The Winchester news., 1908-10-21

season. This will bring each crop on
at season when the expense Of heat
Ing during part of the time will be
slight. Plants for the first crop should
be started as early as August. If two
or more houses are available a second
sowing should be made in about three
weeks to give q succession. For the
second crop seed should be sown dur
ing the latter part Of October.
The plants are treated In every way
as for outdoor culture till handled the
last time. For fruiting some prefer
benches, with about six inches of soil,
but In the experience of others the best
results have been obtained from the
use Of boxes eighteen inches square
and twelve inches deep. In the bot
tom Of the boxes is placed i layer of
charcoal, broken pots or clinkers from
the furnace, after which soil, consist
ing Of three parts good garden loam
and one part well rotted stable ma
nure, Is filed In to within two or
three inches of the top. Each box will
hold four plants, and the check caused
by the partial confinement of the roots
seems to be of value in Fastening ma
turity. If the solid bed is used In
stead Of the boxes the plants are set
about sixteen inches apart each way,
thus occupying little more than one
and one-half square feet Of floor space
for each plant.
Best returns usually follow where
the plants are trained to q single stem,
as shown In the Illustration. Flax
cords about the size Of wool twine
are fastened to the corners Of the
boxes or to wires placed parallel to
each row for that purpose and attach
ed above to wires running lengthwise
Of the building on the rafters or sash
bars. The plants are secured loosely
to this support by means Of short
pieces Of raffia. All side shoots should
be pinched out as soon as they ap.
pear, and when the plants are about
five feet high or when four clusters Of
fruit have set the terminal buds
should be pinched off. The vitality
Of the plant will then be expended In
the development of fruit If the plants
are not headed back other fruit clus-
tiers will form, but these scattering
later clusters will unduly prolong the
fruiting season without giving suffi-
cient financial return to warrant de-
laying the removal of the old plants.
As the fruit sets the clusters should
be supported by means of small cord
or piece Of raffia passing around the
main stem above leaf. thus forming
a sling. At this time, too, it is well
to stir the surface Of the soil and
work In a quantity of well rotted ma
nure or to give frequent applications
OF liquid manure.
The temperature Of the house should
fbe as nearly uniform as possible
about go degrees at night and 20 de-
greSs in dark weather, but so degrees
or ,even higher on bright sunny days.
All cold drafts and sudden changes
of temperature should be rigidly
: avoided.
Garden Hints
Squashes and pumpkins should be
; stored, in, "a, cool, dry place before be-
. ing touchedl by frost and be handled
very carefully to avoid bruising them.
Satisfy (or vegetable OYSTER and pars-
snips are left In the ground over win.
ter for spring use. But both are good
In the. autumn. They may be stored
in damp sand for use In winter when
the ground Is frozen. Turnips are not
injured by the first frosts until there
is danger OF the ground freezing.
; Cabbages are not; injured by frost
and may be left ont until quite cold
weather is imminent Carrots and
[ -.s.s