i88i." 



CALENDAR. 



239 



month. Sprinkle the plants lightly I 

 every fine day when the pits are shut 

 Tip, and moisten the surface of the 

 bed and paths, so as to keep the air 

 moist for the night. Keep the fires 

 low by day when there is sunshine ; 

 for hot pipes, a brilliant sun, and 

 maximum ventilation, make the at- 

 mosphere of the pits very injurious to 

 youDg growing Pines. By raising the 

 temperature, and giving more water 

 at the end of the month, plants that 

 have been resting for the last month 

 or so can be started into fruit for 

 the supply of ripe fruit in autumn. 

 Keep those intended for starting in 

 July steadily growing all through this 

 month. In watering Pines in all 

 stages of growth just keep the 

 soil moist, avoiding anything ap- 

 proaching to a wet sodden condi- 

 tion. Heavy syringings over the 

 ])lants is a practice we object to. 

 The foliage should be dewed over 

 through a fine syringe, and the mois- 

 ture applied chiefly to the surface of 

 the bed and paths, &c. 



Vines. — In early vineries, where 

 the Grapes are ripening, ventilate 

 freely, always leaving air on all night, 

 so as never to have a stagnant atmo- 

 sphere. Keep ripe Grapes cool and 

 dry, but do not carry the drying up 

 to an extreme, especially as regards 

 Vines that have their roots chiefly in 

 inside borders. Anything like starv- 

 ing them just now tells injuriously 

 on the Vines for another year. Never 

 let the border get dry, and when 

 watered give as much as will go right 

 through it, applying the water early 

 on a fine day, so that the surface dries 

 a little before night. Keep the foliage 

 on these early Vines as healthy as 

 possible. If red-spider appears, get 

 rid of it at once by sponging it oflF 

 with a soft sponge and tepid water. 

 In later vineries, where the Grapes 

 are swelling rapidly, keep up the 

 temperature with as little fire-heat as 

 possible. When the nights are cold 

 and frosty, as they often are in May, 

 rather drop the heat a few degrees, 

 than keep it up by force of firing. 

 If the thermometer is at 60° at 6 a.m., 

 it is high enough, except for Muscats, 

 which we do not like to see in a cooler 

 temperature than 65" after the first of 

 this month. Shut up the vineries 

 early in the afternoon, so that the 



sun runs up the heat to 85° or 90° 

 for a time, and sprinkle the surface 

 of the border, paths, &c. : open the 

 front lights an inch or two at 6 o'clock, 

 and leave them so all night. This 

 causes a circulation of invigorating 

 fresh air by its coming in at the bot- 

 tom of the house, and escaping at the 

 laps all over the roof, ]\luscats in 

 bloom should have a free circulation 

 of warm air about them, at the same 

 time giving the stems of the bunches 

 a tap about mid-day, so as to disturb 

 and distribute the pollen. Thin all 

 free - setting sorts immediately they 

 have shed their blooms. It is an un- 

 necessary strain on the Vines to leave 

 the thinning till the berries are nearly 

 as large as Peas, besides taking much 

 longer time to do the work. Avoid 

 heavy cropping and crowding of foliage 

 and wood as the greatest evils that 

 Vines can be subjected to. Look over 

 later Vines, and stop and tie them down 

 as they may require, two or three 

 times weekly. Examine all inside 

 borders, and never let them get dry, 

 giving good drenchings of water and 

 liquid manure, as the state of the 

 Vmes may call for. Avoid a close 

 damp atmosphere kept up by swilling 

 the inside of the vineries all day long 

 I with water. Everything about the 

 Vines and vinery should be dry for a 

 considerable time every day. A good 

 vapour - bath for a few hours in the 

 afternoon and evening does them good, 

 but this should not be continued. At- 

 tend carefully to young Vines plant- 

 ed a few weeks ago. Mulch their 

 roots with some litter to prevent rapid 

 evaporation from the soil. Keep 

 them regularly tied to the wires as 

 they advance, and allow them to 

 make growths sufficient to cover the 

 whole roof without crowding the 

 foliage. 



Peaches. — To get Peaches now 

 ripening of good flavour, they require 

 to have a free circulation of air about 



j them, and full exposure to the sun. 



i Put aside all leaves that may be shad- 

 ing them, so that the sun can lay on 

 those rich mellow tinges peculiar to a 

 well-flavoured Peach. Syringe later 

 crops freely on fine afternoons, and 

 keep a strict watch on the state of the 

 soil where the roots are chiefly in 

 inside borders. Give good soakings 

 of manure-water, and if not already 



