396 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



started, when they were put where the temperature and condi- 

 tions seemed to suit them best. As soon as they were started, the 

 tomatoes were taken to the vegetable house. This vegetable house 

 is started about the first of March and is heated by decaying horse 

 manure, which is about thirty inches deep. On the top is placed 

 six inches of soil, in which the seed of lettuce, radishes, etc , which 

 are to be raised is sown. Other hardy plants and vegetables in pots 

 or boxes are set on the top of this soil. Tomatoes are brought 

 from the greenhouse and put in this house after the weather begins 

 to warm up. The top of the vegetable house is covered with sash, 

 which during the cold nights are covered with shutters, which 

 prevents much heat from escaping. 



Besides propagating plants by seed, there are many plants which 

 may be propagated by cuttings. We had in the greenhouse a large 

 number of grape cuttings, made with one bud each. These were 

 put in boxes of sand and required careful attention that they were 

 not over-watered or that the sun did not burn them when they first 

 started to grow. About one week before they were set out, they 

 were taken out doors and put in a cold frame to harden. These 

 frames were covered with shutters at night to prevent the cuttings 

 from being frosted. Many flowering plants are propagated by 

 cuttings. We found that these cuttings did best when placed in 

 moist sand, and must be closely watched not to allow the sun to 

 wilt them, and we must not water them too heavily, for if too much 

 water is applied they rot very quickly, and yet they need sunlight 

 to keep them healthy. 



There are several insects that are very troublesome in green- 

 houses. Those that bothered me most were the mealy bug, scale, 

 lice and red spider. I found that the most satisfactory way to get 

 rid of the scale and mealy bug was to clean each plant by hand 

 and then keep them clean by spraying. The red spider, which is 

 a minute affair on the leaves of plants and makes them appear 

 brown, could be kept in check quite easily by spraying thoroughly. 

 Fumigating with tobacco smoke was a very effective way of getting 

 rid of lice. 



Altogether the work has been very instructive to me in many 

 ways, and I have enjoyed it much. 



Sunflowers as Bean Poles.— The selecting and cutting of poles 

 for the vines of the bean to grow on is no easy task, even where 

 timber is plentiful, and in a prairie country it is a problem. I have 

 found a substitute for the pole in the old fashioned sunflower, one 

 stalk for each hill. They are ornamental, the seed is good for the 

 poultry and the stalks make fine kindling wood. Some may claim 

 that the sunflower will take the strength of the ground from the 

 beans, but my experience does not agree with this. The finest 

 beans I ever raised were grown with sunflowers for poles. 



