Producing Vegetables for Winter Under Glass 
ADOLPH KRUH^I, 
HOW TO KEEP THE HOTBEDS BUSY WITH VARIETIES THAT WILL REALLY PAY TO GROW; ALSO WHAT NOT TO TRY; 
1 ET it be clearly understood at the 
start that there is really nothing 
mysterious about growing vegetables 
“under glass.” It is simply using 
artificial heat to produce something that is not 
possible in winter cold outside. Here, as in 
any other phase of gardening, begin by having 
a definite idea. .Ask yourself first “\\ hat do I 
want'” and then, “\\ hat is practical'”. Re- 
memher, that space “under glass” is the most 
expensive real estate in the gardening world. 
A ou are cultivating made ground which is 
more costly than the soil behind the dykes of 
Holland. A’ou are furnishing artificial heat for 
that soil when coal or manure are worth so 
many dollars per ton. 1 herefore, don’t at- 
tempt something that may be bought more 
cheaply than you can grow it. 
\\ hat may be grown economically under 
glass depends entirely on the equipment, re- 
membering that time and labor count double 
when soil and heat are at a premium. The 
man with hotbeds would be wasting both space 
and time by trying to grow' eggplants and 
tomatoes, or cucumbers and melons. Egg- 
plants and tomatoes are impractical alto- 
gether, cucumbers and melons require too long 
a time to mature. 
The prospective gardeners may be divided 
into two groups — (i) those that have green- 
houses and (2) those having only hotbeds. 1 he 
difference lies largely in zchat can be raised, not 
in hozv it can be done. For the how is easy if 
you have the equipment. 
In determining which vegetables are adapted 
for cultivation in hotbeds and greenhouses, 
two factors are of importance, namely the 
habit of growth of the kind of vegetable and 
the season of maturity of the variety. 1 all 
growing or “ vining” vegetables should find no 
place in a hotbed. Plants requiring a long 
season of maturity are out of place in a green- 
house unless the grower is absolutely sure of 
the value of the product to him at the time of 
Its ripening. 
To be specific: It takes nearl\' 100 days from 
date of sowing before cucumbers or melons 
bear fruits. During that time you could 
grow two crops of beans, three crops of lettuce or 
radishes, two crops of carrots and beets or other 
combinations of early vegetables. And the 
crops gathered would exceed cucumber or 
melon crops many fold in cash value. More- 
over, unless you are experienced, cucumber or 
melon crops would be a gamble while crops of 
easier culture, such as beans, beets, lettuce, 
etc., would be certainties. 
As to growing in the greenhouse plants re- 
quiring a long season for maturitj', don’t forget 
the “Sunny South.” Remember that early 
in February, tomatoes begin to arrive from 
Florida and that they may be bought quite 
reasonably in Northern markets. Because 
cauliflower is grown just as easily in hotbeds, 
it would be foolish to waste space for it as a 
major crop on greenhouse benches. On the 
other hand, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, etc., 
will prove highly profitable if so arranged that 
the crops mature when the market prices are 
abnormally high. 
Another point of importance: Don’t at- 
tempt to grow in one and the same bed or 
house different vegetables requiring differ- 
ent degrees of temperature. Remember 
that lettuce is a “cool season” vegetable 
while tomatoes are children of a tropi- 
cal climate. Radish, lettuce, spin- 
ach, and beets go well together; beans, toma- 
toes, cucumbers and melon are good compan- 
ions. But the two groups don’t mix! Here is 
the way in which I anal3’ze possibilities and | 
chances for profitable use of the space: j 
In the greenhovse, cucumbers, lettuce, to- 1 
matoes, radish, melons, beets as staples; with 
carrots, turnips, spinach, and parsley as 
fillers. 
Ill the hotbed, beets, lettuce, radish, beans, 
carrots as staples; with onions from sets, kohl- 
rabi, spinach, and cress for salads as fillers. 
DEPEND.VBLE VARIETIES l OR UNDER GLASS 
In my choice of varieties I am guided en- 
tirely' by' the four essentials of any' vegetable 
for under glass culture. 1 he sorts must be of 
as compact growths as the class offers, because of 
the value of space; they must be early, to 
quickly bear the crop and make room for a 
succession; they must be prolific in order to 
offset the extra expense and care required; 
above all, they must be pedigreed, to be de- 
pended upon to do what the gardener has a 
right to expect. 
The last point brings me to the question of 
seed supply'. In purchasing seed needed for 
growing under glass, secure the choicest strains 
procurable regardless of cost. 1 he cost of the 
seed will be but an infinitesimal item in com- 
In this hotbed, lettuce, radishes and onions are congenial companions. Nothing mysterious in the fact that they can be had from the frame all winter 
