WATERING 



WATERMELON 



19G7 



the simsliiue is vory l>fi.i;-|it is often followed I)V scald- 

 iug of the foliaj^e uuloss tho plants aro well shudea. 

 Ferus, Rex begonias, Chinese primroses and richardhis 

 are among phmts easily injured in this way. 



Consider the temperature. The temperature at which 

 the plauts are kept, the position of the heatin;:; pipes, 

 the amount of light, and the freedom of ventilation [ler- 

 inissible, need to be kev)t in mind in watering plants in 

 ghisshouses. It is better, as a rule, to l.ia,ve I he water- 

 ing conform to these eonditions ; but fre([uently tlie prue- 

 tiee must be reversed. 



Experiments by the writer show, beyond question, 

 that the temperature of water useil in watering plants 

 exerts a marked ett'eot upon the growth, flowering and 

 fruiting of phints. It is now held that, in general, the 

 water should be of a temperature close to that of the 

 air in the house where the plants are growing, or abctut 

 10^ F. Iielow. 



Watering may I.)e indirect. Shading the glass of 

 greeuhovises iu summer wiih some suitaliLo material is 

 jnuL'h practiced by florists for the purpose of sheltering 

 plants from too great intensity of light, and for the 

 purpose of reducing evaporation and transpiration. 

 Certain kinds of plants, as palms, and some kinds of 

 ferns, require this; also newly potted plants. Syrin.*;'- 

 ing of walks, by reducing the temperature and increas- 

 ing the humidity of the air, also tends to reduce trans- 

 piration and save watering. Watchfulness and atten- 

 tion to ventilation are necessary, however, to avoid 

 excessive humidity, which tends toward a soft watery 

 growth and extreme sensitiveness and susceptibiliTy to 

 disease. 



Vessels to contain plants should always be proviib-d 

 with openings at the bottom for perfect drainaij,f. 

 This, in a measure, is a safeguard against overwatev- 

 ing. Investigation has shown that a soil which is kept 

 continuously wet through bad drainage or otherwise is 

 rapidly impoverished through loss of nitrogen. A fer- 

 mentation is also set up in the roots, which through the 

 formation of alcohol and other products, results in their 

 destruction. 



While a constantly wet soil is always very objec- 

 tionable, thoroughness in watering as often as the 

 plants need water is of the greatest importance. When 

 enough water has been supplied there will be more or 

 less dripping from the bottom of the pot. It is a good 

 plan to leave a space of l!2-2 in. or more at the top of 

 the pot for the reception of water. This space should 

 be so large that when filled, the supply of water in soak- 

 ing downward will penetrate to the bottom of the vessel. 



See, also. Greenhouse M'tnrtfjement, p. 696. 



2718. Watering-cans. 



The can ou the left, flattened on the sides, is gen- 

 erally preferal.le. It can be carried in tjreenhouse 

 walks and in narrow rows. The long spont enables 

 the operator to apply the water directly to the roots: 

 and the greater force of the discharging water makes 

 a better spray from the rose. 



Suhnmterlmj.-A method of watering known as "sub- 

 watering" has been made use of in recent years for 

 supplying moisture to plants growing m beds. W. d. 

 Green, of the Ohio Experiment Station, was one of the 

 first in this country to point out, as the result of experi 



124 



ments, some of the advanta.ges of this method of ap]>]y- 

 ing water. The I'sseutial features of this system are 

 a water-tight heneli, with earthenwarf- tile phu-ed in 

 rows upon lilt- I.M.itiom either crosswise i.r lengihwise to 

 the hcd. Soil is placed aboutand over llirse. Openin-s 

 into ilu; runs of tile are left at eonviqiicnt ]HMn1s. 

 Water poured iiuo these openings runs ;dinig the length 

 of the tilt) and is carried outward and upward int<) the 

 soil by capillarity — thus moistening t. lie soil from ludow 

 uitward. In beds over 50 ft. long a fall of :i iu. to (.'very 

 no ft. is recommended. See Eigs. 1182-:!, V.d. II. 



