have reached their full develoi)nuMit. Another reason for the early application of the remedies against both insects and dis- eases is that tliey multiply very rapidly and if not checked at the start they may propagate and become so numerous that much luirm nuiy he done. In making a choice of insecticides, we should be guided by the nature of tlie insect for which it is to he used. Thus against many insects that take their foml by biting otf and chewing the leaves, the arsenites, sucli 308 THE APHIS. 300 as Paris green and London purple, will be i'uund effieieiit, while for tlie sueking insects, which are more trouble- some in the greenhouse, we shall need to rely upon kero- sene emulsion, tobacco, wliale-oi] soap, pyrethruni and other remedies that act upon the exterior, or the breath- ing apparatus of the insects. THE APHIS. This insect and its allies embrace a great variety of forms, all of which may be included under the ccmimon name of plant lice or ''fly." While most of them are of a green color, some forms, sncli as clirysanthemiim apliis, are black in color, and in some cases we find a blue apliis upon the roots of plants. They have long, slender antennae or feelers, a small head, a full, round thorax or chest, and gen- erally a very large, i-ound abdomen. From near the end of the abdomen, two tubes project, from which the so- called honeydew exudes (Fig. 105). During the early part of the season, the female aphides give birth to liv- ing female young ; these pro|)agate very rapidly until, asfall ap|>roaches, when eight or ten broods have been produced, both males and females appear. This brood, only, has wings (Fig. 106). The eggs produced as a result of pairing serve to carry tlie species over winter. It has been esti- mated that from a single individual a quintillion could develop in one season. Aphides seem to thrive, in particular, upon i)lants in partial shade and poor ventilation. The best way of destroying them is by means of tobacco smoke, extract, or tea. All of these should Ix; used upon the first appearance of the aphides, as, if ihey arc allowed to reach FIf;. 1(»5. WINGLESS FEMALE APHIS. 310 GUEEK^HOUSE MANAGEMENT. full size, they arc hard to destroy. As a preventive, greenhouses should be fumigated once or twice a week if insects are troublesome. Kerosene emulsion, and bubach, either as a powder or in water, are also quite effectual. The black chrysanthemum aphides are even more difficult to destroy than the green fly, and tobacco will have but little effect, if they once get their growth ; the remedies last given will, however, be found effectual. The black aphis of the violet is quite troublesome in some sections, but can be readily destroyed with hy- FIG, 106. WINGED MALE APHIS. drocyanic acid gas, as can the gall fly which attacks the violet leaves. The blue aphis sometimes appears upon the roots of plants that have in some way been stunted, particularly if they have been kept unduly dry. The plants should be shaken out, placed in whale- oil soap solution, and repotted in fresh soil. PLANT BUGS. When plants are housed in the fall some of the in- sects that have been working upon them out of doors may be housed with them. Among the most common are the Yellow-lined plant bug and the Tarnished plant bug. They feed upon a number of plants and some- INSECTS OF THE GREENHOUSE. 311 times do much liarm by sncking the sap from the buds and tender shoots. To destroy them, use kerosene emul- sion upon pUmts that will stand it, or in its place spray with whale-oil soap solution, or fir-tree oil. ALEYRODES {White Flies). Allied to tlie aphides are the Aleyrodes or ^^white flics," as they are usually called, which sometimes appear in large numbers in the greenhouse and do considerable injury. The pei'fect insects are winged in both sexes, but instead of being vertical, as in the aphis, their wings are outspread. In the larv^ and pupae, there is a strong resemblance to young scale insects, and they injure the leaves by puncturing them and sucking the sap. The eggs can often be found in large numbers on the under- side of the leaves. Soap is not entirely effectual, and it will be better to rely upon kerosene emulsion and simi- lar remedies. fuller's rose BEETLE (Avamigus FulIetH). A few years ago great harm was done to roses in greenhouses by Fuller's Eose beetle (Fig. 107, a), which was often spoken of as "the rose bug." The mature FIG. 107. FULLKR'S ROSE r.KKTI.E. a, jwluU ; h, larva ; c, i)iii)a. insect is about half an inch in length, :ind of a gray color. It conceals itself upon tiic stem or under the leaves, from Avliich it eats semi-circular pieces, and when 312 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. its work is noticed, the beetles sliould be bunted and destroyed ; in tbis Avay tbey can generally be lield in cbeck. Tbe beetles deposit tbeir eggs on tbe stems near the ground, and the larvae pass down and feed on tbe roots, where they may become so numerous as to destroy the i)hints. Tlie liberal use of wood ashes will do mucli to hold them in cbeck, but the plants should be taken out and burned, the soil removed and the benches thor- oughly whitewashed, if they become very numerous. RED SPIDER (Tetrariychus telarius Linn.) Few insects seem to have so little choice in their liost plants as the red spider (Fig. 108), as they not only jittack plants in the greenhouse and garden, but also in the field and forest. They are very minute, being rathei less than one-twentieth of an inch in length, and vary in color from green and yellow while immature, to dark red in their adult form, with small greenish spots upon their sides. The red spider spins a fine web upon the leaves of plants, under the protection »^ of which they feed. They have stouc FIG. 108. j'*-^^^ ^^^' niandibles, by means of which RED SPIDER. ^|j^,y ^Q^y j^^vay tlie cuticle of the leaves, and also a barbed sucking apparatus, which is used to take the food from the leaves. Numbers of these insects upon a leaf, sucking out its juices, cause it to turn yellow and finally to drop from the plant. The first sign of the Avorking of this insect is in the taking on by the leaves of a light green color, and the appearance of minute yellowish spots. This insect thrives in a hot, dry atmosphere, and its appearance can generally be i)re vented if the houses are properly ventilated and syringed. If the spider does appear, steps should at onee be taken to destroy it. If INSECTS OF THE GKEEXHOUSE. 313 the veutihitors arc kt'i)t closed for awhile on bright luoriiiugs and the walks and jilants thoroughly syringed, the conditions will be unfavorable to the red spider and the numbers can in this way be reduced. When the warm days of spring and summer come on, a similar treatment in the afternoon is often advisable. Another remedy that is entirely effectual and quite easy to use is evaporated sulphur. If this is a])plied thoroughly once or twice, it will rid the plants from these pests. THE THRIPS. The insects grouped under tliis name, although quite small in size, are often tlie source of considerable trouble in the greenhouse, as well as upon fruits and grains. They have long, slender bodies (Fig. 109) and generally four wings; these are also long and narrow and of nearly equal size and shape, with a fine hair-like fringe around their edges. In most cases the wings are without veins, except, perhaps, one or two longitudinal midribs. The antennae are long and slender, with generally from seven to nine joints. In their mouth i)arts they resemble both the true bugs and the Orthoptera, or grasshopper group, as they are adapted for both biting and sucking. They resemble the adult in both the lar- val and pu2)al forms, and when full grown they are slightly less than one-tenth of an inch in length. They are sometimes light yellow, but are generally l)rown or black, with the extremity of the abdomen in some cases bright red. The antennae and legs are usually light colored ; as larvae and pupa3 most of the forms are of a yellowish-white. Thri])s do considerable injury in the greenhouse, as they eat holes in the leaves and Howers and suck the juices. They are es[>eeially injurious to the rose^, car- oU GKEEXJ10Lt?E MAXAUEMEXT. nation, lily jind azalea. As a remedy, the liose should be used freely on bright da3s, and if this does not suffice, it is well to make free use of whale-oil soap, kerosene emulsion, or evaporated sulphur. The vapor of tobacco can also be used with good effect, as can Paris, green. When they have become imbedded in the flowers, the buds should be })icked off and burned. HeUofhrlps hivmorrlioidis, Bowd, is sometimes quite troublesome upon crotons, and Coleoflwips irifaf1KAIA" ru'u. INSECTS OF THE ORKENHOUSE. 315 of the body are considerably elongated, often being as long as the body itself. The male undergoes a transfor- mation, and covers itself with a thick cottony mass. It is of a brown color, with long grayish wings. Another form, known as the Destructive mealy bug {Dactylopius de.striictor), of a yellowish-brown color, with seventeen short, stout, lateral appendages upon each side of its flattened body, with a very thin waxy covering. This form has been particularly destructive to orange trees. The form known as D. lungifilis differs ])rincipally in having longer appendages, there being two in particular ujion each side of the rear end of the abdomen that are as long as the entire body. All of these forms of mealy bugs thrive in close, hot and dry air, and i)articularly like to conceal themselves in a corner or in a thick tangle of vines. The conditions that favor tlieir development should be avoided, and where the plants can be reached a free use of the hose with a powerful spray will often blow them off from the leaves. J^erosene emulsion, where it can be brought in contact with the mealy bugs, is also a powerful insec- ticide, as is also fir tree oil and other commercial com- pounds. On many stoA^e plants, with large delicate leaves, the use of a stiff brush and dilute kerosene emul- sion, or whale-oil soap, is preferable. The genus Aspidiotus, to which a large number of true scale insects belong, differs in lacking, in most spe- cies, the waxy covering. They are of a yellowish or brownish color. At first the larvae are active, but soon they form a scale and fix themselves; after molting a number of times tliey reach full size, when they are covered with a thick, firm shell. Eggs are now deposited and, on hatch- ing, the second brood starts on the road to development. In some cases there are as many as five broods a year. Closely related to Aspidiotus, and often classed with it, are such other genera as IMaspis, Cliionaspts, Mytila' 31(i CKEEXIIOrSK iMANAGEMEXT. spis^ Lecaniimi, and others which differ principally in the shape, or the markings of the scale. They are all suck- ing insects and mnst be killed by the use of kerosene emulsion and similar remedies. Vsing hydrocyanic acid gas is among the most effective methods of treating them, '^rhe males are nearly all winged, but the fe- males have but little power of locomotion, being wing- less and with bat poorly developed legs. While often found upon plants that seem in perfect health, as a rnle, weak, unhealthy plants are most likely to be at- tacked, and are most injured by them. SLUGS, SNAILS AND SOW BUGS. The damage done by the above-named animals is often very great, especially by the slugs, which seem to delight in eating off young seedlings. In modern well- built houses they are far less tronblesome than in the old style of houses, that are generally damp, dark and with more or less of rotting wood. If flats, bits of board and other rubbish are not allowed to lie around under the benches, there will be little danger of their appear- ance in houses that are well lighted and properly venti- lated. Neatness, then, should always be used as a preven- tive. If they make their appearance, they can often be held in check by si)rinkling air-slaked lime over as well as under the benches. This will help both in drying u}) the surplus moisture and by its caustic action destroy or drive away the slugs and similar animals, ^^^raps" are also quite useful, as, by placing cabbage or lettuce leaves where they are numerous, the slugs and sow bugs will collect beneath them and if they are sprinkled with Paris green many of them will be killed. Sweetened bran also has an attraction, particularly for the slugs, and the addition of Paris green will soon clean them out. Bits of carrot poisoned with some arsenite are also good traps for sow bugs. IKSECTS OF THE GREENHOUSE. 31? While we should always endeavor to make the sur- rouiuiiiigs uiieongenial to them by keei)iiig all rubbish and litter picked up, if they do make their appearance they can readily be brought under control by any of the methods given. What are commonly known as "Thou- sand Legged Worms" are often found with the above. They are Myriapods, and Julus vij-gatus is among the most common species. They feed, as a rule, upon decaying matter, but sometimes attack the roots, bulbs and fleshy stems of plants. They can generally be de stroyed if baited with slices of poisoned vegetables. EEL WORMS. Florists have often found what they called "root galls" upon the roots of roses and other plants, but have not known what the real cause w^as. They are often due to the workings in the root of a microscopic worm called from its appearance an "eel worm." They luxuriate in warm, moist surroundings, and a rose house, especially if kept unnecessarily warm, and if the beds are over- watered, gives them the very conditions they prefer. In filling the beds, care should be taken that fresh soil is obtained, and the roots of the rose and other plants should be examined, to ascertain that they are free from galls. If they once get into a bed they will increase rapidly and the plants will take on an unhealthy appearance. No satisfactory remedy is known, although air- slaked lime and kainit sprinkled over and worked into the beds have been used with fair success in some places. Care should be taken in applying kainit, but one pound per one hundred square feet can be used with safety upon roses. Frost is also valuable as a natural enemy of the eel worm. Various other plants, including the violet, tomato and carnation, are often seriously troubled by this pest. ;31S GREENHOUSE MAi^AGEMENT. MUSHROOM ENEMIES AND DISEASES. The mushroom grower does not find it all smooth sailing, as his crops are attacked by a luimber of insects and other enemies, against many of which he has no remedy except to give the houses a scrupulous cleaning each summer. Little attention has ])een given to the scientific study of the enemies of this crop, and many may exist of which we have no knowledge. Most of the pests of wliicli we know injure the mushrooms by eat- ing holes in, or biting off small pieces from, the tender caps ; among these are the sow bugs or wood lice, slugs, mice and otlier vermin. One of the most troublesome of these pests is the mushroom maggot. It is about one-fourth of an incli long, and is the larval form of a fly. It burrows through the stems and caps of tender buttons, and in the full- sized mushrooms the bi'own lines running through the tissues are distinctly seen. The maggots appear in April, and make it impossible to grow the ordinary mushroom in the summer. It also attacks the new mushroom {Agaricus rufescens), but from tlie rapid growth of this species much less injury is done. If one has a cave or cool cellai", they can be grown later in the season than if the beds are in a warm place, but it is even then about impossible to escape their attack be- tween April and October. No i-emedy that is now known will destroy them ; insect powder, kainit, salt and other insecticides seem to have no effect upon them. The so-called ^'black spot" shows itself as black or brown spots or streaks upon the top of the caps ; it is also most troublesome during the summer months. The diseased appearance is caused by minute eel worms which enter the plants while they are quite small, and which generally infect all in one chimp. They are most troublesome in old beds and seldom, if ever, appear in properly made new ones. As soon as they are through INSECTS OF THE GKEENHOUSE. ;M bearing, the old 1)cdH should he thi-owuoul, and new ones made entirely from fresh materials. If the worms have been present, the walls and floor should be thor- oughly whitewashed, and all decaying matter and dis- eased mushrooms should be removed at orce. By the free use of lime and salt, the green mold in which they multiply can be kept down. Boiling water is also recommended for tliis purpose, to be applied to the walls, floors, boards, and sparingly to the surface of the beds, before the mushrooms appear. One of the most common and troublesome diseases of the mushroom is known as '^fogging off." It, how- ever, seems to be a secondary trouble, as it as a rule only attacks mushrooms that have been injured in some way. If the bed is too wet, or too dry, or if the surface is dis- turbed in such a way as to loosen the young mushrooms, they will fog off, so that the disease seems to partake of a fungous as well as of a bacterial nature. The so-called "flock" is even more to be dreaded. It is caused by one or more fungi that attack the gills of the mushrooms. They become thick and hard, and are often distorted. The conditions that favor the devel- opment of the disease are not understood and the only known treatment is to destroy the spawn upon which a diseased mushroom appears. In growing mushrooms, much can be done to ward off the attacks of these various diseases and insects by keeping the house clean and free from litter and rubbish ; the beds should be removed as soon as through bearing, and in the new beds only fresh material should be used. If the atmosphere is too dry, mushrooms are some- times inju]-ed by a species of mite, closely related to the "red spider," but as they are only troublesome under the above conditions, the way to prevent their ap^iear- ance and of freeing the beds of their presence will be at once apparent. ;};>() nREENTTOlSK M A N .UJEM F.XT. FUMKJVTION Willi II Y I > l;(M ' Y A N !