22 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. 



be kept dry, as, if the soil becomes saturated, rest will 

 be prevented and the crop will be a failure. If in pots 

 or boxes, they should be turned upon their sides during 

 rains. From four to six weeks will generally be rest 

 enough, and when growth has stopped, and the shoots 

 have taken on a lighter color, they should be pruned, 

 removing the weak shoots and cutting the strong ones 

 back to sound wood and plump buds. After a few days, 

 scrape off the top soil and replace with a fresh compost 

 of equal parts of rotten sods and cow manure. Water 

 thoroughly, and repeat when the soil becomes dry. 

 Syringe every pleasant morning and give thorough ven- 

 tilation, keeping the house at forty-seven to fifty degrees 

 at night until the buds start. The temperature can 

 then be raised at tlie rate of one or two degrees a week, 

 with less ventilation after the leaves show. By the time 

 the flower buds appear it should have reached fifty-four 

 degrees, and should then be raised to fifty-five or fifty- 

 six degrees, at which temperature the house should be 

 kept until the plants are through flowering. Ventilate 

 at sixty-two to sixty-five in the morning, but let the 

 temperature run up to seventy-five degrees at noon. 

 After tlie buds appear, the beds should be given a 

 watering with liquid manure once or twice a week. 

 If started by the first of October, they will flower for 

 Christmas and New Year's. The later sorts can best 

 be grown in pots or boxes, as they can then be left 

 outside until the weather becomes severe, when they 

 should be placed in a cool greenhouse and brought into 

 heat as desired. 



Beds of hybrids are generally carried for several 

 years, and require about the same care as the first year, 

 except that the shoots are left soiiiewhat longer and are 

 bent over to promote the starting of side branches (Fig. 4). 

 They can be held in place by stretching No. 14 galvar 

 nized wire over each row at the bight of from one or two 



