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HORTICULTUEE 



November 16, 1912 



FRUIT AND VEGETABLES UNDER GLASS 



CONDUCTED BY 



i>t^r\^, 



QnestlODi by oar readeri In Une wltb any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially recelred and promptly anawered 

 by Mr. Penaon. Such communications ghould Invariably be addressed to the office of HOBTICULTDRB. 



Wotk. in the Early Peach House 



Wliere trees are not grown in pots for the early crops 

 a planted-out house will have to be forced. Pot trees 

 have many advantages over their greater sisters for this 

 early work ; one noticeable feature is — should a tree not 

 set a crop it is easily moved to less conspicuous quarters 

 —the one planted out has to remain. Where it is con- 

 templated to use a house the first crop preparatory work 

 should be proceeded with soon after the leaves have 

 fallen. If disbudding and a thinning-out of the old 

 wood scon after the crop was gathered was attended to 

 there will be very little pnining to do, yet the trees 

 should be looked over before being cut away from the 

 trellis. To cut all the old ties off is a good initial step 

 as the tree can be tied together in several bundles which 

 keeps them out of the way and protects the buds from 

 possible rubbing during cleaning. A thorough wash 

 down is always desirable in fruit houses; it not only im- 

 proves the looks of the interior, but is sanitary. This is 

 the time to repaint fruit houses; it is impossible to do 

 them when some plant houses are done durng the sum- 

 mer mouths. 



The extent of cleaning and spraying in a peach house 

 ■depends entirely on the cleanliness of the trees. A 

 spraying with some good insecticide should be given 

 them anyway, as a preventive, also a spraying of some 

 fungicide will greatly benefit the trees from possible at- 

 tack next season. Any renovation of the border — top 

 dressing and so on — should now be done. Make all the 

 new soil quite firm ; should it be wet at the time allow 

 it a few days to dry before attempting to ram it. With 

 the work done up to this stage the tying can be left for 

 a stormy day when other work is stopped. 



Pot Vices 



Pot vines having been properly ripened and having 

 Jiad some frost on them can be started now. A small 

 liouse should be given up to them to get the best results. 

 Plunge the pots to the rim in clean oak leaves, which 

 will afford a mild bottom heat up until the vines are 

 started into growth and later on the mulch will greatly 

 benefit the growing vines, preventing the roots from be- 

 ■coming excessively hot and dry. If this can be so ar- 

 ranged that tlie bench lias the heating pipes underneath 

 it, so much to tlie good ; a steady bottom heat is insured. 

 See that there are a quantity of leaves underneath the 

 pot as this will prevent any excessive heat from the 

 pipes reaching the pot and also encouraging the roots 

 to grow away through them. There should be no pests 

 of any kind on the canes. All that is necessary is to 

 bend them around in a circle so that all the sap does not 

 rush up to the top of the cane, causing a few strong 

 breaks there at the expense of the lower ones. Syringe 

 twice daily with chilled water. Keep a night tempera- 

 ture of 40 F. to 45 F. degrees, closing the house early 

 enough to give the canes a mild sweat. 

 Soil Heaps 



All soil heaps not under cover which may be needed 

 through the winter months should now be covered up 

 with leaves and straw manure. Heap the leaves two feet 



thick around the sides and on the top, over which a 

 foot of straw manure should be placed to keep them in 

 position. If something can be laid on the top of this 

 to run the water off, the efficiency of the protection will 

 be increased a hundred per cent and good dry soil will 

 always be available. By taking this precaution it is pos- 

 sible to make new borders or top-dress old ones any 

 time during the winter. Otherwise, once the soil gets 

 frozen up, the work will have to wait until spring, and 

 those months are always crowded with work which can- 

 not be done earlier. 



Protect Celery and Cabbage 



These two valuable winter vegetables will need to be 

 stored away or protected (if not already done). Small 

 (luantities, or the earliest of larger numbers, can be put 

 in the cellar. Keep them away from the heater or 

 heating pipes. Others must be protected with leaves and 

 earth. Cabbage will be best stored in a barn where the 

 cellar fails to accommodate them. Late celery will keep 

 best in the ^oil if amply protected. Whatever method 

 is adopted always bear in mind that they need keeping 

 away from all water yet do not want to be real dry. 



Rhubarb 



Elmbarb forces easily after a few light frosts. Like 

 asparagus, roots can be lifted and exposed to the ele- 

 ments for a time, which will help them to force easier. 

 I always advocate a hot-bed for early forcing of this 

 class of stuff'. They start away easier which means 

 quicker returns. Khubarb will force in any dark corner 

 or under l>enches providing there is a night temperature 

 of 55 degrees. Little can be lifted each week if a suc- 

 cession is desired. Give the roots a good supply of water 

 and see that the soil goes in between them at the time 

 they are brought in. Syringe the growth once a day. 



Specialize on Something Fresh 



Anyone who can take his memory back forty or fifty 

 years will have no difficulty in calling to mind the vari- 

 ous collections of general nursery stock both of flower- 

 ing and decorative plants which at that time were the 

 main features of the various establishments he visited, 

 both private and trade. The list of varieties grown in 

 one and the same place was of quite formidable dimen- 

 sions. I have said "grown," but in regard to many 

 species they simply existed; they were alive and in fair 

 health ; they were not what a grower would call "grown" 

 now, and how the public were satisfied then only shows 

 how easy they were to please. But a new era was dawn- 

 ing and one thing after another was selected from the 

 general mass and really properly "done" ; grown in 

 bulk; a house or range of houses devoted to one and the 

 same thing. Every single thing that could be done 

 was done for the plant in hand and splendid results 

 were attained. I will just enumerate a few that re- 

 sponded to the more liberal treatment, as the stock now 

 placed on the market by the growers who specialize 

 amply testify : azaleas, acacias, araucarias, bouvardias, 



