196 



THE GARDENER. 



[April 



into fruit when shifted and subjected 

 to increased temperature of both soil 

 and air. To counteract this tendency 

 a little extra attention is necessary 

 all through the month. They should 

 be kept a little moister at the roots ; 

 and the atmosphere should also be 

 more moist than would be necessary 

 in ordinary seasons. If April be bright 

 and dry, shade the plants slightly for 

 three hours in the middle of the day, 

 and keep the pits somewhat closer 

 until it be quite evident that the 

 plants have started kindly into 

 growth ; then do away with the shade 

 by degrees, give more air, and in 

 every respect adopt a hardier treat- 

 ment to prevent a weakly growth. 

 The night temperature will be high 

 enough at 65°. Give air in the morn- 

 ing before the glass touches 75° with 

 sun-heat, gradually increasing it till 

 noon. Shut up by degrees, and en- 

 tirely, sufficiently early to run the 

 glass to 85° for a short time with sun- 

 heat. Early-started Queens may now 

 be pushed on with increased heat, 

 especially on sunny days, when the 

 house should be closed early enough 

 to run the glass up to 85°, with a 

 corresponding amount of moisture. 

 Start the fire in time to prevent 

 the heat from falling below 70° at 10 

 p. M. In cold clear nights 65° at 9 

 a.m. will be sufficient. Keep them 

 steadily moist at the root, and occa- 

 sionally give the surface of the soil a 

 pinch of Standen's manure before 

 watering ; or water every time they 

 are dry with water coloured with gu- 

 ano. As soon as these early fruiters — 

 almost always Queens — show suckers, 

 reduce the number to two on each I 

 plant. Smooth Cayennes, and other 

 sorts that may have started late and 

 that are now colouring, should be kept 

 at 70° at night, and have rather more 

 air on fine days, to insure fine flavour. 

 The soil should be less moist than 

 when swelling off; but do not now dry 

 them off as has been recommended for 

 midwinter ripening. Any suckers on 

 these should now be potted, and if 

 young stock be desired, save the old 

 stools ; and after the fruit are cut, re- 

 move all the leaves, and lay the 

 stumps in light open soil in a bottom- 

 heat of 85°, and they will soon start a 

 quantity of buds that will make nice 

 young plants by autumn. Shift 

 winter -fruiting sorts that are well 

 rooted in 8-inch into 11 -inch pots, and 



grow on briskly for three months ; and 

 after being then kept cool and dry for 

 six weeks they will start for winter 

 supply. 



Vines. — It is to be feared that pot- 

 Vines from which ripe Grapes were 

 at one time expected by the 1st of 

 May will be quite a fortnight or three 

 weeks later, owing to the severity of 

 the first three months of forcing. 

 They may now, however, be pushed 

 along at a brisk pace if April prove a 

 clear sunny month, and high tempera- 

 tures can be had without hard firing. 



• Unless ou very cold nights, they may 

 be subjected to 70° all night when 

 shut up early with sun-heat. They 

 must now be steadily supplied with 

 water, and fed with top-dressings of 

 horse-droppings, Standen's manure, 

 and weak guano- water, up to the colour- 

 ing point, when the stimulants should 

 be less strong. As soon as colouring 

 begins, increase the amount of air 

 slightly, and do not increase the heat 

 — rather let the night temperature de- 

 cline a few degrees, and never omit a 

 chink of air on all night. Owing to 

 so much fire-heat early in the season, 

 let a sharp look-out be kept on red- 

 spider, and let the first appearance of 

 it be attended to with a syringe and a 

 little soapy water, taking care not to 

 pull the leaf-stalks about in the pro- 

 cess. Succession early permanent 

 Vines that have their roots partly 

 in inside, partly in outside borders, 

 and that are now swelling their fruit 

 rapidly, must have the inside border, 



• specially near the hot pipes, frequent- 

 ly noticed, so that by any chance they 

 do not get too dry. We do not ap- 

 prove of much sprinkling all through 

 the day of the floors of vineries ; but 

 after bright days, when a maximum 

 of air is necessary, let all surfaces be 

 moistened with a syringe when the 

 vinery is shut up on sunny days, and 

 close the ventilators for an hour or 

 two, after which let a little air be put 

 on the front-lights for the night, and 

 in extent according to the state 

 of the weather. All Grapes that 

 are thinned may now have a higher 

 night temperature than is desir- 

 able for earlier crops when at the 

 same stage. At 10 p.m. on fine 

 nights the heat may stand at 70°, 

 falling 5°, or even 10°, before morning, 

 just according to the state of the 

 weather. Tie down the young growths 

 of later houses, and thin the bunches 



