THE FLORAL WOKLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



or it might be difficult to form a good 

 joint and to render the drainage perfect. 

 The use of the hard floor is to keep the 

 vine roots from penetrating into wet sub- 

 soils and below the influence of sun and 

 air, for the nearer the surface the roots 

 can be kept the better the wood becomes 

 ripened, the juices are more perfectly ela- 

 borated, and, a3 a consequence, the fruit is 

 finer coloured and richer in flavour. "With 

 shallow borders more attention to watering 

 becomes necessary, and if so attended to 

 during the early part of summer, whilst 

 the vine is making heavy demands on the 

 root, the only drawback that I know of to 

 shallow borders, viz., the cracking of the 

 berries from lack of sufficient moisture, 

 may easily be prevented ; whilst to with- 

 hold moisture from such borders at the 

 end of summer, and to cover the border 

 with wood shutters to keep out the autum- 

 nal rains, is to defy shanking of the fruit, 

 unripe, and consequently unfruitful wood, 

 and to put the best check upon the mil- 

 dew. 



For planting, I consider the end of 

 May or beginning of June a good time, 

 provided the means are at hand for start- 

 ing the vines at their natural season, and 

 of keeping them growing until that period 

 arrives. When so treated they should, 

 early in spring, have their roots carefully 

 singled out, and then be planted in tempo- 

 rary boxes, about three feet long and six 

 or eight inches deep, in good old vegetable 

 soil or rich garden-mould, and be placed in 

 any comfortable house or pit, where the 



young growth gets light and air sufficient 

 to keep it sturdy and strong until the time 

 for planting arrives, when the box may be 

 placed in the spot the vine is to occupy, 

 and be carefully wrenched in pieces and 

 drawn away without much disturbance to 

 the roots. They may then be covered with 

 fine soil and watered with tepid water, and 

 a thin shade be placed over the vine until 

 it is established. This is a very useful 

 plan when the houses cannot be finished, 

 or the border got into proper order until 

 the season is somewhat advanced ; but, 

 where everything is in readiness, plant 

 them at once in the place they are to oc- 

 cupy, by carefully disentangling their roots 

 and spreading them out. Cover them with 

 some nice light soil, and water with soft 

 water. I need hardly say plant only vines 

 raised from eyes, as no respectable nursery- 

 man now keeps any other. In selecting 

 them regard not the length of the cane so 

 much as its circumference, and the hard- 

 ness and plumpness of the wood and buds, 

 for however long the cane, it must be 

 shortened back if growth has not com- 

 menced to a few inches from the surface 

 of the pot ; but if the buds are visibly 

 swelling when the plants are received, 

 then rub off the uppermost buds, and en- 

 courage one to grow from near the bot- 

 tom, and cut away the denuedd stem alter 

 the selected bud has made a foot of growth, 

 for if cut sooner it would bleed and weaken 

 the plant. 



V hit well. II. HoWLETT. 



CULTUEE OF THE P03IP02sE CHEYSANTHEMUM. 



If the plants have been treated according 

 to the instructions given in the January 

 number, they will, by this time, have es- 

 tablished themselves in 48-size pots, and 

 have sufficiently broken to enable the 

 grower to make a selection of the shoots. 

 Pot on into 32-size pots ; at the same 

 time peg, or tie down, the breaks in a uni- 

 form manner, so as to start the plant 

 fairly. Great care is requisite at this early 

 stage to bring the shoots into a horizontal, 

 or an oblique position. "Whatever style of 

 training be adopted, the sooner a shoot is 

 brought into its desired position, the less 

 liable it is to split at the shoulder. L"se 

 copper wire, with a small hook at one end 

 to embrace the shoot, and cut into lengths 

 as required, and of sufficient substance to 

 stand firm in the pots. The shoots may 

 thus be brought down by degrees. Having 



thus potted and pegged down, the plants 

 should be returned to their former place, 

 and kept rather close for a few days to as- 

 sist them in making fresh fibres in the 

 new compost. Syringing overhead morn- 

 ing and evening, if the weather permits, 

 will promote rapid growth. To plants of 

 weak growth, a few applications of liquid 

 manure will be beneficial. To one gallon 

 of manure — composed of cow-dung, three- 

 quarters ; rabbits' or fowls' dung, one- 

 quarter — add nine gallons of water. After 

 some days, give ah - freely at every oppor- 

 tunity, but avoid easterly and cold winds, 

 by tilting the lights from the windy quar- 

 ter, and on fine days remove the lights al- 

 together. The plants will thus be gra- 

 dually hardened off for removal into sum- 

 mer quarters — to take place from the 

 middle to the end of May, according to 



