Febbuaby 14, 1907, 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



951 



I 



JI l^vl AL J 1 U vliu Ur jdyll^ in Frames or Greenhouses 



ALL rOR IMMEDIATE SOWING AND FOR SUCCESSION DURING THE WINTER. 



CAULIFLOWER, Early Six Weeks. 



This is a very superb stock of Cauliflower, used entirely for early frame work. Fine white flowers can be cut six weeks from 

 time of planting out, can be grown either in frames or in the open as soon as the weather permits. Splendid white heads 

 of fine quality Per lb., $8.00 



CSRROT, W. & S. Early Frame. 



Very early, for sowing in frames at the same time that the early Lettuces are planted out. It is very quick in making and 



can be pulled very early Per lb. , .75 



CARROT, W. A S. Early Forcing. 



Very fine Carrot for early sowing, a little later and larger than Early Frame. Splendid color Per lb.» .75 



CARROT, Nantes Selected. 



Especially saved for frames. It follows on after the Early Frame and Early Forcing Per lb., .00 



CUCUMBER, Covent Garden Favorite. (Disease resisting.) 



The most prolific, quick growing Cucumber in existence. Slightly spined Per oz., 7.00 



CUCUMBER, Telegraph. 



Specially grown for market work. Grand prolific stock, very short collar, fine shape , Per oz., 3.00 



LETTUCE, CABBAGE, Early Cold Frame. 



This delicate-leaved Lettuce is for use in frames for early work only, and produces the early Lettuces for which the French are 



so much renowned Per lb. , 2.50 



LETTUCE, Vaux*s Self-folding Green Cos. 



Fine green color, splendid variety for keeping all the winter in frames and then planting out in early Spring Per lb., 1.75 



LETTUCE, Cos Early Green Forcing. 



This is Cos Lettuce which forms itself very quickly and is admirably adapted for growing either in frames or under cloches. 

 It does not grow so high as the usual varieties of Cos, and we strongly recommend it. Very early for ordinary growing out 

 of doors Per lb. , 2. 50 



RADISH, RED TURNIPS, Forcing. 



Special quick early stock, good bright color Per lb., .40 



RADISH, Early Forcing Frame. 



Special stock for use in frames only, grows very little top, olive-shaped, bright scarlet color with white tip Per lb., .40 



TURNIP, Early Long White Frame. 



Very fine stock of very early long white turnip for frame work only Per lb., .75 



w¥ AXMNS & SlniPSON^ 12 Tavistock St., Covent Garden, LONDON, ENG. 



Earliana seems to succeed splendidly in 

 some sections, while in others it is not so 

 satisfactory. We have found Sterling 

 Castle good for early work and it seems 

 to succeed everywhere. 



Egg plants and peppers should be 

 sown about the same time as tomatoes. 

 The old New York Spineless egg plant is 

 a good, reliable sort and the newer va- 

 riety, Black Beauty, seems to give gen- 

 eral satisfaction, while some have a pref- 

 erence for Black Pekin. In peppers 

 Euby King and Sweet Mountain are 

 both good, large varieties and for those 

 who prefer a medium size there is noth- 

 ing better than County Fair. 



For all these seeds, when plants are to 

 be raised in quantity, flats are best for 

 sowing. These should be made of a uni- 

 form size, so that they will fit e^'enly 

 into the greenhouse benches, and should 

 be about three inches in depth. Soil of 

 a rather light nature is best to use, as 

 heavy soil is apt to bake and retard the 

 coming up of the seedlings. In sections 

 where the soil is heavy it is better to 

 lighten it by the addition of sand, or 

 sand and leaf-mold. It is not necessary 

 to sift all the soil for filling the flats, 

 so long as it is not too lumpy, but that 

 used for the covering of the seeds is 

 better to be sifted. Heavy covering 

 should be avoided. A safe rule is to 

 cover the seeds to about their own depth. 

 If the soil used is moderately moist only 

 a slight sprinkling of water will be nec- 

 essary after sowing. If the soil should 

 be too dry it is better to give a good 

 watering after the flats are filled and 

 allow them to drain off well before sow- 

 ing the seeds. 



Shading is beneficial until the seeds 



have started, as it helps to retain the 

 moisture in the soil and avoids the neces- 

 sity of too frequent applications of 

 water, which would harden the surface of 

 the soil and make it harder for the 

 seedlings to break through. If the whole 

 bench where the flats are placed can be 

 shaded by cheese-cloth, or some such ma- 

 terial, it is the most convenient way, but 

 if this is not convenient papers can be 

 spread over the flats during the warm 

 part of the day and removed as the sun 

 gets low. It takes a little time, but it 

 insures a better start than if the flats 

 are left exposed to the full glare of the 

 sun, which would dry the soil out so 

 quickly that an even moisture could not 

 be maintained. The maintenance of an 

 even moisture is the best preventive of 

 damping off, which otherwise is often a 

 serious trouble in the raising of young 

 plants of this class. It stands to reason 

 that exposure to the full glare of the 

 sun, causing dryness, on the one hand, 

 and frequent soakings of water, on the 

 other, are two extremes which are sure 

 to result in injury to the plants in a 

 young and tender state, leaving them an 

 easy prey to the attacks of fungus, 

 which causes what is usually termed 

 damping off. W. S. Croydon. 



THE GLOOMIEST EVER. 

 Winter gloom and darkness is a cli- 

 matic feature always anticipated and dis- 

 counted by glasshouse gardeners in 

 northern latitudes, but the current season 

 appears to have broken all records for 

 sustained dreariness. The deficiency of 

 average seasonal sunlight began in early 

 autumn and, with the exception of a 

 single week of brilliant weather in No- 



vember, there has been almost continual 

 murkiness, depressing the vitality of 

 growing plants to a most unusual degree, 

 weakening blooms, causing them to come 

 off-color, with lank and sappy stems, and 

 sharply curtailing the output. 



Vegetable growers are having a par- 

 ticularly trying time in getting cucum- 

 ber and tomato blooms to set. In fact, 

 the majority of blooms failed to advance 

 even to the stage of pollination, but with- 

 ered without opening. This shortage is 

 reflected in higher quotations for glass- 

 house products, but increased prices do 

 not in every instance compensate for 

 such light crops. The few clear days we 

 have had between weeks of dullness found 

 indoor plants so tender that especial care 

 was needed in watering and ventilation 

 to keep them from flagging. 



Modern greenhouse construction seeks 

 a maximum of lighting surface, as we 

 can well control heat and moisture, but 

 must depend on natural conditions for 

 light. Fairly successful experiments 

 have been made from time to time with 

 artificial lights to tide over the dreary 

 season of short days and frequent storms. 

 Electric illumination in the form of arc 

 lights outside the glass and incandescent 

 globes within were advocated some years 

 ago, says the Kural New-Yorker, and the 

 former used near Boston with a claim of 

 commercial success by a practical green- 

 house lettuce grower. More recent trials 

 at Cornell Experiment Station show that 

 acetylene affords a light more congenial 

 to plant life, and there is promise that 

 this means of illumination may economic- 

 ally be used in the depths of "winter for 

 glasshouse leaf and root crops, such as 

 lettuce or radishes, though probably not 

 for fruits or flowers. 



