50 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



July 20, 1900. 



Vegetable For dng. 



TOMATOES AND CUCUMBERS. 



Will you kindly inform me if tomatoes 

 and cucumbers can be grown success- 

 fully, or at a profit, for a midwinter 

 crop if the plants are set out in solid 

 benches from 4-inch pots about Septem- 

 ber 1, in the climate of the western part 

 of Washington state? There is not much 

 sunshine here during November, Decem- 

 ber, January and February, which is the 

 time we would want the crop. We can 

 easily keep the temperature up to 80 

 degrees at night during the winter, if 

 necessary, as we seldom get over 15 to 

 20 degrees of frost. When would it be 

 necessary to replant for the spring and 

 summer crop? 



What are the best forcing varieties of 

 tomatoes and cucumbers? A few hints 

 as to the culture will be appreciated. 



A. J. E. 



1 am sorry to say that I cannot give 

 A. J. E. much encouragement. There is 

 hardly a possibility that either tomatoes 

 or cucumbers would do well enough to be 

 profitable in that locality during the 

 dark winter months. They would hardly 

 get to bearing before the rainy season 

 arrived, and there are no crops which 

 need sunshine more than cucumbers and 

 tomatoes. They would probably live 

 nearly through the winter, and if the 

 season happened to be interrupted by a 

 little occasional sunshine the plants would 

 produce a few fruits, but not enough to 

 be profitable, and would more likely fail 

 to pay running expenses. 



Extra heat at night would not help, 

 but would tend to make matters worse, 

 as the temperature in prolonged cloudy 

 periods should be lower than schedule, 

 to reduce the growth to better balance up 

 with the reduced light. 



It would be more advisable to grow 

 some crop requiring less sunshine, or 

 even to let the houses stand empty, so as 

 to freeze up and cleanse and purify 

 them, and start up as soon as the weath- 

 er brightened a little in February or 

 March, thus getting a good spring and 

 summer crop. These methods are prac- 

 ticed by most vegetable growers, even 

 where conditions are much more favor- 

 able. It is noticeable that the crop is 

 better, and grown with less trouble from 

 plant enemies, than where a fall and 

 winter crop is previously grown in the 

 houses. It is rarely the case that a fall 

 and winter crop pays, but instead it 

 takes the life out of the soil and leaves 

 the houses stocked with insects and dis- 

 ease, thereby causing considerable loss, 

 expense and annoyance. 



Nearly all large seed companies fur- 

 nish good strains of forcing cucumber 

 seed. It is hard to say which is best, 

 because opinions differ. The condition 

 of tlie season also may make a difference 

 in the choice. The Kawson strain, now 

 for sale by nearly all dealers, has be- 

 come quite popular in cucumber forcing 

 districts. It is a good plan for each 

 grower to try different strains and 

 choose for himself. The seedsmen ad- 

 vertising in the Beview can be depended 

 upon as thoroughly reliable and it will 

 be well for growers to look over the ad- 

 vertisements in the Review before order- 

 ing of other seedsmen of questionable 

 reputation, but always specify that the 

 crop is to be forced inside, to insure 

 against common stock seed. 



If You Grow Mushrooms 



•ad want tlie best spawn made, us* 



ANGLO-AMERICAN 



7 An exceptionally fine lot of Spawn ready for shipment, it 

 your dealer cannot supply you write direct to ub. 



Anglo-American Spawn Co., Kennett Square, Pa. / 



Mention The Review when you write. 



As to varieties of tomatoes for forc- 

 ing, nearly all growers have used English 

 varieties exclusively until recently. Comet 

 being tho general favorite. It is un- 

 doubtedly the best of the imported vari- 

 eties for our climate, etc. The American 

 variety. Improved Stone, an old, reliable 

 outdoor variety, is an excellent forcing 

 tomato in spring. Many growers are 

 working on other new varieties and this 

 season's experiences may determine 

 something interesting in varieties of 

 forcing tomatoes. The imported varie- 

 ties or so-called forcing varieties cannot 

 compare with our American varieties ir. 

 either size or quality. I venture to say 

 that this will be the farewell season of 

 the imported sorts. H. T. 



