300 THE GARDENER. [July 



cannot, we think, be denied that the migrations of young men, and 

 of some older hands too, is beneficial in so far as the opportunity, if 

 properly used, may be turned to good account in acquiring experience 

 in the conduct of every work. We find forcing-houses arranged on 

 different principles, from the old-fashioned style of forty years ago 

 down to the most modern ideas of the present day; and he who 

 desires to add to his store of knowledge, may fairly exercise what 

 resources he possesses in discriminating between principles which are 

 the conver.ie the one to the other. 



.Now, if we begin with the most common of everyday operations 

 — viz., that of giving air — we find room for exercising intelligence 

 of the first order. There may be those houses so constructed that if 

 air be not given in good time to dry up all condensed moisture from 

 the leaves of Vines and Peach-trees, scorching is sure to ensue, or the 

 tissues of the leaves may be crippled so that they do not perform 

 their natural functions. It is simple to avoid this if the trees are 

 kept in a healthy condition at the root. There is then little or no 

 necessity for so much syringing to keep foliage clean. 



Houses that lack the means of giving abundance of air require, in 

 fact, special treatment of their own. They require a well-drained 

 healthy border, in the first place ; and secondly, they require a care- 

 ful system of atmospheric treatment, and a practised stoker who has 

 judgment to anticipate the weather and control his heating power 

 with an experienced hand. The shutting-up and syringing of these 

 houses with the same amount of atmospheric moisture, and at the 

 same time, as houses of modern capacity — where plants are exposed 

 to abundance of healthy air during the greater part of the day, — is as 

 mischievous a practice as can well be imagined. In the case of Vines, 

 the young growths will in a few days become extended and elongated 

 beyond their normal length, causing confusion in training, and the 

 bunches to become loose and straggling. The right course to adopt 

 would be to keep the roots abundantly supplied with water, to give 

 air early in the morning — say by G.30 or 7 a.m. — and to sprinkle 

 neither borders nor paths at any time except with full ventilation on 

 in fine weather, and keep on top air till late in the evening. It is 

 surprising how soon a difference in the growth and foliage of Vines 

 will be perceptible under the latter course of treatment. The leaves 

 become large and leathery, the shoots short-jointed, and the bunches 

 compact and shapely. How much longer will it be before this bar- 

 barous practice of bathing Vines is entirely dispensed with ? 



In the case of Peach-trees — much as has been written upon the 

 subject, we still find cases similar to that of the Vines above referred 

 to, and the conditions that apply to the one case will apply also to 



