366 fHE GARDENING 
WORLD. May 30, 1908. 
Cloches and-their Use. 
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through a hair sieve, and place over the 
box or pan a square of glass, and over 
that a sheet of brown paper. Place in a 
temperature of 70 degrees if possible, or 
in the warmest part of the house. 
As soon as the seedlings appear first re¬ 
move the paper, and in a few days the 
glass, gradually exposing them to more 
light, but never to the sun at any time. 
As they need water soak the pan in water, 
but do not water at the top. 
When the seedlings are large enough 
to handle prepare a box as before, using 
less sand. Get a blunt stick to lift them 
and plant them in the box in bunches, 
shading for a day or two until they start 
again. As soon as the leaves touch each 
other lift them out again, separate the 
bulbs carefully, pot the largest into 3 or 4 
inch pots which will be quite large 
enough, and box off the remainder, not 
discarding one until you have seen it 
bloom. Withhold water as they show 
signs of decay, and when dried off store 
them in sand or dry soil in a temperature 
of not less than 40 degs. 
In Feb. shake them out and pack them 
close together in a box, just covering them 
with any light soil. Water, and place in 
heat again, and as soon as the bulbs have 
made a growth of about an inch long pot 
them off into their flowering pots, using 
5^ inch for the largest bulbs and smaller 
pots for the smaller bulbs. The pots 
must be well drained, and the following 
compost should be used, namely, equal 
parts of good loam, peat, and leaf mould, 
a good sprinkling of sharp sand and a 
little fine.charcoal. Place the bulbs half' 
an inch deep in this, potting moderately 
firmly. Place the pots on a shelf or near 
the glass on the shady side of the house, 
water sparingly until the plants get well 
into leaf, and when the buds appear weak 
liquid may be applied once a week. 
Points to remember are: Steep your 
seed pans; don’t water overhe;*d; water 
sparingly in early stages of growth, and 
never allow the plants to become dry; 
warm the soil, pots, etc., before using; 
don't expose the plants to bright sun¬ 
shine, and avoid cold draughts if you wish 
to attain success. F. R. 
-- 
Hugh Low’s Carnations. 
Messrs. Flugh Low and Co., of the 
Roval Nurseries, Bush Hill Park, have 
been awarded a special prize and medal 
for their exhibit of Carnations at the 
Ghent Quinquennial Flower Show. 
United Horticultural Benefit and Provident 
Society. 
The usual monthly meeting of this so¬ 
ciety was held at the Horticultural Hall, 
Vincent Square, Westminster, on May 
1 ith, Mr. Charles H. Curtis in the chair. 
Five new members were elected and one 
nominated. The death certificate of a 
late member was produced, and a cheque 
passed for the amount standing to his 
credit in the books, in favour of his 
nominee. The amount of sick pay for 
the past month was ^25 12s. The amount 
of sick pay to May in 1907 was ^199 ns., 
and to the same time this year it was 
^154 8s., being less by ^45 35. Five 
chronic sick and five other members are 
on the sick fund at the present time. The 
annual report and balance sheet has been 
posted to all honorary and benefit mem¬ 
bers. Any member not having received a 
copy will please notify the secretary. 
Most gardeners in this country would 
readily speak of these glasses as bell- 
glasses. A cloche is merely a French 
name for the same thing, but gardeners 
in France have made much more use of 
this aid to gardening than the gardeners 
of this country. More recently, some of 
the up-to-date market gardeners in this 
country have been using them largely for 
forwarding plants in the open at a time 
when the weather is usually cold, un- 
genial, possibly wet, or liable to storms 
of snow. 
These cloches are of various sizes, ac¬ 
cording to what they have got to shelter. 
Fig. 1.—A useful form of cloche for raising 
seeds and striking cuttings. 
For instance, most gardeners desire to get 
Cauliflowers as early as possible in the 
year, and with this object in view they 
sow the seeds in September or even ear¬ 
lier and winter them in a cold frame, 
hoping to be able to put them out early 
in spring. The weather may be so un- 
genial, however, that the plants for a 
time look as if they are growing smaller, 
Some have used hand-lights, which are 
rather cumbersome, as cloches take up 
less space and may be made to cover three 
Fig. 2. — A cloche having a hole at the top 
[or the escape and admission of air. 
Cauliflowers, when, of course, they an 
sheltered very much as if they were in . 
frame. They have the advantage of ligh 
on all sides, however, and those who us> 
these cloches can get Cauliflowers mud 
in advance of those who use no such pro 
tection. 
I here are many other purposes, how¬ 
ever, for which they might be used in th 
garden in raising early Lettuces, Radishe 
or any other choice vegetables requirin 
protection early in the season. Possibh 
those who grow vegetable Marrows wij 
find them more convenient than for th 
purpose of raising early vegetables. Fc 
instance, vegetable Marrows and ridg 
Cucumbers require to be dealt with muc 
in the same way as half-hardy annual: 
but at the time when they are plante 
out the weather is very often unsettlec 
and even if there is no frost, the col 
winds and lack of sunshine may gradi 
ally cripple the plants, if not kill then 
By covering'each plant with a cloche 
will be benefited and even encourage 
to grow in the new quarters, and in tf 
course of two or three weeks the weatht 
may be more settled, while the advantag 
is seen in the fact that the plants hat 
not been delayed in their growth in t: 
meantime, but have made good advanc 
Cloches are also very valuable for tf 
rooting of cuttings. Fig. 1 shows tl 
usual form of cloche or bell-glass ust 
for covering such cuttings where tl 
grower has no propagating case. Fig. 
is an improvement in having a small 1 
on the top which may be taken off for tl 
purpose of ventilation in certain cas 
where this would be an advantage. F 
instance, a cloche fully exposed to su 
shine would be liable at times to get ove 
heated, whereas by means of an openii 
at the top, ventilation could be assure 
This, in the open at least, would obvia 
the necessity of setting up the cloche < 
a stone to give ventilation. 
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British Peaches and Nectarines. 
The cultivation of Peaches and Ne 
tarines in England has increased rapid 
of late years. Twenty years ago the on 
English Peaches to be obtained we- 
those sent to market from the gardens 
the nobility, they were, in fact, their si 
plus growths. Peach and Nectari; 
growing is now an important branch 
British horticulture, and our Peaches a: 
unexcelled in quality by the products f 
any part of the world. 
The Canteioupe Melon. 
Americans are very fond of the Can- 
loupe Melon and when visiting Londi 
demand it. To commence dinner in It 
weather with iced Canteioupe is quite “ tf 
thing.” It is undoubtedly the best variu 
of Melon for this special purpose, and S 
pink colour is pleasantly attract!- 
Franee is the only country where ie 
Canteioupe Melon can be successful 
cultivated, all efforts of producing it a 
perfection in England or the Channel - 
lands having proved futile. 
