1698 SPHAGNUM 



or unless one has conditions very similar to its native 

 habitat, it is difficult to keep it living for any length of 

 time. This does not greatly matter, cxi'i'iit thnt SjiIki^- 

 num use'd for surfacing pots shoiiM nlw.ivs I... IninL- 

 for the sake of appearance. That wln'h i~ n-r.\ n, ],..t- 

 ting and propagating need not ne(M-v~:it il\ !.<■ Ii\iiit< ;i^ 

 long as it is fresh and not decayed, whitr pririi.illy (U-- 

 cayed moss may be used for mulching and packiug. 

 Edward J. Canning. 

 SPHEN6GYNE. See b^rsinia. 



SPICE BUSH. Consult n.iisniii. 



SPIDER FLOWER. Cleome. 



SPIDER LILIES. IliimennniUix and Pancratium. 



SPIDER PLANT. See Cleomc. 



SPIDERWORT. Tradnscantia. 



SPIGfiLIA (after Adrian von der Spigel, physician, 

 looS-lbi;.-.). Lo,t„„i,\rr,v. About H.T species of American 

 annual or perenuial hi rlis. rnrclv s..nie«iiai woody. with 



opposite, menil)r:iT v, I'.ailor \.inr.l, laiilv IJ-.")- 



nerved leaves, and l.om »,■ -mall re, I, \ .Ihov ..r jiurpiish 



curved spikes : calyx .a-lobed; sei^ne i.: n n - . ..rolla 

 tubular; lobes 5, valvate ; stauon- ■ i ii i^ the 



corolla-tube: ovary 2-loculed: style ,-! i ;. |,le, 



obtuse or somewhat capitate and sii-hiii.-i n nm suui- 

 mit: capsule flattened, circumscissiie aoove the persis- 

 tent base. 



MarilAniiica, Linn. Pink Root. A handsome hardy 

 perennial herb, with slender, tufted wtems 1-2 ft. high, 

 opposite, ovate, sessile, thin Ivs. 2-4 in. lonj;, and red, 

 tubular fls. with yellow fln-oais in tenniual, 1-sided 

 spikes. June, July. Woo.N, X. .1. to \\i<. arel s,>uth. 

 B.B. 2:60.5. B.M. 80.-An el.. -nil i.la.ii li.r the liardy 

 border. Shade is not necess:u-y lor its welfare if planted 

 in good, loose, deep loaiu. p, \v. Bahclat. 



'v-?^^' 



SPINACH 



SPINACH (Spinacia olemcfa, vphich see) is an an- 

 nual crop grown as a pot-herb, or for "greens." Pig. 

 2:ii;_'. It is a cool-season plant, and therefore it is grown 

 ill fall and spring. It is a plant of easy culture, thriving 

 ill am ei.od garden or field soil, although for quick re- 

 fill- and for tender, succulent foliage, land which has 

 all aliuiidance of available plant-food, and particularly 

 of nitrogen, is most desirable. The plant is hardy, and 

 when the land is well drained, it will ordinarily stand 

 the winter climate as far north as the city of New York, 

 and still farther in somewhat protected places. 



Spinach is grown both as a fall and spring crop. The 

 fall crop is raised from seed that is sown in August; in 

 eight weeks the leaves may be large enough for eating. 

 The spring crop is grown from seeds sown in the fall, 

 or from those sown during winter in liotlieds or cold- 

 frames, or from those s.iwii direrily in the ^-rcoind as 



use are to be started in the tail, the sie.is sljonld be 



weather is expected. Then the plants w 1 1 1, . . m n. d 

 suflicient size and roothold to enable it, : i i ih,- 



winter. It is advisable to cover the j. I, i ■ -in- 



236J. Spinach (XYs). 

 SPIKENARD. Aralia racemoaa. FALSE S. Smila- 



SPILANTHES (Greek, spotted flower). Compdsitm. 

 This i,'ioius includes the Pani ("ress { Spihhillu'x ohr- 



heads aii"'e , '■■ ■ " ■ 'ii: ■ 11 



seed is ■-.. ■ • .' i pi i-, i :,.• i :; , li i 'n ■ ■ iiirr,.i - 



in the 111- • I, •:..•. I . •, . , .1 1 i. . , riii i.r..,.|..i 



inK Piiii'i • ■■'■'- '"""■■ '• ' 'I i' \ • '■"•'• "^ •-iialil- 



Garden." 



Spilauthes is a genus of about 20 species found in the 

 warmer regions of the globe. They are mostly annual, 

 rarely perennial, and have opposite, usually dentate Ivs. 

 Some have yellow or white rays and the disk is yellow. 

 S. oleracea has broadly ovate, dentate Ivs. and long- 

 peduncled heads. Gn. 22, p. 295. ^y. M. 



IS alloM 



of 



ary to gro« u,;- la,, -..,.i, -,.r .■ 

 beds that are oia.le l.i i.lo«iim -. .. 

 leaving a dead furrow between tl 

 surface drainage. These beds may he from five to ten 

 feet wide. On these beds, the sie.l-, are >i.wn in rows 

 running lengthwise, the distance between the rows being 

 from 10 to 20 inches, depending upon the methods that 

 are employed for tillage. If hand tillage alone Is to be 

 given, the plants may be placed closer. In the spring 

 the cover is removed from the plants at the earliest op- 

 portunity, for Spinach is most desired very early in the 

 season. Unless the land is in extra good "heart," it is 

 well to make a surface application of a .soluble fer- 

 tilizer early in the spring in order to start the plants 

 into growth. A fertilizer that i.s very rich in nitrogen 

 gives best results: in fact, it is customary In some 

 places to use a solution of nitrate of soda or sulfate of 

 ainmunia, applying the material with a sprinkling cart. 

 From 50 to 75 "pounds of the fertilizer may be used to 

 the acre with very good results, at each of two or more 

 applications. 



tor hoiue use. Spinach is sometimes carried over the 



ptaiii- will - hecome green and begin to make new 



lea\'^, Miilireiii frames may be covered at different 

 tinier as ihi Mason advances, thereby providing a 

 sui>pl\' for liuiiie use. Sometimes the seed is sown in 

 hotbeils that are made late in winter or very early in 

 spring, and the plants are secured in advance of the 

 ordinary season. The growing of Spinach in frames is 

 less frequent than formerly, owing to the fact that the 

 market is now supplied with the product grown in the 

 Middle South. 



Spring Spinach may be grown from seeds that are 

 sown as soon as the land can be worked in spring. If 



Hi. I: 111 III 1 II plowed and manured in the fall, 



1 ' I IV be secured. Two or three sowings 



II the home garden for spring use, but 



I, , r June Spinach is likelv to become 



, , 1 , ii. Iitth' demand. If Spinach is wanted 



planted into frames for home use. Care must be taken 

 that the plants do not become checked or stunted, else 

 they will tend to run to seed. If the seed is sown too 

 late in spring, when hot weather is approaching, the 

 root -leaves will be very few and the plant will quickly 

 throw up Hewer-stalks. Spinach is always grown as a 



