I-879-; 



CALENDAR. 



439 



syringe may be used several times a- 

 week ; but avoid wetting the crowns, or 

 they are apt to grow to an unsightly 

 size. Give all fruit colouring a free 

 circulation of dry warm air, but do not 

 dry them off severely at the root. Re- 

 move any that have to be kept for a 

 time after ripening to some cool dry 

 place with an even temperature. 



Grapes. — The season has been so 

 unusually wet, sunless, and cold, that 

 Vines which are in robust health are 

 likely to be imperfectly ripened for 

 another season's crop. In all cases 

 where this is likely to be the case, ap- 

 ply tire-heat immediately the Grapes 

 are all cut, and keep a circulation of 

 dry warm air about the foliage and 

 wood until the mould is well consoli- 

 dated and the buds matured. If the 

 wet continue, it would be well also to 

 throw the rains off outside borders by 

 means of shutters or glass lights. It 

 is to be feared that even the very 

 earliest Vines will not be ready, as they 

 sometimes are, for pruning at the close 

 of the month. Perhaps, now that we 

 have so many late-keeping varieties, 

 and early crops are so generally pro- 

 duced from pot-Vines, there is less 

 necessity for the very early pruning of 

 permanent Vines. Recently-planted 

 Vines may have made vigorousgrowths, 

 and will also require an extra amount 

 of artificial means to thoroughly ripen 

 the wood. The stronger they are, the 

 more heat will be necessary to mature 

 the wood. Pot- Vines intended for 

 early forcing should, if possible, be 

 thoroughly ripe, and about ready for 

 any pruning they require by the end of 

 the month. Place them in a cool 

 place where they will rest thoroughly 

 until wanted for forcing. Look over 

 all Grapes that are thoroughly ripe, 

 especially if the wet weather continues, 

 at least twice weekly, and remove all 

 signs of decayed or shanked berries, 

 and keep air about them as dry as 

 possible. Muscats and all other late 

 Grapes should have fire-heat sufficient 

 to thoroughly ripen the fruit if pos- 

 sible by the end of the month. Look 

 over late Vines and remove all laterals; 

 and if Muscats are still greener than 

 they should be, tie aside some of the 

 leaves to let more light to the bunches. 

 The extra amount of fire-heat will in 

 many cases have bred red-spider ; and 

 as healthy foliage is of the utmost im- 

 portance in the matter of Grapes keep- 



ing well, let the foliage be examined, 

 and wherever there is any spider 

 sponge it off. The inside borders of 

 late vineries should have a good 

 watering, if dry, before the Grapes are 

 quite coloured, and then be mulched 

 with some dry mushroom-bed dung to 

 prevent the moisture from evaporat- 

 ing and the border cracking. Examine 

 the outlets from the drainage of all 

 borders, and see that they are working 

 properly, and that no stagnant water 

 be about the roots. Any Vines that 

 have their roots far from the surface 

 should, on an early occasion when the 

 border is dry, have the inert soil on 

 the surface of the border forked up 

 and removed, and replaced with some 

 fresh loam well enriched with bone- 

 meal and some decayed stable-manure. 

 In the case of borders that through 

 judicious management have their roots 

 well to the surface, see that, if this 

 month be dry, they do not suffer from 

 over-dryness after such a season. A 

 good plan would be to add a few inches 

 to the mulching. 



Peaches. — The season having been 

 so unusually sunless, wet, and cold, 

 there is special necessity for giving 

 artificial heat to ripen the wood, espe- 

 cially of young strong-growing Peach- 

 trees, thoroughly. Look over trees from 

 which the fruit has lately been cleared 

 off, and thin out all shoots that are 

 not required to furnish the trees suffi- 

 ciently for another season ; and keep up 

 a circulation of warm air in the houses 

 until the wood is ripe. If there be 

 any red-spider about the foliage, give 

 an occasional washing with the engine 

 on fine afternoons. Crops in cool 

 houses will be ripening, and if flies 

 or wasps are troublesome, fix hexagon 

 netting over the ventilating opens to 

 keep such pests out. Look over the 

 trees every day, and gather ripe fruit 

 before it drops. See that late varieties 

 under heavy crops, and that have the 

 chief of their roots in inside borders, 

 are well supplied with water. 



Figs. — The same directions as to 

 ripening and thinning the wood that 

 have been given for Peaches are ap- 

 plicable to Figs from which the second 

 crop has all been gathered. Keep the 

 foliage fresh and healthy as long as 

 possible, and to this end use the 

 syringe or engine occasionally on fine 

 afternoons. Where late crops are 

 swelling and ripening off, give water- 



