174 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



In order to have dwarf and healthy 

 plants, it is necessary to place them 

 as close to the glass as possible, in 

 a temperature of 65° to 70°, giving 

 them plenty of water and admitting 

 air freely. Plants that are potted 

 into 4 in. pots should not be 

 allowed to become pot-bound, but 

 be shifted into 6 or 8 in. ones. 



Those plants that are to be turned 

 out of doors should be gradually 

 hardened off towards the latter end 

 of May, and in June they may be 

 planted out into a warm border 

 under a south wall. They should 

 be planted 10 or 12 in. apart, well 

 watered when necessary, and in the 

 event of cold weather setting in 

 should have some slight protection 

 afforded them; and if the season 

 be favourable, they will ripen their 

 fruit from the end of August to the 

 middle of September. It is only in 

 the warm southern counties that we 

 have seen a good result with Cap- 

 sicums in the open air. 



Where there are pits or frames 

 available for growing Capsicums, 

 they are the best places in which 

 to grow them. Frames recently 

 cleared of Early Potatoes answer 

 the purpose capitally. The plants 

 should be put in i ft. apart, kept 

 well watered at the roots, and be 

 frequently syringed overhead on 

 sunny afternoons, and shut up with 

 plenty of sun-heat. When in flower, 

 abundance of air must be given 

 them, to assist them to set their 

 fruit, after which time liberal sup- 

 plies of manure-water may be given 

 them with advantage. By adopting 

 this method it is astonishing the 

 quantities of fine large fruit that can 

 be gathered from a three-light frame. 



A light, rich soil, composed of 

 turfy loam, rotted leaf-mould, and 

 cow-manure in equal parts, with a 

 little silver sand added, is best 

 suited to them; but when grown 



and fruited in pots, a more solid 

 soil will be found best. 



Well-ripened pods of Capsicums 

 will keep good for several years if 

 placed on a dry shelf, and the seed 

 will germinate at six or seven years 

 old if kept in the pods until it is 

 sow^n. 



Insects, etc. — The principal 

 enemies of the Capsicum are green 

 fly and red spider ; the fly may be 

 easily kept in subjection by fumiga- 

 tion, and the spider by a free use 

 of the syringe on the foliage, and 

 maintaining a warm, humid atmo- 

 sphere. Those planted out-of-doors 

 are generally most affected by red 

 spider. The best way in this case 

 is to give the plants frequent water- 

 ings overhead and at the roots, and 

 promote a free growth. Curl in the 

 leaf and fruit may often occur in 

 outdoor plants in the autumn ; this 

 is, however, more or less occasioned 

 by the cold nights, following days 

 of extreme heat. The remedy is to 

 shade slightly during the day, and 

 afford a w^arm covering at night. In 

 the many districts where the culture 

 of Capsicums may not be possible 

 in the open air, the pits, frames, 

 and houses, often little used during 

 the summer months, offer good 

 places in which to grow them. 



In the London market-gardens 

 Capsicums are grown in Cucumber- 

 houses or similar places where a 

 brisk heat and plenty of moisture 

 are maintained. The seeds are 

 sown in pots in April, and when 

 large enough the young plants are 

 potted six or eight together in an 

 8 in. pot in good rich soil and put 

 on stages in a well-lighted position. 

 Plenty of water is given them 

 whilst growing. Some plant them 

 out in frames, and in this way 

 obtain abundance of fruit, but the 

 most profitable way is pot-culture 

 or frame-culture. 



