OLLOM 
AUGUST PLANS FOR WINTER FLOWERS — COMBINATION CROPS FOR THE CARNATION HOUSE 
B ECAL SE of the improvements made 
m the last few years and because of 
Its happ)'-go-lucky disposition, the 
Carnation is deeply intrenched in 
the hearts of the American flower lover. 
Every little home that boasts of a greenhouse 
features Carnations, and in places of larger 
pretension, where the “greenhouse” consists of 
a range, the Carnation surely claims a large 
section. Now, Carnations are really easy to 
grow; even though somewhat neglected they 
yheld fair returns. They are also good mixers, 
not being fussy about other plants being grown 
in the same house with them (as Roses are), 
which makes a special appeal to the small gar- 
dener who expects to grow lots of things in the 
same house. Carnations are usually grown in 
benches from plants brought indoors in 
August. The cuttings are struck in sand dur- 
Freesia is useful for early spring flower. Keep growing in 
a light place 
ing the winter and potted up when rooted into 
2-inch pots, from which they are later trans- 
ferred to 4-inch pots. From these they are 
usually planted out in the field (about May 1st 
in this latitude). Some people plant right 
into the benches, but in order to do this you 
must have well ventilated houses; and it robs 
you of the use of the greenhouse during sum- 
mer. .About the latter part of August the 
plants are brought in from the field and then 
starts the forcing process. Be careful to shade 
the plants for a few days, until they get over 
the shock of transplanting, and water carefully 
until they are well established. Keep the 
shoots pinched off until the flowers are to 
form; then put up the supports. 1 here are 
several methods of staking, but the two best 
are the individual support and the wire and 
cross string methods. Carnations grow well 
in a night temperature ranging from 50 to 55 
degrees, and I have seen some very fine flowers 
grown considerably cooler, but tbe plants do 
not then produce the quantity. 
WHAT CAN BE GROWN .AT THE SAME TIME? 
I'he space under the benches may be used 
for mushrooms, endive, chickory, seakale, aspara- 
gus and rhubarb. lor mushrooms, place 
boards against the bench legs for supports; 
prepare the beds about twelve inches deep 
with horse manure which is kept moist while 
heating. When the heat has passed the high 
point (which is told by a thermometer) and 
starts to recede, it is time to spawn. This 
should not be done, however, until the ther- 
mometer registers 90 degrees and the tempera- 
ture is falling. Break up the spawn into 
pieces about the size of an egg, and plant them 
in the bed about four inches apart and two 
inches deep. Then pound the bed with a 
brick, making it as firm as possible. Insert a 
thermometer and watch carefully for a few 
days. If the temperature does not rise more 
than a few degrees, cover the bed by adding one 
to one and a half inches of good clean, sifted 
soil. Then curtains or boards must be placed 
on the sides of the benches to keep out the 
light. Water the bed carefully with water 
warmed to 90 degrees, dissolving m every gal- 
lon a teaspoonful of salt. Apply with a very 
fine hose, or with a spray pump. Do it fre- 
quently; nev'er let the bed get dry and try to 
keep its condition as even as possible. 
Ejidive and seakale are raised by sowing the 
seeds out of doors in early spring. Keep it 
well cultivated during the summer, and when 
the tops ripen in the fall, dig and store' in a 
trench. Bring in the roots and plant under the 
benches in a light compost that is retentive of 
moisture. The droppings from a spent mush- 
room bed, with equal parts of soil, is a good 
mixture. Keep the roots covered with in- 
verted flower pots to bleach the shoots. 
Though both vegetables can stand more heat 
than a Carnation house temperature, yet they 
can be grown with the Carnations by a little 
careful application 
Lettuce and cauliflower also are similarly 
grown. Sow seeds in flats and, when the 
plants are large enough, put into 2-mch pots 
from which they are put into the benches. 
Use the cool end of the house for these plants 
and a good, rich, heavy soil. leed freely 
when they start to head up. Sow every two to 
three weeks for a succession. 
Spinach and parsley should be started in the 
benches where they are to grow. My system 
is to sow New Zealand spinach in August and 
^y fall a full growth would be established that 
would keep up a generous supply all winter. 
The common spinach is planted in much the 
same way, only considerably later — October 
1st will do; but I have discarded this type en- 
tirely because of the increased returns from the 
New Zealand. Parsley is best grown by lifting 
the roots from the garden about September i st, 
planting in the benches about twelve inches 
apart each way. 
Asparagus from the greenhouse during 
winter is one of the most delicious vegetables 
imaginable. The whole shoot is edible and the 
flavor is superior to that of any outdoor prod- 
uct. The difficulty lies in securing strong 
roots to force. An old bed is tbe ideal supply 
— a bed where you can leave a row or two to 
grow up to “grass” instead of cutting, in the 
spring. After they have been frosted, the 
roots are dug and brought into the greenhouse 
and planted in beds under the benches in a 
compost similar to that recommended for sea- 
kale. Lacking this, however, any good garden 
soil will do. 
Rhubarb is grown exactly like asparagus. 
Lift the roots in winter, plant under the 
benches, and bleach with a curtain. This 
vegetable is delicious when growing in a green- 
house, as It does not then develop any of the 
stringiness so objectionable to outside grown 
rhubarb. 
FLOWERS FROM SEED 
Flowers from seed for greenhouse forcing are 
usually handled in much the same manner as 
the vegetables. The seeds are sown in flats or 
pans and when large enough to handle are 
potted up in 2-inch pots from which, when 
well rooted, they are either benched or grown 
on in pots. The latter method is preferable 
in most cases, as it makes additional crops pos- 
sible because, after flowering, the pots can be 
immediately removed, making room for other 
plants. It is important, when planting either 
in benches or the final pots, to give the plants 
good rich soil. 
Sweet Alyssum used as an edging plant for 
the benches will droop over the sides and will 
provide plenty of flowers for cutting and not 
interfere in any way with the Carnations. 
Sow September ist, or thereabouts for flowers 
all winter. Candytuft can be handled in 
much the same way, planting on the edges of 
the benches. Stock is sown about August ist 
and every three or four weeks for succession. 
I always prefer Stock in pots, flowering them 
in 6- or 7-mch pots. Mignonette should be 
sown around August 1st and does best in 
benches. Although I have seen some very fine 
Mignonette grown in pots. It must be kept 
at the cool end of the house and requires a very 
rich soil and an abundance of food when 
flowering commences. Sweet Peas of the wm- 
Raise some extra early vegetables in the greenhouse; suc- 
cession sowings can also be made 
U 
