386 



THE GARDENER. 



[Aug. 



with roots, and be of a stocky well- 

 matured growth ; for if kept growing 

 late into the autumn, there is little cer- 

 tainty of getting them to start in time 

 to yield ripe fruit next ^lay and June. 

 There are two evils to be avoided in the 

 case of these plants; one we have just 

 named, and the other is, that of having 

 them pot-bound too early, and 8ub- 

 jected to a high temperature too late 

 in autumn, in which case the fruit 

 starts — we are, of course, speaking 

 of Queens — a hardened knot like a 

 thimble, and is worthless. Care must 

 be taken, while inducing a stubby well- 

 matured growth and a pot full of roots, 

 that the plants do not suffer from dry- 

 ness at root and an arid atmosphere ; 

 and though towards the end of the 

 month moisture requires to be de- 

 creased, avoid by all means the " dry- 

 ing-off" system. Those intended to 

 start, after making a growth in spring 

 — and which invariably yield the finest 

 fruit — must still be encouraged to grow, 

 and be managed as directed for suc- 

 cession - plants last month. Smooth 

 Cayennes, and other late varieties now 

 out of bloom and swelling off, must be 

 encouraged with waterings of guano and 

 manure-water, a moist atmosphere, and 

 a high temperature in the afternoon and 

 evening when sun-heat can be stored. 

 Fruit colouring and ripe, see former 

 " Calendar." Suckers from those plants 

 that have fruited up to this time will 

 now be ready to pot : 6 and 7 inch 

 pots are large enough for these. Drain 

 well. Use a turfy loam, with a little 

 bone-dust mixed with it. Pot the suck- 

 ers firmly, and plunge in a bottom-heat 

 of 85° to 90°. Shade them from the 

 sun during the hottest part of the day 

 for ten or fourteen days, by which time 

 they will be making roots. Syringe 

 them lightly in the afternoon at shut- 

 ting-up time, and when they have made 

 roots about 2 inches long, water them 

 with water at 85°. After this they soon 

 begin to grow freely, and should have 

 an abundant supply of air to keep them 

 stocky — one of the principal points for 

 future success. 



Grapes. — Early houses, where the 

 wood is thoroughly ripened, may now 

 have the lights removed off them where 

 such are movable. If the wood and 

 glass require painting and other repairs, 

 these, and all alterations in the way of 

 heating, should also be carried out forth- 

 with. Should the weather be dry, late 

 Grapes that are swelling off and about 



the colouring point should have copious 

 waterings with manure-water, and a 

 slight mulching of some sort if it has 

 not been fip[)lied before. This, of course, 

 npplies only to borders that are perfectly 

 drained, and to dry seasons. Apply a little 

 fire-heat on damp dull days, and always 

 at night during such weather, with a 

 little air on all night, which is conducive 

 to good colouring. Take every precau- 

 tion to keep wasps and flies from prey- 

 ing on ripe Grapes. Hexagon netting 

 or perforated zinc fixed over the open- 

 ing prevents these pests from getting 

 into the vineries. Keep a constant eye 

 to Vines in all stages, and see that red- 

 spider does not get a footing. Where 

 the fruit are all cut, an occasional syring- 

 ing and a free circulation of air night 

 and day will keep the foliage clean. If 

 any of the Vioes from which fruit has 

 just been cut have their roots further 

 from the surface of theborder than is de- 

 sirable, remove the surface-soil entirely 

 till the roots are reached, and replace 

 the old soil with fresh turfy loam, with 

 some horse-droppings and ^-inch bones 

 mixed with it, and the roots will lay 

 hold of it and be ready to work more 

 upwards next summer, especially if 

 some fermenting material be put on 

 the border when forcing is commenced. 

 It is astonishing how tractable Vine- 

 roots are when enticed with fine fresh 

 material. Pot- Vines intended to fruit 

 early next season should, by this time, 

 have their wood as brown and hard as 

 a cane. Expose them to full sun and 

 a free circulation of air. Should they 

 show any disposition to make young 

 lateral growths, remove them at once, 

 inducing them to maturity and rest as 

 soon as possible. Avoid exposing them 

 outdoors in windy positions, which 

 destroys the foliage before it has fully 

 done its work. 



Peaches. — Look carefully over all 

 trees from which fruit has been gather- 

 ed, and if there are many shoots that 

 will not be required for next season's 

 bearing, remove them at once, so that 

 all light and air may play about the 

 trees freely. If there be any red-spider 

 about them, syringe them with sul- 

 phured water till not one remains; and 

 otherwise give every possible attention 

 that is necessary to retain the foliage to 

 the last in a healthy state, so that well- 

 developed biids and matured wood be 

 1 the result. Expose fruit that are ripen- 

 ing to all light and air possible. Late 

 I crops in cool houses in their last swel- 



