i88; 



CALENDAR. 



141 



time to plant young Viaes where new ! 

 borders have been prepared for them. 

 Shake the soil entirely from their roots, 

 and wash them thoroughly in a pail 

 of water before planting them. If the 

 plants have unfortunately been grown 

 in large pots, in ill-drained, rich, pasty 

 soil, the roots will be few, long, and 

 destitute of those short twiggy fibres 

 which are so desirable. Cut them back 

 a bit, so that they may send out a batch 

 of young roots nearer the stem. Spread 

 the roots carefully out, and cover with 

 some of the finest soil to the depth of 

 6 inches. If near to hot-water pipes 

 mulch them with some horse-drop- 

 pings to keep the moisture from evap- 

 orating rapidly. The system of grow- 

 ing Vines for planting in pots any 

 larger than 7-inch ones is one of the 

 greatest mistakes in Vine-culture. As 

 a rule. Vines in small pots ripen their 

 wood much better and make more 

 fibrous roots — and these are very im- 

 portant conditions to secure. Then 

 how much easier nurserymen could 

 pack them, and how much less the 

 carriage would be. Give us a well- 

 ripened cane from 4 to 5 feet long, as 

 thick as an H.B. pencil, and a good 

 potful of twiggy roots, and any one 

 may have the large topped and rooted 



Peaches. — If the weather be cold 

 and sunless, force with the same 

 caution recommended last month. To 

 force Peaches at a high temperature 

 from fire-heat is never desirable, far 

 less so until the stoning period be 

 passed. Do not exceed 55° to 60°, 

 according to the state of the weather, 

 until they begin to swell after stoning. 

 Then, if the fruit is required as early 

 as possible, 5° more may be given in 

 ordinary weather, especially when the 

 house can be shut up early with sun- 

 heat. See that the inside borders are 

 kept properly moist, and syringe the 

 trees at shutting-up time on fine days. 

 Keep a sharp look-out for green-fiy, 

 and fumigate with tobacco when any 

 sign of it appears. Last month's di- 

 rections can still be carried out in 

 succession and late houses. All trees 

 under glass, where there is unfortun- 

 ately no fire-heat, should be kept as 

 open and cool as possible to keep 

 them back, for if brought on quickly 

 into bloom, a late frost may do them 

 serious damage. 



Figs. — Increase the night tempera- 

 ture of the earliest to 60°, with 10° 

 more by day. Figs like a moist atmo- 

 sphere, and should be syringed twice 

 daily when the weather is fine. The 

 air should never be otherwise than 

 moist until the crop begins to ripen. 

 Attend carefully to the matter of 

 waterlog, especially when the trees 

 are in pots, or shallow, well-drained 

 inside borders. To stilfen the young 

 growths and prevent the leaves from 

 being thin and tender, give air early 

 and shut up soon in the afternoon. 

 At one time we followed the orthodox 

 practice of stopping the young growths 

 at the fifth or sixth |)oint for the 

 second crop. Now we do not stop any 

 more than is necessary for furnishinij 

 the trees with wood, and find that 10 

 or 12 leaves produced 10 or 12 fruits, 

 just as well as 5 or 6 leaves produced a 

 like number of Fi^is. Start later trets 

 for successional crop. The 1st of 

 March is good time for starting trees 

 with the view of getting two crops 

 from them by the end of October. 



Melons. — Those planted last month 

 will now be growing freely. Train 

 the plants up the wires to within 15 

 inches of the top of the pit before 

 stopping them. Water sparingly, 

 and supply only a moderate amount 

 of moisture to the air. Range the 

 night heat to 70°. Give air as soon 

 as it rises above 80° early in the day, 

 and shut up early with sun-heat. To 

 grow melons at this season with much 

 moisture and little air produces thin 

 sickly foliage that becomes a prey to 

 insects, and is easily scorched when 

 the sun becomes more strong. Plant 

 out successional crops, and sow more 

 seed as previously directed, both at 

 the beginning and end of the month, 

 according to demand and accommo- 

 dation. 



Cucumbers. — Do not exceed 70° at 

 night for the present month. Cucum- 

 bers do with more moisture at the 

 root and in air than melons, and 

 should never be allowed to become 

 dry. If sudden bright sunshine suc- 

 ceeds a period of dull weather, it may 

 be necessary to slightly shade the 

 foliage for a time at mid-day, or the 

 plants will flag and may get scorched. 

 Stop the young growths at every joint, 

 I and thin off all deformed fruit, not 



