4U 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 15. 



in licli ground: and they gnnv right along 

 •• t'l-om the word go." Very likely we shall have 

 tliese sets big enough to gi-ow by June 1: and if 

 they, like the sti a wherries, have the whole sea- 

 son to grow, ill the rich gi'ound, what will they 

 do? I confess I do not know, liut I should 

 greatly enjoy giving th<Mn the b(;st kind of 

 ground, and all the looni ihey want. We have 

 picked up every tning on our whole grounds in 

 the shape of Egyptian onions, and, planted it 

 otit, so as to get sets to lill orders aiid increase 

 our stock. We pulled a ffir of those rpsei'ved 

 for seed, and put theni on the wagon. The 

 stalks were almost as large as hoe-handles, and 

 Jialfayard long. P(-ople took them greedily 

 for.") cents for a half-|jound bunch. There is 

 something funny about this Egyptian onion. 

 It not only puts in its best energies fov the sets at 

 the top of the stalk, but, while it is doing it. 

 small onions are bi'anching out from the loot. 

 like the multiplier or potato onions. Now. 

 these sets from the root produce onions not only 

 exactly like those from the top .sets, hut the 

 bottoms are just what we want to put in beds 

 under the benches in the greenhouse. With 

 but little light and moderate heat, each onion 

 will, in a few months, inaki^ a great bunch of 

 onions. When planted in the field, side by side, 

 the bottom sets make a rather stronger "onion 

 tlian the top sets— that is. in the same length of 

 time. 



GKAND KAPIDS LI-;TTUf'K. 



It is now the 4th of May. and the (irand Rap- 

 ids lettuce is xtill bringing ;i5 cents per lb. 

 During the present season we e.xpect to build a 

 greenhouse almost e.\ press] y for this lettuce: 

 and in order to economize space we propose to 

 have beds under each bench, for pie-plant, as- 

 paragus, winter onions, and I rather think we 

 can make spinach do tolerably well under the 

 beds, especially if we arrange them so as to let 

 the light come in from all sides. This is an im- 

 portant item, for, after we once go to the ex- 

 pense of a glass roof, it will be quite an object 

 to have one crop above auothei'; and I think 

 we can so manage as to utilize alPthe space, 

 above and below. This will (>nable us to gel 

 two crops from the same greenhouse at the 

 same time. 



Our good friend Eugene Davis sends us a copy 

 of the Grand Rapids Dcimicnit for April r.n"). 

 containing the following in regard to lettuce- 

 growing under glass. 



POSSIBILITIES OF HOHTICULTUKE UNDER GLASS. 



Are the possiliihties of iioi-ticulture under g-lass 

 f qual to tlie g-rtjwth of vegetation hi tlie open air? 

 Wliat khid of greenliouse structures are most suited 

 to plant-frrowtliV 



The famous " Kew Gardens," of London, are noted 

 for the inafriiificence of growtli whicli pbuits attain; 

 siu'i>assinji' siH'cimeiis of the same species found in 

 then- native liome. Tlie "Jardin des Plantes," of 

 Paris are also noted foi- tlie art and science of hoi'ti- 

 <;ulture, and, Uke tlie Royal Botanic Gardens, eiijny 

 a world-wide reputation foi- the cliainiiiiK spleiidoV 

 they afford. The first hotaiiic garden was fstablisli- 

 ed in Padua, Italy, in l.oio. and was soon followed by 

 one at Pisa. The success of these jiardfiis was such 

 that, at the close of the eighteenth century. 16 lO 

 botanic g-ardens were established In Europe. All the 

 exidence obtainalile jiroves, without any question, 

 that g-reenhouse sti uctures, if properly constructed 

 and managed, can be the means of producing- the 

 very best specimens of plants. 



The construction of a greenhouse sliould be made 

 with a view of the kind of ))laiits we wish to grow; 

 but, as.h)hii Thoipe alily puts it. "First, last, and all 

 the time, to the south." The rays of light in passing 

 through glass lose much of theii- eiiergv; and tlie 

 further the light travels before reaching- the plants, 

 the slowei- will be their growth, foi- the light lapidly 

 diminishes from the roof to the benches. Plants re- 

 <juire all the light it is ixissible to g-ive them. With- 

 out an effort to reduce the shade necessary in con- 

 struction, a ixHirei- development of gi-owth will be 



noticed. The effect of light on plant-growth is not so 

 easily noticed by the amatt-ur. One unaccustomed 

 to greenhouse plants will invariably mistake heig-ht 

 and genei-al appearance upon I'literiiig a shady house 

 toi- the d.U'ker green, stockiness. and weightof leaf 

 fomid ill lighter structures; and it is only when 

 plants are i>ut side by side that a marked difference 

 can be seen. Peter Henderson has siiid, " The best 

 house lor lettuce growing- should be liuilt to the 

 south, iiiid iieai-l.\- flat." 



