1889. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



105 



Hints by Two Growers on Plant 

 Raising for Local Sales. 



M. MILTON, MAHONING CO., O. 



In many a locality a good profitable busi- 

 ness could be built up in raising vegetable 

 plants for sale and I shall give a few details 

 of the business taken from a fifteen years' 

 experience. Two requisites are nece.ssary 

 from the start, namely, to raise the best 

 varieties and to have strong, stocl^y, healthy 

 plants. Don't expect to build up and retain 

 trade unless good kinds are raised. Pur- 

 chasers once disappointed when the crop 

 matures will not be likely to come again. 

 Another thing; if. for instance, you are sold 

 out of Henderson's Summer Cabbage, but 

 have a lot of Fottler's Brunswick and a cus- 

 tomer comes for the former variety, do not 

 sell him the latter for the former but tell 

 him honestly. Yon may loo^e an order or 

 two but people will soon gain confidence in 

 yon and Iiecome satisfied purchasers. 



For early plants, now (early February) is 

 the time to sow the seed in either hotbed or 

 greenhouse. As they are better for being 

 transplanted, they can be so«ti in boxes or 

 in the frames. Cabb.iges, Cauliflower and 

 Lettuce recjuire a temperature of .50' to .5.'>' 

 to start in and should be transplanted into 

 boxes as .soon as ihey show the first two 

 characteristic leaves; set them about two 

 inches apart each way to secure strong 

 plants. The reason for recommending 

 boxes for planting them into is because pur- 

 chasers often prefer buying them in boxes 

 and setting them out when the weather is 

 suitable. Another reason, the frames can 

 be used in raising Tomatoes, Peppers, Egg 

 Plants and Celery. 



Tomatoes, Peppers and Egg Plants for 

 early are best grown singly in pots or small 

 boxes manufactured for the purpose. For 

 late planting they can be grown in boxes or 

 in hotbeds, bearing in mind that a high 

 temperature is needed and plenty of water 

 to prevent their getting stunted and drop- 

 ping their leaves. On all occasions give 

 them plenty of air, at the same time do not 

 allow a cold current to rush against them. 

 For raisingall kinds of vegetable plants the 

 waterproof cloth makes an excellent substi- 

 tute for glass and is much cheaper. 



In this locality we have to raise early Cel- 

 ery in frames or half spent hot beds. There 

 is always a good demand for early plants and 

 in order to secure strong growth transplant 

 in rich soil and give abundance of water. 



For raising later plants of Cabbage, 

 Cauliflower, Lettuce and Celery, the ground 

 has to be gotten in the very Vjest con- 

 dition by deep digging or plowing and ap- 

 plying a heavy coating of rotten manure to 

 the surface and thoroughly incorporating it 

 with the soil. As a sandy loam well en- 

 riched Is the best soil for raising vegetable 

 plants of all kinds, a clayey soil should have 

 sand or ashes applied to open it. Having the 

 ground in good condition and the surface 

 level, where large quantities are wanted 

 sow the seed with a drill, wide enough apart 

 to admit a hand cultivator, working just as 

 soon as the plants appear above the ground. 



The best and only satisfactory remedy I 

 know of for that pest of the Cabbage seed 

 bed, the Hea,is a continued stirring of the soil 

 between the rows. It encourages growth 

 and keeps the insects on the move. For the 

 Cabbage maggot in the seed bed the only 

 effectual remedy I have ever found is an 

 emulsion of turpentine; while the kerosene 

 emulsion sometimes does considerable good 

 when applied in the early stages of the 

 plants' growth, it has not always the effect 

 of the turpentine. 



During dry weather Celery seed is some- 

 times diflticult to vegetate and even after 

 vegetating the plants dry up before the 

 roots get a good hold of the soil. Shading 

 the bed after sowing is a great benefit but 



as soon as the seedlings are large enough, 

 begin to cultivate and keep it up. No better 

 safeguard have we got against drought 

 than cultivation. 



GEO. H. MAHAN, CHENANGO CO., N. V. 



