Special Methods of Culture 259 



pasture and piled up to decay for two or three years. To 

 this is added leaf-mould and rotted manure, making a 

 light, rich, fibrous loam. Mix three parts of this with 

 one part of sharp sand and add dissolved bone at the 

 rate of one quart to three or four bushels of soil. Screen 

 the soil through a sieve of about one-quarter inch mesh. 

 Wet the plants before they are potted. Place an inch 

 of potsherds or gravel in the bottom of each pot; good 

 drainage is very essential, as the plants are watered freely 

 during the forcing period. Set the plants so that the 

 crown will be even with the surface. Pound the soil 

 around the ball of roots with a potting stick ; it can hardly 

 be too firm. 



Care in the coldframe. 



After being potted, the plants are set in the coldframe, 

 which is located on a sunny and well-drained site, con- 

 venient to a hydrant. Cover the ground a foot deep 

 with coal ashes or cinders, sink the frame into these 

 several inches and bank upon the outside (Plate XXI). 

 Plunge the pots to their rims and as close together as 

 possible. The ashes provide drainage, keep the pots 

 from drying out rapidly and prevent earthworms from 

 getting into them. Water freely until the pots are w^ell 

 filled with roots, then sparingly, so as to ripen the crowns. 

 All runners should be pinched off. Spray with bordeaux 

 occasionally to keep the foliage free from blight and mil- 

 dew. By autumn the plants will have very large crowns 

 and the pots will be densely filled with roots (Plate XXII). 



As winter approaches, cover the frame with sash every 

 night to protect the plants from the first frosts and strip 

 it during the day, thus prolonging the growing season 

 several weeks. Water less and less frequently; during 



