576 



THE GARDENER. 



[Dec. 



Vines can be pnined and kept cool. 

 Where ripe lianiburgs and other 

 early sorts are required for use early 

 in May, some good i)ot-Vine8 should 

 now be started. It is not necessary 

 to ripen early Grapes before May, now 

 that we have so many good Grajjcs that 

 will hang and keep in bottles so well 

 in spring ; nor is it desirable to strain 

 permanent Vines by starting them in 

 the dead of winter, when the first 

 crop can be taken so easily and well 

 from pot -Amines. In starting these j 

 early pot- Vines, keep the atmosphere } 

 moist ; and in order to start them in 

 time, it is necessary to keep them at 

 00° till the buds are fairly moved, 

 when a few degrees less at night, and 

 a few degrees more by day, should be 

 given till the blooming period ; when, 

 in order to ripen them at the given 

 time, the temperature should be grad- 

 ually increased as the sun gains power 

 and the daylight lengthens. If a 

 gentle bottom -heat from fermenting 

 leaves can be given, all the better, 

 but it should not exceed 75°. Put the 

 house of permanent Vines, to be started 

 by the end of this or beginning of 

 next month, in order. If a bed of 

 fermenting material can be placed on 

 the inside border, it is an excellent 

 means of supplying heat and moisture, 

 and it saves fuel. Prune and other- 

 wise get ready for starting succession 

 houses. Where there have not been 

 any insects, such as thrip or spider, 

 last season, do not scrape the Vines 

 much ; but if there has been either, 

 remove all loose bark, scrub the 

 Vines well with soapy water, and then 

 dress with Gishurst's Compound, at the 

 rate of 12 ounces to the gallon of water. 

 Where there is mealy-bug on the Vines 

 scrape them rather severely, and scrub 

 them with a hard brush and soft-soapy 

 water. Fill up every crevice about the 

 spurs with styptic, and then dress with 

 Gishurst's Compound, in which some 

 hellebore-powder is mixed. This and 

 careful watching, and hand - picking 

 in spring when the Vines begin to 

 grow, is the safest and surest remedy 

 for this worst of all pests (except 

 phylloxera) on Vines. Now is a good 

 time to prepare for making new Vine- 

 borders. The first thing to secure is a 

 site from which all water passes as 

 soon as it reaches it. For good and 

 permanent results a rather heavy loam [ 

 is preferable ; and the less manure, ex- I 

 cept bones and horn-shavings, that is { 



mixed with it the better. The man- 

 uring should afterwards be supplied 

 on the Huiface, when the Vines get 

 into full bearing. 



Peaches. — Trees from which ripe 

 Peaches are expected by the first week 

 of May should be shut up at once, and 

 kept from falling below 45° at night, 

 liy the middle of the month apply fire- 

 heat sufficient to keep the heat at 50° 

 when cold, and 55° when mild. Syringe 

 the trees two or three times daily, after 

 firing commences, with tei)id water. 

 See that the border is thoroughly 

 moist, and any portion of it that is 

 outside well protected with fern or 

 dry litter. Prune and tie succession 

 trees, and after they are tied, syringe 

 them with paraffin at the rate of a 

 wine-glassful to a gallon of water. This 

 is the only dressing we use for Peach- 

 trees now, and find it most efi"ectual 

 against green-fly, &c. Where young 

 trees are to be planted, get the work 

 completed as soon as possible. A 

 heavy loam, thoroughly drained, and 

 devoid of all animal manure, is best 

 for Peaches. Do not cut the trees any 

 further back than to hard well-ripened 

 wood. 



Figs. — Where early Figs are in 

 demand, a light pit or low house 

 should be got in readiness, where trees 

 in pots can be started after the middle 

 of the month. Bottom-heat from a 

 bed of leaves is of the first importance 

 in early Fig-forcing. It should not 

 exceed '80°, and the air temperature 

 should be from 50° to 55° the first 

 month. To secure this, very little fire- 

 heat is required, if the pots be plunged 

 in a bed of oak-leaves. Syringe the 

 plants several times a -day, and see 

 that they are kept steadily moist at 

 the root with water, at about 80°. As 

 soon as ever the buds begin to move, 

 top-dress the pots with loam and horse- 

 droppings. 



Cucumbers.— This is a trying month 

 for Cucumbers. When the weather is 

 mild keep the heat at 70° ; when very 

 cold a few degrees less will be suffi- 

 cient. Add a covering of fresh soil to 

 the mounds in which they are grow- 

 ing, as the roots extend, and keep 

 them steadily and moderately moist 

 at the root. Give air for a few hours 

 daily, shutting up early. Do not 

 much exceed the night -temperature 

 by day in the absence of sunshine, or 

 else the leaves will be thin and sickly. 

 Do not allow them to bear very much 



