'THE PIvANT WORIvD 69 



April will be in full bloom. The manner of growing violets in cold frames 

 is given in another place. 



The Cutting Box. — While the cutting box is more widely useful in a 

 greenhouse where it can have the benefit of bottom heat, it is, neverthe- 

 less, an indispensable adjunct to every flower lover's outfit. It is simply 

 a box of any conv-enient size, and about 4 inches deep, filled with clean, 

 sharp, rather coarse sand. Care should be taken that there is no organic 

 matter in the sand, as it would induce that dread of all propagators — 

 damping off. In the greenhouse, where the heat can be regulated, al- 

 most anything ' ' rootable ' ' can be made to strike root, but in an ordinary 

 dwelling house it can be used with a fair measure of success. It should 

 be placed near a stove with the heat as regular as possible, and must 

 be kept moist, although not necessarily wet. The cutting box is per- 

 haps most useful to the amateur in summer, when it can be placed in 

 some moderately shaded place and used to start plants designed for 

 winter blooming, such as geraniums, heliotropes, begonias, etc. 



Violets in a Cold Frame. — In Gardening for February 15, 1903, Mr. 

 Robert Klagge gives the following directions for growing single violets in 

 a cold frame : "As the single are hardier and better croppers in spring, 

 I will treat of them. Plants may be taken by division or by rooting run- 

 ners. Put into 2-inch pots and plant outdoors in the first part of May. 

 If you have plenty of room plant them twelve inches apart in rows thirty 

 inches apart so they may be cultivated with horse-power. If this is not 

 the case they should be planted one foot apart each way. Hoe and culti- 

 vate frequently and keep off all unnecessary runners to have nice bushy 

 plants by October. Then they may be taken to their winter quarters. 

 The soil should be a good loam with one-eighth well-rotted manure 

 worked in. Choose a cloudy day for planting, water well, and when 

 established remove all bad leaves. The distance apart to plant in the 

 frame depends upon the size of the plants. Keep the glass off until the 

 ground is frozen quite hard. After it is necessary to put it on, give 

 plenty of air. As the weather gets cold mats and shutters will have to 

 be put on. Bank up outside the frame with about a foot of cold manure, 

 kept in place by boards or stakes. As long as the violets are frozen the 

 shutters may be left on, but as the weather gets warmer airing must be 

 attended to regularly. Never admit strong sun while the plants are 

 frozen. Always keep the decayed leaves picked off. The varieties are 

 numerous, but California and Prince of Wales are perhaps the best for 

 this purpose." 



Height at which to set Plants in Pots. — When repotting house plants 

 this spring, or at any other time, remember to set the plant slightly lower 

 than it stood originally ; and always leave some space between the earth 

 and the upper rim of the pot. 