■1. (!, Artliui- has exi)erimented with a jdan \\lii(di, in 

 many respei.-ts, is an ini provenient ujioii the "tile s}s- 

 liMu." Here ]MM-(nis hrick. having; the h.twer edL;cs 

 (■r;u-keil oft', are iilar.eil ed-ewiseaiid idose toi^.-tln-r o ver 

 the bo|-t<.m of the henrh. The sliaJlereil edge ,,t one 

 l)ri(d<: meets that <d' its neighbor. A ]ie1\vori<of chanuids 

 is thus f<..rmed ovi-r the bottom .d' the bed, whei'eby 

 walei- is distriliutiMl over the entire bottom. Capillarity 

 carries the water u[)ward, through the layer of ljri<d<s to 

 the soil resting upon them. The amount of water ap- 

 plied at a given time is indicated bv a gauge near the 

 ed-e of the bench. This consists ..f a U-shaped tulic, 

 l>h(.ce<l at smne convenient place. li;iviii;j; one end in- 

 serted through and on a level with the bottom of tin; 

 I»t*nch; the other rises an inch or so higher outsidi; 

 the edge of the bed. Carnations and lettuce have given 

 exc(dlent results grown by this metlio<l of subwatering. 



Suli watering in connection ^vith llower-beds and 

 borders in the o"|>en ground has also j)roved very ad- 

 vantageous. It teTids to prevent the formation of a 

 crust on the surface of the soil, aTul keeps it loose 

 and porous, carrying the soluble plant-foods upward 

 instead of downward. For further notes, consult the 

 article Irrigation. 



Watering Lawns and Flower-Beds. — In watering 

 beds in the open ground, and lawns, the chief thing is 

 thoroughness. Superficial waterings induce the forma- 

 tion of roots near the surface. Neglect and subsequent 

 drought then prove more disastrous ihaTi ever. Tlie 

 evening is the best time for surface s]>rinkling. Wa- 

 tered in the heat of the day, grass ami various other 

 plants are likely to have the foliage injured. Ordina- 

 rily it is better to avoid watering beds of plants in the 

 open ground if possible or delay it until really neces- 

 sary, and then water thoroughly. Ernest Walker. 



Plunging. — WtiWe it is true that most of the water 

 given to the plant passes through the soil and escapes 

 frou] the hole in the bottom of the pot, yet much that 

 is left in the soil, — which is considerable if the soil 

 is saturated as it should be,— is evaporated from 

 the porous sides of the earthenware pots. In warm 

 sunny weather plants in small pots, standing on a bench, 

 <lry out very quickly. This can be avoided by plung- 

 ing the pots in some material, as coal ashes, tan bark, 

 or, better than all, spent hops. When plunged to the 

 rims, only half of the surface watering is needed, and 

 the advantage of less watering is shown by a marked 

 improvement in the health and vigor of the plants. 

 Such a benefit is this plunging that plants which would 

 otherwise need a shift into a size larger pot, can lie car- 

 ried along another month in perfect health. This ap- 

 plies more particularly to quick-growing, soft-wooded 

 plants, geraniums more especially, for these are quickly 

 exhausted by too frequent waterings. 



William Sc'tt. 



WATERLEAF. /7^/'/nv)//(///*n;^. W. Lemon. See P- '.-■■- 

 sifhn-a lanrifolin. W. Lettuce. Pisli<i Sfraliote.^. W. 

 Lily. See A7//>-/JMC.f. W. Milloil. M iirioplniUum . W. 

 Oak. Oiiercn.s iii'int, conunonlv known as //. aqaatini. 

 W. Oat. Zir-(t}>'in. ,n/,iafira. ' W. Plantain. Alisma 

 P/anhn/o. W. Plants. Xee Aq)i<i/irs. W. Reed. Aruvdo. 

 W. Pest. Elodv,t <'>nindr>isis. W. Shield. Bras^}na 

 /u'/fafri. W. Soldier. ,sV/v, //„/,•.. -W--/</, ... W. Thyme. 

 P/odea Canadensis. W. Weed. bJlodm Canadensis. 



WATERMELON. Figs. 2719-20. Plate XLIX. The 



"Watermelon {CitralJna vulgaris, v^\i\c\\ see) is a native 

 of the warmer parts of Africa. It is a tender annual. It 

 has been cultivated from prehistoric times. It reaches 

 its highest development in warm ami sunny climates. 



