GLASS STRUCTURES. 



81 



It is a poor plan to water most of our plants at night since the 

 water will cool off the air and the plants may be cnecked in 

 growth, but in hot weather the reverse is true and plants seem 

 to get more benefit from a good soaking in the evening, when 

 they can have all night to take the water in, than if it is applied 

 in the morning and followed by a hot sun. In watering hotbeds 

 in very cold weather use a fine rose sprinkler and if practicable 

 tepid water. At other seasons good lake or cistern water is 

 perfectly safe, and is generally used by commercial growers at 

 all seasons of the year. Avoid getting the soil water-soaked. 



The leaves of lettuce and some other plants are liable to 

 burn if watered when the sun is shining brightly on them. 



The Soil should vary somewhat in texture for different 

 plants, but all garden vegetables will flourish in much the same 

 kind of soil. For use in glass structures a light, friable rich, 

 sandy loam is best, ihis is easily obtained when one has been 

 using hotbeds by mixing some of the old rotted manure which 

 has been used for heating them the preceding year with any 

 good sandy loam. If sandy loam cannot be had, clay loam may 

 be used and sand added to the mixture. The manure from old 

 hotbeds is especially good for this purpose and should form about 

 one-third of the bulk of the soil. 



Boxes. — In the case-, of many plants having small seeds, it 

 is a good plan to start them in boxes instead of growing them 

 in beds, on account of the better care that may thus be given 

 them. When plants are to be marketed it is often best to grow 

 them in the boxes in which they are to be sold. Frequently, too, 

 where plants are started in the greenhouse and then moved to 

 the open ground it is most convenient to have them in boxes. 

 For this purpose boxes should be about four inches deep and 

 the size of a soap or cracker box, Tsiiich may be cut down for the 

 purpose and thus make very cheap boxes. Of course where the 

 market demands a certain number of plants in boxes, they will 

 have tg be made for the purpose. The lumber for these can be 

 obtained at any box factory and what would perhaps be other- 

 wise idle moments may be used in putting it together at trifling 

 expense. 



Substitutes for Glass. — Frames of the same size as hotbed 

 f^ash are sometimes covered with prepared cloth or paper sub- 



