84 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. 



plants near the glass, that they may have all of the light 

 possible. The distance at which the plants should be 

 placed in the beds varies from eight to ten inches, 

 according to the strength of the plants. 



In case the soil in which the plants have been grown 

 is light or exhausted, the ball may be broken ind most 

 of the soil shaken off, but if it is still worth using, the 

 unbroken balls should be set in the bed, with the least 

 possible disturbance. For a few days, the plants should 

 be shaded and syringed frequently, with thorough ven- 

 tilation, in order that the check from transplanting may 

 be reduced as much as possible. All yellow and dis- 

 eased leaves should be picked off as soon as the plants 

 have become established. Great care should be taken 

 that the temperature of the house does not get above 

 forty-five degrees at night, although ten degrees more 

 during the day will be desirable. Especially if some or 

 all of the pipes are under the benches, great care should 

 be taken in watering, as the soil at the bottom of the 

 bed is likely to become dry, unless this is properly 

 attended to. When surface watering is given, the water 

 should be applied until the bed drips, and it should then 

 be withheld until the bed begins to dry. Particular 

 attention should also be given to prevent any drip upon 

 the plants or the bed itself. With good care, a house of 

 violets should average twenty to thirty flowers per plant, 

 and there are records of much larger crops. 



GROWING THE PLANTS IN THE HOUSE. 



If the plants are to be grown in the beds in the 

 house they should bo in place by the middle of May, if 

 not before. The soil for this purpose should be even 

 richer than is required for field-grown plants when they 

 are set in the house, and in addition to the rich compost 

 a liberal quantity of ground bone can be used to advan- 

 tage. If an old solid bed is to be used, the surface 



