CALENDAR. 



479 



tense. Suckers potted in August and 

 early part of September will now grow 

 freely, and must be carefully venti- 

 lated and watered, to prevent a soft 

 sappy growth. After the middle of 

 the month the temperature should 

 range from 60° to 65°, and air should 

 be given when the heat touches 70°. 

 The bottom - heat for these will do 

 quite well at 80°. Should there be any 

 fear of the largest suckers getting pot- 

 bound by February, let such be shift- 

 ed into 10 -inch pots at once, and 

 plunged thinly in a light pit near 

 the glass, and they will make a nice 

 batch for starting next July. Any 

 strong suckers on plants now swelling- 

 off fruits should be taken off, and pot- 

 ted in 6-inch pots. Drain the pots 

 well, and use a light fibry loam. Now 

 is a good time to collect soil for next 

 season's potting. 



Vines. — It is to be feared that many 

 Vines in Scotland, owing to the very 

 cold sunless summer, may not be so 

 well ripened as they should be. Where 

 such is the case they should be sub- 

 jected to more or less tire-heat, and a 

 circulation of air according to their 

 condition. This of course applies to 

 such Vines as the Grapes are all cut 

 from. If not already attended to, 

 every superfluous lateral should be 

 taken off, so that light and air can 

 have free access to the wood and 

 main leaves while there is a chance of 

 sunshine. All Grapes intended to 

 keep through the winter should now 

 be perfectly ripe, and if they are not 

 so, the ripening should be assisted with 

 fire-heat. Look over all Grapes that 

 have been ripe for some time, at inter- 

 vals of a few days, and remove every 

 shrivelled, or mouldy berry as it ap- 

 pears. Keep everything about them 

 dry, and ventilate freely, except in very 

 damp weather. Vines planted this 

 year, and that have grown strongly and 

 been allowed to make a rambling lat- 

 eral growth, should be slightly pruned 

 to let light and air about all the growths 

 that are likely to ripen properly under 

 the influence of fire-heat and a free 

 circulation of air. Vines from wiiich 

 Grapes are to be ripened early next 

 year should be pruned as soon as the 

 leaves drop, and should be prepared 

 in the usual way for starting at the 

 })roper time. If any portion of their 

 roots is in an outside border, let it 



be covered up at once with dry litter, 

 to conserve the natural heat that is 

 in the soil. All mulchings of manure 

 that have been laid on borders in the 

 course of the season to nourish the 

 crops should be removed early this 

 month, and a dressing of bone-meal be 

 forked into the surface of the border, 

 which should lie uncovered to receive 

 the sweetening influence of the air till 

 the approach of frost. Every Vine- 

 border should be so exposed for a 

 period every year. If pot- Vines in- 

 tended for early forcing have been 

 standing outdoors, remove them to 

 some place where they can be pro- 

 tected from heavy rains. 



Peaches. — If new borders and fresh 

 plantations of trees be intended, get 

 everything in readiness for planting, as 

 soon as the trees have shed their 

 leaves. To produce fine Peach-trees 

 and fruit, the soil should be a rather 

 strong loam, 2 feet in depth and 

 thoroughly drained, and having no 

 manure added to it except some bones. 

 Apply fire-heat to all Peach-trees that 

 are not likely to ripen well before they 

 shed their leaves, and syringe the 

 leaves occasionally on fine days to 

 prevent the spread of red-spider, which 

 thrives so well on fire-heat. On the 

 other hand, let earlier and well- 

 ripened trees be kept cool and well 

 aired. See that borders inside do not 

 get dry. Any fruit yet to gather 

 should be well exposed to light and 

 air. 



Figs. — Generally speaking, all Figs 

 are gathered by the end of this month ; 

 but where any are to ripen they 

 should have fire-heat applied, or they 

 will not be good. All wood not re- 

 quired to furnish the tree properly 

 should be removed at once ; but when 

 disbudding has been duly attended to, 

 there will be very little that it is not 

 necessary to retain. Early plants in 

 pots should now be protected from 

 excessive rains, and watch inside bor- 

 ders, keeping them in a medium state 

 of moisture. 



Melons. — Late crops will now re- 

 quire more assistance from fire-heat, 

 and the temperature should be 70°, 

 and when ripening, warmth and dry- 

 ness of atmosphere are indispensable 

 to the development of flavour; and 



