March 17, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
207 
when they should only have 85°, which is suitable for successional 
plants, with a night temperature of 60° to 65°, ventilating at 80°, and 
closing at 85°, lightly sprinkling the plants occasionally. 
Fruiting plants and those near the flowering stage should have a 
night temperature of 65° to 70°, and 75° by day, with 80° to 90° from 
sun heat, closing at 85°, damping all suitable surfaces in the house at 
that time. 
Melons. —The severe weather has kept back the early plants, but 
if late they have made a sturdy growth, as the days have been bright 
occasionally, and fruit is showing on the first laterals. To insure these 
setting it is necessary to keep the bottom heat at 80° to 85°, with 
sufficient moisture in the soil to prevent flagging. Activity at the 
roots is essential to the fruit swelling, and will not induce grossness, 
unless the soil is surcharged with water ; it ought to incline to dryness, 
so as to arrest growth, which centres the forces on reproduction. A 
rather warm and dry atmosphere favours the production of pollen, 
affording a little air to prevent the deposition of moisture on the 
flowers. Fertilise the blossoms every day when fully expanded, and stop 
the growths one joint beyond the fruits. When these commence 
swelling remove all flowers, earthing the roots by placing warm 
soil against the sides of the ridges or hillocks, pressing it firmly. Apply 
water as required, avoid a soddened condition of the soil, sprinkle the 
floor in the morning and evening, lightly syringing at closing time 
when the days are bright. 
To swell well. Melons require a night temperature of 65°, or a little 
more in mild weather, 70° to 75° by day artificially, 80° to 90° from sun 
heat, closing early in the afternoon so as to raise to 90° or 95°, even 
100° doing no harm provided the atmosphere is moist. If a succession 
of fruit is wanted in the same house, some of the plants should be 
deprived of the flowers that appear on the first laterals ; stopping these 
at the second joint will cause the sub-laterals to show fruit, which will 
be several days later and the fruits finer, because the plants are stronger, 
but quality depends upon the solidification of the growths—their 
exposure to light, and steady supplies of nutrition. Place supports to 
the fruits in due course to relieve the plants of the weight, pieces of 
deal half an inch thick and 6 or 7 inches square, suspended in a sloping 
direction by four pieces of wire from the trellis, answer well, or square 
pieces of garden netting fastened.to the trellis by four pieces of string 
may be used. Make additional plantings, pressing the soil around each 
plant, shading for a few days if the sun be powerful for a couple of 
hours in the middle of the day, discontinuing it when the plants become 
established. Young plants should be kept near the glass, so as to keep 
them sturdy. Sow for succession. 
Plants in Pits and Frames. —These require similar treatment to 
Cucumbers in lining the beds, adding fresh soil as the growth advances, 
and in covering the lights at night. Train and regulate the shoots, 
removing every alternate lateral, and apply water only to maintain a 
steady growth. Seedlings must be potted singly as soon as they show 
the second leaves. Seed may be sown to furnish plants for pits 
and frames as they become cleared of forced Potatoes and Radishes, 
about five weeks being necessary to secure strong plants for placing out 
before they become root-bound. 
Ctjcumbebs. —Plants which have been in bearing all the winter in 
houses will need frequent attention ; remove all exhausted growths and 
bad leaves, encourage a free growth, stop the bearing parts two joints 
beyond the fruit, thin where too crowded, and secure the growths to the 
trellis. It will much invigorate the plants by removing a little of the 
surface soil, disturbing the roots as little as possible, supplying a top¬ 
dressing of turfy loam with a sprinkling of steamed bonemeal and a little 
charcoal, and when the roots are active in the top-dressing sprinkle a 
few sweetened horse droppings on the bed occasionally, feeding as 
required with liquid manure in a tepid state. Young plants will need 
more soil, adding to the hillocks as the roots protrude. Maintain a 
night temperature of 65° to 70° when mild, 70° to 75° by day from fire 
heat, keeping through the day at 80° to 90°, closing early in the 
afternoon with abundance of moisture, securing a steady bottom heat 
of 80°. 
Manure-heated pits and frames which have been set to work some 
weeks will need good linings. This is best effected by removing as much 
of the outside of the beds as can well be spared, and if the heat has not 
greatly declined it will suffice to line one half of the bed at once, defer¬ 
ring the other half until the heat is again on the decrease. To be 
effective the lining should be 2 feet wide, for thin linings are soon spent 
and sooner require renewal. Look carefully to the frame after the heat 
generates in the lining to see that there is no accumulation of rank 
steam, preventing it by a little ventilation, especially when the sun 
shines. Add^ a little more soil as the roots spread on the surface, taking 
care to have it warmed. Attend to training and pegging the shoots, not 
overcrowding them, stop the leaders a foot from the sides of the frame, 
and pinch the laterals one or two joints beyond the fruit. In watering 
do not wet the foliage more than can be helped, as it is quite soft and 
easily scorched. A good night covering will be necessary to maintain a 
temperature of 65° to 70°, though it may fall lower on cold nights. 
