580 



H O RT 1C U LTURE 



May 5, 1906 



dwarf, their flowers single and very fragrant, which are 

 universally beloved alpine pinks, Visearia utricnlata 

 with lanceolate leaves arid pale yellow flowers in clefts 

 of rocks, and Helianthemum vulgare, the English rock 

 rose, yellow, occasionally rose-colored, cover quickly, and 

 have proved very hardy here; Saponaria ocymoides, a 

 spreading plant with a delicate rose .or pink flowers and 

 leaves lanceolate, also stood the winter well. 



Silene shafta, a pink flower of six to eight inches 

 high, is one of the best varieties fur our climate. It 

 comes from Switzerland and Pyrenees. Lychnis 

 alpina, flowers pink in compact cymes, leaves lanceolate, 

 stem :! to (i inches high, grows at high altitudes in 

 Switzerland, Dauphiny and Pyrenees, and does well 

 here, having passed two severe winters. Linum alpinum, 

 or flax plant, flower azure blue, is highly recommended 

 for the rock garden. Dictamus var. albus, flower pink, 

 from the stony hills of southern Switzerland, is a very 

 desirable plant. Coronella minima, flower yellow, 4 to 

 8 inches high, plant prostrate, comes from southern 

 Switzerland, Jura and Pyrenees. Dryas eetopetale is a 

 <hurming alpine plant, flower 1 to 1 1-3 inches in diam- 

 eter, white, calyx covered with black glandular hairs; 

 leaves oblong-ovate, crenate, covered with a white wool 

 on the under side, stem prostrate, fruit very feathery ; 

 this alpine plant, very striking both in flower and in 

 fruit, is frequent in high pastures in the Alps. Among 

 the saxifragas of special value we have corniculata 

 irrigua. cotyledon, longifolia, with many other varieties 

 too numerous to describe at present. All are a most 

 interesting family in the rock garden. 



Among the sedums we have the following varieties 

 which have done well in this climate: cruciatum, 

 reflexum, origanifolia, aizoon, nieanse; we can not have 

 ton many id' this most interesting family. The sem- 

 pervivum collections also have an honored place in a rock 

 garden, and are much in demand. The campanula 

 varieties best adapted for the rockery are all the very 

 dwarf varieties such as alpina, longifolia, linifolia, ruela, 

 pulsilla and carpathica, with many other alpine species. 

 \-ii'i- alpinus is one of the grandest flowers. Leonto- 

 podum alpinum or edelweis is too well known and should 

 never fail in a rock garden, as it is easily produced from 

 seed. Of the androsaces from the high Alps some six 

 varieties have done well with us, and are very inter- 

 esting. 



Cyclamen repandum flower red, longer than that of 

 ('. europaaus, throat of corolla not toothed, leaves cordate 

 ovate -"hum li.ii angular, root stock elongated, from 

 Pyrenees and Switzerland, has proved hardy with me, 

 and is a very mi ''resting plant. Polemonium reptans, 

 flower lilac purple, 8 to 10 inches high, is a very satisfac- 

 tion' plant for the reek garden. Gentiana is another 

 very interesting Swiss plant which seems to pass our 

 winters well. I have grown some six varieties which 

 have not bloomed yet with us. Eamondia pyrenaica is. 

 a very interesting rare plant with us. The flower is 

 large violet, solitary: fond of deep shady rocks. Linaria 

 alpina is also one which should not be missed in a 



rockery collection, flower violet with yellow throat, 1 

 to 6 inches high. Erinus alpinus is also a very low 

 dwarf plant with a pink and white flower, but not 

 always very hardy with us. Veronica rupestris, with 



small dark blue flower, seems to do well hei 



■e. 



9<f)J^ ^,. 



Cucumber Forcing 



Cucumber forcing has attained large proportions 

 with many greenhouse men, who make it a main winter 

 crop or utilize it as a spring filler following lettuce, 

 growing it with some companion crop as radishes or 

 beans. 



As the yield is only about one-hall' as great in the 

 winter as during the spring, and the demand light until 

 February or March, it has been found more advantage- 

 ous to grow some better paying crop in the winter, to lie 

 followed in the spring by cucumbers. 



The seed for the spring crop is sown any time after 

 the first of January in three-inch posts half filled with 

 rich loam (or on an old half-decayed inverted sod). 

 Bottom heat is given, and as a precaution for "danip- 

 ing-off" a layer of sand is sprinkled over the surface, or 

 tbe soil is sterilized previous to use. The seedlings 

 should appear in three to six days, and as soon as the 

 true leaves come out the pots are filled up with earth. 

 This provides support and additional nutriment, and 

 does away with repotting. 



When six to eight inches high, or in about four weeks 

 from seed sowing, the seedlings will be ready to trans- 

 plant into permanent quarters, benches six to eight 

 inches deep with bottom heat, furnishing the best con- 

 ditions. The seedlings can be started in a hot-bed or 

 small house and grown there until transplanting time. 

 \ crop can thus be started while the main house is still 

 in lettuce, or whatever the cucumbers are to follow, the 

 seed sowing being planned just enough ahead so the 

 house will be empty when the cucumbers need the room. 



The soil should be rich in organic matter. A satis- 

 factory way consists in filling the beds four inches deep 

 with decayed sod, and then finishing with a mixture of 

 three-fourths garden soil and one-quarter well rotted 

 manure. An inch of pebbles or clinkers in the bottom 

 will help the drainage. 



In setting the house it is well to plant twice as many 

 plants as are finally desired, thinning out the weaker 

 "in's so that those left will stand three or three and a 

 half feet apart. 



Cucumbers require a warm temperature, the night 

 i'iu- 60-65 degrees, while the day range is 75-80 

 degree's or higher on several consecutive clear days. 

 They demand a rather moist atmosphere, but the houses 

 should be dried off every day or two. especially in cloudy 

 weather, to control mildew. Plentv of air without di- 



