THE COOL SECTION OF THE GREENHOUSE. 



a shrub into a tree, or good bye to .their 

 natural beauty. Beginning with the 

 Forsythia, Xanthoceras, Flowering Cur- 

 rant, Spirea prunifolia, fl. pi., Cydonia 

 japonica, which flower in May; closely 

 followed by other Spireas, Deutzia, 

 weigelia, Double Flowering Almond, 

 Philadelphus, Rose Acacia, Lilac, Snow- 

 ball, Hydrangea, Althea, Hypericum, 

 etc., these will give an uninterrupted suc- 

 cession of bloom up till the end of 

 September. 



There are number of shrubs whose 

 chief beauty is in their foliage, viz. : Ber- 

 beris thunbergia. Golden Elder, Varia- 

 gatedCornus, Mahonia, and many others, 

 every one havmg their own distinctive 

 points of beauty, and when planted in 

 groups or masses serve to bring out the 



beauties of each other. Let the planting 

 be done thickly, it is easy to thin if 

 needed, but by no means as easy to start 

 a young shrub among a lot of older ones ; 

 study the general appearance, time of 

 flowering, habit, etc , in short, let the 

 arrangement be the result of careful 

 study and observation, although appa- 

 rently careless as far as possible, elimi- 

 nate all straight lines, for Nature knows 

 them not. The student of Nature in 

 matters pertaining to gardening will 

 utterly ignore the freaks of fashion such 

 as cast iron bull dogs, gigantic frogs and 

 other such uncouth monstrosities, none 

 of which will find a place upon the lawn- 

 of the true lover of Nature. 



Webster Bros. 

 Hamilton, Out. 



THE COOL SECTION OF THE GREENHOUSE. 



DURING the first months of the 

 year while the plants in the 

 warm section of the conserva- 

 tory are in a dormant condition, the cool 

 house is in all its glory. 



For mid-winter bloom there are no 

 plants equal to the Primula and the 

 Cyclamen, the latter of the new grandi- 

 florum strain is my favorite, both of these 

 should be raised from seed and that only 

 of the best quality. The Primula is 

 the easier to bring to maturity, ten to 

 twelve months from sowing will produce 

 large plants requiring five and six inch 

 pots by blooming time. 



Sow the seed early in the year on the 

 surface of the soil, preferably a light 

 sifted loam, in a pot or shallow box, press 

 down evenly and water with a fine rose 

 which should cover the seed sufficiently, 

 if not press them just below the surface, 

 cover the pot with glass to prevent drying 

 out but always leave a small opening for 

 ventilation or the plants will damp off. 



keep from direct sun during all stages of 

 growth. 



When the first leaf appears prick into 

 thumb pots or flats, shifting as growth 

 advances until the bloom pots are reach- 

 ed in early autumn. Never cover the 

 crown in potting, and pinch out all flower 

 buds, that may appear before they are 

 established in the blooming pots. The 

 above course will produce large exhibi- 

 tion plants the first season, with flowers 

 of the largest size. Greater satisfaction 

 will be given if new plants are grown 

 each year and the old ones discarded 

 after blooming. 



The Cyclamen is a gem of the first 

 water and has no equal as a winter 

 bloomer, the pure delicate beauty of its 

 flowers, and the rich marbling of its 

 thick leathery foliage, coupled with great 

 substance and durability, fairly entitle it 

 to a first place in the cool section. 



In order to ensure the highest degree 

 of success it should be grown from seed,. 



72 



