1879. 



CALENDAR. 



101 



the air to keep it healthily moist, 

 but avoid a steamy state of the atmo- 

 sphere. Tie down the shoots of later 

 Vines, and stop those that are still 

 later at two joints beyond the best 

 bunch, and the laterals at the first 

 leaf. Start succession-houses, observ- 

 ing the conditions laid down in for- 

 mer Calendars. Prune all Vines from 

 which the Grapes are cut, dressing 

 all wounds with styptic, cleaning and 

 otherwise putting all connected with 

 them in a state ready to be started 

 when the time for it arrives. Ex- 

 amine Grapes that are still hanging 

 on the latest Vines, removing all ber- 

 ries that show signs of decay. Keep 

 the house dry, and the temperature 

 as steady as possible at about 45° at 

 night. Any that are bottled in fruit- 

 rooms should also have a steady tem- 

 perature and dry atmosphere, and the 

 bottles kept full or nearly so of water. 

 Put the requisite number of Vine-eyes 

 into heat about the 10th of the month, 

 inserting them singly in 4-inch pots, 

 plunging them in a bottom -heat of 80°, 

 in a light pit, in a temperature of 60° 

 to begin with. 



Peaches. — Should the weather be 

 cold, do not increase the temperatures 

 recommended last month for the early 

 trees. Peaches should never be sub- 

 jected to what may be termed hard 

 forcing until after the fruit are stoned. 

 Syringe the trees with tepid water 

 every fine afternoon, and otherwise 

 keep the air genially moist. Where 

 the fruit have set thickly, thin off all 

 the smallest first. Disbud the young 

 growths by degrees, ultimately leaving, 

 in the case of well-furnished trees, a 

 strong bud at the base of last year's 

 shoot, and of course the terminal bud. 

 Give air every fine day, and shut up 

 early, so that the thermometer runs 

 up 10° or 15° above the tempera- 

 ture proper for the night, which should 

 not exceed 60°. Let the inside border 

 be kept moist. Give trees in bloom a 

 free circulation of air when not frosty. 

 Avoid the application of much fire-heat, 

 and be satisfied with 55° as a night 

 temperature. Houses started this 

 month may have a few degrees more 

 heat to begin with than is judicious 

 earlier in the season. If any trees 

 remain unpruned and untied in late 

 houses, complete such work without 



delay. Keep the latest still cool and 

 well aired, but see that all borders 

 under glass are well moistened ; for if 

 allowed to get too dry, the trees may 

 drop their buds before they expand. 



Figs. — Early trees in pots will now 

 be pushing freely, and every care must 

 be taken to keep them moist at the 

 root, and to supply the air with mois- 

 ture. Syringe freely every day at shut- 

 ting-up time. Air rather freely on fine 

 days, to keep the shoots strong. Now 

 is a good time to start permanent 

 trees from which two crops are to be 

 taken. Give them a moist atmosphere, 

 and a temperature of 55° at night to 

 commence with. 



Melons. — The early plants will be 

 ready to plant this month. Let the 

 soil be a rather strong loam, with about 

 a fifth part of well-rotted manure well 

 mixed with it. Train the plants up 

 the wires with one stem until within a 

 foot of the top, and then stop them. 

 Do not give very much water at this 

 early season, or they may make un- 

 fruitful growth. The night tempera- 

 ture should range about 70°, with a 

 rise of 10° by day with sun. Sow at 

 the beginning and near the end of the 

 month for successional crops. 



Cucumbers. — See last month's di- 

 rections. Increase the heat slightly, 

 and chiefly by day. Early plants will 

 be ready to plant out this month. Use 

 a rather light soil, with a fourth part of 

 well-rotted manure. Do not give too 

 much soil at first, but rather increase 

 the quantity by degrees as the roots 

 show at the sides of the hills. If the 

 weather be frosty, air will have to be 

 carefully given, so that no breath of 

 frosty air reaches the foliage. Bear- 

 ing plants will now require more 

 moisture, both at the root and in 

 the air. 



Strawberries in Pots. — In mild 

 weather those which have set their 

 fruit may have the temperature in- 

 creased to 60° in cold and 65° in mild 

 nights. They will also require a more 

 plentiful supply of water, and must 

 never be allowed to get too dry. 

 Plants in bloom should not have more 

 heat at night than 55° until set. 

 Continue to introduce succession lots 

 of plants fortnightly, according to the 

 accommodation for forcing and the 

 stock of plants. 



