162 AGRONOMY 



must be set out in spring in good soil and allowed one or 

 more years in which to recuperate. 



Etherization. A large number of plants that form their 

 flower buds at the end of the growing season do not readily 

 resume growth when kept in sufficient warmth. These same 

 plants, however, if allowed to remain dormant and brought 

 into warmth at the end of winter, begin at once to grow. From 

 this it is seen that plants require a season of rest, and if we 

 are to induce such species to bloom in midwinter, something 

 to take the place of this rest must be devised. Freezing, as a 

 substitute for rest, has been found useful. If rhubarb plants 

 designed for indoor forcing are carried in before frost, they 

 fail to make proper growth, but if dug up in the field and 

 exposed to a few frosts, they grow at once when planted. 

 Heat appears to have the same effect as cold, and many spe- 

 cies may be as easily forced by plunging their branches into 

 hot water for a short time. Drought also affects plants like 

 cold, and some specimens behave in the same way if treated 

 with ether. In etherization the plants are placed in an air-tight 

 receptacle and exposed to the fumes of ether for twenty-four 

 hours or longer. When brought into warmth they are ready 

 to grow, the ether appearing to have the same effect upon 

 them as the long rest through the winter. Lilacs etherized in 

 August have been brought into full bloom a few weeks later. 

 In etherization about one third of an ounce of ether to each 

 cubic foot of space is the right amount. 



Forcing plants in the window garden. The conditions in 

 most dwellings are not favorable to plant growth, especially in 

 winter. The dryness of the air, the lack of sunlight, the pres- 

 ence of coal gas and illuminating gas in the air, and the differ- 

 ence between the day and night temperatures all conspire to 

 kill or enfeeble vegetation. Only the hardiest plants can be 

 induced to grow and bloom under such circumstances. Plants 

 produced from bulbs, corms, and the like are an exception to 



