have not become accustomed to the long, thin fruit of 

 the English varieties. The Englisli or forcing varieties 

 require partial shade through their season of growth. 

 Seeds sown singly in 3- 

 inch pots in August will, 

 if they have no check, 

 bloom and set fruits in 

 December. The fruits of 

 the White Spine type 

 reach edible maturity 2 

 and often 3 weeks before 

 the English type. The 

 houses in which cucum- 

 bers are grown mu.st be 

 arranged with heat below 

 the benches, as it is of 

 the greatest importance 

 that the plants make a 

 rapid growth and receive 

 no check due to the cool- 

 ing of the soil Tlie 

 soil should lie a good pasture 



of the soil, the 

 t set in a hand 

 ivhich will alio 



the 



fic 



the flowers open, hand polli- 

 nation will be resorted to if 

 the crop be of the White 

 Spine type. Pick a staminate 

 flower, strip back the corolla, 

 and insert the column of the 

 anthers into the pistillate 

 flower. The-English varieties 

 are not pollinated, unless it is 

 desired to secure seeds. 



Melons are certainly the 

 most difficult of winter crops 

 to handle. The midn niter 

 ripening of the fruits requires 

 more painstaking care and 

 closer attention than any 

 other crop. The plants, from 



seed-leaf to fruit, 



must be grown in heat without the slightest 

 check. They should be planted on the bench 

 in a strong, loamy soil, which is retentive 

 enough to hold moisture at the roots but not 

 heavy enough to become sour. No shading of 

 the glass is required, but air should be given 

 freely on all days when possible. The plants 

 are trained as are cucumbers, except that the 

 central shoot should be pinched out as soon as 

 the plants are well established in the bench, 

 allowing 3 or 4 lateral bmnches to grow to the 

 height of 4 or 5 feet, wbni tliroo in turn should 

 be pinched back. In ficiiii ^ ; im- . jt is best 



are open on a plant ana , , . m at the 



same time, as it often li:ii i - n, iiiii ii die fruit 

 starts into growth some time before other flow- 

 ers are pollinated, the other fruits fail to set un- 

 til the first one reaches considerable size. Pol- 

 lination is accomplished in the same manner as 

 with cucumbers, and should be done on sunny 

 days, when the houses are dry. Except during 

 the time of setting the fruits, the house should 

 he moist and the leaves sprayed frequently. 

 The temperature of the melon house should run 



FORCING 



at least 5° higher than for cucumbers. Hang the fruits 

 in slings (Fig. 845). Melons ripening in fall or spring 

 are more easily managed. 



Beans may be easily forced in houses where cucum- 

 bers or melons are growing, using rich, moist soil and 

 strong bottom heat. They are usually grown in pots, 3 

 or 4 plants in a G-inch pot. They make a very rapid 

 growth, and the green pods are flt to use in from 8 to 10 

 weeks from the time the seed is sown. While growing 

 the plants should be sprayed with water frequently, as 

 they are very subject to attacks of red spider. The bean 

 is self -fertile, and nee<l not be pollinated ( Fig. iUti) 



Asparagus and Jilitihafh are forced from old roots 

 brought in from the garden, and subjected to a gentle 

 heat. The crop is made from the material storetl up in 

 the old roots, few new roots growing through the forcing 

 period. The old roots are thrown away after being 

 forced, and others brought in for the next croii. Both 

 these crops may be grown in out-of-the-way places, — 

 under the benches, in corners of the potting shed, or in 

 fact anywhere where heat and moisture may be had. 

 One method of forcing rhubarb is to grow it entirely in 

 the dark. This produces a very tender stalk with very 

 little foliage. C. E. Hcnn. 



Forcing op Fruits.^ The house best adapted for 

 fruit-growing is one running north and south, span 

 roof curvilinear, with ventilation both sides, top and 

 bottom. It is important to be at-le t" i'i\'e a large tjuan- 

 tity of air, especially for ripeniiiL.' the hm,,(| after the 



growth is done. The next tliinL' t'. I n-sidered is the 



borders. To produce high-class fruit, perfect drain.age is 

 necessary. For very early forcing an inside border 

 will answer the purpose, but the most satisfactory way 

 is to have both outside and inside borders. A depth of 

 3 ft. of prepared soil is suflicient, with 9 in. of drainage 

 material on the bottom. Should there be a natural out- 

 let for the drainage water, well and good, otherwise ar- 

 tificial means must be resorted to. The width of the 

 outside border should be 15 ft. An outside border is 

 particularly advantageous for vines and peach trees, 

 which will last much longer in a healthy, vigorous con- 

 dition if allowed a root-run outside the greenhouses. A 

 sod cut from the pasture, suitable for growing roses, 

 would be ideal for the borders. The writer does not 

 recommend making a border very rich, for too often 

 young vines are poisoned with food at the start. A 

 sprinkling of coarse crushed bone and charcoal should 

 be mixed with the soil. In the use of charcoal one 

 should be governed by the nature of the soil ; if the 

 soil IS extia heavy, use charcoal more freely. A top- 

 dressing f cow-manure mixed with soil is a good thing 

 when starting a house A medium loam, neither stiff 

 nor too li -I I the purpose 



The ti 'lenn in pots nnd tubs One 