Admit a little air at 75°, allowing the temperature to rise to 85° or 90°, 
closing before it falls below 85°, and if it rise to 90° or more the day’s work 
will be better and a good heat stored for the night. The night coverings 
should be put on by the time the sun is off the lights, say about five 
o’clock in severe weather, never delaying beyond six o’clock in the after¬ 
noon at this time of the year. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Celosias. —As soon as seedlings are large enough they should be 
placed singly in thumb pots, and shortly afterwards arranged on a 
shelf close to the glass, so that they will make a dwarf sturdy growth ; 
the temperature may range about 60°. Cockscombs may have the same 
treatment. 
Coleuses. —Young plants rooted in pots or pans must be potted singly, 
those rooted in small pots should be placed into 3-inch. If bushes are 
required pinch the plants as soon as they commence growing. For many 
forms of decoration plants with single stems and large foliage are very 
useful. Where bushes are needed early four or five cuttings may be 
inserted in each pot, and be allowed to grow on without pinching, 
and when a sufficient stock has been obtained old plants may be thrown 
out; they seldom grow freely, and are surpassed by young vigorous 
plants. 
Balsams. —Directly the seed leaves have been developed pot the 
plants singly. Pot them down to the seed leaves, and when they have 
started again into growth place them on a shelf where the temperature 
ranges from 55° to 60° at night. If grown too warm they soon bceome 
tall and weakly, failing to branch freely. 
Primulas, —Prick out seedlings into shallow pans as soon as they 
show the third leaf. These need not be placed more than 1 inch apart. 
Shade for a few days, and then grow them close to the glass on a shelf. 
A little more seed can be sown if sufficient plants have not been obtained 
for early flowering. 
Double Varieties. —Plants that have flowered may have some of the 
lower leaves removed, and light sandy soil packed about the stem. If 
these are placed on a shelf in an intermediate house, and the surface 
soil kept moderately moist, roots will soon be emitted from the stem, 
when the plants can be divided and potted singly. Cuttings will root 
freely, but it is a less certain method than earthing up their stems to 
induce the formation of roots before cutting them up. Superior single 
kinds can also be increased by this method. 
Heliotrojoes. —Plants that flowered well during the autumn and have 
been well cared for since will come into flower quickly if placed in an 
intermediate temperature. Young bushy plants that have been kept in 
3-inch pots may be placed into 5-inch pots ; in a temperature of 55° 
they will commence active growth, and prove useful for decoration. 
Zonal Pelargoniums. —The best of those that flowered during the 
winter are showing buds freely ; these will come into bloom in a few 
weeks if a temperature of 55° can be given them. Young stock should 
not be introduced into heat before their flower spikes are visible, for 
they are liable to start into soft growth and then fail to flower. Plants 
that have been cut back and are commencing growth may have the 
whole of the old soil shaken from their roots. These may be reduced, 
and the plants replaced into the same or smaller pots. Water carefully 
until they have commenced rooting and growing freely. Cuttings may 
be inserted in quantity for autumn and winter flowering. If inserted in 
small pots and kept growing they will be useful by the time it is 
necessary to turn them outside. 
Carnations. —The necessary cuttings of Miss Jolliffe may be rooted. 
Select firm sturdy shoots from plants that have been in a cool house. 
If inserted singly in thumb pots in sandy soil they will root freely if 
gentle bottom heat can be given where the temperature of the house 
ranges from 60° to 65°. They also root freely inserted together and 
covered with a bellglass. A good plan is to insert them in a box half 
full of sandy soil, and then cover with glass so as to keep them air¬ 
tight. Tree varieties should also be rooted in sufficient quantity for next 
year’s stock of plants. Plants of Souvenir de la Malmaison that were 
placed into 3-inch pots in autumn have rooted well, and may be trans¬ 
ferred into 6-inch pots. Any that are weakly may be reserved and 
planted out for stock. Plants that it is necessary to flower under glass 
should be potted without delay. The old Crimson Clove does well in pots, 
as well as many other border varieties, and will be found useful where 
better kinds are not grown, as they will commence flowering long before 
any can be gathered outside. With a little care the stock of flowers 
may be maintained over the greater portion of the year. If aphides 
appear upon the plants destroy them at once by fumigating with tobacco 
smoke. 
Mignonette. —For pyramids and standards to flower in the autumn 
seed should be sown of Parson’s White or Miles’ Hybrid Spiral in the 
centre of small pots. As soon as the seedlings are up select the strongest 
for standards ; three or four may be left in the pots of those that are 
required for pyramids. Plants that have been in a cool house during 
the winter may be finally thinned if they are too crowded. It is a 
good plan to carefully bend over the surface of the pot those that are 
left. If this is done and the points removed they will break strongly 
from nearly every joint, and in a short time bushy plants a few inches 
high with large spikes of bloom will be the result. No attempt must be 
made to force these plants, they enjoy a cool airy place and a moisture¬ 
holding base. Water carefully, do not allow the soil to become dry, or 
the foliage will turn yellow. 
Libonias. —If cuttings are not rooted they should be inserted at once. 
Those that are rooted should be placed singly into small pots and grown 
on for a time in heat. When a few inches high the point of the plants 
should be removed to induce them to branch. If large plants are 
required two or three plants may be grown together. For this purpose 
we invariably cut back a few plants and grow them well. For 5-inch 
pots single plants rooted at the present time are the best. 
