102 



gardei\i:rs' chronicle 



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I The Month's Work in the Greenhouse | 



I HENRY GIBSON | 



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The <^Trlv sown seedlings will now demand attention 

 in the wav of pricking off. careful watering, and ven- 

 tilation in order to reduce losses to a minimum. The 

 damping off fungus {Pythium dc Baryanum) is annually 

 responsible for the loss of a large percentage of seed- 

 lings. Nor it is always a dirty, unkempt condition of the 

 houses, that is responsible for the conditions that are 

 favorable to the development of this fungus. In com- 

 paratively new houses, thoroughly clean, and painted, we 

 have experienced the ravages of this pest to an alarm- 

 ing degree, in spite of ample ventilation and liberal use 

 of fungicides. 



Once the fungus has inhabited the soil, extreme care 

 has to be exercised to keep it under control, since the 

 moist conditions favorable to the growth of the seed- 

 lings are especially invigorating to it. It is good practice 

 when preparing soil for the see.dlings to use a liberal pro- 

 portion of leaf mold, and if it is available spent, hot-bed 

 manure, in addition to sand to make it porous. Then 

 as each flat or, other receptacle is filled spread half an 

 inch of coarse sand over the top previous to pricking in 

 the seedlings. \Mien the hole is made for the little plant 

 a portion of the .sand will fall into it thus affording a 

 more porous medium around the roots, to carry away 

 surplus moisture. 



When first transplanted the seedlings will require some 

 shade until thev re-establish themselves in their new 

 quarters, and when this has been accomplished, will de- 

 mand a sunny position near the glass to develop into 

 sturdy, stocky plants. As the sun gains in power they 

 will need more watering, but be on the alert and see that 

 it is not overdone or serious trouble may ensue. 



Sweet Peas for Outdoors 

 From present indications of weather conditions out- 

 doors there appears little likelihood of getting into the 

 ground very early to sow the Sweet Pea seeds, and it 

 will help them considerably on the way to get the seed 

 sown in the greenhouse as soon as possible now. By 

 using .S or 6 seeds to each pot, and thinning out to the 

 best plants later on, one may expect to have fine stock to 

 set out as early in April as the ground can be worked. 

 It won't hurt them much to get caught by late frosts, 

 the tops will kill back, but they^ will break again from 

 the base and still be weeks ahead of those sown outdoors 

 in .A.pril. 



Sweet Peas Under Glass 

 These subjects now flowering in the greenhouse will be 

 benefitted by a mulch of good soil and well-decayed 

 manure, or pulverized sheep manure whichever of the 

 latter is available. It isn't good practice to plant Sweet 

 Peas in rich soil or feed them much before they start 

 flowering yet once the buds are set, they will flower for 

 a much longer period if well fed, and watered liberally. 



.Snapdragons 



l''rom now onwards the flowering stock planted out 

 in the benches will more than make up for lost time. 

 Those that have been slow to throw up flowering stems 

 during the Winter will now soon cover themselves with 

 spikes of blooms. 



Proper staking is done in order to keep the spikes from 



becoming twisted and broken. Another important mat- 

 ter is the removal of the side shoots if one wishes to have 

 first class material for decorations. These side shoots 

 by the way make fine material for the cutting bench if 

 they are free from rust, or other disease. Snapdragons 

 are gross feeders, and soon permeate the soil with a 

 mass of roots in search of available plant food. Plants 

 that have occupied the benches all winter will be bene- 

 fitted by a good topdressing of loam and manure. 



Violets 



To those who propagate their own violets the present 

 affords the best opportunity to secure a supply of cuttings. 

 The plants are now making a natural growth, and in 

 good condition if free from spot and other disease. 

 Whether one takes the cuttings and roots them in the 

 propagating bench, or takes the rooted runners, cutting 

 back their tops a little, and plants them closely in sandy 

 soil, matters little. Successes and failures have been ex- 

 perienced from both methods, and it appears to make 

 little difference so long as neither the cuttings or run- 

 ners are not too old for the purpose. 



The flowering plants will now demand some shade on 

 the roof of the house, and all the air possible consistent 

 with the outdoor temperature will greatly prolong the 

 flowering period. 



The Easter Plants 



The plants that are being grown for Easter decora- 

 tions will now demand a little special care from the cul- 

 tivator. Every gardener likes to have a good showing 

 at this time. Many owners will undoubtedly plan to visit 

 their establishments rotind the holidays, especially after 

 being barred from the country for so long through the 

 unusually severe winter weather, and it will afford them 

 a greeting of more than passing moment to find a goodly 

 supply of well grown plants. 



Anyone who has ever beheld a rambler rose for in- 

 stance, just chock full of flowers and buds, yet a most 

 unsightly affair because of crippled foliage, due to mildew, 

 is prepared to admit offhand that it does not produce 

 a very happy effect. 



The trouble usually happens during the last few weeks. 

 Every care is taken to have th.em in at the proper time, 

 they are grown on in a fairly warm temperature, up to 

 the time they show color, and then to hold them back, 

 or harden them off they are brought into a cold house 

 or one where a raw March air struck them from the ven- 

 tilators, or through a door carelessly left open. Mildew 

 is the inevitable result, and one can use all the fungicides 

 available without removing the effects. 



The plants are all the better for being hardened off, 

 but do it carefully, look out for the ventilators and doors, 

 and don't subject the plants to a sudden drop in tem- 

 lieratiirc at one time. Do it gradually, in the way you 

 advanced the tem]3erature when you started to force 

 them. 



Spir.T!as 



The Spir3eas should be showing color about lire time 

 these notes appear, and must have all the room neces- 

 {Conliinu;! on 'age 110) 