SVEET PEAS IN CALIFORNIA. 



Should the central part of California 

 be favored this year with as mild a fall 

 and winter as in the last two seasons, 

 the late sweet pea crop will be one of 

 the best paying divisions grown by 

 raisers of hardy outdoor flowers. 



It is apparent, from indications shown 

 by the buying public again this season, 

 that the sweet pea is to continue in its 

 popularity for some time to come. Al- 

 though the price during the month of 

 June was low, the demand for the flowers 

 was greater than ever, and where grow- 

 ers were in position to pick their crops 

 without too great an expense the profit 

 was good in the aggregate. The first 

 peas sent to the San Francisco market 

 from the open were received about April 

 1. These netted the growers about $1 

 per dozen bunches. A month later the 

 same flowers were sold at 75 cents per 

 dozen bunches and the June sweet peas 

 averaged about 50 cents per dozen. 



In a few weeks there will be a scarc- 

 ity, as the unusual dryness of the pres- 

 ent season has interfered to quite an ex- 

 tent with the blooming quality and the 

 longevity of the vines. A great many 

 growers depend entirely on the natural 

 moisture of the ground, together with 

 considerable cultivating, to keep the 

 vines in a growing condition for several 

 months. But when the soil is constantly 

 tramped over in the process of picking 

 and the weather becomes more than 

 usually warm, then it is that the vines 

 are short-lived and the crop is soon over. 

 Where the peas are planted on low, damp 

 ground the season holds longer with 

 them, and if the flowers are kept well 

 picked they stay in bloom many more 

 weeks than they usually do. 



Seed planted now, if kept well worked 

 around and given plenty of moisture, 

 will easily bloom by the middle of Sep- 

 tember, and should we have a long, warm 

 spell of weather about that time, they 

 will prove to be a good paying proposi- 

 tion. They should be encouraged to 

 grow up from the ground by giving 



No Grower of Vegetables under glass can 

 afford to do without the Wittbold system of 



Waterina 



—because with it a boy can do as much 

 as two men can do in a whole day with 

 the hose— and do it better. 



The system is equally valuable out- 

 doors, and for many other crops besides 

 vegetables— wherever you need water. 



Send for our booklet— with testimon- 

 ials—read and you'll send in your order. 



E. H. HUNT 



Exclusive Sales Arent 

 76-78 Wabash Ave., CHICAGO 



Mention The Review when you write. 



There are no Dry Spots 



with The Skinner System 

 of Garden and Greenhouse 

 Irrigation. ^=^^=3=^ 



Thi Skinner Irrigation Go. 



TROY, O. 



Mention TDe Review when vou writp. 



VEGCTABLE PLANTS 



CABBAOX- Succession, Flat Dutch and Savoy, 



Sl.OO per 1000; t8.60 per 10,000. 

 CKLSRT-White Plume and Golden Self 



BlanchinK. $1.00 per 1000; $8.50 per 10,000. 

 PAR8LKT-25C per 100; ll.2j per 1000. 

 Cash with order. 



R. Vincent, Jr., & Sons Ci, ''"*;?.""'• 



Mention The Review when you write. 



them plenty of brush to climb on. This 

 is the only way to get good stems lato 

 in the season, when the nights are long 

 and rather cool. Sow the seed deep iJ 

 the soil at this season of the year, as it 

 germinates quickly and the young plants 

 grow rapidly when once established. 



G. 



CALIFORNIA PAPER WHITES. 



The demand for Paper "White narcis.l 

 by the San Francisco growers is alway' 

 more in evidence early in the season tha 

 it is when the flowers become more plent; 

 ful and the vast patches of them ar> 

 sent to market by the bulb growers, wh ■ 

 depend almost entirely on the rainfall 

 to start their bulbs flowering. This ha.^ 

 been forcibly shown during the last tW" 

 years, when the price of narcissi during, 

 the height of their season was so lo^v 

 that it did not pay to cut and bring thec"; 

 to market. True, this excess usually last'' 



