The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-09-04
Gardening Under Glass.

The excellent account Of tomato
growing under glass given on page 535
ought to prove suggestive to many
farmers. Here is chance to get hold
of a profitable winter job-something
that is comfortable and interesting.
Prof. Bailey, at Cornell, has made a
long study Of this matter of winter
forcing. He says that. in his opinion,
it offers to-day, in connection with
outdoor gardening, the best opening
not only for experiment but for prac-
tical work. The business is yet in its
infancy in America, as, outside of let
tuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, ETC., few
vegetables are grown under glass.
There is a demand all through the
winter for fresh vegetables. Of late
spring beans have proved profitable
| crop, and almost any Of our common
vegetables will secure good market
if produced in fine quality out of the
| regular season. In every large town
| and city is constantly growing class
| of people who always eat canned veg,
| etables under protest. They would
willingly pay large prices for fresh
goods. Thousands of families now eat
fresh lettuce in winter who never
| dreamed of eating it five years ago.
So it would be with other vegetables
if they were supplied.
Prof. Bailey has succeeded in grow
ing muskmelons for the Christmas
trade. Last year they were planted
| in the house August 8. They were
| given lots of heat and kept dry. The
soil was one-third strong manure with
plenty of bone -four added. There
we're rs plants and two fruits were let
on a plant. The last were picked De-
cember 81, leaving the soil in ample
time for crop of lettuce or tomatoes
to follow. A variety called Master
piece succeeded we'll, as did Emerald
Gem. It is, of course, no new thing
to grow melons under glass; but most
of the fruits thus grown were lacking
| in flavor. Prof. Bailey sent samples
Of his melons to good judges in the
city, who pronounced them excellent
| in every way. Heat and sunshine
make the flavor. Most of those who
grew melons under glass have failed
because they kept the house too cool.
A well-favored melon four inches in
diameter is worth money at Christmas
time. Delmonico's servants will cut
it in two, carefully clean the halves,
and put them away on the ice to cool.
1t will be served later, each half filled
with delicate ice cream, and worth -
of the caters money.
Another crop that people want fresh
in winter is asparagus, which would
find ready sale from January to May.
This crop is already forced by some
growers by building hotbed over the
outside patch and applying artificial
heat. At Cornell such bed GO by 40
feet will be forced next winter. Gel
cry is another crop for the glass gar
dener. This is wanted in May, but
will prove one of the hardest of all to
force in the greenhouse. It's tendency
under forcing is to run to seed and to
| refuse to bleach properly: This list
of vegetables suitable for forcing
might be greatly extended. There is
every prospect that within the next 10
years this business will be wonderfully
developed. That is why Prof. Bailey
considers training in greenhouse work
so important. 1t will be made a
special feature of the horticultural
course at Cornell. .-Rura! New Yorker.