EFFECTS OF LIGHT AND SHADE. 



Progressive greenhouse men are continuall.v re- 

 ducing- till' shade liy using- larger jiaiies of ghtss. 

 Mr. Knight, of London, said to lie an uiKiuestioiiable 

 authority, when speaking on the elfect of light or 

 shade, says: "The massive rafters, framed s;ishes, 

 inferior glass, inserted in small fiaginents. with 

 numerous overlaps, liable to be choked with diit. in- 

 tercept a large i>ortioii of the solar light and heat in 

 ordinary glass houses." The new system of butting 

 tlie ends of glass together with white lead, when 

 glazing, makes such an air-tight house that I can 

 not recommend the s\stem for lettuce cultui-e. So 

 tight are these hotises. that a tobacco smoke made in 

 the evening- will be quite thick the ne.\t morning-; 

 and OIK' hour of ventilation is necessary to change 

 the air in such a house and get rid of the accumulat- 

 ed smoke. 1 have seen a house glazed in this way 

 like a " wardian case," taking- up moisture from the 

 soil in the broad sunshine, and falling in thousands 

 of spjirkling- drojis. Carnations can be made to grow 

 in such a house, if air in ahundance is g-i^en every 

 time the opiiortunity affords. I belie\e roses and 

 (•alias would delight in such a moist atmosphere, l)ut 

 lettuce soon rots in the stalk when it has made such 

 a dense growth. I have not syringed carnations for 

 months in this house, and there is no sign of i-ed 

 spider. Anj- morning, unless the soil is dry in the 

 house, a magnilying-glass shows the carnati(jii leaves 

 to be covered with dew. The best lettuce I have 

 grown is in a hou.se glazed in the old style of lapping 

 the glass. This house is so full of openings that to- 

 bacco smoke escai)es in twenty minutes. 



Roses refuse to hhiom diuing the winter months in 

 houses running north and south, or bloom so seldom 

 as to make their culture tinin-otitable. Face the 

 same structure to the south, and a constant cuttiiig- 

 of bloom can be sei-ured. Light, also, has an intinence 

 upon the develoimient in color. The same variet.\- of 

 roses grown in sunny oi- shady houses, when placed 

 side by side, apiiear like different kinds, foils, also, 

 changi- the color of flowers. A heavy soil in a sliad.v 

 house will pi-odiu'e flowers about the same shade as 

 light soil in a sunny house; and to get the fullest de- 

 veloimient of green, glossy foliage, thick leaf and 

 l)ure color for i-oses, they should luive a heavy soil 

 and a sunny exjidsure. 



GLASS FOR LETTUCE. 



That nuist successful lettuce-grower, Mr. Eugene 

 Davis, once asked me if I did not think that a house 

 facing- east and west is the best for growing- lettuce. 

 I assiu-ed him that I was in favor of a south slope for 

 any thing; for. although 1 was obliged to admit that, 

 friim Mai-cli I, the east and west is the best, a better 

 average is secured in the north and south three- 

 quarti'r-si)an houses, because I could produce a bet- 

 ter article during- tlie winter months; and if not 

 quite so g-ood later, on account of a higher tempera- 

 ture, a good merchantable article is a cei-tainty. 

 The house facing south gets all the sun there is dur- 

 ing the shortest days; and as they lengthen, and the 

 sun rises moi-e to tiie east, the south-slope house gets 

 more shade, but a good average amount. Oiu- hou.ses, 

 facing east and west, have now, Ajiril 2), a larg-e 

 amount of siuisliine. and air must be given as early 

 as t> o'clock in the morning, while the south house 

 can lie closed luitil 8. Another advantage in the 

 south house is the opportunity to do the watering- 

 morning and evening, as the oblique rays of the sun 

 allow four or five hours a day for this worli. which 

 can not be found in the other houses. The light ad- 

 mitted to the south house increases in intensity 

 from 9 to VZ. and is strong- for six hours. This briglit 

 light, causing- a stockj growth, allows the admit- 

 tance of ii large quantity of air without wilting the 

 plants. Light is lieiit. The heat from the sunlig-lit 

 is what we want, using the artificial to keep out the 

 frost. The less fuel we burn and keep our hou.ses 

 warm with solar light, is not only economy in fuel, 

 but economy in plant-gr(iwtli. I am fully convinced, 

 that the greatest success in horticulture under glas.s 

 depends more on having our structui-es built e.x- 

 liresslv for the ditteient plants under cultiA-ation 



