The Garden Under Glass

GLOSSARY 353 a feeder. Personally I like to have the feeder or supply tank fitted to the return pipes rather than directly on the boiler. When fitted directly over the boiler the water is very likely to swell or boil over to a much greater extent than if put farther away on the return pipe. Feeding—To give food to a plant in the way of animal or Chemical manure either in a liquid or dry form. Plants should only be fed when they have pretty well exhausted the nourish-ment provided in the soil, in other words, when they have filled the soil with roots. Remarks on feeding are given on page 238. Fertilise.—To cause fruit to set regularly and evenly by means of artificial pollination. Thus in the melon the male flower is put to the female flower to ensure their setting. The pollination of tomatoes, strawberries and peaches is ensured by touching each flower daily with a rabbit's tail until the petals di op. Ihis individual fertilisation is not needed with grapes, where the pollen is distributed by giving the rod a sharp rap at midday. Fertiliser.—Patent or proprietary manures are often called fertilisers because they increase the fertility of the soil. Too much must not be expected of these manures, which are at best only supplementary to good soil and good culture. Fibre.—See Cocoa-nut Fibre. Fibrous Loam.—Loam endowed with fibre in the way of the roots of grass. The thin narrow wiry roots are termed fibrous to distinguish them from more fleshy roots, such as those of couch-grass, which have but few branches to them. Fibrous loam is preferred because the roots hold it together well and let in the air, and keep the soil more open without sacrificing firmness. Flag.—A plant is said to flag when its leaves droop down through any cause. This may occur through lack of water, through direct exposure to sunshine after a duli period or through some pest at the roots. When lack of water is the cause the remedy of applying water is obvious. In the second case a light shading or a spray of lukewarm water will usually z