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The Greenhouse, Month to Month 
By W. R. Fowkes, New York 
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THE New Year is at hand and the aroused garden 
ing spirit of last year has added pleasure to all 
who own or work in greenhouses, and many 
are much interested in the culture of the green vege- 
tables they now enjoy from their glass gardens. To- 
matoes are expanding their blossoms and should be 
jiollenized by shaking the wire at noon. The pollen 
is open and dry at this time, due care having been taken 
to keep moisture away from the blooms. Cucumbers 
should be fed each week with a light sprinkling of 
loam and Clay's fertilizer. There is nothing finer for 
these or any forced vegetables. The water for the 
plants should not be cold and although our college 
friends and enthusiasts maintain that using warm water 
is an old worn out remedy it is only for the grower 
himself to find out the fact's. Bitterness in cucumbers 
can usually be traced to the use of cold water, although 
the plants look as healthy as ever — but try the warmer 
water and it will repay. Quality in all things is what 
is required and it is worth a little extra pains to secure 
the best. Temperature should be now kept as low as 
possible with safety. Too high is productive of a 
weak growth which causes disease. Air slacked lime 
should be sprinkled under the benches. 
Azaleas and kindred plants should be watered with 
soot water each week and not syringed until after 
blooming. 'Mums will have to be started for large 
blooms, particularly late varieties. The sand should 
receive attention. If the sand is old and green, change 
it, but if it has only been used one season it will do all 
right, but first soak it with Fungine. This will destroy 
fungus germs and sweeten the sand for reception of 
the cuttings. 
Easter lilies that are fast making root should be top- 
dressed, using a little old cow manure, sand loam and 
warm water. The deciduous Calanthes should be 
placed in flats containing peat dust shaken from the 
osmunda fibre when repotting. Keep in a dry atmos- 
phere not lower than 60 degrees and they will be safe 
until starting time, which will show itself. Cattleya 
Labiator that flowered last fall and has had a rest 
should be shaken out and repotted. Cut dead roots 
awa\- and old bulbs. Place in clean, well-drained pots 
or pans, the latter preferably. Pot firmly, just leave 
space for a second growth at the side of the pot, other- 
wise as small a pot as possible should be used. 
Dendrobium Phalaenopsis will demand attention 
The new base growths are appearing; if potted last 
year they will need top-dressing with moss and char- 
coal and tie up the shoots and keep in a night tempera- 
ture not lower than 60 degrees. Do not overwater or 
allow drips to fall or you will lose them-; otherwise 
these autumn blooming plants so beautiful and useful 
are of easy culture. 
Cattleya Percivaliana is nicely in bloom and if any 
fail with this variety it is on account of growing it in 
too shady a position. It needs all the sun it can get 
and if the foliage is a little pale in color by fall, that is 
a sign of bloom to come ; if they are very deep green, 
they usually fail. 
Cattleya Speciossisima is a magnificent variety but 
unpopular because it does not adapt itself readily to 
a miscellaneous collection. This variety should be 
grown in shallow baskets and shaded by blinds and not 
white wash, and must only be shaded from direct burn- 
ing stmlight ; as soon as the sun is of? roll up the 
blinds and do not fail to keep up on dull days. This 
beautiful orchid will respond to this special treatment. 
I know from experience. Oncidium Varicosum Rog- 
ersii is a beautiful, easily grown plant and likes more 
bone meal. Spray for the aphis or valuable buds will shade than Cattleyas and succeeds on blocks of apple 
be lost; neglect of this is the direct cause of blind 
growths, sometimes attributed to unripened bulbs. 
Fumigating cannot reach them. The aphis is always to 
be found nestling away in the heart of the growth. 
It is said they will not live in healthy foliage, but be 
this as it may, they should never be allowed to for 
foliage will soon be rendered unhealthy if occupied 
by these common trespassers. 
Carnation cuttings should be started using part of 
a bench in the house they are growing in. Shade from 
bright sunlight and water each day and they will root 
nicely in three weeks. Then place in two-inch pots. 
Do not allow to ramble in the sand or their best roots 
will be destroyed and a valuable start lost. 
Sow lettuce, the variety called Mignonette ; it is 
compact and invaluable for early work and can be 
grown in flats three inches deep, if no bench room is 
available, in a temperature of 40 degrees at night. 
Don't neglect Fuchsias and Heliotrope that are 
wanted in quantity for bedding purposes. They do not 
root readily from hard wood, so cut back a few hard 
growths on old plants and place in the warmest house 
and the voung shoots which break forth will make mag- 
nificent cuttings and root successfully. The Helio- 
trope should never be allowed to get pot bound in the 
early stage or fungus will arrest its growth. 
Orchids of all descriptions should receive attention 
and be sponged frequently with a little Ivory soap and 
wood to which a little compost should be secured by 
fine wire. Use abundance of water. Be careful to keep 
slugs away for they are very partial to the young 
spikes that emerge from the base of the bulbs. 
Odontoglossums make roots during winter to flower 
in Ma_v and should be encouraged to grow in a cool, 
moist house. Night temperature during zero weather 
will be all right at 45 degrees, rising during the day 
with sun to 65 degrees. 
Now is a good time to purchase pot vines and three 
year old plants will do nicely. They should be started 
at 45 degrees, gently at first, and require little attention. 
Figs can also be added to the greenhouse list, for 
they are easily raised and should be potted in 12 inch 
pots in not too rich soil or an overaliundance of foliage 
will result. Cleanse the shoots of these, and vines, and 
I^eaches with Gishurst Compound : it will destroy the 
many enemies that harl)or on them at this season. 
Peaches in borders will start better if the shoots are 
subjected to an occasional freeze, but do not allow the 
roots to get frozen. Keep a little heat in the pipes 
and a good layer of straw on the borders and open the 
top ventilators a few inches. This will give rest and 
impart strength and renewed energy to the whole plant. 
Figure out the time to have Easter flowers in at the 
right season. Liliums Formosa and kindred plants will 
take ten weeks from the time the buds first appear in 
the stalk and they can be forced or retarded accordingly. 
437 