< ' ATM) (iAK. This is one of tlic most ('ITcdiNC luclhods of (Icsli'oy- iiic^ insects in (lie greenliouso and ollici- places vvlici'c llic air can l)e oonliiied, ])iit it should bo \\^v(\ wili> the great- est caution, as tlie fumes are fatal to all animal life. Kvor/ ])i-eeaution sliould be taken auainst the })ossibility of anyone entering- the house wlu're the <^as lias l)een used, until it has been dissipated. The gas treatment, has for several years been used for scale insects in California, but it was not until ISDO that it was used to any extent in gi-eenliouses. It was then tried experimentally, by Professor (Jalloway and liis assistants of the Cniled States Department of Agricul- ture, with very satisfactory results, as it cheaply ami elt'ectually destroyed all the insects in the houses, iiudud- ing several species that can be etfect ually reached in no othei- way, without injury to nu)st- plants. The treatment is, as yet, in its e.\j)erimental stage, but it has progressed so far that for many plants the amount that can be used has been determined, ami methods of producing the gas, with the least risk and to secui'c the best results, have been I'ouiul. The houses should be tight, and so arranged tliat the ventilators can be raised without entering ihe house. The gas is produced by the action of suli)huric acid upon cyanide of potassium in the preseiu-e of water. The experiments show that for violets, coleus, many of the ferns, Firus dastica, crotons, etc., four ounces of chem- ically ])ure (9(S ])er cent) i)otassium cyanide, six ounces of commercial sul]dHiric acid, and six ounces of water can be used for each 1,000 cubic feet of space. Roses, chrysanthemums and tomatoes are injured by this amount, and further experiments are recpiired to detcr- miiu' the exact (pumtity that can he used with safety. It is also well to have a box in which cuttings and small FITMTOATTOX. 021 plants can l)e placed for fmnigation. If this is made to contain ten cubic feet, about one dram of the cyanide and one and one-lialf drams each of the sulpliuric acid and water will be required. For nse in a greenhouse, it will be well to wet the glass, so as to close as many of the cracks as possible. Night should be selected, as the action of lio:ht and the usual high temperature of the daytime will increase the chance of injury to the plants, and lessen the injury to insects. The plants should be on the dry side, and the air moderately cool. At intervals of from thirty to forty feet, place in the walk a tall two-gallon earthen jar. Thus, for a house one hundred feet long, three jars will be required, unless it is very narrow, or very wide, when the number should be decreased or increased accordingly. In each jar place a proportionate part of the water re- quired for the house, and then carefully add an equal amount of sulphuric acid. Care should be taken not to allow any of the acid to come in contact with the cloth- ing, or person, jis it is very acrid and will destroy any- thing that it touches. The amount of cyanide of potassium required for each jar should be weighed out and placed in paper bags, and just before it is to be used it should be placed inside another larger bag, to prevent any danger of the bag giving way while preparations are being made. Screw eyes are then fastened in the woodwork directly over each jar, and through these stout cords are run to the end of the house near the door, where they are fastened. To the ends over the jars tie the bags of cyanide, so that, on the ends of the strings at the door being re- leased, they will drop into the jars. When all is ready, close the ventilators, pass to the end of the house and carefully lower the bags into the jars and close the door. If any of the cyanide drops into the acid while in the house, hold the breath and get out of the house as soon 21 322 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. FUMIGATIOlf. 323 as possible, as to inhale the gas is fatal. After twenty- five minutes, open the houses for at least half an hour, but do not enter even then unless obliged to, except with caution. At the usual price of pure cyanide of potassium, 30 to 35 cents per pound, and of commercial sulphuric acid, which can be bought in quantity at three or four cents per pound, the cost of fumigating a greenhouse will not be more than 12 to 15 cents per 1000 cubic feet. While it is very useful in destroying aphides, it is a particularly valuable remedy against insects and mealy bugs. One of the first uses to which it was put w^as the destruction of white-tailed mealy bugs {Orthezia indgnis) upon coleus, which had refused to yield to other reme- dies. Its next extensive use was for the black violet aphis, in the houses of Mr. W. G. Saltford, Poughkeepsie, ]N. Y. (Fig. Ill), the results of which, as reported in The Florist's Exchange, were very satisfactory. The same remedy is also much used upon nursery stock that has been dug for shipment. An air-tight shed arranged for ventilation is required. While in a dormant condition the trees will stand a stronger gas than will tender greenhouse plants. One ounce of the cyanide of potassium and one and one-half ounces each of water and sulphuric acid can be used with safety for each one hundred and fifty cubic feet. For the San Jose scale a second treatment will be desirable, but one application will suffice for all other insects. The same care about inhaling the fumes should be used here as in a greenhouse. CHAPTEE XXYL DISEASES OE GREEKHOUSE PLANTS. FUKGOUS DISEASES OF THE ROSE. — BLACK SPOT. {Actinonema rosm, Fr.). This disease, Avliich is the cause of tlie hhick spots that are so comniouly seen \\\>(n\ the leaves of moss and hybrid roses in wet seasons, frequently invades the green- house and causes the leaves of the tea roses to take on an unhealthy appearance and finally to drop from the stems. Its development here seems to he invited by the same conditions as in the oi)en ground. If the bed is i)oorly drained, or has been over- watered, a drop in the temperature below 50 degrees is likely to cause the fungus to appear. The "spot" when first seen is of a dark brown -color, with an irregular margin (Fig. 112); it rapidly enlarges and in a short time tlie portion of the leaf around the spot takes on a sickly yellow color and the leaf drops. A magnified section of the leaf is seen in Fig. llo. Tlie dark bodies (A) are the outer layer of epider- FIG 11"* ' KosE SPOT. mal cells, the contents of which have been changed by the fungus into a dark brown granular sub- stance, which can be seen through the transparent cuticle of the leaf, and gives it a brown or black a])- ])earance. The mycelium also penetrates the underlying cells and draws its nourishment from them, thus break- iuu" down the tissues and causing the surrounding por- DISEASES OE GREE^'HOUSE PLANTS. 325 tions of the leaves to tuke on a l)rowii color. The spores of the fungus are developed on the mycelium, just beneath the cuticle, and, as this finally bnrsts and. rolls back, they appear as at B. When magnified 500 diameters, the spores are seen to be two-celled (B) and oblong in shape. If they fall npon a damp rose leaf they will germinate and cause another *^spot" to form. For the destruction of this fungus, a perfect remedy is found in Bor- deaux mixture, exce^^t for its giving tl^^;g|gf$i^F^;?,^(i. tlie plants a whitewashed appear- M|\%4WV ance. The copper carbonate solu- fig. iis. black spot, J • • T ££ L ^ J J Section magnified. tion IS nearly as enectual and does not have this fault. Evaporated sulphur will also keej) the disease in check. As in most other cases, prevention will be found the best cure, and to effect this have the beds well drained, avoid over-watering and maintain a regular temperature of from 50 to 00 degrees, according to the requirements of the variety. POWDERY MILDEW OF THE ROSE [SpJicBrotheca pannostt.) This common disease of the rose appears as a mealy or powdery covering u})on the young leaves, and if the attack is severe they become twisted and distorted, and the disease eyen affects the stems. It develops rapidly upon the young leaves, its mycelium forming a fine cob- web from wliich the spore-bearing stalks are sent up. These stalks or hyjihae become constricted and break up into oval bodies — the spores, which are so numerous as to form a fine jjowder upon the leaves, whence tlie name of the fungus. This disease has another form of repro- duction, the spores of which are formed in the fall and are designed to carry the disease through the winter. The spoi-es are in sacs, wliich are themselves enclosed in a thick sac known as a theca. The winter spore cover- 326 gree:nhouse management. ing lias for its distinguishing feature short irregular threads that project from it. Like many other diseases, tliis fungus is seldom trouhlesome unless there is some inducing weakness in the plants, and an excessive amount of water, an excess of nitrogenous matter in the soil and, particularly, cold drafts of air upon the plants, will hardly fail to induce its appearance. Being entirely superficial in its growth, this mildew is easily kept in check. The fumes of sul- phur are fatal to it, and it is avcU to always paint the heating pipes with a sulphur w^ash ; sulphur evaporated by means of an oil stove, or by the heat of the sun, will also be easy to use, as by the last method one has only to apply the sulphur to the plants with a bellows and allow the temperature to run up to 70 degrees before opening the ventilators ; in airing the house after giving this treatment, it should be done gradually, so as to avoid cold drafts. ROSE RUST [Plwagmidhim mucronatum. Winter). Although this fungus sometimes attacks tea roses, it is principally troublesome upon hybrid perpetual and other hardy kinds. It first shows as light yellow spots on both sides of the leaves, or upon the stems. The epidermis is soon ruptured and granular pustules are formed. On the leaves these are generally (piite small, but as they are very nunienms and frecjuently coalesce, tlie leaves are often destroyed. Wlien upon the veins, petioles or stems, the spots often extend themselves longitudinally and cover a considerable surface. In that case the stems and leaves become twisted and distorted. At first the jiustules are of an orange-yellow color, and the spores are spherical or slightly angular in form, and are arranged in chains. Each group is surrounded by elongated bodies called paraphyses, which form a cup- DISEASES OF GREENHOUSE PLAKTS. 327 shaped cavity in which the spores are formed. This constitutes what is known as the aecidio stage of the rust. Later in the season the pustules take on a reddish color, and spores that are then present are of about the same size and shape as the aecidio spores, but they are covered with minute spines and are arranged singly upon short stalks or basidia. Towards the end of summer, the red- dish spots are replaced by minute black bristle-like tufts, in which the winter or teleutospores are found. These are compound, being separated by cross partitions into from five to ten cells, and are borne upon compara- tively short stalks, which are thickened toward their base. The secidiospores and uredospores serve for the reproduction of the fungus during the summer. If the conditions are favorable, they germinate readily, but if kept dry for a few weeks they lose their power. It is the function of tlie teleutospores, with their thick cell-walls, to carry the fungus through the winter, and in the spring they germinate, sending out thickened tubes which bear at their ends small globular bodies called sporidia, which are light and easily borne about by the wind, and thus serve for the dissemination of the fungus. If they fall upon rose leaves, they quickly germinate, and soon produce new rust spots. If the disease appears upon a plant, the affected branch should be cut off and burned. By spraying with Bordeaux mixture and other copper compounds, the spread of the disease can be prevented. The so-called Rose Phragmidium (P. speciosum, Fi-ies) is closely allied to the above, but differs in confining itself to the stems and seldom infecting the leaves. It forms its regular black masses of spores late in the season upon the stems. These spores (teleutospores) differ from those of the lose rust in having long, slender stalks. The spots fre- quently surround the stems, thus completely girdling 328 GKEENHOUSE MAXAGEMEXT. them. The remedies will be the same as for the rose rust. aN'THRACNOSe of the rose {Glceos2)orium rosarum). Like many other plants, the rose has its anthracnose, which sometimes j)roves very troublesome. The spores, falling upon the young tender canes, germinate, and spreading through the tissues destroy the cells and even girdle the canes. The circulation is thus cut off to a greater or less extent, and many if not all of the leaves drop from the plant. The disease manifests itself at the exterior in the form of minute pimples in which the sj^ores are formed. They are transferred to other plants in water. Other blotches can be found upon the leaves, jiarticularly upon those that have fallen upon a damp surface. The spores readily germinate, and as they are pro- duced in great abundance, the disease may, under favora- ble conditions, spread very rapidly. The s])read of the disease seems to be toward the tijis of the branches, and frequently aj)parently healthy shoots appear at the base of diseased ones. As soon as the disease appears upon a plant, the infected portions should be cut off and burned. As the Bordeaux mixture and cop])er compounds are fatal to the s})ore development of fungi, the spread of the disease can be prevented by thoroughly spraying the plants. This disease is closely related to the anthrac- nose of the raspberry, and its develo})ment is both invited and hastened by such unfavorable conditions as poorly drained or exhausted soil. FUNGOUS DISEASES OF THE CARNATION. CARNATION RUST. This destructive disease ( Uromyces caryophyllinus), has long been known in Euroy>e, but although it had undoubtedly appeared here previous to that time, its nature was not known in this country until the fall of FUJs^GOUS DISEASES OF THE CARNATION. 