To obtain the best results one should have 

 a greenhouse or rather a spring plant hmise 

 used with heat only in the spring and which 

 may be a lean-to or span roof affair covered 

 by 3xfi feet sash, and usually warmed by a 

 simple flue. Nearly or quite as good returns 

 may, however, be had from the use of hot 

 beds or frames, but with increased labor to 

 say nothing of the inconvenience of the lat- 

 ter in not permitting one to enter at all 

 times. Yet a few frames will be found of 

 great service in the hardening off process of 

 certain plants. 



The kinds of plants usually grown for 

 sale are Tomato, Pepper, Early Cabbage, 

 Cauliflower and Celery, and sometimes 

 Cucumber, Sweet Potato, Egg Plant and 

 flowering annuals such as the Aster, Bal- 

 sam, Pansy, Petunia, Phlox, Verbena, 

 Zinnia, etc. A supply of good friable, mod- 

 erately enriched loam secured under cover 

 last fall, should be on hand. Next obtain a 

 lot of soap or store boxes of your grocer 

 about 18x24 inches in size and cut them up 

 for making shallow boxes or flats each 

 about three inches deep. 



Some prefer sowing in these flats, others 

 directly on the greenhouse benches; the .ad- 

 vantage in favor of boxes is that they can be 

 moved to different parts of the house in case 

 more light or heat is needed for certain kinds. 



Tomatoes. For extra early plants sow 

 about February 15th. Such early plants 

 will require considerable space before 

 planting out time. For main crop, seed 

 sown March 1st to 1.5th will be about right. 

 In two or three weeks from sowing the first 

 transplanting will be in order, doing so Into 

 additional boxes or on the greenhouse 

 benches, planting one or two inches apart. 

 A second transplanting should follow about 

 two weeks later, giving more space as they 

 increase in size. Above all else never allow 

 the plants to become drawn and spindling 

 for want of room or air. After this they 

 generally must remain in this way until 

 about May 1st or till such a time when it 

 would be safe to remove them to a mild hot 

 bed or a cold frame provided with straw 

 mats or boards on cold nights to gradually 

 harden them off. 



By May 15th, about the time Tomato 

 plants can be set out in this latitude, they 

 will be fine, stocky, well rooted plants. They 

 may be disposed of directly from the bed or, 

 to meet the demands of the store trade, may 

 be placed in bo.xes of a size of 4x4x12 inches 

 containing four plants per box which retails 

 for 15 or a) cents. Some, however, put 

 them into flats containing several dozen 

 plants and wholesale them In that way, 40 

 cents per dozen being the usual price. The 

 above instructions and dates will also apply 

 to Peppers e.xcept in consideration perhaps, 

 of their being less rampant growers, they 

 will require less transplanting, and selling 

 for 25 cents per dozen. 



Early Cabrage and Cauliflower. The 

 seed is usually sown from the middle of 

 February to the first of March, or even later 

 for second early, and the plants transplanted 

 when they have made their first true leaves, 

 either into flats or into a slight hot-bed, 

 where by careful attention to watering, 

 airing, etc., fine plants may be had as soon 

 as they can be planted out. Plants intended 

 for retailing are generally transplanted Into 

 flats, being more easily handled, although 

 often grown entirely in this way, as, being 

 usually sold in lots of one or more hundreds 

 it is more convenient; .50 cents and $1.0(1 per 

 hundred is the general price for Cabl)age 

 and Caulittower respectively. 



Celekv. Altliough this is a second crop 

 with most growers yet the early demand for 

 transplanted plants is greater each year; 

 seed may be sown at intervals from f^eb. 1.5th 

 the young plants being transplanted to flats 

 when quite small even if at considerable 

 disadvantage, as the roots are very fine and 

 and extend into the soil six or eight inches 

 when the young plant is no more than an 

 inch in height. When established they may 

 be removed to the frames,with due attention 

 to airing lest they become drawn. Prices 

 range from .50c to 75c per hundred. 



Flowering Annuals. While these may 

 not be strictly in the line of market garden 

 plants, yet where the grower is so inclined 

 he will usually find a ready sale for any of 

 the plants previously mentioned. Asa gen- 

 eral thing March and April are the best 

 months for sowing and many of the seeds 

 being very small, dally attention as to water- 

 ing, shading, etc., will be required. Trans- 

 plant as soon as large enough to handle, 

 which will tend to prevent them from 

 "damping off." The selling price is from 

 25 cts. to .50 cts. per dozen. 



