THE GREENHOUSE 



summer the shady side of their stalivS is 

 a good place for the Platyceriums, mak- 

 ing a most effective arrangement. 



Cannas may be brought from the 

 garden in clumps and bloomed during 

 the bright days of early winter, then 

 dried off until February or March, when 

 if divided and repotted, will furnish 

 their brilliant flowers until required for 

 outdoor bedding ; the foliage is always 

 valuable for its tropical effect. If the 

 canna has failed as a greenhouse 

 bloomer, it is because this treatment 

 has not been given, and that varieties 

 have been used of close relationship to 

 the species, which are not suitable for 

 forcing. Light, heat, rich soil, and root 

 moisture, are necessary for great success 

 with the canna at all times, given these, 

 no plant will more amply repay the 

 attention and labor bestowed. 



If ample root room is given to the 

 Manettia vine it will prove a rampant 

 grower, and give a mass of bloom all 

 winter. The secret of growing nastur- 

 tiums to perfection is just contrary to 

 Manettia, the roots must be confined, 

 but in order to supply the necessary 

 moisture when in blooming position, 

 these must be allowed to grow through 

 the drainage hole in the bottom of the 

 pot, and ramble in the moist sand, 

 covering the greenhouse bench. Liquid 

 manure should be supplied to the pot 

 twice each week during blooming. 

 Under the above treatment the nastur 

 tium can be grown from six to ten feet 

 high, producing hundreds of blossoms 

 at a time when flowers are scarce. 

 Grown in the cool section it will not 

 make as large plants, but this gives a 

 succession for a few weeks later. I 

 prefer growing from cuttinss, which root 

 easily in pure sand. These can be 

 selected from the most beautiful varie- 

 ties, in late summer. After rooting, 

 plant in small pots, shift as growth 



advances until blooming size, say five or 

 si.\ inches is reached by early winter. 



There are no more satisfactory plants 

 than a few cypripediums, which are of 

 easy culture potted high in Sphagnum 

 moss well drained with fragments of 

 broken pots and charcoal. The flowers 

 often remain open for three months, 

 and are very attractive. Insigne, Sedeni, 

 longifolium, villosum and Harrisianum, 

 should be the first selections for the 

 amateur collection. 



One of the greatest mistakes made by 

 the owners of greenhouses, is the custom 

 of emptying them for thesummermonths, 

 as at this season they may be filled with 

 bloom of the Tuberous Begonia and 

 Gloxinia, two of the most beautiful flow- 

 ers we have, and which can only be 

 brought to perfection under glass. They 

 should he started in early spring, and 

 grown near the glass which must be 

 whitewashed lightly, until the buds show- 

 color, they may then be moved to a cool 

 and more shady position for blooming. 

 The Begonia may be started in small 

 pots and shifted as necessary, but the 

 Gloxinia should be placed in the bloom- 

 ing pot at once, the diameter to be about 

 two inches greater than that of the bulb. 

 These plants can be easily grown from 

 seed, if proper care is exercised during 

 the early stages of their development. 



There is one point in connection with 

 greenhouse work, in fact potted plants 

 wherever grown, that I cannot pass with- 

 out comment, and that is the important 

 operation of watering, for on this hangs 

 the whole issue. No matter how perfect 

 may be the building and appliances in 

 all mechanical detail, no matter how 

 skilfully and correctly the potting may 

 be done, and no matter how much care 

 may be exercised in firing and ventila- 

 tion, the fate of all labor, expense, and 

 attention, depends on how the watering 

 is done. That I am not making too 