329 1890, Avbeii the writer received from a Michigan florist a number of diseased leaves, witli an inquiry as to the nature of the fungus and a remedy for it. The plants had been recently received from Massachusetts, and recognizing the danger of spreading the disease, he was advised to destroy all plants that were badly infected, and to re- move from the others all leaves that showed any pustules, carefully burning both plants and leaves, and then to spray the remaining j)lants with a fungi- cide. This fungus is closely related to the rust of grains and grasses, and seems to revel upon plants grown in poorly ven- tilated houses, or that have received a check in some way, })articu- larly if the phmts are syringed at such times as will allow the water to stand on the leaves and branches at night. It enters the jjlantand develops there without fig. 114. < aknatiox rust. manifesting its presence, until a pustule is formed just beneath the epidermis. The spot takes on a grayish ap- pearance, and the nunnbrane soon beconiini;" I'uptured. the mass of brow iiisli sjjoi-cs is seen. TIk-n arc in'odiiccd in great quantities and apjicar like line, hi'own, dust- 3 Mm 330 GREENHOUSE MAKAGEMEl^T. like particles. The pustules are often an eighth of an inch or even more in length, and are of an elliptical, oval, or sometimes of a crescent shape, and form on both sides of the leaves and even on the stems (Fig. 114). The spores are of two kinds, one of which, the uredospores (Fig. 115 a), are round or elliptical, and show a few scattered spines under the miscroscope. They will germinate at once if they fall on a moist surface and if the moisture is on a carnation plant, the germ tubes will penetrate the epidermis, and work their way among the tissues, break down the cells, absorb the juices and, having made their growth, develop a new mass of spores, thus completing a cycle in per- haps two weeks. The other spores, known as teleutospores (Fig. 115, b), are somewhat darker in color than the others, and are more oval in shape, be- sides lacking the spines found upon the uredospores. Some varieties seem more subject to this disease than others, and plants with firm tissues are less likely to be attacked than others of the same variety with soft watery leaves. As water is required for the development of the fungus, syringing should only be done on sunny days and in the morning, that the plants may dry off before night. In damp weather, the ventilation should be thorough, and if moisture stands on the plants, the fire heat should be increased. To grow plants free from rust, they should be of a strong constitution and from a healthy stock. Prefer- ably, as stated in the chapter upon carnation culture, they should be taken from plants that have not been long in flower, and that have not been grown in a high temperature. FIG. 115. SPOKES OF CAR- KATION RUST. FUi^GOUS DISEASES OF THE CARN^ATION. 831 When the cuttings are made, dip them in a solution of liver of sulpliur (one ounce to three gallons), and root tliem in clean sand at a h)w temperature (48 or 50 degrees). Before potting off, spray them in the cutting bed Avith a solution of copper sulphate, using a fine spray that will cover both sides of all tlie leaves. If the disease is troublesome, it will be well to repeat the appli- cation every two weeks througliout the year, until the plants are thrown out. If one's stock has been free from rust it will only be necessary to watch it carefully and on the first appearance of the pustules to pick off and burn the infected leaves and thoroughly spray the plants, keeping it up at intervals, as above, until the disease has been checked. The carnation has a leaf that will withstand the use of a much stronger application of copper sulphate than most other plants, and while we have kept the disease in check with a solution of one part of the copper sul- phate in one thousand parts of water, if the disease has obtained a firm-hold, it will be well to double tlie strength of the solution. If the plants are grown on solid benches during the summer, and are thus saved the shock of transplanting, the chances of the appearance of the disease will be lessened. The fungicides can at best only prevent the spread of the disease, and if a plant is found to be badly diseased, it should be destroyed, and the diseased leaves removed from the others as soon as the pustules show. SPOT OE BLIGHT OF CARI^ATIOKS. {Se2)toria dianthi Desm.) Like many of the other fungous diseases of plants, the nature of this disease is not generally understood, and, although it is becoming quite commonly distributed, its presence is not recognized by florists. The spots are generally of a circular form, except when upon the edges O O ,) GREEXHOrSE MANATtEMENT. of the leaves, wlieu they arc oblong or semi-circnlar. The centers of the spots arc grayish -brown in color, Avith margins that have a purplish tinge (Fig. ll(i, a). Upon the light portion of the spots, minnte black dots will soon appear ; the mycelium of the fuugus has developed within the leaf, and these points are projections from the flask-shaped conceptaclcs in w^hich the spores are formed (Fig. IKi, d). An en- larged spore case is shown at b and the spores themselves are seen at c. j"'o The spores are quite slender and, enclosed in a viscid substance, ooze out thi-ough the opening, to be dis- solved in water and scattered to the FIG. 116. SPOT DISEASE neighboring plants, or they may be OF CAKNATIONS. , , , i^ p - jsi i^ taken up by currents oi air alter the water has evaporated. The watering of the plants with a strong stream of water, through a hose, will be likely to scatter the spores, and if they fall in a drop of water (m a carnation leaf, they will quickly germinate and cause other spots. If the flower stems are affected, the growth is likely to be checked and on the leaves the effect is to contract and weaken them, the spots turn brown and they become bent and twisted (Fig. 117). If taken in time, when the disease first appears, the application of fungicides will tend to keep it in check. ANTiiKACKOSE OF cARXATiONs {Volvfclla diantJii). The nature of this disease w\as ])ointed out in 1891, by Dr. B. D. Halsted, who thought it to be Colleto- trichum dianthi ; the later investigations of Prof. Atkin- son, however, would seem to sliow that it can more ]U'operly be referred to the genus Volutella. It causes a ra]nd decay of the affected portions and the warmth and damp of the cutting bench seem particularly favorable FUNGOT'S DISEASES OF THE CAKNATION. l)^^ for its development and s})read, as a spore will germi- nate, develop a mycelium and produce a crop of spores within three days. While particularly injurious to cuttings, it often causes serious injury to the growing plants, where it is most commonly found upon the lower portions of the stems and the clasping hases of the leaves and leaf sheaths. The diseased portions shrivel, turn brown and FIG. 117. EFFECT OF "SPOT" ON CARNATIONS. at length are dotted with black, rosette-like clusters of spores (Fig. 118, a) ; these stools owe their color and general appearance to the development of a number of long, black bristles. Fig. 118, b, shows a section through one of these fruit clusters greatly magnified, the spores being much shorter than the bristles. The germinating spores still more magnified are shown at c. 334 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. The disease is most troublesome when the plants are grown in a poorly drained and over-watered soil, par- ticularly if the stems and leaves form a dense mat at the base. While the fungus is generally confined to the stems and leaves that are upon or close to the damp soil, the effect is sometimes seen upon the upper leaves, FIG. 118. ANTHRACNOSE OF THE CARNATION. 6 Spores and bristles. c Spores germinating, (a natural size ; b and c greatly magnified.) which will have a sickly appearance, and the stems will not develop flowers. FAIRY RING SPOT OF CARNATIONS. (Heterospormm ecliinulatum [Berk.] Cooke). This disease was described and figured in the Gar- dener's Chronicle for 1870 by Mr. Berkeley, but it has only recently been observed in this country. The spores appear in concentric rings that develop centrifugally, FUNGOUS DISEASES OF THE CARNATION. 335 much as does the well-known '^fairy ring." The myce- lium developing within the tissues causes them to take on a light* yellow color. Just beneath the epidermis, dark brown swellings appear upon the mycelium, from which the fruiting threads (Fig. 119) are sent out through the cuticle. These are produced in great num- bers from a single spot and gives it a dark brown appear- ance. A single spore (Fig. 120) is produced at the extremity of each thread ; these are generally four- - ^ FIG. 119. FAIRY RING SPOT OF CAR- NATION, FRUITING THREADS. (Greatly magnified.) FIG. 120. SPORES OF FAIRY SPOT. b Spores germinating (Greatly magnified.) celled, but may vary from one to five, and are covered w^ith minute spines. Gei*m tubes (Fig. 120, B) may be sent out from each cell of the spores. The mycelium continues its development and finally forms another set of fruiting hyphse, generally in a circle around those first produced. In this way the disease can be distin- guished from the carnation rust, with which a careless observer might confound it. 336 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. FIG CARNA- CARNATION LEAF MOLT) (CladospOriKin sp.). This disease sliows itself in minute circular spots, per- haps one-tenth of an inch in diameter, upon the leaves. They may become sufficiently numerous to destroy the leaves attacked. At first they are of a gray color and bear a dense growth of mold, consisting of fruiting threads, upon the extremities of which the spores are borne (Fig. 121). These fall off and the spots become darker in color. The disease is thought to be Cladosporium herbarum var. nodo- siim, by Prof. Atkinson. It is particularly troublesome upon plants in poorly drained soil and where care is not taken in watering and syring- ing. Under proper conditions and when the plants are only syringed early in the TioN LEAF MOLD. ^>^y ^ thcrc sliould bc uo scrlous trouble from the disease, while if it does make its appearance the usual fungicides will hold it in check. BOTRYTIS OR ROT OF CARNATIONS. When the houses are kept quite warm and the soil and air are damp, the open- ing buds and the petals of the expanded flowers soften and turn yellow, and soon become covered with a slimy mold. This is the work of a fungus known as Botrytis (Fig. 122, A), which devel- ops an immense number of spores (Fig. 122, B). The ^ temperature and moisture pj^ should be regulated, all dis- eased portions should be destroyed, and the plants sprayed with cnpram, or a solution of copper sulphate. 122 BOTRYTIS OF CARNA- TIONS (-6 magnified). FUNGOUS DISEASES OF THE CARXATIOX. OOIV BACTERI0SI8 OF CAKNATIONS. Aside from the rust, no disease of the carnation is more to be dreaded. It appears upon the immature leaves as small, circular and slightly sunken yellowish- white spots; but before the spots appear, by holding the leaves up to the light, minute, translucent dots can be seen. Sometimes watery pimples form, but at any rate FIG. 123, BACTKKIOSIS OF CARNATIONS. the tissues affected soon dry out and sink beneath the surface of the leaf. The spots enlarge and the leaves wither (Fig. 1'23). The '' disease " was observed by Prof. Arthur of Purdue University in January, 1889, but it was not until more than a year later that he was able to announce 22 ').>S (JRIOIOMIOI'SK MANA(JEMENT. vvliJiL Ik' considered (o Ix; 1 he e;iiis('. I'l-om ilic iiicA, ihiit \\{' found h.ielci i;i, |)i'es(!iil, il \v;is IJkhi^^IiI, Io he, of a hM(;l('ri)iJ nnlnre, ;nid the n;inie " I'jielci-iosis " was / lowing nolcs were kindly prepared Irj/ Prof. Byron l>. Haltftcd, of the New Jersey Experiment Station, who in an authority on the siiJ>jeet. At tlie outset it nuiy l)e siiiores are thus in easy reach of any fungicide that may be aj^plied to the surface. This Cercospora is closely related to the one upon the celery (Cercospora apii,¥v.) and no doubt can be controlled in the same way by the use of the compounds of copjier. VIOLET LEAF SPOT KO. 2 {Phyllosticta ViolcB, Sacc). A second form of leaf spot of tiie violet can be dis- tinguished by the naked eye. The spot is remarkably white and breaks near the margin, which consists of a i-ing of a cream color. Very often the central portion of the spot has disappeared, leaving the aifected leaf with a number of holes. If viewed closely, the thin, white cen- tral i)ortion of the spot is seen to contain a number of minute specks that are imbedded in the thin substance of the dead tissue. The spores, as the moisture dries away, are carried by the moving currents of air and fall- ing upon healthy leaves produce, shortly, new spots of the disease. This fungus needs the same treatment as the Cercospora, and as they often grow together upon the same leaf, the spraying for the one will answer for the other. VIOLET LEAF SPOT NO. 3 {Ascorhyta Vioke, Sacc). Somewhat like the last described leaf spot is one that is caused by a species of Ascochyta. This is quite FUJs^GOUS DISEASES OF THE TIOLET. o41 frequently met with, particularly upon specimens re- ceived from Massachusetts. The differences between this and the Phyllosticta are chiefly microsco})ic. The spores, for examj^le, instead of consisting of one cavity, have a cross partition dividing them in two near the middle. The spore-bearing vessels (pycnidia) are pale l)ink colored and the hole ui)on the free side has a dark border. The diseased portion is a less well-defined spot than in previous cases, and is more like a brown patch. VIOLET ANTHRACNOSE {Glceosporium ViolcB, B. & M.). A genuine anthracnose is met with upon the violet. This does not produce a spot, but the side of the leaf may be attacked and become brown and shrivelled, the trouble spreading over the whole leaf in the worst cases. When viewed under the microscope the surface of the diseased portion shows many patches where the spore? are borne upon the surface. The fungus, after running in all directions through the tissue of the leaf, concen- trates at certain points and there rupturing the skin produces large numbers of small spores upon the exposed surface. A SECOND FORM OF ANTHRACNOSE (Colletotrichum). Closely related to the last is a second species of anthracnose that belongs to the genus Colletotrichum. This causes a deadening of irregular patches in the leaf, and, owing to tlie numerous dark, stiff hairs, the affected parts may appear almost black. There is a bacterial disease that causes the central portion (crown) of the plant to decay, and ruin is quickly effected. It frecjuently works in connection with tlie other fungous diseases and no satisfactory treatment is suggested f(n- it. But few satisfactory resulfs have bo(^n obtained by treating the violets for fungous diseases. Several growers have been faithful in a])[)lying the ammoniacal 342 GREENnOUfcJE M ASSUAGEMENT. carbonate of copper mixture, with fair results. But the beginning of tlie trouble is often below ground and quite out of the reach of fungicides, as shown below. THE VIOLET EEL WORMS {Root Galls). One of the serious pests of the violet is the eel worm or nematode. These are microscopic worms that mul- tiply in tlie substance of the violet roots, and cause enlargements called galls, that may be very numerous and sometimes of considerable size. The worms enter the tender roots from the soil and there increase rapidly. Their presence seems to poison the tissue and induces an abnormal gi'owth, similar to that which takes place upon many sorts of leaves when stung by gall flies and other insects. Many plants have their roots affected in this way, and the same species of nematode probably inhabits scores of kinds of plants. So far as known, the gall trouble of roses is the same as tliat of the violet, and if this be true, it follows that the infection may pass from one kind of plant to another. It Avould not be well to grow violets in soil where roses had been galled, or vice versa. There is no remedy for a plant that is badly infested, for nothing harmless to the plant can be used to kill the worms. The maiu point is to keep the nematodes out of the roots. The soil, therefore, should be free from them, and this is a difficult matter. The soil could be heated to a high temperature and the worms Avould be killed. Freezing would accomplish the same end; but either of these two extremes is not always possible. Lime water is said to kill them. The less manure used, the better, so far as the galls are concerned. Violets could probably be grown profitably with no manure. "With the soil free from the worms, and the plants also, there ought to be no trouble in having violets, exempt from the nematodes. In setting out the plants, it is well to look at the roots and reject all with galls. THE BERMUDA LILY DISEASE. 343 Underground troubles arc the least readily investi- gated, but none the less fatal. If a plant looks pale and there is a drying of the edges of the leaf, it is always well to look for mischief at the roots. THE BERMUDA LILY DISEASE. For a number of years florists have been troubled by a discjise that has attacked their Easter lilies. While Lilium Harruii has been most commonly attacked, it FI«. 