70 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



and the fruit set, the young shoots that are produced afterwards, 

 unless specially required, should be removed with the finger and 

 thumb as soon as they are two or three inches in length. In 

 removing full-grown leaves, which will be necessary occasionally, 

 pinch them off just under the blade, and leave the leaf-stalk, for 

 when the latter is cut off at its base the stem frequently cankers and 

 perishes. The laterals which have to carry fruit must not be stopped 

 at all, whether in frames or houses. Fruit in frames must be elevated 

 above the foliage by means of flower-pots turned bottom upwards. 

 Syringing, watering, earthing up, and other details, must be carried 

 out in the manner advised for the management of the plants in the 

 houses. 



I have frequently grown good crops in frames that are usually 

 occupied with bedding plants during the winter, without any artificial 

 heat at all. A few plants are put in eight-inch pots in April, and 

 grown on in one of the houses, and the necessary steps taken to 

 insure their being well hardened off by planting- time. Then, im- 



COXS GOLDEN GEM. 



mediately the bedders are removed, two or three barrowfuls of the 

 leaves or tan upon which they were placed is taken out from the 

 centre of each light, and replaced with soil, prepared as advised for 

 the houses. The frames are closed early in the afternoon to econo- 

 mize the sun-heat, and the plants syringed at the same time, excepting 

 when the fruit is setting and after it has nearly reached its full size. 

 It is important to give plenty of air when the fruit is setting, and in 

 warm weather the lights may be drawn off for a few hours in the 

 middle of the day. In all other respects the treatment should be the 

 same as advised for frames where fermenting materials are employed. 

 As it requires from three to four months from the time of sowing 

 the seed until the fruit reaches maturity, the cultivator must shape 

 his course accordingly. For the early crops, when heat is maintained 

 by artificial means, the temperature should range from 70° to 75° ; 

 but with sun-heat it may go up to 85° or 90° with plenty of air. 

 The beds must not be kept in a constantly saturated state, but moist 



