'73.] 



CALENDAR. 



243 



more room at once, for when Pines are 

 huddled thickly together it is impossi- 

 ble to make fine plants of them. Win- 

 ter-frniting varieties that were shifted 

 into their fruiting pots in autumn, and 

 that have made a spring growth well 

 filling their pots, should now be kept 

 cooler and slightly drier, with the view 

 of resting them for six weeks, and then 

 starting them for late autumn fruit. 

 Smooth Cayennes and Charlotte Roth- 

 schilds, that had well filled their pots 

 with roots in autumn, can now be start- 

 ed, and they will succeed Queens that 

 started along with them as the former 

 named sorts take longer to come to 

 maturity. 



Vines Keep the atmosphere in the 



early house, when the Grapes are quite 

 ripe, dry and cool. If our previous 

 directions regarding mulching and 

 watering the border before they were 

 quite ripe, have been carried out, 

 there will not be much fear of 

 them becoming too dry at the root 

 before the fruit is all used. Should 

 red-spider present itself, sponge the 

 leaves wherever and whenever it is 

 noticed. If clean soft-water is to be 

 had, the Vines may be syringed on two 

 successive afternoons ; it will not de- 

 stroy the bloom of the Grapes, and it 

 is much preferable to allowing red- 

 spider to get a footing. When the fruit 

 is all cut from pot- Vines, remove the 

 Vines, and thoroughly wash and cleanse 

 the house, and then the young Vines 

 intended for fruiting in pots next year 

 can be put in it. They will now be 

 ready for their fruiting-pots, and should 

 be pushed on with a high temperature. 

 We recommend a rather strong turfy 

 loam, with bone-meal and a little 

 ]iounded charcoal for these. Shut up 

 Vineries where Grapes are swelling off 

 early in the afternoon, running the heat 

 up to 85" for a time with sun ; and 

 start fires in time to prevent Muscats 

 and other heat-loving sorts from falling 

 below 70°, and Hambm'gs below 65°, 

 as minimum night-temperatures. Look 

 over the Vines two or three times 

 weekly, and rub or pinch off aP incipient 

 superfluous lateral growths. See that 

 the bunches are sufiiciently thinned 

 before the berries become too compact 

 for thinning. Whenever they begin to 

 colour, gradually withdraw atmospheric 

 moisture, and increase the amount of 

 air by day and night. Stop and tie 

 down the growths in later houses, stop- 

 ping them two joints beyond the bunch. 



Thin the berries immediately they are 

 set in the case of free stoning sorts. 

 Avoid heavy cropping, especially in the 

 case of young Vines ; and when the 

 Grapes are intended to hang through 

 the winter, thin the berries well, so 

 that air can circulate about them. 

 Young Vines planted in March and 

 April will now be growing rapidly : 

 allow these to make lateral growth 

 and foliage sufficient to cover the roof, 

 without being crowded. Pay partic- 

 ular attention to inside borders, and see 

 that in no case they ever become dry 

 and crack : give occasi-^nal thorough 

 soakings, in preference to more frequent 

 but less efficient waterings. 



Peaches and Nectarines. — Give 

 more air and less moisture in the early 

 house as soon as the first signs of 

 ripening are observed. If any of the 

 fruit are partially shaded by leaves, 

 push the latter aside, so that the sun 

 may reach as much of each fruit as 

 possible, so that they may be well 

 coloured and flavoured. Where the 

 crop is past the stoning stage the 

 night heat may range to 65°. Shut 

 them up early on fine afternoons, 

 running the heat up to 80° for a 

 time, at the same time well syringing 

 the trees. When the inside borders 

 require water, in the case of old trees 

 bearing heavily, give a thorough soak- 

 ing of manure- water, and if not already 

 attended to, mulch the border with 

 rotten manure. Tie in the wood in 

 later houses, and in doing so avoid 

 crowding it. Thin the fruit by degrees, 

 leaving the final thinning till they are 

 stoned. If green-fly appears, fimiigate 

 with tobacco ; and to keep spider from 

 making its appearance, as well as for 

 the general welfare of the trees, syringe 

 freely on every fine afternoon at shut- 

 ing-up time. Allow young trees that 

 are inclined to grow grossly to bear 

 heavily, and stop or remove any shoots 

 that may be growing much more 

 vigorously than the others. 



Figs. — Where the first crop is ripen- 

 ing keep a circidation of warm air 

 about them, and let them be kept as 

 dry as is consistent with the well- 

 doing and safety of the second crop. 

 Do not gather the fruit until it ojjens 

 at the crown and the juice is oozing 

 from it, unless, indeed, they have to be 

 packed and sent to a distance, when 

 they require to be gathered before get- 

 ting too soft. Where the second crop 

 has formed thickl}^, partially thin them 