125. PliANTS AFFECTED BY JAT.Y DISEASE. has also appeared on L. longiflovnm and occasionally on L. auratum and L. candidum. It shows in the spotting of the leaves and of the bulbs themselves, and in the dwarfing and distorting of the leaves and flowers. Upon the leaves, where they show as yellowish-white sunken streaks, the spots are often (juifo numerous. These en- large and finally the leaves severely attacked shrivel, and dry so that the plant is ruined (Fig. 125). The disease 344 GREENHOUSE MAXAGEMEJ^^T. attacks the bulbs while growing in the field and is com- mon not only in Bermuda, but in Holland, France and Japan. The disease is due to the weakening of the plants by the attacks of various mites, fungi and bacteria, and its appearance is also undoubtedly induced, and the extent of the injury increased, by improper selection and pro])a- gation, as well as by the cutting of the flowers, and the harvesting of the bulbs before they are matured. In the greenhouse, the effect of the disease is increased and per- haps caused by the attack of aphides and mites upon the leaves and flowers, while the syringing of the plants, so that water will remain between the young leaves at night may have its effect. From the above, which is the result of the investigations of the Department of Agriculture, it is evident that the condition of the bulbs at the time they are imported will have much to do with the extent to which they will be attacked while in the hands of the florist. Stunted and unripe bulbs should be avoided, and if they show the characteristic spots due to the work of the fungi and mites, they should be discarded. Before the bulbs are potted, they should be disinfected by dipping them into a solution of copper sulphate (one to one thousand) or of liver of sulphur (one to two hun- dred and fifty), and the mites and aphides should be destroyed by using strong tobacco- water or some other efficient insecticide. In order that a close, firm texture may be secured, the chief reliance should be upon chemical manures, rather than animal manures, rich in nitrogen. Careful attention should be paid to the destruction of mites and aphides, and if any of the plants show signs of the dis- ease, they should be isolated or at once destroyed, if the attack is a severe one. As will be seen from the above, the remedies are preventives rather than cures, and the most important thing is to secure strong, healthy bulbs. OTHSIl DISEASES. 345 DISEASES OF THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. This plant is subject to the attack of several forms of what are cominoiily called **leaf-spot." In two of these forms, which the botanist calls Septoria Ghri/san- themi, E. and D., and Oylindro.sjxjriuni Chrysantheini, E. and D., the first appearance is as small brown spots, which quickly enlarge until they cover considerable areas, when the leaves turn yellow and droj). In another form {Phyllosticta Chrysanthemi, E. and D.), the spots have more of a reddish color and seem quite velvety. If there are many of these spots upon a leaf, the portions between them turn yellow and the leaves droop. The Bordeaux mixture is one of the most effectual remedies and if the disease appears when the plants are small, it should be used frequently. Although less effectual, if the use of a fungicide is necessary after the flowers open, cupram, or some of the other solutions, should be used instead. Infected leaves should be at once ])icked off and burned, and if the plants are badly injured it will be best to throw them out at once. Cut- tings for a new stock should be selected only from healthy plants and should be frequently sprayed. The chances of injury from these diseases will be gi-eatly lessened, if mineral manui-es, such as wood ashes and ground bone, are freely used. Keeping the houses cool and well ventilated, and, if the plants are very thick, the removal of some of the lower leaves from plants growing closely in beds, will aid in keeping off the disease. A MIGNONETTE DISEASE [Cevcospora Beseclw), In the American Florist for September, 188T, Pro- fessor Seymour figured and described a disease of the mignonette, which has become quite troublesome in some sections. The first sign of the disease is a reddish dis- coloration, which spreads over the leaf and is followed by the appeanince of small, sunkeii spots with yellowish 346 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. borders. The spots (Fig. 120) increase, and running- together may destroy the entire leaf. They have a gran- ular appearance caused by clusters of fungus threads (B) upon which the septate spores (C) are borne. The disease spreads very rapidly and may become quite trouble- some. If taken in time, the disease may be kept in check by the use of the copper com- pounds. It will be well to remove all diseased portions and spray the plants with Bor- deaux mixture. LEAF BLIGHTS. FIG. 120. LEAF BLIGHT OF MIG- -KTn.ivUr all T^lmifs UVO «nh >roNETTE. (Vercnspora liesedoe.) INCaiiy all piaUtS ait SUO- ^'Tl'rea<1s.^,^_Spores. (Band .^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^.^^^ ^f ^^.^^^-^ fungi that are known as leaf blights. They belong to several species, but are alike in causing the appearance of yellow spots upon the leaves, which may spread until they assume large proportions, and if they are very numerous the leaves may be destroyed. Generally at the place where the spot first showed, a dark brown dot will later on api)ear ; this is due to the development of a large number of spores, by which the disease will be scattered. When the spots first show, the leaves attacked should at once be removed and burned. Sometimes, there are but one or two spots upon large leaves, and it will be possible to cut off the pvortion of the leaf upon which the spot is situated, but to be effectual a consid- erable amount of the leaf should be taken off, as the mycelium of the fungus has probably spread to some distance beyond the margin of the discolored portion. Most of these fungi work within the tissues, and no sur- face api)lication Avill stop their spread within the leaf, but by applying the Bordeaux mixture, or cupram, we DISEASES OF LETTUCE. 34? will be able to destrov any spoi-es Ibat fonii on llio out- side of tlie leaves, and if tbc entire surface <»f the leaves is thus protected, any spoi-es that may come in contact with the healthy leaves will be kept from germinating, and the spread of the disease will be prevented. DISEASES OF LETTUCE. If properly handled, thei-e is little danger from the attack of any disease, but unless the soil, the temper- ature and moisture, are suited to the crop, one or more troubles may make their appearance, and greatly injure, if they do not entirely destroy it. The one most to be feared is commonly known as ^^Rot." It attacks the under leaves in some cases and in others the inner leaves, causing them to rot oif. If, when the lettuce is nearly grown, the air is too warm and close, especially if a large amount of water has been used, the disease is quite likely to appear. Heavy, com- pact soil that does not dry out, is also favorable to the appearance of the disease. The remedies will be entirely preventive and will be merely to correct the conditions under which the plants are grown, by using a light, sandy soil, made very rich ; keeping the temperature under 45 degrees at night for the cabbage varieties, and not allowing it to get to 50 for Grand Rapids and similar varieties ; giving an abundance of fresh air during the day ; and carefully regulating the amount of water sup- plied. If the disease has appeared, after coi-recting, so far as possible, the conditions that liave brought about its appearance, the spores of the disease can be destroyed, and its further spread prevented by evaporating sulphur in the house, taking care that it does not take fire. The fungus that causes the rot is known as Botry- tis vulgaris^ and as it can develop in decaying vegetable matter, care should l)e taken that the manure is well worked into the soil. 348 GREEKHOUSE MAXAC.EMENT. Aiiotlier disease is the lettuce ^'^Fildew." It is seldom lioublesonu', except in dark houses, wlieiv the plunts arc making littU' or no growtlj, on account ot a cohl, wet soil. A third trouble is "Leaf-burn," which causes the edges of the leaves to turn brown. This is a common trouble with the head varieties, and greatly reduces the value of the crop. It is much less likely to appear in the variety known as Grand Ixapids than in most other sorts. The usual cause of the trouble is growing the lettuce at too high a temperature, especially if the changes are sudden and extreme. A deficiency of water in the soil, especially if the air is hot and dry, will also lead to its appearance. In short, it mav be attributed to anything that will cause the water to be given off from the tissues at the edges of the leaves faster than it can be supplied to them. If the soil is light, the roots will })enetrate deeply and water will be supplied much more readily than it* it is heavy. DISEASES OF THE CUCIMBER AND MELON. Both of these vines are attacked by a downy mil- dew {Plnsnwpdrii Cuhensi-'i, B. and C), which first shows in the yellow color of the spots where the fungus is at Avork, followed bv the appearance of the frost-like l)atches of spores on the underside of the leaves. In the case of the cucumber, the s])ores are of a violet color. This disease appears when the houses have been cold and damp, and unless a radical change can at once be made, the chance for a crop will soon be lost. The vines should at (mce be treated with Bordeaux mixture, after picking off all leaves that are affected and throwing out the plants that have been much injured. CUCUMBER POWDERY MILDEW. The cucumber, when grown under glass, especially if the air has been kept too dry. is sometimes attacked with a fungus that is thought to l)e Frif,^ij>hp Cicliora- ANTHHACKOSE OF THE BEAN. 341J cearum, D. 0. It shows on tlic upper side of the leaves as small white patches, coniposed of a mass of tine threads and spores. Tliis gives it a flour-like appear- ance, whence the common name. It also attacks the stems and even the fruits. The portions attacked soon turn brown, and, if the spots are numerous, the plant is soon killed. As a preventive, the temperature and moisture in the house should be carefully regulated, but as the disease lives upon the outside of tiie plants, it, like all powdery mildews, readily yields to treatment. Spraying with sulphide of potassium, or cupram, or evap- orating sulphur in the house, will destroy it. If the disease has appeared in a house, during the summer everything should be cleaned out of the house, and a pound of sulphur should be burned for each 3,000 cubic feet. Care will be required, as this will be fatal to animals and plants, as well as to the spores of the fungus. ANTHRACNOSE OF THE BEAN. When grown under glass, the bean is very subject to the attack of this fungus, which appears on the stems and leaves, as well as on the pods, causing spots to form that quickly enlarge, until they cover a considerable area. Upon the stems and pods the tissues dry up and appear sunken. To succeed with this crop, the seed used must be free from disease. Although soaking the seed iu copper sulphate solution may aid in destroying the spores, it is not entirely effectual. As soon as the first spot shows, the affected portions should be removed and burned, and the plants sprayed with Bordeaux mix- ture. After the pods form, some of the solutions should be used. We have had good results when using copper sulphate solution, 1 to 2,000, but others report failures with it. DAMPING OFF. Considerable losses often occur in the cutting bed and seed boxes from what is commonly known as ''damp- :5:.() OKEENHOUSE MAXAGEMEKT. ino- oif," and ilic disease tliat causes the trouble is often s})oken of as tlie "fungus of the eutting bed.'' Really, there are several fnngi that may be the cause of the trouble, but the one that is most destructiye has been named Artotrogus deharyanus (Ilesse). Not only does it grow upon living plants, but it may subsist upon decaying vegetable matter; hence, one of the conditions that is likely to lead to its appearance in a bed of cut- tings is the use of sand in which seyeral batches of cut- tings have been rooted. If we combine with this a high temperature and a close and moist atmosphere, the appear- ance of the trouble in a batch of cuttings will be more than probable. The same is true with seedlings, and for this reason clean sand forms the best seed bed in which to start plants that, like the cucumber, recpiire a high temi)erature. The remedy against this disease is self-evident, and, in addition to a frequent change of the sand in the cut- ting bed, we must avoid the conditions that have been mentioned as ])romoting its develo})ment. It has also been found that extremes of temperature and frequent sprinklings of the surface, thus keeping it wet while the soil beneath is compar;;tively dry, favor the appearance of the fungus. If the soil is too wet, it should be stirred, thus aiding its drying out. The conditions that are mentioned as favoring the appearance of the fungus act in two ways, as they cause a soft, watery 2:rowth, thus makinu- the cuttings or seed- liiiiTS more subject to attack, and they are also favorable to the development of the spores and the growth of the fungus. If it appears in a batch of seedlings, the healthy plants should at once be pricked out in a box of fresh soil, while in the cutting bed the sand should be throMU out, the boards coated with a thick wash of Bordeaux mixture, and, if of u valuable variety, the healthy cut- TTs'SECTirTDES. iliSl tings may be replaced in frcsli sand. Tf others can be readily obtained, however, it will i^eiierally l)e better to burn them up and nuike now ones. Aside from the form mentioned above, ^^damping off" may be caused by one or more species of Botrytis and Phyllosticta, and upon beans by Colletotriciim Lin- demutJiianum, which tlirive under about the same con- ditions and which recjnire the same treatment. CHAPTER XXVII. INSECTICIDES. In selecting material for the destruction of insects, it is quite necessary that the nature of the insect to be treated should be understood. Freqnently insecticides are applied without effect, when a little knowledge of the insect would have shown that the materials used were not adapted to the purpose. ARSENITES. While Paris green, London purple and other arsen- ites, hellebore, etc., are valuable when the insects EAT the flowers, foliage, or other external portions of tlie plants, they are in no way effective against the plant lice, scale, and similar insects. If the above mentioned arsenites are mixed with one hundred parts (by weight) of plaster, and dusted over the plants when the foliage is wet, or used in water at the rate of a teaspoonful to twelve quarts, such insects as eat the portions to which they are applied will be destroyed. Hellebore can be diluted with five times its weight of plaster, or a teaspoonful can be used to a gallon of water. ;)r)3 GREEXHOrSE MAXAGRMRXT. Anutlicr c'Uiss ol' iii.sGclicKU's, in ordeT to be effectual, should be ai>i)lied directly u[)on the insects, as they destroy by contact, and their effect is not lasting. KEROSENE EMULSION. Another remedy that is coniino- rapidly into favor for the destruction of ai)liides, scale, mealy bugs, and all other insects to which it can be directly a]>plied, is known as kerosene emulsion. Various pumps and noz- zles have been designed for the mixing of water with kerosene, btit as yet the emulsion is safest to be used. It is prepared with either hard or soft soap, kerosene and water, as follows: Take a quart of soft soap that has been heated until it has become liquid (or two ounces of hard soap dissolved in a gallon of hot water), add one l)int of kerosene and mix together until a thick, cream- like material is obtained. It can be best prepared by using a small force pump, such as is used in applying the mixture to the })lants. Care should be taken to form a perfect emulsion that will not separate upon standing. Before using, the emulsion should be diluted with water, so that the kerosene will constitute one-six- teenth of the entire mixture, or, in other words, one pint of kerosene will nuike eight quarts of insecticide. This should be applied with considerable force and in a fine spray, covering every ])art of the plants, as it must come in contact witli the insects, to be effectual. When properly prepared, this mixture can be used with safety upon nearly all plants. The cucumber and similar plants, and a few others with rough leaves, will, how- ever, be injured by it. For the more tender plants, Professor Webster recommends one ounce of hard soap dissolved in two gallons of hot water, and mixing with it one ounce each of oil of cloves and kerosene. In this, wdiile at a temperature of 13.") degrees P., the plants are dipped. INSECTICIDES. 