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The Greenhouse, Month to Month 
By W. R. Fowkes, New York | 
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SEPTEMBER is the most interesting time of all sea- 
S( ms with the flower kiver, especially the greenhuuse 
hiililiy. Summer's sun begins to wane and the rich 
green foliage of many plants that will furnish the house 
for the Winter will be in great array for the Winter's 
work. The open air sanitarium has worked wonders with 
the Azaleas and kindred plants. The Amaryllis seedlings in 
the frames are strong and showing well for a little care. 
The Gloxinias and a few other bulbous plants have fin- 
ished blooming and are in the frames gradually ripening 
•off the foliage in order to mature the bulbs for future 
work. Inside, the roses have almost filled the benches 
with roots and need a little e.xtra attention in the ven- 
tilation and watering. 
If mildew is to be kept away from the roses be careful 
to maintain a steady temperature. A sudden fall in this 
direction in the evening will cause mildew quickly. The 
somewhat cooler nights together with heavier foliage 
holding much moisture need to be kept healthy. The 
night temperature should not be lower than 65 deg. Fahr. 
at this time, with air, of course, and see that all watering 
and syringing is finished by noon. Keep beds free of 
weeds, — a favorite nursery for red spider. Only syringe 
on bright days. Keep all bad leaves picked off and tie 
up the shoots. Grafted roses will need top dressing and 
the loam left over from filling the benches will do nicely, 
but mix a fair sprinkling of bone meal along with it. 
Orchids that have been "outside should be nicely 
sponged and taken indoors. Be careful, however, to keep 
bright sunshine from them and do not overwater. Or- 
chids thrive better on the dry side and see that they are 
very firm and secure in the receptacles containing them, 
as an orchid loosely potted will not thrive. Calanthes 
in the hot house will be benefited w'ith a watering of weak 
lie uid manure once weekly. 
Euphorbia Jacquiniaeflora will succeed finely in shal- 
low boxes in a night temperature of 60 deg. in a rose 
compost. 
Gardenias should lie kept dry in the afternoon or buds 
will be lost. Top dress the bed with cow manure partly 
decayed and cover with one inch of sandy loam. 
'Alums should be gone over carefully. The vigor will 
now be going to the formation of the bloom and the jiots 
well filled with roots require extra feeding — a sprinkling 
of bone meal will assist foliage and bloom. Keep at- 
mosphere sweet bv sprinkling a little lime around. Keep 
all side and base shoots picked off, also the decaying 
leaves for they encourage fungus disease. Don't forget 
to use insecticides to kill the aphis, as recommended pre- 
viously. 
Pot fruit trees will lie making their ripened wood for 
next year's fruit and to those who have not yet begun 
this useful class of fruit trees now is the time to start, 
and any first-class nurseryman who is listed in the 
Chroniclk will supply them at very reasonable jirices. 
Cyclamen in frames should be well watered ; if allowed 
to suffer for lack of same valuable leaves will be lost 
and the cyclamen is very impatient to deal with. 
Cinerarias and Calceolarias are now enjoying their 
cooler nights. These two revel in a cool atmosphere and 
detest heat. .\ny that need to be grown for Easter should 
be potted on, using a rich compost. The Calceolaria likes 
soot and the Cineraria bone meal. These plants do not 
like fumigating so be careful to svringe with .\phine. 
Roman 1 lyacinths, Paper White Narcissus and the gen- 
eral line of bulbs should be potted in loam, two parts, 
leaf mold one, and a little rotted cow manure and sand 
with a s]irinkle of bone meal. This is ideal for them. 
These bulbs delight in light soil and do not succeed so 
well in heavy loam. 
Young Crotons should be given their final shift into 
five-inch pots and given a light position and their color 
will be intensified and make valuable plants for Winter 
house decoration. 
Any young ferns should receive their final shift to be 
of use for Winter work. Remember ferns delight in a 
cool place to stand on. TTiey dislike strong bottom heat, 
and as the pi]3es get very hot in severe weather the roots 
quickly dry and the young fronds wither quickly. 
Nerines should be placed on a shelf near the glass in a 
cool house and given less water. Cattleya Labiata will 
be finishing its growths and the double sheaths should be 
watched, for if water lodges in the sheath of this variety 
they occasionally become yellow and fail, but a little ex- 
tra care with these beautiful jilants w'ill repay. 
Dendrobium Phalaenopsis should- be grown warm and 
they will bloom from October on. 
Mignonette should be planted teninches apart and ke]it 
clear of weeds and this sweet-scented old favorite de- 
lights in a cool atmosphere. 
Oxalis that were Started in pots should be transferred 
to the wire baskets and suspended from the roof. They 
will do nicely in the carnation house. 
Freesias for early blooming should now be in the cool 
house close to the glass. 
Carnations will not require much attention, but see that 
the supports are given them and do not use any rusty 
wires. I use the Model support and steep the wires in 
Fungine before placing in the soil to be sure there is no 
fungus transferred thereby. Keep a little fine lime blown 
between the plants on dull days. 
PROLONGING THE STRAWBERRY SEASON 
'T^HIS is a good time of the year for making new 
beds of this useful fruit. Strong runners planted 
then become well established before the Winter and 
will, if the elements prove normal, give a good crop 
of berries during June and July of next year. This, 
really, is the great advantage of early .Autumn plant- 
ing. If the work is deferred until the S])ring, very 
little fruit will be available next year, and a loss of 
practicallj- twelve months will result. Any reason- 
ably good soil will grow excellent strawberries, but it 
must be deeply dug and well manured, especially if the 
Iilants are to remain for two or three years. Tread- 
ing afterwards to consolidate the surface before jilant- 
ing also is essential, as the ])lants appreciate a firm 
rooting medium. On no accounts should the roots be 
cramped together at the time of planting, but the}' 
should be spread Gut evenly and ])lanted with care. 
The distance apart to set them will depend upon the 
time they are to rertiain. 
If the one year system is adopted, i.e., a new bed is 
made every August and destroyed the following year 
after the fruit has been gathered, 2 feet between the 
rows and 15 inches between the plants will suffice; 
but for more ]jermanent beds 2 feet 6 inches and 18 
inches respectively must be allowed. — Exchaiiiic 
306 
