44 



THE GARDENER. 



[Jan. 



got from hot- water pipes in air-cham- 

 bers, we have used Oak-leaves, spent 

 bark, sifted ashes, and sawdust. All 

 but the sifted ashes answer very well, 

 and we never gave it a second trial. 

 The operation of plunging in Oak- 

 leaves is threefold more laborious than 

 in bark or sawdust, and there is the 

 constant bother of making them up, 

 for they shrink from the pots and 

 allow the heat to escape without 

 doing any good. The bark we have 

 always thought a material that Pines 

 liked ; and not much can be said 

 against it, except that it is difficult to 

 get in many places, rots quickly, and 

 breeds worms and wood-lice at a great 

 rate. We have used sawdust in our 

 fruiting - house for some years, and 

 know of nothing against it. It looks 

 clean, is easily plunged in, keeps close 

 to the pots, and does not subside much 

 in a year. This season we have had 

 as finely swelled Pines plunged in it as 

 could be desired; some of the fruits 

 ran to 9 lb., others 8 lb. , and one fruit, 

 seven pips deep only, swelled till it 

 weighed 8 lb. all but one ounce— the 

 heaviest seven-pip Pine we have ever 

 grown. Sawdust is easily got in most 

 places, lasts two years without breed- 

 ing fungi, but if kept for a third year 

 it becomes a trouble in the matter of 

 fungi. A stock of soil should be got 

 in readiness this month for shifting 

 all plants that require it, in February. 

 A rather light loam, with all the finer 

 particles either beaten or sifted out of 

 it, is best for Pines. This, with an 

 8-inch potful of bone - meal, and a 

 handful or two of dry soot to each 

 barrow-load of soil, is the mixture we 

 prefer. Keep a watchful eye on early 

 Queens expected to start this and 

 early next month. Whenever the 

 fruit is detected in the centre of each 

 plant, let it have as much water at 

 85° as will wet the whole ball, but 

 do not be over-free in watering till 

 the plants show fruit. Keep the 

 temperature at 70° at night, when mild 

 the bottom-heat at 90° ; when cold let 

 the heat be 5° less. Keep all young 

 stock quiet for another month at least. 

 As soon as fully swelled fruits show 

 signs of colouring, and are moderately 

 damp at the root, do not give any 

 more water this month till the fruit 

 are cut, or they may begin to decay 

 in the centre before being fully ripe. 

 Vines. — In the forcing of Vines to 



produce fruit in May (and it is little 

 use having them earlier in these times 

 of long-keeping late sorts), avoid above 

 everything, as the greatest evil, high 

 night-temperatures. Let the state of 

 the weather decide the heat on any 

 given night. Fixing a temperature to 

 be worked up to all weathers is only 

 a waste of fuel, and a waste of vital 

 force in the plants. If from any cause 

 rapid forcing is called for, let it be 

 carried on by day, when the natural 

 temperature is highest, and under the 

 consolidating influence of light and 

 more or less air. In a cold night do 

 not be afraid to let the heat for 

 Vines in leaf descend to 55°, rather 

 than have singeing hot pipes to keep it 

 at 60° or 65° ; of course, if a very mild 

 night, either of these figures may be 

 wrought up to safely. The proper time 

 to force is when Nature forces — by day; 

 and she arranges her hottest nights 

 to be when there is the shortest inter- 

 val of darkness ; so that, as the day 

 lengthens and the sun strengthens, the 

 temperature of the night can be kept 

 higher with less fire-heat — and, of 

 course, so it can by day, when some 

 heat can be trapped and stored into 

 the night. In starting pot -Vines in 

 December and January, it is some- 

 times necessary to do so with more 

 heat than is good for them after 

 they are fairly started. The buds of 

 Vines never before forced are shy to 

 start, and the better ripened the 

 Vines are the harder they are to start. 

 60° may be applied both night and 

 day till the buds move. The tops of 

 the Vines should be bent down so as 

 to be in the coldest stratum of air, or 

 they are apt to burst and leave the 

 rest too much in the rear. But as soon 

 as all are fairly started, force by day 

 and give comparative rest at night. 

 We look upon this as a cardinal rule 

 in all forcing of fruits or flowers, be- 

 cause it is Nature's rule. Now that 

 the bottling system of Grapes has 

 proved a successful one, there is no 

 necessity for having Grapes on the 

 Vines after the New Year. It is of 

 great advantage to the Vmes to get 

 rid of their load, and to be thoroughly 

 rested in a cool temperature, with 

 plenty of fresh air. We could never 

 see our way to drawing the water out 

 of pipes and boilers, and letting Vines 

 and vineries have all the winter frosts. 

 In some cases this is practised to let 



