370 VEGETABLE FORCING 



ample space for dwarf varieties, especially if they are 

 well supported by wires or by some other means. Peas 

 should have a night temperature of 40 to 50 degrees and 

 a day temperature of 55 to 60 degrees. The plants are 

 very sensitive to heat and no attempt should be made to 

 continue the crop after April 1. They grow better in 

 solid ground beds than on raised benches, and plenty of 

 water must be supplied during the entire period of forc- 

 ing. The forcing of peas is seldom undertaken in 

 commercial establishments. 



PEPPER 



The pepper is not forced to any considerable extent in 

 either commercial or private establishments. The fruit 

 of this vegetable stands shipment much better than the 

 tomato, so that southern competition prevents the de- 

 velopment of pepper forcing in the North. However, it 

 is not a difficult crop to grow under glass. The plants 

 are started in the same manner as tomatoes, and then 

 shifted from 3 or 4-inch pots to the beds where the crop 

 is to mature. The distance between plants in the beds 

 should be determined by the space requirements of the 

 variety selected. A foot between plants in the row is 

 generally space enough for them, and the rows need not 

 be more than 18 inches apart. Experiments at Cornell 

 University seemed to indicate that the plants grow best 

 at temperatures slightly lower than those required for 

 melons and cucumbers, though excellent results were 

 obtained in the same houses. The plants produced 

 marketable specimens in 3^ months from seed sowing. 

 Sweet Mountain was the favorite variety in the Cornell 

 experiments. It is important to force pure strains of 

 the best sweet-fruited sorts. Artificial pollination, 

 according to the Cornell observations, is unnecessary. 



