March, 1^15 



THE CANADIAN HOBTTCULTUE TS T 



6.^ 



Obtaining an Early Start with Garden Plants 



H. J. Moore, Queen Victoria Park, Niagara Falls, Ont. 



DO not attempt to raise too many plant and soil bodily to a larger pot; 

 boxes of seedlings in the house. the soil, however, should not be disturb- 



O not attempt to raise too many 

 boxes of seedlings in the house. 

 A box twenty-four by twelve 

 inches will, if sown in lines or drills, con- 

 tain a dozen kinds, for instance, cab- 

 bage, cauliflower, lettuce, tomatoes, pep- 

 pers, and so on. These when transplant- 

 ed will fill a dozen boxes or more of the 

 same dimensions. In the same manner 

 a dozen varieties of flowers may be rais- 

 ed — larkspurs, stocks, asters, petunias, 

 pansies, pinks, and others of like nat- 

 ure. Twelve boxes of these when tran.s- 

 planted, added to the twelve of vege- 

 tables and fruits, will surely be sufficient 

 for the needs of the amateur. A great 

 mistake is often made in attempting too 

 much and so courting failure through 

 lack of space. If a small cold frame can 

 be requisitioned to contain the boxes the 

 difficulty will be greatly minimized. In 

 fact, an outdoor cold frame is really in- 

 dispensable when large quantities of 

 seedlings are raised in the house. 



SOWING THE SEED 



Before sowing the seed, thoroughly 

 clean the pots or other recipients, and 

 so remove spores of mosses and fungi, 

 as these growths are harmful. Afford 

 good drainage, pulverize the soil, and 

 screen it finely, add leaf soil and sand, 

 also finely screened, and so make the 

 whole porous. Always screen a layer 

 of very fine soil on the surface ere sow- 

 ing the seed. Sow evenly and thinly or 

 the seedlings will be weakly. Do not 

 cover small seeds deeply, about their own 

 depth is sufficient. Sow seeds of a mi- 

 croscopic nature upon the surface, do 

 not cover them at all. Types : Calceo- 

 laria, begonia, and gloxinia. 



Never water surface sown or small 

 seeds by the overhead method ; partly 

 immerse their recipients in water until 

 the soil is sufficiently soaked. Many 

 seeds are washed overboard by careless 

 watering. Exclude bright light from 

 germinating seeds which are sown in- 

 doors or in greenhouses. Darkness 

 favors germination in some seeds, 

 though not in all. Remove the shade 

 when the seedlings are visible, and allow 

 only subdued light to come in contact 

 with them for a few days. Seedlings are 

 directly infliuenced by light, they will 

 grow in its direction. Actual contact 

 with it will retard them. Therefore, 

 when they show signs of weakening, 

 place them near the window or green- 

 house roof, as the case may be. A short 

 jointed growth will thus result. 



Sow melons and cucumbers in small 

 pots, three seeds to the pot, remove the 

 weak seedlings, leaving only the strong- 

 est in each pot. Do not, unless absol- 

 utely necessary, transplant until the 

 time for planting out of doors. There is 

 of course, no harm in transferring the 



ed. Melons and cucumbers so started 

 are more quickly and readily brought 

 into bearing, and so commercially are a 

 greater success than those garden-sown. 



HOTBEDS MAY BE USED 



All the plants mentioned in this article 

 and many more may likewise be started 

 in hotbeds. Obtain fresh horse manure. 

 Shake out as much straw as possible. 

 Peat or wood litter is not desirable. Pile 

 the manure in a shed, allow it to remain 

 undisturbed for a week, then turn three 

 or four times at intervals of three days 

 each time turning the exterior of the pile 

 inward. If the manure appears dry, 

 sprinkle a little water on it ; this will aid 



fermentation. Pack the pile firmly to 

 ensure steady and equal fermentation 

 and subsequent sweetening. After the 

 final turning, place the manure in the 

 frame, tramp it down firmly, raise the 

 back slightly higher than the front, and 

 cover with two or three inches of finely 

 screened soil. Place the sash in posi- 

 tion and close the frame. 



When the temperature falls to 85 the 

 seed may be sown. If sown in drills, 

 greater variety may be obtained from a 

 hotbed than when the seed is broadcast- 

 ed. Thin out the seedlings as necessary. 

 Give air on all favorable occasions. Do 

 not, however, allow the wind to blow 

 under the sash. Water sparingly, but 

 adequately. Close the frame, if open, 

 early in the afternoon, and so conserve 

 the sun's heat, which, after all, is best. 



The Planting of Shrubs 



A. E. Thatcher 



T 



HERE has always been and pro- 

 bably always will be a difference 

 of opinion as to whether the fall 

 or spring is the better time for planting. 

 If the work has to be done in the fall on 

 account of the rush of work in the spring 

 it is advisable to plant as early as pos- 

 sible when the ground is in a moist con- 

 dition, directly the leaves commence to 

 fall. For my own part, I am strongly in 

 favor of preparing the ground in the fall, 

 letting it lie rough through the winter 

 and planting in the spring. If the work 

 is well done and the requisite amount of 

 attention is given the shrubs afterwards 

 there is small chance of failure. It is 

 very true that we often have a short, dry 

 planting season in the spring, but much 

 disappointment is frequently caused by 

 shrubs which, if planted in the fall, fail 



to become sufficiently established to with- 

 stand the severity of our Eastern winters. 



With the ground in readiness and the 

 material at hand the next operation, that 

 of planting shrubs, is perhaps the most 

 important part of their culture. So much 

 depends upon how this is accomplished 

 as to after success or otherwise that too 

 much care cannot be taken to have it 

 well done. From whatever source the 

 shrubs are obtained they should be care- 

 fully unpacked on arrival and the roots 

 thoroughly moistened, and if they can- 

 not be planted for some time, they should 

 be laid in a sheltered place away from 

 the wind. It is a good plan to place a 

 stake with the name where each shrub 

 is to go ; this will expedite matters when 

 the^ planting is being carried out. 



The best time for planting is when the 



The Graenhouie of Mr. K. B. Whyte, of Ottawa, a* Photographed in March 



In this small house Mj. Wihyto haa tried many kindfi of i)lant8. Hie chief show plants ar© thfl 



bulbs, and never from early winter till late spring i» his house without a be.anutiful display 



of theae most satisfactory flowers. Freesiaa. narcissi, tulips, hyacinths, form the staple orops. 



while orocusee, grown in flat pons, also make very effective shows. 



