8G0 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 



two side benches, set three feet above the 

 ground, and a pathway of two feet. On the 

 side next to the barn were two l^enches con- 

 sisting of two scantlings placed lengthwise, 

 on which were shallow boxes tilled with 

 earth. This plan allowed of turning the 

 boxes occasionally, so as to give each side an 

 equal amount of light. About midway of 

 the outside, or front, Avas a small self-feed- 

 ing parlor stove, such as may be found among 

 the second-hand stoves at almost any hard- 

 ware store, and bought for tive dollars. The 

 stovepipe passed out through one of the 

 apertures of the sash, fitted with tin, and ex- 

 tended upward eight feet, to give sufficient 

 draft. A large amount of heat might have 

 been saved by having the pipe run length- 

 wise of the building, though an even tem- 

 perature of fiO to 70^ was maintained during 

 the daytime, and from 10 to l-S^ less each 

 night. The fire was started Feb. 22, and 

 never went out until May 5, consuming 

 about three-foiu-ths of a ton of coal. In this 

 structure I started about 4000 tomato-plants, 

 2000 cabbage, and a quantity of pepper, cele- 

 ry, and lettuce plants. When sufficiently 

 large, the plants were placed in hotbeds or 

 cold frames outside. This enabled me to de- 

 lay starting my hotbeds for such tender 

 plants as tomatoes and peppers, until the lat- 

 ter part of April, and still have large stocky 

 plants for outdoor planting by the middle of 

 May. Early cabbage and cauliflower plants 

 w^ere transplanted into cold frames and made 

 fine plants. " hardened oft " sufficiently to 

 set out April 20. My first sowing of tornato, 

 cabbage, and cauliflower seed, was made 

 Feb. lo. Subsequent ones were every four 

 or five days. Plants of the later sowings 

 were transplanted into cold frames, and pro- 

 tected at night with straw mats. The let- 

 tuce, besides being put into cold frames, was 

 set out between early cabbages and cauli- 

 flowers in the open ground "April 20, and 

 made fine heads several weeks earlier than 

 outdoor sowings. As I am engaged with of- 

 fice work during the day, the time devoted to 

 the greenhouse was principally mornings be- 

 fore eight o'clock, a few miiiutes at noon, 

 and at evening. The total expense of build- 

 ing the greenhouse and fixtures, heating, 

 etc., was less than S20.00. and my book shows 

 a casli receipt, from plants sold, of over 

 $140.00. This includes receipts from late 

 cabbage and turnip plants which were sown 

 outdoors. The actual receipts from stuff 

 started in the greenhouse show a profit of 

 over one hundred dollars. 



The time devoted to this work, besides be- 

 ing profitably spent, was more a pleasure 

 than a task, as any one at all interested in 

 liorticultural matters generally takes enough 

 pleasure in " watching things grow," to 

 more than compensate for time and labor 

 spent. I have gained many ideas from tlie 

 past year's experience, which will doubtless 

 greatly aid me toward greater success here- 

 after. G. II. M. 

 WATEK. 



A good deal has been written in regard to 

 watering plants ; and my own experience 

 has satisfied me that, to water successfully, 

 we must imitate nature. Sprinkling the 



plants constantly does not answer. In na- 

 ture we have soaking rains, and then several 

 days of sunshine ; and I have never had any 

 better results in watering plants than can be 

 obtained by dipping the boxes or pots into a 

 tub of water at about the proper temperature 

 (say 55°, the temperature of the earth), hold 

 them under the water until the soil is thor- 

 oughly soaked, then set them out to drain 

 off. Of course, the pots or boxes should 

 have ample arrangements made for drainage. 

 Don't dip them again until the soil is found 

 to be so dry that they really need water. 

 Let them really imnt it, before you give them 

 any more. Where plants are in beds in the 

 greenhouse, flood the beds until the ground 

 is soaked in the same way ; then let them 

 dry off. Circumstances must decide how 

 often' they are to be watered. If the sun 

 shines eveiy day, of course they will need 

 wateiing a good deal oftener. The tempera- 

 ture of the room or the weather has also 

 much to do with it. Sprinkling the foliage 

 so as to wash off the dust, and keep the lit- 

 tle breathing-pores in the leaves nice and 

 clean, is, of course, a good thing. This imi- 

 tates the dews of night. In watering plants 

 outdoors we want to imitate the soaking 

 rain ; but, don't pour so much water right 

 around the stems of the plants as to make a 

 puddle, that will bake down hard. The usu- 

 al way of watering, as they do in countries 

 where irrigation is the rule, gives the best 

 results. Make a little channel between two 

 rows of plants ; start the water in where the 

 ground is highest, and let it run until it has 

 soaked the ground clear up to tlie plants. 

 Don't get on too much. Then turn it off, 

 and wait until the plants really need water 

 again. We usually prefer soft water to hard, 

 though I can not see any particular differ- 

 ence, except that when the leaves and foliage 

 are sprayed with hard water, it sometimes 

 dries on them so as to leave a whitish pre- 

 cipitate. If a cistern is put in the center of 

 your greenhouse, and all the water from the 

 roof be conducted into it, it will usually give 

 you all the water needed to water the plants. 

 During eevcre cold weather, the water in 

 this cistern may be warmed by a steam or 

 hot-water pipe, and this will aid very mate- 

 rially in keeping an even temperature. The 

 cistern may be luider one of the benches ; 

 and if the water stands up within a foot of 

 tlie soil above it. all the better. Such a cis- 

 tern also aids in keeping a moist or slightly 

 damp atmosphere, 



SOIL FOR PLANTS. 



AVhatkind of soil is best for raising plants? 



