58 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



<■ !•; 



ICascb 11, 1900. 



Vegetable Forciflg. 



GREENHOUSE VEGETABLES. 



Chicago, March 9. — Cucumbers, 75c to $1.75 

 doz.; lettuce, 25c to 80c box; radishes, 26c to 

 50c doz. bunches; mushrooms, 40c to 50c lb. 



New York, March 8.— Beet tops, |1.00 to $1.25 

 box; cucumbers, 76c to $1.75 doz.; lettuce, 

 $1.25 to $1.50 strap; mushrooms, 20c to 50c lb.; 

 mint, 40c to 50c doz. bunches; radishes, $2.00 

 to $3.50 per 100 bunches; rhubarb, 30c to 60c 

 doz.; tomatoes, 15c to 35c lb. 



Boston, March 8.— Bunch beets, $2.50 to $3.00 

 dOB.; bunch carrots, 25c to 75c doz.; radishes, 

 $1.26 to $1.50 box; tomatoes, 40c to 60c lb.; 

 lettuce, 60c to $1.00 box; dandelions, $1.50 to 

 $1.76 box; chicory, $1.50 doz.; romalne, 75c to 

 $1.00 doz.; escarolle, 75c to $1.00 doz.; mint, 

 60c to 75c doz.; rhubarb, 9c to 10c lb.; aspara- 



fus, $3.00 to $3.50 doz. bunches; mushrooms, 

 1.75 to $2.25 box; beet greens, 75c to $1.00 

 box; cucumbers, $5.00 to $14.00 box; parsley, 

 $1.25 to $1.50 box. 



FORCING GREEN ONIONS. 



In the Review of March 4, page 58, I 

 noted L. M. B. 's difficulty in forcing 

 green onions. I have had similar expe- 

 rience myself, but think I have overcome 

 the difficulty by using a perennial or win- 

 ter onion, called Egyptian Tree and vari- 

 ous other names. I plant the shallots or 

 top onions as early as possible after rip- 

 ening in August, in rows a foot apart 

 and one to two inches apart in the row, 

 in rich soil. I keep them well cultivated 

 the next season, dig before frost and 

 store in a trench or other suitable place 

 until wanted. Freezing will not hurt 

 them. When ready to plant, set as close 

 together as they will stand, in a cool 

 bouse, with a night temperature of 45 

 to 50 degrees, or under the bench will do. 

 I prefer setting on a bench for best re- 

 sults. In three to four weeks they will 

 be ready to pull. Try them and you will 

 be surprised at the results. 



I may say I intend to try the new 

 White Welsh onions for the same pur- 

 pose. I will sow the seed this spring out- 

 side, cultivate them as other onions and 

 treat them as described above. L, M. B. 

 might try them also, and report results. 



Wilson Ilee. 



ENDIVE. 



I would like to hear from someone 

 about the European methods of French 

 endive culture. The local gardeners can 

 give me no information on that point. Is 

 it grown in any amount in this country? 

 It not, can you give any reason for itf 

 W. B. W. 



Endive has risen in popular esteem a 

 good deal of late years, largely owing to 

 the growing popularity of wholesome sal- 

 ads. Its close relation to chicory, with 

 its salutary properties, and the fact that 

 when thoroughly blanched it suits so 

 miuiy palates, are also points in its favor. 

 Its culture in America is much less com- 

 mon than might be expected. On pri- 

 vate estates it receives some attention 

 and as fine heads can be grown here as 

 in any part of the world, France and 

 England not being excepted, and that 

 without any special culture. It is sur- 

 prising that commercial vegetable grow- 

 ers in the United States have so much 

 neglected this splendid salad plant. It is 

 grown little for market. The best grow- 

 ers of it that we have met are It^ians 

 who make a specialty of salad plants. 



The culture here does not differ greatly 

 from the European methods. In midsum- 

 mer it is not in special request; there- 

 fore sowings need not be made before 

 May, and from that time successional 

 batches may be started until the middle 



of July. Endive is hardier than lettuce 

 and of easy culture. It prefers a light, 

 sandy, but well manured soil, but will 

 grow almost anywhere. The plants must 

 be thinned out to at least a foot apart 

 and can be transplanted readily in moist 

 weather. For a late fall or early winter 

 crop, the first week in July is a good 

 time to sow the seeds. 



Endive, to be marketable, must be well 

 blanched. There are various methods of 

 blanching. The simplest is to tie the 

 tops of the leaves, leaving the center 

 rather open to allow of its development. 

 Then, a week later, give it a tie. In 

 warm, summer weather the plants will 

 be fit to use within two weeks. As the 

 weather becomes cooler it will *take 

 longer. Ordinary wooden shingles are 

 sometimes laid over the plants. These 

 answer well, but as they are liable to 

 ba blown about by winds, the tying up 

 method is to be preferred. 



To secure a winter supply, the plants 

 can be grown in coldframes, or can be 

 carefully lifted after being tied up, and 

 planted on the floor of a dry, cool cellar. 

 They should always be handled dry. An 

 old-fashioned but good method of kiBep- 

 ing endive in winter is to lay the plants 

 on their sides and cover with perfectly 

 dry sand. 



