742 



HOETICULTUKE 



November 30, 1912 



FRUIT AND VEGETABLES UNDER GLASS 



CONDUCTED BY 



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Questions by our readers in line with any "f tlie topics presented on this page will be tordially received and promtply answered 

 by Mr. Penson. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTURE. 



Melons 



With the Christmas month with us once again melons 

 can be sown from now on and with ordinary care a crop 

 should be certain. From seeds sown December 1st, ripe 

 fruit should be cut from the middle to the end of April. 

 Subsequent sowings will develop a little faster with the 

 increasing sun power. Twelve weeks is the smartest time 

 made by the plants in the most favorable weather. Fruit 

 to ripen through January, February and March will 

 probably take sixteen weeks to develop. At this time of 

 year there is always a tendency to crowd the seedling? 

 amongst other stuff, with a consequent weakening of the 

 plants, to commence with. Have your plants as strong 

 as possible at the time of planting, which is equivalent 

 to a good start in a short race. Sow the seeds singly in 

 three-inch pots and give them every encouragement after 

 coming through until they are planted. Hero of Lock- 

 inge is always a pioneer for early work and shoiild bo 

 included in this sowing. Others which can also be given 

 a chance are His Eminence, Best of All and Superlative. 



Pot Peaches and Nectarines 



December 1st is the date most fruit growers have to 

 figure from, as this is generally the time when the earli- 

 est houses are started on. Some wait until the New 

 Year, which makes the crop a few weeks later in finish- 

 ing, but where fruit is required as early as possible start 

 up a house of pot trees immediately. Peaches and nec- 

 tarines are safe subjects to handle. Apples, pears, apri- 

 cots, plums and cherries are best left until the New Year 

 before starting. The trees can be placed at half-space 

 if the room thus saved can be utilized for something else, 

 otherwise place them so that no more shitting is required. 

 If the trees are wet at the time of housing allow them 

 to become half-dry and then go through them all with 

 the rammer, firming the surface soil which may have 

 been loosened by slight frosts and rains. Give the trees 

 a temperature of 40 to 45 F. for a time, syringe them 

 twice daily and warm the house up well with sun heat. 



First Early Vinery- 

 Start the first vinery December 1st to follow on after 

 the pot vines. All cleaning, etc., having been done previ- 

 ously, all that remains to do is to tie the vines in posi- 

 tion and close up the house. Old rods which are heavy 

 enough in themselves to bend over when suspended by a 

 string near the center will need no bending. It will be 

 found they can be so tied that the top will nearly touch 

 the border. Young and stiffer canes will need to be 

 bent over to check the sap rushing to the top eyes, mak- 



ing these produce extra strong growths at the expense- 

 of the lower ones. What is required is an even break 

 and even growths throughout the vine. Vines bent thus 

 will need changing over about every ten days, or those 

 eyes that are on the top side will be stronger than the 

 under ones. These being bent down near the glass will 

 be a few degrees c-ooler than what the thermometer would 

 register if it is plat •'d in the center of the house. Syringe 

 the vines twice daily with tepid water, no matter what 

 the weather outside is and give them a night temperature 

 of 40 to 45 degrees F. with the usual advance by day. 

 Young vines which will not cover all the wires with foli- 

 age afEord opportunity for pot trees to be grown under- 

 neath them. 



Storing Vines 

 Young vines rooted last spring and intended for grow- 

 ing on next summer before forcing should be stored away 

 in a cellar or cold frame where they can have an occa- 

 sional watering and have some protection from the se- 

 vere weather. Pack the pots in leaves to save breakage 

 from freezing. Any stakes can be removed and the vines 

 allowed to fall on the leaves. Avoid continual freezing 

 and thawing out by leaving the protection on them if 

 stored in cold frames. 



Winter Packing 



More protection will be needed around fruit and vege- 

 tables when being packed for shipping, as the colder 

 weather demands. Line all boxes and packing cases with 

 several additional thicknesses of paper. This must be 

 on all four sides, not on the top alone. Do not leave 

 packing cases exposed in an open wagon when being 

 taken to the depot in the early morning when the mer- 

 cury is away down. 



Fig Houses 



Figs are very sensitive tilings and any trees that are 

 resting will need a careful regulation of the temperature; 

 extremes either way will be injurious to them. They are 

 easily started into growth; a few days in a warm house 

 will put them on the move. Keep the roots a little 

 moister than you would a vine or peach tree. 



Protection for Vegetables 



See that all vegetalilcs stored in the garden or in cold 

 frames have sufBcient protection to make the effort worth 

 while. Probably an additional supply of leaves or man- 

 ure will be needed now that we are on the verge of the 

 coldest part of the winter. Take advantage of any mild 

 days to fill up the cellar, so that a quantity of vegetables 

 so stored are easily accessible in even the worst weather. 