The prices mentioned are for this section; 

 in some places double the prices could be 

 realized while in others it will be otherwise. 



I.iisl. Passion Flowers for tlie Oreenhouse, 

 Passitioras inearnata, Decaimeana, Princeps 

 and Iraperatrice Eugene are the most desirable 

 for a cool house where an average temperature 

 of 45^ is maintained. Where 10° more is given 

 Tacsoniiis Buchanani, Exoniensis and Van Vol- 

 exemii nrv nuito indLspensalile. as when well 

 grown thrir lii-illi;int rolored tiowersand profuse 

 bloomiIl^' liahits rank them as the finest of Pas- 

 sitioras. All roiiiiire about the same treatment, 

 a comiiost composed of two thirds turfy loam 

 and ime third well decayed manure, abundance 

 of root room, to be syringed freely, and waterrd 

 occasionally during their season of growfli witli 

 liquiti manin'e. In the winter or during their 

 season of rest they should be kept rather dry at 

 the roots.— Chas. E. Parnell. 



1.069. Ferns as House Plants. The Maiden 

 Hair Ferns will succeed in the window under 

 good conditions, but, in my opinion, the Pteris 

 will prove more satisfactory as they are of a 

 more robust habit of growth and will thrive in a 

 lower temperature than the Maiden Hair 

 (Adiantums). Pteris argyrea, P. cretica albi- 

 lineata, P. seirulata, P. serrulata aristata, P. 

 hastata and P. tremula are excellent window 

 garden Ferns, while Polypodium aureum, Las- 

 trea aristata variegata, Lomaria gibba and 

 Dicksonia antartica will also do well in such a 

 situation.— Chas. E. Parnell. 



1.070. Strawberry Fertilizers. There is no 

 better fertilizer for Strawberries than good well 

 decayed stable manure, but where this cannot be 

 procured in sufficient quantities cover the 

 ground with ground bone dust, poudrette, dry 

 blood fertilizer, or blood and bone fertilizer and 

 barcow or fork it in thoroughly to the depth of 

 six inches.— Ch.vs. E. P.\rnell. 



1,0U7. Are Angleworms In any Way HnrtfaU 

 Yes, give yom* plants a good soaking with lime 

 water and get rid of them. — H. C. T. 



l.iiiKl. Lilium Auratum Failing. The princi- 

 pal cause of failin*e is not allowing the bulb to 

 fill the pots with roots before the top begins its 

 growth, thus naturally exhausting the bulb and 

 as there are not sutficient roots to furnish nour- 

 i,shmeut it will turn yellow and die.— H. C. T. 



1,00.5. Cyclamen Infested by Grabs. I have 

 found great relief in using Phosphate in small 

 (juantities around the plants; it keeps the grubs 

 at a distance and is esisily tried.— H. C T. 



1,075. A Climbing Rose. The climbing Roses 

 that for hariliness and free blooming qualities 

 seem to recommend themselves to everybody are 

 as follows: Bn((imi>reBeile, pale blush; VUmhlny 

 Jules Margiittin, bright rosy red; and Queen nf 

 the Prairir, beautiful red and a very strong 

 grower. .M. H. Faxon. 



1,0k:!. Mailing Cut Flowers. The law says 

 that plants and cuttings can be sent by mail for 

 eight cents per pound and cuttings are liowers, 

 as I understand it.— M. B. Faxon. 



1.071. Peat Ashes for Strawberries. A good 

 dressing of these will prove decidedly beneficial. 



1,075. A Climbing Rose. I cannot answer 

 this query as preciselj' as I could if I knew the 

 piu'posc for which it is wanted, but if good, 

 hardy, hybrid perpctuals are wanted you have 

 Princess" bcmise Victoria, Climbing Victor Ver- 

 dicr, .lulcs .Miirgiittin, (!lory of Waltham and 

 Charles l.cfc\ re In select from and one will not 

 go astray in i:hoosiug any of them.— C. E. P. 