There would seem to be no reason why 

 endive could not be profitably grown 

 under glass in the same ws^y as lettuce 

 for a winter crop. The cultural needs 

 are identical, the blanching being the 

 only additional requirement for the en- 

 dive. Too many plants should not be 

 blanched at a time, as when in this con- 

 dition they do not keep long. Demand 

 must regulate the number to be so 

 treated. At present practically all the 

 endive sold in the big cities in winter is 

 imported, from France, where it is grown 

 either outdoors all winter or under 

 cloches or hand lights. There would seem 

 to be a good opening here for some wide- 

 awake American vegetable growers. 



The best varieties of endive are Broad 

 Batavian, known as escarolle in the east- 

 ern markets, and Green Curled, sold as 

 romaine. The prices of these at whole- 

 sale vary from 50 cents to $1 per dozen 

 heads the year around. Present prices 

 are 75 cents to $1 per dozen in the Bos- 

 ton market. W. N. Cbaio. 



TOMATOES IN 5-INCH POTS. 



We contemplate growing about 3,000 

 tomatoes under glass until about April 

 25, and then planting outdoors from 

 5-inch pots. Please give us a few point- 

 ers in regard to the variety (pink), time 

 to sow the seed, the soil and the tem- 

 perature. We prefer to stake and grow 

 single stems. We grew Early June Pink 

 last year, with good results, but this va- 

 riety throws sudi numerous laterals that 

 one man cannot keep up with them. We 

 should only grow two or three trusses 

 at most, and stop them and stake them, 

 of course. We are located in Virginia. 



D. & S. 



To have plants well established in 

 5-inch pots by April 25, it would be 

 necessary to sow your seed not later than 

 March 1. Sow in flats rather thinly, in 

 a rather free soil that does not contain 

 manure or fertilizers in a fresh condi- 

 tion. Soil that was taken from the 

 rose or carnation benches last summer, 

 and exposed to the weather' and frost, 

 makes good material for this purpose 

 when taken ii.doors a few days previous 

 to using, to allow it to warm up and 

 dry out a little. 



The best pink variety we have tried is 



There are no Dry Spots 



with The Skinner System 

 of Garden and Greenhouse 

 Irrigation. ^=ss^=^^=^ 



The Skinner Irrigation Go. 



TROY, O. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



Vegetable Plants 



FOR TRANSPLANTING 



CABBAGE— Wakefield and SucceBslon, $1.50 



per 1000. 

 EGG PX.ANT — K. Y. Improved and Black 



Brauty, 40c per 100; $8.00 per 1000. 

 PEPPER— Bull Noee. Ruby King and Sweet 



Mountain, 40c per 100; $3.00 per 1000. 

 Obinese Giant and Cayenne, 60c per 100. 

 TOMATO— Earliana, Chalk's Jewel and Early 



June Pink, 80c per 100; $2.00 per 1000. 

 Cash witb order. 



R. VINCENT, JR., & SONS CO., Whitemarsh, Md. 



MentloD The Review wnen yon wnte 



The Strawberry Blight 



Its Cause and Cure 



How to double tbe yield of the crop without 

 increasing tbe cost of production. 



Price of Book, $3.00. 



W. C. TRIMBLE, Princeton, III. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



Plant your Rhubarb and Asparagus Roots for 

 forcing, for next winter, this spring, and save two- 

 thirds of their price next winter. 



If you will plant your Rhubarb Roots and 

 Asparagus Roots this spring and grow them all 

 summer, when next winter comes you will have 

 your own roots ready and tbe price now to you 

 18 twotbirdB less than next winter's price, or 

 only $20.00 per 1000 for whole nndivided clumps. 



WABBEN 8HINN, Naraeryman, Woodstown.N. J. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



Livingston's Globe. As the name de- 

 notes, it is a globe-sha|^ fruit. It is 

 uniformlj clean and smooth, a free set- 

 ter and a heavy bearer. 



A night temperature of 60 degrees will 

 be necessary to give the seeds a free 

 start. Keep well exposed to light to 

 keep the plants firm and stocky, and 

 after they are large enough to handle 

 they can be pricked, oflf, either singly into 

 2 14 -inch pots, or into flats, about two and 

 one-half inches apart. If into pots, they 

 will have to be kept moved up as the 

 pots become filled with roots, to prevent 

 check, until the 5-inch size is reached. 

 If into flats, they will require to be 

 potted up into 3^ -inch pots before they 

 become weak and drawn, and later moved 

 into the 5-inch size. 



The temperature should be regulated 

 by the growth of the plants, as this 

 growth will depend largely on weather 

 conditions. A night temperature of 55 

 degrees is about right, but should growth 

 be too rapid and incline to softness, it 

 is well to reduce the temperature a little, 

 to keep the growth firm. As the time 

 for planting out approaches, the plants 

 should be gradually hardened off so that 

 they will not be injured by exposure when 

 planted out. Wm. Soott. 



Eeadino, Mass. — Charles S. Pratt has 

 filed a petition in bankruptcy. Hi» lia- 

 bilities are $3,751 and his assets, $573. 



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