172 



GARDENING. 



Feb. 75, 



lOMATOES. 



As soon as possible after the 15th of 

 March I sow my tomato seed in a hot- 

 bed. I prefer sowing in rows about three 

 inches apart, putting in plenty of seed. 

 When they are up they should be gone 

 over and thinned to an inch between each 

 plant. They should have as much air as 

 possible without chilling them, and not 

 too much water. The object is to make 

 them hardy, and to keep them short so 

 that they may be the more safely trans- 

 planted. At the end of the first week in 

 April a cold frame is prepared in as warm 

 a ^ot as convenient, and into this frame 

 the young plants are planted 4 to 6 inches 

 apart each way. If the latter distance all 

 the better. If the frame has been in use 

 during the winter simply digging it up 

 and raking it over is sufficient. If a new 

 frame let the sash stay on for a few days 

 to warm ii before planting. Before rak- 

 ing give a dressing of superphosphate 

 with a little nitrate of soda added, about 

 half a pound of nitrate to four pounds of 

 superphosphate, and this to every ten 

 sash, raked well in. Ifthesoilis damp 

 the plants will not need watering when 

 transplanted. If they must be watered 

 then give as little as possible, keeping 

 them close for a few days until they root 

 again. If they have been well hardened 

 in the hotbed they will stand the change 

 to a cold bottom without much suffering. 

 In airing the cold frame care should be 

 taken to close it up some time before the 

 sun has left it, and as soon as the sun has 

 gone and before the frame loses its heat 

 cover up snugly with mats, or hay, or 

 other material used for that purpose. 

 When the plants are well established in 

 the cold frame give air on bright days, 

 and not too much water. The idea is to 

 get a short stocky plant with three or 

 four branches showing by the first of 

 May. After that time the sashes can be 

 removed during the day and put on 

 towards evening for ten or twelve days, 

 after which they may remain off for three 

 or four nights. 



After the 15th of May it is usually safe 

 to set them out in this section. Broad- 

 cast a light dressing of manure, plow it 

 in, harrow once, and mark off the rows 

 4' ■• feet apart, and the places for the 

 plants 4V2 feet asunder in the rows. 

 Scatter a double handful of superphos- 

 phate and a tablespoonful of nitrate of 

 soda for each plant. Set the plants in 

 the soil down to the seed leaf. When 

 they have made a strong start and begin 

 to branch keep them spread out evenly 

 around, not allowing them to grow upin 

 a clump, but giving sun and air a chance 

 to reach the center. Do not tie up to 

 stakes, or prune, keep the spaces between 

 the rows worked until the plants cover 

 all the ground. Plants grown in this 

 way will lift with good balls of earth, 

 and can be easily set in the field. P. F. 



Market gardener, WestchesterCo., N. Y. 



PLEASE 



MENTION 



GARDENING 



WHEN 



WRITING 



TO 



ADVERTISERS. 



Beautiful Cosmo 



<ruii<l flowers, growing double the feize o 



varifty and biooming abundantly in beauiiiui 

 It has captured the fancy of flower loversever> 

 We have a sufficient stock of this grand flower 



>Iy all demands and make the following liberal 



) readers of this paper. 



OUR OFFER 



rnalion (flowers in fourteen «< 

 nette (New Mammoth S\\ 

 hoicest Mixed), Ten WeekStoi 

 1 carefully selected ami sure t 



This book '.las been 



W.W.RAWSON&GOm Boston, 



VlfJORIfl RFftlfl NyMPHflEflS AND NELUMBIUMS 



V IV^ 1 V/lill 1 llLV/ll I We strongly recommend our uew strain of Victoria regia, 

 which is superior to the old type in vigor, size of leaf and free flowering qualities. Seed may be sown 

 till early in March and produce flowering plants this season, 8.3.(X) per dozen. Seed of Nymphsea sown 

 now will produce flowering plants this summer; start tubers of tropical varieties now. 



This department is under the personal supervision of the well known specialist Win. Tricker. who 

 lerged his stock into ours. «^Dreer's Uarden Calendar for 1896 for a stamp, describes every- 



thing i 



r.ls, Pla 



nd Bulbs. 



HENRY A. DREER, 7M Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 



250,000 Peach Trees 



100,000 Plum host Eiip. aud Jap. 

 15U,0UU Prar 81(1. and Dwl. 

 75,000 <lierry,i^Iorcllo!«,IIeart8,etC 

 160,000 Apple, aiiiuce. Apricot. 

 100,000 Nut Bearliis; Trees. 

 2,000,000 Small Fruits aud Crapes. 

 750,000 Uoses,K: verbIoomiug& Hardy. 



1,000 Gar Loads Ornamentals. 



Fall supply Floiver and Vepretaljle Seeds. 

 Pluiitii, Bnlbs, etc. Elegant 168 pane 

 catsUoeue tree. Send for it before buying. 



guaranteed. We occupy 



Lake Brie. No hardier,!] 



on the continent. "Why not procure the best 



direct from the [grower and avoid all com' 



missions. It ivIU save you money. 



43nd VKAR. 1000 ACRES. 



89 GHEENHOISES. « 



THE STORRS & HARRISON CO.. 



PAINESVILLE,0. Box 189. 



The 



Alice Grape 



ipe ever offered. Ripens 

 ps all winter; sple •' 

 tuctive. Catalogue w 

 F. E. Young. Nurseryman, 



GRAPEVINES.! 



Delaware. Bright- 



and*' Wilder, 

 ctiolce of same, with book tree; 

 book. Order now. Will mall bo 

 early spring, postpaid. Safe arrf 



20 Concords and 



good condition 

 free. 

 I. H. TKVON, WUlougliby, Ohio. 



ties A Gull 

 , -ag. The'l 

 I kind ever published 



itbographf 



s prices 01 



large aud small 



trees, speci- 



" t^ eflect, 



and special prices for quanti- 



' " " ■ " to Tree Plant- 



1 THOS. MEEHAN & SONS, 



I GtriiiKiMoivn, l>liiliid€'l|>lila. i 



Home=Made Brick 



Musliroom Spawi]. 



Parties who have used this spawn pro- 

 nounce it far superior to the imported. 



One of the largest mushroom companies 

 writes me under date of Jan. lOth: "Fresh 

 spawn received comes nearer to what we 

 want of anything we have ever seen." 



5 lbs. 50 ( 



lbs. $1.00. Special 



WILLIAM FORBES, 



P. O. Box 54. Riverside, R. I. 



When writing nientlcpn (iurdenliig. 



New, Rare and Beautiful Fianls 



Lord Penzance's new h\ brid 5weet Briars. Old 

 Garden Roses; New Roses; standard Roses. 



Philadelphus Lemoinei; New Lilacs; Lonicera 

 Hildebrandtii; Spiraea 'Anthony Waterer." 



A large collection of rare hothouse and greenhouse 

 plants. Anthuriums, Alocacias. Orchids, etc. 



Rare Conifers and other beautiful Evergreens. 



Magnolias, Japanese JMaples, with other choice 

 Trees and shrubs. 



P/EONIES— A large collection of the finest in cul- 

 tivation. Hardy Perennials, Phloxes, Japan- 

 ese Iris^ Roses, Clematis, etc. New aud Stand- 

 ard Fruits, etc. 



•S-Catalogues on application. 



JOHN SAUL, Washington, D. C. 



KILLS RUST 

 and MILDEW 



GRAPE DUST 



Sold by the Seedsmen. 

 Madcby BENJ. HAMMOND, Fishkill-on-Huilson, N.Y. 