3-33 PYRRTHRUM. Pyrethrum or l)u!iacli is another valuable insect destroyer. It contains a volatile oil that is supposed to act upon the insects through their breathing organs. It can he apjdied. as a powder with a bellows, or in water Avitli a force pump or a syringe, using a teaspoonful to a gallon. To be most effectual, it should be used in a closed room, but even then the liquid application will often succeed where the powder will fail. Care should be taken to have a fresli su])ply, and if it is to be kept any length of time, it should be placed in an air- tight vessel. TOBACCO. For many insects, tobacco is an effective remedy. If the houses are filled with smoke from burning tobacco stems, the i)lant lice can be kept in check, provided they have not too much of a start. As in other cases, pre- vention is easier than cure, and if the houses are fumi- gated once or twice a week, no aphides will a})pear. The tobacco stems should be slightly dampened, and either placed in fumigating cans, made of galvanized sheet iron, with openings in the sides near the bottom to afford a draft, or in piles upon the cement or dirt walk. Shav- ings, paper, or better yet, a few live coals, may be used for kindling the stenis. Care should be taken that the tobacco does not blaze. The amount of smoke that can be used will vary with the plants, but if so thick that one cannot see more than ten feet, it will generally answer. A strong tobacco tea sprayed upon the plants is also valuable as an insecticide, and in houses where fumigation cannot be relied upon, the sj^rinkling of tobacco dust or of tobacco stems about the plants will assist in keeping the insects in check. The stems give the house an untidy look and the dust is washed off in syringing. 23 354 G-REKNHOrPR MA XAC F.MEXT. Evaporated sul})luu- is also a valual)le insecticide for red spider, scale and aphides. AVliale oil soaj) is a useful material for washing plants, or as a solution for spraying jdants that cannot be readily washed, using one pound to eight or ten gal- lons of water for tender plants, and a pound to three or four gallons for the hardier ones. It is also much used in making kerosene emulsion, being preferable to common soap. There is also a great variety of patent mixtures that are used as insect destroyers, among the most valuable of which is Hughes's fir tree oil, which can often be used to advantage u])on plants that may be injured by the kerosene emulsion. At the rate of a half pint to a gal- lon of water, it is an effective and safe wash. TOBACCO EXTRACT. In large ranges of houses, where steam is used for heating or pumping, the application of the vapor of tobacco will be found easier, safer and more effective than the use of smoke. It can readily be applied by placing the stems in a barrel or tank and admitting steam through a steam pipe to the bottom. Three bar- rels will answer for a 100-foot house. Galvanized sheet iron pans may be placed upon the steam pipes and used for the evaporation of strong tobacco water. They are generally about forty inches long, four inches wide and nearly as deep, and if two are placed upon each side of a house 100 feet long, and the pans filled twice a week, it will generally keep the aphides in ciieck. The commer- cial tobacco extract can be evaporated in the same wav, but onlv a ])int will be required for 4,000 square feet. The extract may also be used as a paint upon hot water pi})es, applying it with a brush. It will soon dry on and in a day or so should be moistened with clear water. Another application of the extract should l)e made in a day or two, as is necessary. INSECTICIDES. If the extract is to be extensively used, it will pay to i^iit in a specially arranged tank and pijnng for the purpose. This consists of a galvanized iron tank, in which a quart of the extract is i)laced for 8,000 feet of glass. The steam supply pipe enters at the top and extends nearly to the bottom. From tliis tank, the vapor is carried in pipes to tlie various liouses, wliere there sliould be a vent every twenty-five feet. The size of the pipes sliould vary from one inch to one and one- half inches or larger, according to the amount to be treated. The pipes leading from the tank should have a downward slope, so that any condensed liquid will not collect. To prevent injury to the plants, the pipes should be carried in the walks or under the benches, and at each outlet there should be an ell and a valve, the former to turn the steam horizontally so that it will not reach the plants, and the valve to regulate and control the escape of the vapor. The ])iping and tank should be provided with drip cocks wherever necessary, and such valves as will be required to control the steam, and to permit the washing out of the tank and pipes. As compared with tobacco stems, dust or tea, the concentrated extract, the one most commonly used being the ''Rose leaf," is clean, easily and quickly applied and it has but little odor. For a house 200 by twenty feet, the cost is about twenty cents. Aside from tlirowing the tol)acco dust over the plants, it may be placed over an oil stove. The fumes should be slowly driven off, but the flame should be so regulated that it does not take fire. The burning of a lX)und of tobacco upon stoves, thirty feet apart in a bouse, will be effectual. HOT WATER. Especially for house ])lants, hot water forms a sim- ple and effectual remedy, as nearly all insects are killed 356 GKEE^HOUSE MAXAGEMEXT. by water at 135 to I-IO degrees, while tender plants will not be injured by water at 150 degrees, and many of the hardier species will withstand its use at 180 degrees. If the plants are small, they can readily be dipped quickly two or three times in the water, Avhicli should be from 150 to 175 degrees, or the water may be thrown over them. While a coarse stream could be used, it will hardly answer to apply it as a fine spray, as the water will be cooled before it reaches the plant. CHAPTER XXVIII. FUNGICIDES, THEIR PREPARATION^ AND USE. Many of the diseases of plants are indirectly due to some unfavorable condition of temperature or moisture, that enfeebles them and provides surroundings that are ])articularly favorable to the develo})ment of the germs of disease. It has long been known that sul])hur could be used for the destruction of some of the mildews, and various sulphur compounds are among the most valuable fungicides. Within the last ten years, several salts of copper have also come into use, and as the slightest trace wall destroy the spores of fungi, they are employed as fungicides, to the almost entire exclusion of other forms. The following materials and methods of api)lication are particularly Avorthy of mention: Sulphur is a chief and simple remedy that is destructive, i)articularly to the powdery mildews. As flower of sulphur, it may be thrown upon the plants with a bellows, and if the temperature of the house is allowed to reach IM) degrees upon a bright morning, before ven- tilation is given, it will have a good eft'ect. A more raj>id evaporation of the sulphur can be secured if it is FUXGICIDES. Ot}i applied as a Avasli to the steam or hot water i)ipes. When made into a thick wasli with an equal <|uantity of lime, it can be applied Avith a brush and its effects will Ijc noticed for a week or more, accordin"' to the amount used and the temperature of the pipes. Another method of obtaining evaporated sulphur is by the use of a small oil stove, over which the sulphur can be i>laced u})()n mii iron dish. If sulphur is evapo- rated in this way about twice a week, until its presence can be detected by the eye, it will destroy many of the insects as well as fungi. Great care should be taken that the sulphur does not in any way become overturned or take tire, as that would destroy the plants. The lat- ter danger will be lessened if an iron dish containing a half-inch of sand is placed beneath the dish containing the suli)hiir. Liver of Sulphur, or sulphide of potassium, dis- solved in water at the rate of two ounces to ten gallons of water, is also a valuable fungicide. Although its effects are less lasting than those of the co})per com- pounds, it can be relied u})on for the destruction of pow- dery mildew and other superficial fungi, and has the two strong points of being readily ])repared, and of not dis- coloring the foliage. COPPER COMPOl'NDS. During the past six or eight years, the use of various salts of co})])er as fungicides has rapidly increased. The sim})lest, cheapest, and most efficient form is a preparation of copper sulphate (blue vitriol) and lime, known a^; Bordeaux mixture. For some pur- ])oses, this fungicide is not desirable, as it leaves a coat- ing of lime upon the plants, but when this is not objec- tionable, the effect of the application will be rendered moi'e lasting by the adhesive <|ualities of the lime. This mixture is made in various strengths, accord- ing to the severity of tlie disease and the nature of the 358 GREE]S"nOL'SE MANAGEMENT. phmts. If ilu' attack is widosproad, and if the fuiigns is a diliic'iilt one to destroy, upon all })hints where a thick coating- of lime Avill not he ohjectionable the fol- lowing mixture may he used: Four pounds of coi)per sulphate, three ponnds of linu\ forty gallons of water. Dissolve the copper sulphate in hot water (it can ivadily he done by placing it in a })iece of hurla]) and susjkmuI- ing in a pail of water), and in another vessel shd^e the linu^ (also with hot water), pour together, and add the ivmainder of the water. This mixture should be strained, in order to remove all lumps that might clog the })ump. It is well to test the mixture by adding a i'vw drops of solution of ferrocyanide of potassium. If it turns the mixture brown, more lime should be added. For the powdery mildews, and upon plants where the lime is not desirable, the mixture nuiy be nnule half as stn)ng as above, using two pounds of copper sulphate, two })ounds of lime and forty gallons of water. The fungicide should be api)lied in a tine spray, covering every pai't of the plants. Except in cases where the dis- ease has a tirm foothold, tlu> weaker mixture "will generally answer. For use when the lime mixtures are not desirable, the nioditied eau celeste, or the amnh>niated I'opper I'ar- bonate, nuiy be used: The former is made from 'i ])ounds cop}>er sulphate, 1 l-. pounds sal so(hi, 1 \-'^ (piarts ammonia water (FFFF), 'A'i gallons o( water. Dissolve the i't>p[)er sul])hate and sal soda in sei)a- rate vessels, ])our t(»gether and, when action has ceased, add the ammonia and dilute before using. The ammonia solution of copper (.'arbonate, or cupram, as it is called for short, is made by dissolving two ounct>s of i>iecii)itati'd copi er cai'bonate in o\w (juart of an!nu)nia (h'FFF), antl diluting to thi;iv-two gallons, ^riie last two pre])aralions form clear, dark blue solu- tions and, althouiiii less ellective than the Bordeaux FUNGICIDES. 359 mixture, will generally be preferred for use upon plants in the greenhouse, as they are less unsightly. Various other mixtures have been used for tlie destruction of fungous dis- eases, but none of them are as valuable as those described above. We have also had fair results from the use of a solution of copper sulphate, which is easily prepared and is quite inexpensive. We have used it at the rate of one to one thousand, or of one ounce to eight gallons of water, upon most plants, but in the case of the beet, bean, and otiicr plants with smooth leaves, the strength should be reduced; for some plants, like the carnation, it can be doubled to advantage. To be effectual, soft water should be used in making the solution. WHITE ARSENIC. Good results from the use of a solution of arsenic, as a remedy for the rust of the carnation, are reported by E. G. Hill and others. If only a few plants are grown, it will be best to buy ^^Fowler's solution'' of arsenic at a drug store, and use it at the rate of an ounce to eight gallons of water. With a little care, a solution can be readily made. The following formula is recom- mended: Take of arsenious acid 0. P., 616 grains; bicarbonate of potash, 1236 grains; water, four ounces. Heat until a solution has been made and add enough water to make five ounces by measure. Use one ounce of the solution to eight gallons of water. Care should be taken not to inhale any of the vapor when making the solution. A thorough application seems to kill the spores and the body of the fungus, and at the same time causes the injured leaves to droxo off, thus cleaning up the plants. CHAPTER XXIX. SOIL, MANURES AND WATERING. Brief allusions have sevoral times been made to the preparation of soil for various greenhouse crops, but a few words in a general way may not be amiss. In the past, there lias been great mystery thrown over the pre}>aration of potting soil by the Horist of the old school, whose recipes have been as exact and as com- plex as the [)liysic'ian's i>rescription. To-day, however, the veil has been thrown back, and the whole matter has been fonnd to be siin})lieity itself. The materials that form the basis of the potting soil for nearly all green- house plants, are rotten pasture sods and eow, horse, or sheep manure. In the proportion of one ()f the latter to from two to five of the former. 'J'lie sods should be cut in the spring or fall, several months before the soil will be needed, and shouhl be obtained if possible from an old pasture that has a thiek tibrons tuif, tlie slice being made from two to fonr inches thiek, according to the thickness of the sod. They should be })iled up and decomposed manure added, using a layer of manure to two or three layers of sods. If the sods come from a clay soil, the addition of sharp sand will be of benetit and, for most crops, a ]>ortion at least of the manure should come from the horse stable. On the other hand, if the turf contains more or less sand, cow manure will be preferable and, if from a very light soil, tlie addition of a very small (juantity of ilav loam will he of value. As a rule, howevei-, when the turf can be obtained from a moderately heavy, sandy loam soil, the addition of the * 300 SOIL, MANURES AND WATERING. 361 manure alone is all that will be necessary. When the sods have become perhajjs half rotted, the pile should be cut down and worked over. If this is done the first of May, the compost can be used for filling the benches, in three or four weeks, and by August it will be in good condition for potting. When it can be readily obtained, sheej) manure is of value, either for mixing with soil for potting, as a top-dressing or for preparing liquid manure. For seed pans and for potting cuttings, it is well to pass the compost through a coarse sieve, but for most jairposes this will be an injury, as much of the fibrous ])ortion of the compost will be removed. With a corn- iest prepared as above, almost any kind of plants can be grown, but the intelligent florist will jirefer to modify it to suit the wants of the different species. For bulbs, in particular, and for cuttings of nearly all plants, the amount of sand can well be increased. Leaf mold is a valuable addition to a potting soil, but, for most plants, its use is. not essential, and the same can be said of peat. Many of the stove plants, however, do best in a light, porous soil, and leaf mold and peat can be added to advantage, in tlie proportion of one part of each to eight of the compost. SAND FOR THE CUTTING BENCH. The use of ^ ^silver sand" has been insisted upon as necessary for success in growing cuttings, but florists now take no especial pains to obtain it, although it is desirable if it can be secured near at hand. The main thing is to use sharp sand of medium fineness, that is free from organic matter. Anything that partakes of a quicksand nature, where the angles of the grains have been worn off, will ])ack around the cuttings, and extremely fine sand has the same fault. Coarse sand, on the otlier hand, dries out too quickly, unless it is flooded, and admits air too fi*eely to the cut surface of the cut- 3G2 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMEN'T. tings. Soil containing organic matter is also to be avoided, as its fermentation will lead to the development of bacteria and fungi, which are likely to cause the decay of the cuttings. It is probable, too, that the })resence of organic matter in the soil hinders the proper aeration of the cutting bed. FERTILIZERS. Although stable manure should be the principal reliance for plant food, some of the chemical manures can be used to advantage. Aside from tlieir value in supplying plant food, they will, if judiciously applied, promote a firm, healthy growth of the plants, and im- prove the texture and keeping qualities of the flowers. Great care should be taken in the use of chemical fer- tilizers, as many of them are of a strong alkaline, while others are of an acid, nature, and if used to excess, they will have an injurious rather than a beneficial effect. AVitli