i88i.] 



CALENDAR. 



527 



check, and start before they are [ 

 wanted. All plants swelling- off fruit j 

 must be kept steadily moist at the j 

 root, with a moist atmosphere and I 

 temperature of 70^, and a bottom-heat 

 of 90''. Sprinkle the floors and surface 1 

 of the bed on fine dry afternoons, I 

 but do not wet the foliage after this ] 

 season. As soon as large fruits espe- j 

 cially begin to change colour, keep < 

 the soil drier by degrees till it is al- i 

 most quite dry, when the fruit is quite ' 

 ripe ; for if kept very moist, large fruits | 

 are apt to begin decaying at the core 

 as soon as they ripen. Eipe Pines 

 can now be kept for a month or more 

 in a cool dry room. 



Vines. — Ripe Grapes are more sub- I 

 ject to mould and decay in November 

 than any other month, and every pre- 

 caution must be taken to prevent it. 

 Keep the night temperature as near 

 50° as possible, and oa all line days 

 give a free circulation of air, making 

 tires if necessary to expel the damp. 

 Keep the front ventilators closed dur- 

 ing fogs, but open the top ones a 

 little, keeping sufficient heat in the 

 pipes to prevent stagnation. Look to 

 every bunch at least twice weeklj^ 

 and remove every bad berry. Do not 

 allow a pot-plant in the vinery that 

 requires water, and see that no decay- 

 ing leaves on leaf-stalks are allowed to 

 hang on the Vines. Prune all Vines 

 that have cast their leaves, and if 

 there has been any red-spider on them 

 during the season of growth, remove 

 all loose bark and scrub the Vines with 

 a hardish brush and soapy water ; then 

 dress with Gishurst's Compound at the 

 rate of 10 oz. to the gallon of water. 

 Where ripe Grapes are required from 

 pot- Vines in April, the Vmes should 

 now be placed in the house where they 

 are to be forced, and all put in readi- 

 ness in connection with it for starting 

 them next month. If they can be 

 placed so that they may have a 

 gentle bottom - heat, it will be a 

 great help in getting them to start 

 into growth ; and if placed on a bed of 

 soil into which they can root through 

 the bottom of the pots after active 

 growth is commenced, they will derive 

 much benefit from it. There are now 

 so many Grapes that cau be kept in 

 good condition both on the Vines and 

 in Grape-rooms, that it is not necessary 

 nor desirable to start permanent Vines 



till the end of December. The out- 

 side borders of these should now be 

 well covered with dry fern or straw. 

 It is presumed that the surface of the 

 borders of all early vineries have been 

 properly cared for as directed in for- 

 mer Calendars. If any of the sum- 

 mer top-dressings are still on borders 

 of later Vines they should be removed 

 now, and all inert soil that may be 

 immediately underneath them. Lay 

 on a few inches of fresh loam and a 

 good dressing of bone-meal, and fork 

 It into the surface of the border ; then 

 lay on five or six inches of farmyard 

 manure, and a sprinkling of dry litter 

 over all to keep frost out of the border. 

 Examine the main drains that carry 

 water away from the foundation of 

 borders, and see that there is a free 

 water-way. Complete all necessary 

 alterations in heating, painting, and 

 repairs while Vines are dormant. 

 Where new Vine -borders are to be 

 made, and the soil for such is not yet 

 collected, lose no time in attending to 

 it, and if possible protect it from rains 

 till it is put into the border. A rather 

 strong loam lying on a thoroughly 

 drained bottom gives the most satis- 

 factory crops of Grapes for a length of 

 time, and the mere turf from light 

 sandy soils is the least satisfactory. 



Peaches. — All trees intended to be 

 started next month should be pruned 

 and tied at once. After they are 

 pruned, and the wood and glass all 

 cleansed, syringe the trees with par- 

 affin and water, at the rate of a wine- 

 glassful of the former to a gallon of 

 the latter, and in five minutes after 

 syringe with clean water. We find 

 this the most thorough preventive 

 of green -fly in the early stages of 

 growth. Remove all the surface-soil 

 from the borders, and treat as directed 

 for Vine-borders, and water the inside 

 border if at all dry. The leaves will 

 now be off" all the mid-season trees, and 

 as soon as convenient prune and other- 

 wise put these in starting order. The 

 late trees will now be nearly leafiess, 

 and if the leaves are not adhering firm- 

 ly to the trees they may be brushed oil". 

 See that no part of inside borders are 

 allowed to get dry. Let all young 

 trees be planted without delay. 



Figs. — Prune and tie as soon as all 

 the leaves are fallen. This, of course. 



