206 The Profitable Culture of Vegetables. 



already moist need only a sprinkling. As they gain strength 

 more air must be given, by raising the lights a little in the 

 morning and increasing the opening as the day advances. 

 Once before noon and again in the middle of the afternoon the 

 plants and the whole of the inside of the frame should be well 

 syringed or watered through a fine rose. Immediately after 

 the second damping the lights should be shut down close ; this 

 will raise the temperature and give the plants the moist atmos- 

 phere which is so congenial to them. 



Weak guano-water may be occasionally substituted for the 

 clear water used in damping down. This invigorates the plants 

 and is also useful in preventing red spider. When this pest is 

 at work it is easily detected by the rusty appearance of the 

 leaves, in which case remove and burn the worst and syringe 

 thoroughly underneath the remainder with guano-water (one 

 teaspoonful to two gallons) three times a day for several days, 

 keeping the frame close and shaded in the meantime. If any 

 plant should become badly affected it should be removed and 

 burnt. Should the summer be very hot and bright it will be 

 very helpful to the plants if the lights are shaded a little : this 

 can be done most economically as regards labour by splashing 

 thin whiting over them, but do not brush the glass all over. 



By the middle of August the crop on the beds made first will 

 be failing. Those planted at the beginning of May will carry 

 on into September. Where a long succession is desired it is 

 a good plan to start a few frames at the beginning of June, 

 and if well treated these will continue the supply into autumn, 

 though they will require to have linings of warm manure round 

 the frames and be covered up when the cold nights set in. 



Manures : Providing the soil used for the bed was previously 

 treated to a liberal dressing of well-decayed stable manure, no 

 other fertilizer is likely to be wanted beyond occasional water- 

 ings with liquid manure, and for this purpose equalised guano 

 is the best, loz. to the gallon of water. This may be varied at 

 times by substituting the equivalent in other soluble fertilizers. 



Varieties : One of the numerous varieties of Telegraph will 

 be found the best for frame culture, and of these Sutton's 

 Matchless, Veitch's -'Sensation, Lockie's Perfection, Daniel's 

 Duke of Edinburgh, and Rollison's Telegraph are all good. 