the exception of ground bone, it is not safe to use any of them in seed pans, or in soil for cuttings or young seedlings. A large amount of water is given off from the surface of the soil by evaporation. The alka- lies held in solution are deposited on the surface of the soil, and may be strong enough to destroy the tender plants. Even when used in small (juantities in solution in water, if applied frequently, they may accumulate and become strong enough to injure the plants. Gronnd bone is one of the most valuable mineral fertilizers, as it promotes a strong, yet firm and healthy, growth and can be used in almost an unlimited quantity, without danger of injuring the plants. Pure bone, only, should be used, and to jiroduce the best effects it should be finely ground. Whatever the plants to be grown, bone meal can be added to the soil to advantage, taking the place of a ])art of the manure, and it will be found equally valuable whether ihey are in seed boxes, cut- SOIL, MAN"URES Aiq^D WATE]EIIN"G. 30:] tings, or to be repotted. For plants grown either in shallow or in solid beds, the addition of bone meal to the soil, both at time of planting and at intervals during the season, will be of value. One quart of pure, fine ground bone to a bushel of soil will answer for this purpose, but two or three times as much can be used for seed boxes, or for repotting. Ground bone furnishes about tw^enty to twenty-five per cent phosphoric acid, of which less than one-half per cent is soluble, and about six per cent is reverted (available to plants). It also contains about four per cent of nitrogen. There is, however, a consid- erable variation in the amount of the constituents. Mildly acidulated bone, if used at all, should be first carefully tested. Bone superphosphate is made by dissolving bones in sulphuric acid, thus rendering nearly all the phosphoric acid available to the plants. If used carefully, it is of value in the garden and for deep beds, but as the com- mercial brands generally contain some free acid and pot- ash, its use by the florist in the greenhouse cannot be recommended. Dissolved bone black consists of the refuse bone charcoal from sugar refineries and other sources, dis- solved in acid, and ground. It is of varying strength, and contains all the way from fifteen to twenty-five per cent of phosphoric acid. The phosphorus is in a solu- ble form, and were it always free from sul2:)huric acid, it would be preferable to raw bone. It should be used with great care in pots or shallow beds, but when it can be thoroughly mixed with the soil in the garden or in deep beds, it forms a valuable source of phosphoric acid. When used in repotting soil, or in shallow beds, one pound to the bushel can generally be used with safety, while half that quantity will be as much as any crop will need. It is, however, particularly desirable as a top- dressing, using perhaps one pound to twenty square feet of hv(\, and in water, either alone or eonihiniHl with other eheniieals. Two or even three tahhv^poonfuls in a twelve-({uart watering- pot of water will he ])erfeetly safe. Sulphate and Muriate of Potash are the usual materials used as a souree of potash, and when wood ashes cannot he ohtained. are extreuudy valuahle. The sulphate is the hest form for greenhouse use, and may he a})}>lied either hroadeasted and mixed with the soil, or in solutiiui in water. They should never he used in seed hoxes, or for young jdants of any kind, hut in repotting large plants or in shallow heds, a tahlespoonful to a hushel of tiie soil can he used to advantage. In water, a tahh'spo(Miful to twelve (puirts will he safe. Kainit is a crude form of potash salts that is of value for supplying potash, and, on account of its strong alkaline nature, it is often used, al)out the same as the sulphate of ])otash, for the destruction of insects, worms, etc., in the soil. Nitrate of Potash or saltpeter, is also used as a source for hoth nitrogen and potash. AVhile its cost is an ohjection to its use in large quantities, it will he hnind valuahle when dissolved in water at the rate of a tahlespoonful in eight or ten <[uarts, and used as a liijuid manure. Nitrate of Soda is highly recommended for fur- nishino- nitroueu for ijreenhouse cro]>s, and has heen tried hv many Horists. As a rule, however, it has heen found a hindrance to the growth of the plants. This is owing to the fact ihut it has heen used in too great strength. When thoroughly mixed with the soil, at the rate of a teaspoonful to a hushel, it will henefit large plants, or use one pound to 100 square feet of hench. As a liquid manure, it will he found safest, and at the rate of a teaspoonful to three gallons of water it will he useful. If used too frequently it may cause too rank u growth of the ]>lants. SOIL, MAXTRES ASH W ATEKrXG. 365 Sulphate of Ammonia is jiIko used for its nitro- gen, unci is less likely fo injure the plants than nitrate of soda. For all i)lants in vvhieli a large leaf develop- ment or rapid growth is desired, this chemical is a very valuahle fertilizer. One pound to fifty square feet of bench, or a tablespoonful to a bushel of soil, or three gallons of water, can be safely used. MIXED CHEMICAL MANURES. Nearly every fertilizer manufacturer puts up a fer- tilizer prepared for greenhouse use, and, if purchased in large quantities, they can be obtained at rates but little above the market rates for the materials. The following mixtures will be found useful to be added to the soil for nearly all greenhouse crops: Two hundred pounds pure ground bone, 'M) j)ounds sulphate of potash, 50 i)onnds sulphate of ammonia, or 50 pounds of nitrate of soda; oi- -^oO pounds ground bone and 50 pounds nitrate of potash. Either of the above. can be used at the rate of one pounnia, form a good mixture. A tirmer, but less rapid, growth will be secured from tifty pounds ni- trate of soda, thirty of nitrate of potash, and twenty of phos- pliate of ammonia. Elmer D. Smith of Adrian, ^[ichigan, has been very successful in growing chrysanthemums Avith the above mixture, ai)plying one pound in one hundred gal- lons of water for a house one hundred by eighteen feet, every five days until the flowers are half-open. Phos- l^hate of potash is also used in place (^f the nitrate of potash and phosphate of ammonia. Commercial brands are put uj) by several manufac- turers, which give good results, but, like all concentrated fertilizers, they must be used with care. For the ap])lication of liquid fertilizers the Kinney pump (Fig. 1'2T), made by the Kingston (E. I.) Hose Connection Co., will be found very useful. It is at- tached to a hose and draws from a barrel or tank a stronof solution and, after miuiilino" it witli the clear FIG. V. THK KIXNKY ITMP SOIL, MAXFKES AXD WATERTXG. SOT water, applies it to tlic pl.inls with no more trouble than if the water alone is used. Tlie rate of dilution can be readily varied. JADOO FIBRE AND LIQUID. These materials have been recently introduced as a potting soil and liquid manure. While rather expensive for general use, good plants can be grown in the fibre, and it is particularly valuable for decorative plants. It retains moisture and lessens the danger of injury from drying out of the plants. Professor Galloway, who has tested it thoroughly, recommends the fibre for hanging baskets, jardinieres, house pot-plants, palms, etc. Good results can also be obtained with the liquid, diluted with forty-eight parts of water. WATERING. In the past, the practice has been to apjily water to the surface of the soil and allow it to soak in. AVhile this method is still used for pot-plants, many persons are securing good results from the sub-irrigation' of plants grown in beds. Wiien plants are surface watered, unless one is familiar with the work, there is danger on the one hand of over-watering and, on the other, of keeping the soil too dry. When plants are watered, the amount applied should be sufficient to thoroughly moisten the soil, and no more water should be given them until they, in some way, manifest a need of it. An experienced florist can tell from the appearance of the plants, even before they begin to wilt, as to their need of further applica- tion of water. The appearance of the pots and soil should also be considered. While plants are at rest, or in the case of young plants before they have established themselves, especially if they are in large pots, little water will be required, and, unless withheld, there will be danger of injury. As a rule, the early morning is the best time for watering, but during the hot days of sum- 368 GREEXHOrSE MAXAGRMEXT. mer, the })lrin*s sliould he GxamiiUMl (woor tlu'ce times unci should receive water, if they show (lie need of it. AVhile cistern water can be used for most plants, it is desirable that the chill be taken from water brought directly from springs. For stove plants and others requiring a moderately high temperature, it will be necessary to provide some method for warming the water. This can generally be done by providing tanks through which steam or water pipes can pass. SUB-IRRIGATION. For several years, experiments have been carried on in watering plants growing in greenhouse beds, through subterranean pipes. In nearly every case good results have been obtained, as there was not only a larger and earlier development of the plants, but rlie labor of api)li- cation was greatly reduced, and a smaller amount of water sufficed. In many cases, too, the danger from attack of various plant diseases was lessened. Among those who have had most experience with sub-irrigation in the greenhouse is Professor AV. J. (Jreen, of the Ohio Experiment Station, who has prepared the follow- ing notes: SUB-IRRIGATIOX JX THE GREENHOUSE. Sub-irrigation in the greenhouse grew out of the necessity of devising ways and means to prevent the let- tuce rot. After several conversations on the subject, between Mr. W. J. Green, horticulturist of the Ohio Experiment Station, and Mr. W. S. Turner, assistant, the latter set some lettuce plants in a box in which a tile was so placed as to admit of watering without wet- ting the foliage. The subsequent development of the method is due to the combined efforts of W. J. Green, E. C. Green and W. S. Turner. The experiments were begun in the winter of 1890-91, but in addition to some box trials a bed seven SOIL, MANURES AXD WATERTXG. 3()0 hv ten feet was ])lante methods of watering. The carnation is not an extreme case, but is a good example, as showing this ditferenee. Smihix and violets seem to res})ond well to this treat men I. but comparatixe data cannot be given at j)resent. The result of tlie experiment on roses has been I'St because of nematodes, and it is worthy of note that this pest was less destructive \\]Kn\ the sub-irrigated than upon the surface-watered bed. In speaking of lettuce, the fact was referred to, that less care and skill are required to Avater ]>ri>i)erly by sub- irrigation than by the ordinary method, and it may be further stated that the labor is less also. 'I'he water is applied i[uickly and it runs where it is needed. The gardener judges as to the amount retjuircd by the con- dition of both plants and soil, as by the old methods. Contrary to what might bt^ inferred, he is less liable to over-water by the new than by the old plan, for with a loose, friable soil a water-logged coiulitiiui is not liable to occur. In our experience it has never ha[){)ened. IV) we syringe the foliage «d' sub-irrigated j)lants N> destroy the red spider, and do we sprinkle the walks to SOIL, MANLKES AN J) WATERING. 3T3 .sui)})]y moisture to the air ? These questions are fre- quently asked, and seem to be uppermost in tlie minds of many. The answer to the first is, yes, of those tliat need it, and to the second, no. Lettuce, and most veg- etables, in fact, need not be syringed, and never receive water on the foliage, except once at planting. Almost the entire houses are watered by sub-irrigation, ])ut there is enough moisture in the air to keep the plants in a healthy growing condition, derived from transpira- tion through the foliage and evaporation from the soil. The necessity of supplying more moisture to the air than this, for the plants above named, is not recognized. HOW SUB-IRRIGATION IS OPERATED. With plants that are transplanted one or moie times, sub-irrigation is begun as soon as the seed is sown. Flats sixteen by twenty-four inches, and two inches deep, with slatted bottoms, are used for seed sowing. As soon as the seed is sown the flats are placed in a shallow vat containing an inch or two of water, and allowed to stand until the moisture shows on top. They are then set in any convenient spot until water is again required, whicli is not so soon as when surface watering- is practiced. This method of watering is followed until the plants are set in the beds, or benches. Probably this method of watering involves more labor than the old plan, but the plants do so much better and it is so much more satisfactory in every vvay, that it must be counted as an improvement. Referring to experiment No. 1, with lettuce, it will be seen that the results were better than in the other cases. The plants in this ex- periment were carried through from the beginning by the two methods. The sub-irrigated were watered in that manner from the time the seed was sown, while the surface- watered were trefited in the old way throughout the experiment. In the other experiments the differ- 374 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. ence in treatment was begun when the plants were set in the benches. By sub-irrigation, damping off is reduced, the soil does not harden, and less attention is required than when surface watering is practiced. It is particularly recommended for the first watering after the seed is sown, to prevent washing of the soil and baking of the surface. In the benches sub-irrigation is accomplished by means of two and one-half or three-inch drain tile laid two feet apart on the bottom, either lengthwise or cross- wise, and covered with soil to the ordinary depth. Gas pipe, with holes drilled at frequent intervals, may be employed, but the cost is greater. Our best results have been obtained with tile laid on a level, crosswise of the benches. Long runs of tile are not always satisfac- tory. If iron pipe is used the holes should not be more than two feet apart, and not larger than one-fourth inch. If long runs are used the pipe must be larger than for short runs, and in all cases the ca])acity of the l)ipe must be greater than the combined capacity of the small holes. The tile may be laid end to end closely, without cement, but ordinarily a more even flow is se- cured if the joints are lightly cemented and then broken just before hardening, so as to make cracks of uniform size. The water may be introduced by boring holes through the side boards of the benches, or a T joint used, or, what is still better, a curved joint of sewer pipe of same size as the tile. When the beds are to be irrigated, water is introduced into the pipe or tile quickly, and allowed to run full length, when it soaks out uniformly through the adjacent soil. Sub-irrigation pre-sup})oses a w^ater-tight bench bottom. This may be constructed in various ways, but the cheapest j^lan is to use ordinary barn boards, with SOIL, MANURES AXD WATERING. 375 no shakes or loose knots. These are laid so as to nearly tonch, and battened with lath, after which a coating of thin cement makes a water-tight bottom. Matched lumber, laid in white lead, answers the same purpose, but costs more. The best bottom is made of tile, either hexagonal, octagonal or flat, and covered with cement. Ordinary hexagonal (six-sided) tile laid on iron supports makes a very satisfactory bottom, and is as cheap as anything in the shape of tile. When cemented prop- erly, this makes a durable and satisfactory bottom. Lumber may be used for the sides, but is not satisfac- tory, as it war23S and springs away from the tile, causing leakage. Slate, seven or eight inclies wide, is the best material, and this is held in place by galvanized iron strips at the top and bottom. These strips are cut two inches wide, and bent in the form of U-shaped troughs. The slate sets into the bottom trough, while the upper trough fits over the top of the slate, holding them together firmly. These slate sides rest on the iron sup- ports to the tile, and are fastened to the iron gas pipes which sui^port the purlins. Thus it will be seen that to construct a bench for sub-irrigation adds but little to the cost over one equally durable made in the ordinary manner for surface water- ing. Where beds are on the ground, it might be neces- sary, in some cases, to make a water-tight bottom with cement, but not so if the subsoil is sufficiently retentive. In conclusion, it might not be out of place to answer some theoretical objections urged against the plan be- cause drainage is not provided for, and humidity of the air is not taken into account, but it is proposed to let facts stand in the place of arguments, and to place the whole matter in the hands of practical men for confirmation. CHAPTER XXX. FUEL — COAL, WOOD AND CRUDE OIL. The location and extent of the establishment will have mnch to do in determining what kind of fuel will be most satisfactory and economical. The use of hard wood, in localities where it is plen- tiful and where coal is dear, may be advisable, especially when flues are used, or in large establishments where a night flreman is employed. For small heaters in which coal is used, the nut anthracite will be preferable, and as the size of the heater increases, a choice must be made between the e^g or pea sizes, and bituminous coal. Most of our modern heaters are made for cither hard or soft coal, and the choice that is made will depend largely upon the cost of each. In large establishments some form of bituminous coal wonld probably be used. When situated near the mines, some of the low- priced grades of pea or slack coal will make cheap fuel, but they are not worth more than two-thirds as much as good lump coal, and as the freight and handling make up the principal cost of tlie former, when they have to be transported any great distance, the latter will be the cheapest fuel. CRUDE OIL AS FUEL. Various devices have been invented for the burning of crude oil in greenhouse heaters. This material can only be used when steam under a moderately high pres- sure can be used to vaporize the oil. In order to use it in a hot water heater, a small steam boiler will also be needed as an auxiliary. One of the best of these burners 376 FUEL. 377 (Fig. 128) is that j^atented by James B. Moore, of Read- ing, Pa., which consists of an oil tube with a tapered nozzle, surrounded by a steam pipe also with a tapered nozzle. The combustion chamber is of solid metal and is placed in the ash pit, the grate having been taken out. The air for combustion is admitted through open- ings on three sides of the base of the boiler. The burner is inserted through a hole on the fourth side, and is surrounded by a conical tube through which the air for combustion enters. The oil tube is connected with the oil tank, and the steam pipe with the steam dome, and also with an air FIG. lL>8. CRUDE OIL BURNER. pumj), by which a blast is supplied while getting up steam. The steam pipe does not go directly from the dome to the burner, but first makes a circuit of the com- bustion chamber, and the steam is there superheated. In passing through the tube to the nozzle, the oil, being surrounded by the superheated steam, is considerably heated, and flowing through the spiral grooves in the 3T8 greein^house ma:n"agemei^t. valve escapes from the nozzle, but is at once vaporized by and mixed with the steam. It is thus carried into the combustion chamber, and may be scattered by a daflecfcor. While a pressure of steam of from ten to fif- teen pounds is desirable, the burner will give a perfect combustion of fuel with eight pounds, and even less. In the past many persons have been prejudiced against the use of crude oil as fuel, on account of the offensive odor given off when it is handled, and from the many fires and explosions that have occurred from its use. Crude oil cannot be used to advantage unless a pipe can be run from the greenhouse to a large iron tank in which the oil is stored. This tank must be several hundred feet from any building, and so situated that it can be readily connected with a tank car on a side track. In this way there will be but little odor. The oil, by opening a valve, will run down hill to the greenhouse, and if the joints are all tight there will be no danger from explosions. The burners will require but little attention, there is no stoking to be done, no ashes to be carried out, and there will be no dirt and smoke to annoy one. About one hundred gallons of oil will be equal to a ton of Anthracite pea coal, and making allowance for the extra labor required when coal is burned, it is gen- erally estimated that with oil at $1.25 per barrel, it will be as cheap as soft coal at 11.80 per ton, and although the relative price may vary, the usual opinion is that with a good burner the oil is about twenty-five per cent cheaper than steam lump coal. GAS AND GASOLIi^E. Natural gas has been used with good results, but it cannot always be relied upon, and the supply is even now giving out in some places, while the limited terri- tory in which it is found precludes its general use. FUEL. oTO "Water gas is found in many places to be an econom- ical heatini>- material. It costs only abont twenty-five cents per thousand feet, and at that price is less than one-half as expensive as coal, and is regarded by many as cheaper than natural gas at current prices. AVhile it may come into general use in cities, few florists are so situated that tliey can obtain it except at a considerable expense for the laying of mains, and it has not as yet been thoroughly tested for greenhouse heating. Gaso- line can be readily handled, and florists are now looking to it as a valuable source of fnel. When a burner adapted for its use has been invented, it may revolution- ize our present heating plants. INDEX. Page Achyranthes, varieties of 276 Aleyrodes (wliite flies) 311 A looasias 1S(» Alternaiitheva, in-opagatioii of, 27(! Aiidroniecla, t'on'ing of 141 Anthraonose of the bean ;?4;> of eai-iiations 832 of tlie rose 328 of violets 341 Antlmriums, propajjation and care of * 177 Aphis, llie male and female . .. 309 Aquariums 272 Aralias im Araucarias IGG Ard isias 13S Arsenites .iol Asparagus as a florist's green . . 158 winter forcinjf of 220 Aspidistras, i)ropagation and uses of 168 Azaleas, potting and care of... 131 iJac.teriosis of carnations .■5.?7 Hean, ant hracnose of the 3451 Beans, tlic forcing of 232 Bedding plants, the growing of, 274 Beets for forcing 2.32 liegonias, tuberous, care of 103 liermuda lilv disease .343 Black si)ot of the rose 324 Bordeaux mixture as a fungi- cide .S,'>7 Budding, propagation bv 30.5 Bugs, plant, and remedies for them 310 Bulbs and their culture 88 for the lawn 279 Cacti, care of 284 (^aladium esculentum, treat- ment of 279 fancy 113 Oalatheas 174 Calceolarias, g r o w i n g the plants 143 Callas, how to grow 98 Cannas as greenhouse ulants.. 108 propagation and care of 280 varieties of 109 Pat>c Carnations, care of the house for 4S disbudding 46 tUseases of .328 growing plants in houses... .34 Jiistory of 26 in bed's and benches .'!6 jilanting out and cultiva- tion ;!1 planting the houses .'.7 ]>()! ting off 29 propagation t)f 27 soi 1 for .lo staking and trellising 40 topdressing and manuring, 48 varieties of 49 watering and ventilating.. .■>9 Carrots, the forcing of 2.'i2 Caulillower, forcing of 22S Cereus, night blooming, varie- ties of 28.') Chemical manures and their effects ."Wo Chrysanthemums 60 care of the plants 57 diseases of .'{45 field culture 69 growing for cut flowers 57 l*tstory of 54 insects and diseases 7<") liauid manure for 70 propagation by cuttings . .. 56 propagation by seeds 55 single stem plants in pots, 66 specimen plants 67 staking the pot plants 70 standards 68 taking the buds and dis- budding 63 varieties and their cljissi- fication 70 Cinerarias, propagation and care of l-!6 Coal, hard and soft as fuel 376 ''oleus, ])r()i)agation and care of 276 Copjier carbonate and its >ise.. 357 compounds as fungicides. . 3.58 Careof and. soil for house plants 2,59 Cordylines, propagation and Carnation houses 32 I care of 168 rust 328 1 Crocuses, care of 93 380 IXDEX. 381 Page Crotons 170 Crude oil as fuel 376 Cucumber aud melon, diseases of 348 as a winter crop 198 for forcing", varieties of.... 205 l)lanting: and training 201 pollination of 203 Cupram, its prei^aration and use 357 Cutting bed, the 295 bed fungus 350 Cuttings, propagation by 291 Cyanophyllums 173 Cyclamen, planting and care of 100 Cy tisus 136 Dahlias, propagation and care, 281 Damping off 350 Dieffenbachias, propagation and care of 177 Diseases and insects of house plants 263 of 1 he carnation 328 of the rose 324 Of violets 338 Dracaenas, propagation and care of 168 Easter lilies, planting and care of 95 Eel worms 317 on violets 342 Electro culture of lettuce 194 Eulalias, propagation and care of 283 Extract of tobacco 354 Eye cuttings 297 Fairy ring spot of carnations. . 334 Ferns, propagation and care of, 153 vari et ies of 154 Fertilizers, chemical 362 Flock in mushrooms 319 Flowering plants for bedding. 277 Foliage plants, the growing of, 274 Freesias, care of 95 Frui t trees under glass 253 Fuel — coal, wood and oil 376 Fumigation with hydrocyanic aci d gas 320 Fungicides, their preparation and use 356 Fungous diseases of plants 324 Gardenias 139 Gas and gasoline as fuel 378 Gladiolus, forcinir of 101 Grafting, propagation by 301 wax, preparation of 305 Grape growing in pots 246 growing under glass 234 Grapes, care of vines in winter, 245 disbudding and thinniDg... 241 keeping the fruit 244 propagating the plants 245 temperature and ventila- tion 243 the border for 234 the forcing of 244 Page Grapes, training and pruning. . 239 under glass, care of 237 varieties for forcing 236 watering and syringing 242 Gloxinias, growing of 109 Grasses, hardy ornamental 283 Ground bone as a fertilizer 362 Growing bedding plants 274 Half-hard cutting 299 Hanging baskets 271 Hard cuttings 298 Hardy plants, forcing of 140 Hotbeds for lettuce 195 Hot water as an insecticide 355 House plants, management of, 258 plants, selection of 265 Hyacinth, the Roman 90 Hyacinths, Dutch and their care 91 planting and care of 88 water culture of 92 Hydrangeas, growing in the greenhouse 133 Hydrocyanic acid gas, fumiga- tion with 320 Insecticides, their preparation and use 351 Insects and diseases of house plants 263 of the greenhouse 308 Intermediate orchids 121 Jadoo fiber and liquid 367 Kaln)ia, forcing of. 141 Kerosene emulsion 352 Kinney pump, the 366 Layering, propagation by 300 Leaf cuttings 300 mold of carnations 336 spot of carnations 331 spot of violets 338 Lettuce, commercial growing of 186 diseases of 347 electro culture of 194 forcing of in greenhouses.. 182 growing, preparation and care of beds 189 houses for 184 in hotbeds 195 packing for market 192 pot culture of 188 varieties of 184 Lilacs, forcing of 141 Lilies, ])lanting and care of 95 Lily of the valley, planting and care of 96 Liquid manure and its prepa- ration 365 Liver of sulphur 357 Long cuttings 299 Manures, soil and watering — 360 Marantas 174 Meal y bugs 315 Melons, forcing of 211 Mignonette, disease of 346 forcing of 149 Mildew of the cucumber 348 Mushroom, the new 223 382 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. Paso Miishruonis, beds, care of 220 beds, spawning ol" 220 beds, \vateiini>" of 221 enemies and diseases ;?1S house, a. cheap 224 Mushrooms, cult u r e of in greenhouses 211 gatlu'riiig the crop 221 making th(» i)eds 210 preparation of material for beds 218 spawn tor 217 Narcissus, planting and care of 88 NepenMies 175 Oil as fuel 876 Orchids, care during growth... 128 cool house ".T 121 culture of IIG diseases and insects 180 for l)eginners 11!) for intermediate houses.. . . 121 management while in bloom 120 the potting of 121 the water! uii of 127 treatment while resting 128 varieties of 120 Ornamental grasses 28.8 Oxalis. the cultivation of m raluis. ]>ropagation and care of 162 varieties of 164 I'andanus, how to grow 1(!5 Teach culture under glass 254 Tear culture under glass 254 I'edigrce plants. . . . T 202 riant bugs and remedies for them ;{10 Plants for the house 2()7 Plum cult ure under glass 254 I'otash salts as fert ilizers 8(>4 I'otting and repotting of house plants ; 261 Powdery mildew of the rose. .. 325 Primulas, single and double... 148 Propagation by layering, liraft- ing and budding ' 800 by seeds and cuttings 287 of plants 2S7 Pyrethrum ;{r>8 Kadishes, forcing 2;W Ked spider 312 Rhubarb, winter growing of. .. 228 Root c\ittings 207 gal Is of the violet 342 Rose beetle (Fuller's) 811 rust 326 Roses, diseases of 324 forcing hybrid perpetual. . . 21 liquid manures and ferti- lizers , 10 plan ting the houses 7 in pots ;ind boxes 24 potting and care of plants . 4 Page Roses, propagating the plants. 1 soil for 4 solid beds vs. raised bench- es () staking and trellising 20 Ihe forcing of 1 varieties for forcing 13 Avatering and ventilating.. 8 Rot of carnations ,336 of lett uce 'Ml Rubber trees 172 Sand for the cutting bed 361 Saucer propagat ion 2iM) Scale insects and remedies 314 Seeds, proi)agation by 287 Slugs, snails and sowbugs 316 Smilax, planting and care of.. 157 Soft cuttings 293 Soil for and care of house plants 259 nianures and watering 360 Sphanogynes 173 Spiraeas, forcing of 141 Spot of carnations 331 Strawberries, lorcing ;inder glass ". 248 potting and care 240 varietie?! for forcing 2.52 Sub-irrigation in the green- house 368 Succulents, propagation and care of 284 Sulphur as a fungicide and insecticide 356 Sweet jieas, cult ival ion of 277 Temperatvire for house plants. 264 Thrii>s in the greenhouse .813 Tobacco as an insecticide 3.53 Tomatoes, forcing of 205 training and pruning 208 varieties for forcing 200 Topdressing house jilants 2(52 Tidierose, i>lai>ting ami care. .. 08 Tuberous begon ias, care of 108 Tuli]>s, ]>lanting and care of. . . 88 varieties of 03 "Violets, diseases of 3;i8 growing-plants in the house 85 houses for 78 propagat ion of 82 varieties, securing new 290 soil a)id ]>lanting out 8;^ varieties of 86 ventilation and care of the house 84 Ward i an cases 273 "Water and li«piid manure for house plajits 262 Watering, manures and soil . . . .860 plants ,867 White arsenic as a fungicide.. 3i>9 Window boxes 260 Window gardening 258 ^Krsn^ krke: on applicatiojm ■ w w i " ' ■ ■ DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF- RURAL BOOKS, CONTAINING 116 8vo. PAGES, Profuselt Illustrated, and giving Full Descriptions ov Nearlt 600 Works on the Following Subjects: Farm and Garden, Fruits, Flowers, Etc. Cattle, Sheep, and Swine, ©ogs, Horses, Riding, Etc., Poultry, Pigeons, and Bees, Angling and Fishing, Boating, Canoeing, and Sailing, Field Sports and Natural History, Hunting, Shooting, Etc., Architecture and Building, Landscape Gardening, Household and Miscellaneous PUBLISHERS AND IMPORTERS: ORANGE JUDD COflPANY, S2 & ?4 Lafayette Place, New York. Hookj will lie Forwarded, postpaid, on receipt of Price. STANDARD B09K£. Mushrooms : How to Grow Them. Any one who has an ordinary house cellar, woodshinl ur barn, cyifi grow Mushrooms. This is the most practical work on the subject ever written, and the only book on growing Mushrooms published in America. The author describes how he grows Mushroom?, and how they are grown for profit by the leading marketgardeners, and for home use by the most successful private growers. Engravings drawn from nature expressly for this work. By Wm. Falconer Cloth. Price, postpaid. 1.5^ Land Draining:. A Handbook for Farmers on the Principles and Practice of Drain ing, by Manly Miles, giving the results of his extended experience in laying tile drains. The directions for the laying out and the construction of tile di'ains will enable the farmer to avoid the errors of imperfect construction, and the disappointment that must necessarily follow. This manual for jjractieal farmers will also be fonnd convenient for references in regard to many ques- tions that may arise in crop growing, aside from the special sid) jects of drainage of wliich it treats. Cloth, 12mo. 1.00 Allen's New American Farm Book. The very best work on the subject; comprising all that can be con densed into an available volume. Originally by Richard L. Allen. Revised and greatly enlarged by Lewis F. Allen. Cloth, 12mo. 2..')0 Henderson's Gardening: for Profit. By Peter Henderson. The standard work on Market and Family Gardening. The successful experience of the author for more than thirty years, and his willingness to tell, as he does in this work, th*; secret of his success for the benefit of others, enables him to give most valuable information. The book is profusely illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. poo Henderson's Gardening: for Pleasure. A guide to the amateur in the fruit, vegetable and flower garden with full descriptions for the greenhouse, conservatory and window garden. It meets the wants of all classes in country, city and vil- lage who keep a garden for their own enjoyment rather than foi the sale of products. By Peter Henderson. Finely Illustrated, Clot)' , 12mo. 2.0C Johnson's How Crops Grow. New Edition. A Treatise on the Chemical Composition, Structure and Life of the Plant. Revised Edition. This book is a guide to the knowledge of agricultural jilants, their composition, their structure and modes of development and growth; of the complex organizations of plants, and the use of the parts; the germination of seeds, and the food of plants obtained both from the air and the soil. The book is a valuable one to all real students of agricul ture. With numerous illustrations and tables of analysis. By Prot. Sanniel VV Johnson of Yale College. Cloth, 12mo. 2.0C STANDARD BOOKS. Johnson's How Crops Feed. A Treatise on tlie Atinospliore and the SoD, as related in Ihc Nutrition of Agricultural Plants. This volume— the companion and complement to "How Crops Grow" — has been welcomed by those who appreciate the scientific aspects of agriculture. Illustrated. By Prof. Samuel AV. Johnson. Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 Market Gardening: and Farm Notes. By Barnet Landreth. Experiences and Observations for both North and South, of interest to the Amateur Gardener, Trucker and Farmer. A novel feature of the book is the calendar of farm and garden operations for each month of the year: the chapters on fertilizers, transplanting, succession and rotation of crops, the packing, shipping and marketing of vegetables, will be especially useful to market gai-deners. Cloth, 12mo. 1.00 Forest Planting:. A Treatise on the Care of "Woodlands and the Jtlestoration of the Denuded Timber-Lands on Plains and Mountains. By H. Nicholas Jarchow, LL. D. The author has fully described those European methods which have proved to be most useful in maintaining the superb forests of the old world. This experience has been adaptec, to the different climates and trees of America, full instructions bt, ing given for forest planting on our various kinds of soil and suiv- soil, whether on mountain or valley. Illustrated, 12ino. l.fiO Harris' Talks on Manures. By Joseph Harris, M. S., author of "Walks and Talks on the Farm," "Harris on the Pig," etc. Revised and enlarged by the author. A series of familiar and practical talks between the author and the Deacon, the Doctor, and other neighbors, on the whole subject of manures and fertilizers; including a chapter especially written for it, by Sir John Bennet Lawes of Rothamsted, England. Cloth, 12mo. 1.75 Truck Farming: at the South. A work which gives the experience of a successful grower of vege- tables or " truck" for Nortiiern markets. Essential to any one who contemplates entering this promising field of Agriculture. By A. Oemler of Georgia. Hlustrated, cloth, 12mo. 1.5C Sweet Potato Culture. Giving full instructions from starting the plants to harvesting and storing the crop. With a chapter on the Chinese Yam. By James Fitz, Keswich, Va., author of "Southern Apple and Peach Culture." Cloth, 12mo. .60 Heinrich*s Window Flower Garden. The author is a practical florist, and this enterprising volume em- bodies his personal experiences in Window Gardening during a long period. New and enlarged ed'tion. By .lulius J. Heinrich. Vully illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 76 3TANDAKD l^OOEA, Greenhouse Construction. liyl'iul. L. 11. TjiK. a foinplclc treatise oil 'firconlioasij Blniniures and iirningeiiuMil.s of Iho various forms aiul styles of I'laiit Houses for professional llorists as well as amateurs. All the best and most approved structures are so fully and olearly described that anyone who desires to build a Greenhouse will have no difficulty in deter- mining the kind best suited to his purpose. The modern and most successful methods of lieating and ventilating are fully treated upon. Special chai)ters are d«voted to houses used for the growing of one kind of x^l^i-i'ls exclusively. The construction of liotbeds and frames receives appropriate attention. Over one hundred ex- cellent illustrations, specially engraved for this work, make every point clear to the reader and add considerably to the artistic ap- pearance of the book. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 Bulbs and Tuberous-Rooted Plants. ByC. L.Allen. A complete treatise on the History, Description, Methods of Propagation and full Directions for the successful cul- ture of Bulbs in the garden, Dwelling and Greenhouse. As gener- ally treated, bulbs are an expensive luxury, while, when properly managed, they afford the greatest amount of pleasure at the least cost. The author of this book has for many years made bulb grow- ing a specialty, and is a recognized authority on th(;ir cultivation and management. The illustrations which embellish tliis work liave been drawn from nature, and have been engraved especially for this book. The cultural directions are plainly stated, practical and to the point. Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 Henderson's Practical Floriculture. By Peter Henderson. A guide to the successful propagation and cultivation of llorists' plants. The w^ork is not one for florists and gardeners only, but the amateur's wants are constantly kept in mind, and we have a very complete treatise on the cultivation of flowers under glass, or in the open air, suited to those who grow flowers for pleasure as well as tliose who make them a matter of trade. Beautifully illustrated. New and enlarged edition. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 Long's Ornamental Gardening: for Americans. A Treatise on Beautifying Homes, Rural Districts and Cemeteries. A plain and practical work at a moderate price, with numerous illustrations and instructions so plain that they may be readily followed. By Elias A. Long, Landscap<^ A.rchiteet. Illustrated, Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 The Propagfation of Plants. By Andrew S. Fuller. Hlustrated with numerous engravings. An eminently practical and usefid work. Describing tlie process of hybridizing and crossing sjjecies and varieties, and also the many diflfei-ent modes by which cultivated jilants may be propagated and multiplied. Cloth, 12mOt 1 50 STANDAED BOOiib* Parsons on the Rose. By Samuel B. Parsons. A treatise on the propagation, culture and history of the rose. New and revised edition. In his worlc upon tlie rose, Mr. Parsons lias gatliered up the curious legends concern- ing the liower, and gives us an idea of the esteem in which it was held in former times. A simple garden classification has been adopted, and the leading varieties under each class enumerated and briefly described. The chapters on multiplication, cultivation and training are very full, and the work is altogether one of the most complete before the public. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 1.00 Henderson's Handbook of Plants. This new edition comprises about fifty per cent, more genera than the former one, and embraces the botanical name, derivation, natural order, etc., together with a short history of the different genera, concise instructions for their propagation and culture, and all the leading local or common English names, together witli a comprehensive glossary of Botanical and Technical terms. Plain instructions are also given for the cultivation of the principal veg- etables, fruits and flowers. Cloth, large 8vo. 4.00 Barry's Fruit Garden. By P. Barry. A standard work on Fruit and Fruit Trees ; the author having had over thirty years' practical experience at the head of one of the largest nurseries in this country. New edition revised up to date. Invaluable to all fruit growers. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 Fulton's Peach Culture. This is the only juactical guide to Peach Culture on the Delaware Peninsula, and is the best work upon the subject of peach growing for those who would be successful in that culture in any part of the country. It lias been thoroughly revised and a large portion of it rewitten, by Hon. J. Alexander Fulton, the author, bringing it down to date. Cloth, 12mo. 1-50 Strawberry Culturist. By Andrew S. Fuller. Containing the History, Sexuality, Field and Garden Culture of Strawberries, forcing or pot culture, how to grow from seed, hybridizing, and all information necessary to en- able everybody to raise their own strawberries, together with a descriptionof new varieties and a list of the bent of the old sorts. Fully illustrated. Flexible cloth, 12mo. '25 Fuller's Small Fruit Culturist. By Andrew S. Fuller. Rewritten, enlarged, and brought fully up to the present time. Tlie book covers 1 lie whole ground of propagating Small Fruits, their culture, varieties, i)acking for market, et^.-. It is very finely and tlun'oughly illustrated, and makes ai. admirable companion to "The Grape Culturist," by the same well known author. ^-^ STAKDARU BOOKS, Fuller's Grape Culturist, By A. S. Fuller. This is one of the very best or worlcs on tlie CxiJi- ture of the Hardy Grapes, with full directions for all departments of propagation, culture, etc., with 150 excellent engravings, illus- trating planting, training, grafting, etc. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 Quinn's Pear Culture for Profit. Teaching How to Raise Pears intelligently, and with the best re- sults, how to find out the character of the soil, the best nietliods of preparing it, the best varieties to select under existing conditions; the best modes of planting, pruning, fertilizing, grafting, and utiliz- ing the ground before the trees come into bearing, and finally of gathering and packing for market. Illustrated. By P. T. Quinn, practical horticulturist. Cloth, 12mo. 1.00 Husmann's American Grape Growing: and Wine-Making:. By George Husmann of Talcoa vineyards, Napa, California. New and enlarged edition. With contributions from well know grape- growers, giving a wide range of experience. The author of this book is a recognized authority on the subject. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 White's Cranberry Culture. Contents:— Natural History.— History of Cultivation.— Choice of Location.— Prei)aring the Ground. — Planting the Vines. — Manage- ment of Meadows. — Flooding.— Enemies and Ditficulties Overconib. -Picking. — Keeping. — Profit and Loss. — Letters from Practical Growers. — Insects Injurious to the Cranberry. By Joseph J. White, a practical grower. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. New and revised edition. 1'25 Fuller's Practical Forestey. A Treatise on the Propagation, Planting and Cultivation, with a description and the botanical and jn-oper names of all the indigen- ous trees of the United States, both Evergreen and Deciduous, with Notes on a large number of the most valuable Exotic Species. By Andrew S. Fuller, author of "Grape Culturist," "Small Fruit Cul- turist," etc. 1-50 Stewart's Irrigation for the Farm, Garden and Orchard. This work is offered to those American Farmers and other cultiva- tors of the soil who, from painful experience, can readily appro- ciate the losses which result from the scarcity of water at critical periods. By Henry Stewart. Fully illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 Quinn's Money in the Garden. By P. T. Quinn. The author gives in a plain, practical style, in- structions on three distinct, although closely connected branches of gardening— the kitchen garden, market garden, and fn^id culture, from successful i)ractical exxjcrieiice for a terux of years, lllustra- Utd. Cloth, 12mo. I'M STANDAED BOOKS. Roe's Play and Profit in My Garden. By E. P. Roe. The author takes us to his garden on the rocky hill- sides in tlie vicinity of West Point, and sliows us liow out of it, after four years' experience, lie evoked a profit of $1,000, and tliis while carrying on pastoral and literary labor. It is very rarely that so much literary taste and skill are mated to so much agri- cultural exi)erience and good sense. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 riie New Onion Culture. By T. Greiner. This new work is written by one of our most suc- cessful agriculturists, and is full of new, original, and highly valu able matter of material interest to every one who raises onions in the family garden, or by tlie acre for market. By the process here described a crop of 2000 bushels per acre can be as easily raised as 500 or 600 bushels in the old way. Paper, J2mo. .50 The Dairyman's Manual. By Henry Stewart, author of "The Shepherd's Manual," "Irriga- tion," etc. A useful and practical work, by a writer who is well known as thoroughly familiar with the subject of which he writes. Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 Allen's American Cattle. Their History, Breeding and Management. By Lewis F. Allen. This book will be considered indispensable by every breeder of live stock. The large experience of the author in improving the character of American herds adds to the weight of his observations and has enabled him to produce a work which will at once make good his claims as a standard authority on the subject. New and revised edition. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 2.50 Profits in Poultry. Useful and ornamental Breeds and their Profitable Management. This excellent work contains the combined experience of a num- ber of practical men in all departments of i^oultry raising. It is profusely illustrated and forms a unique and important addition to our poultry literature. Cloth, 12nio. l.Ofl The American Standard of Perfection. The recognized standard work on Poultry in this country, adopted by the American Poultiy Association. It contains a complete de- scriptionof all the recognized varieties of fowls, including turkeys, ducks and geese; gives instructions to judges; glossary of technical terms and nomenclature. It contains 244 pages, handsomely bound in cloth, embellished with title in gold on front cover. $1.00 Stoddard's An Bgg Farm. Jiy H. H. Stoddard. The management of ijoultry in large numbers, being a series of articles written for the AMERICAN AGRICULTUK* 1ST. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. JX STA1?DARD BOOKS. Stewart's Shepherd's ManuaL A Valuable Practical Treatise on the Sheep for American farmers and sheep j^rowers. It is so plain that a farmer or a farmer's son who lias never kept a slieep, may learn from its pages how to manage a floclv successfully, and yet so complete that even the ex-. perienced shepherd may gather many suggestions from it. The results of personal experience of some years with the characters •)i the various modern breeds of sheep, and the sheep raising capa- bilities of many portions of our extensive territory and that of Canada — and the careful study of tlie diseases to which our sliecp are chiefly subject, with those by which they may eventually be afflicted through nnforseen accidents— as well as the methods of management called for under our circumstances, are carefully described. By Henry Stewart. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 Wrigfht's Practical Poultry-Keeper. By L. Wright. A complete and standard guide to the management of poultry, for domestic use, the markets or exhibition. It suits at once the plain poiilterer, who must make the business pay, and the chicken fancier whose taste is for gay x^luraage and strange, bright birds. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. $12.00 Harris on the Pi§:. New Edition. Revised and enlarged by the author. The points of the various Englisli and American breeds ai'e thoroughly discussed, and the great advantage of using thoroughbred males clearly shown. The work is equally valuable to the farmer who keeps but few pigs, and to the breeder on an extensive scale. By Joseph Harris. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 The Farmer's Veterinary Adviser. A guide to the rrevention and Treatment of Disease in Domestic Animals. This is one of the best works on this subject, and is es- pecially designed to supply the need of the busy American Farm er, wlio can rarely avail himself of the advice of a Scientific Veter- inarian. It is brought up to date and treats of the Prevention ol Disease as well as of the Remedies. By Prof. Jas. Law. Cloth, Crown, 8vo. 3.00 Dadd's American Cattle Doctor. By George H. Dadd, M. D., Veterinary Practitioner. To help every man to be his own cattle-doctor; giving the necessary informatioi: for preserving the health and curing the diseases of oxen, cows^ sheep and swine, witli a great variety of original recipes, and val- uable information on farm and dairy management. Cloth, 12mo. 1.5C Cattle Breeding:. By Wm. Warlield. This work is by common consent the most valuable and pre-eminently practical treatise on cattle-breecling ever published in America, being the actual experience and ob- servance of a practical man. Cloth, 12mo. 9..0CI LIBRARY OF CONGRESS DDDD^5Dt.bbfi