386 



THE GARDENER. 



[Aug. 



the case of these. Do not give them 

 auy more towards the close of the 

 mouth than is just sufficient to pre- 

 vent their receiving any violent 

 check. Lower the night temperature 

 a few degrees by the end of the month 

 with the view of gradually getting 

 them into a state of rest by the end of 

 September. All syringing of these 

 should cease. Sometimes there are 

 suckers produced at the neck of these 

 early plants, especially if they have 

 been over-syringed ; when these appear 

 remove them at once. Late Queens 

 intended to make a growth in early 

 spring before starting should still be 

 encouraged to make growth freely, as 

 directed last month. Air these, and 

 all other rapidly-growing stock, freely 

 on warm sultry days, and do not give 

 more fire-heat than is necessary to pre- 

 vent the temperature sinking much 

 below 75° at night, but gradually 

 lower the night temperature as nights 

 lengthen. Keep them steadily sup- 

 plied with a moderate amount of water 

 at the root, and air -moisture, and 

 water always with weak guano- water. 

 Suckers on those plants which have 

 ripened their fruit will now be strong 

 and ready to pot or plant out in beds. 

 The largest may be put into 7-inch 

 pots, and the smallest into 6-inch. 

 Avoid the common error of crowding 

 these closely together. If at all pos- 

 sible Pine plants should be allowed 

 l)lenty of room from the verj' first, for 

 if drawn up weakly from over-crowd- 

 ing it is difficult to make satisfac- 

 tory plants of them by any after-treat- 

 ment. Iseither is it necessary to shade 

 them much or to syringe them over- 

 head so frequently as is practised in 

 some cases. The pots for these should 

 be well drained, the soil full of fibre 

 and firmly packed into the pots. 

 Plunge them in a bottom-heat of 85" 

 to 90°, and when they begin to root 

 and grow freely, air them freely on 

 fine days. Where there is a stock of 

 plants that were suckers on plants that 

 ripened fruit in March and April, see 

 that they do not get pot-bound, or they 

 may start prematurely; give them a 

 small shift before there is any risk of 

 their starting. These may be induced 

 to grow freely far on into the autumn, 

 with the view of their being started next 

 summer. The surest way of keeping 

 lip a constant supply of ripe Pines is to 

 have a certain number of plants in a 

 good many stages of growth. Fruit 



swelling ofT will still require a good 

 sup})ly of moisture in both the soil and 

 air. When more fruit rii)en at once in 

 hot weather tlian are required, remove 

 them to a cool room, where they will 

 keep much longer than if left in the 

 pinery ; auy good suckers that are on 

 them should be first taken olf and 

 potted. 



Grapes. — Should the weather be hot 

 and dry, late crops that are still swell- 

 ing and near the colouring point should 

 have another good watering, in order to 

 keep them in healthy activity. Should 

 a succession of damp dull days occur, 

 keep a little heat in the pipes, so as to 

 prevent a stagnation of damp air, so 

 undesirable for Vines in all stages of 

 growth, but most especially so when 

 nearing maturity. Leave a little air 

 on all night and increase it early in the 

 morning to prevent moisture from con- 

 densing on the bunches. Muscats that 

 do not appear to be coloming satisfac- 

 torily, should have their bunches ex- 

 posed to as much light as possible, by 

 tying aside a few of the leaves that 

 shade them. We have always found 

 this the most effectual way of colouring 

 Muscats. After they are perfectly 

 colonized, the shade of the leaves is 

 again desirable. Keep ripe Grapes 

 cool and dry. Wasps and flies are 

 often very troublesome in Vineries 

 this month. The best way is to keep 

 them out altogether, and this can be 

 done by fixing hexagon netting over 

 the ventilation oj^enings. Give Vines 

 from which the fruit is all cut an 

 occasional syringing, to keep the foliage 

 clean and healthy. If there are any 

 Vines that have their roots further 

 from the surface of the border than is 

 desirable, remove all the soil down to 

 the roots and place a layer 6-inches deep 

 of turfy loam, with a third of horse-dung 

 and a little bone-meal in it, over them : 

 such feeding entices them nearer the sur- 

 face of the borders. Indeed, all borders 

 of any standing are the better of being 

 dealt with more or less in the same 

 way every year. Vine roots that are 

 near the surface, and not over 2 feet 

 deep, always ripen and survive the 

 winter better than when deeper, and 

 this is a condition of immense import- 

 ance, in early forcing especiall}^ All 

 pot Vines intended for starting in 

 November and onwards till Christmas, 

 should now be well ripened and almost 

 ready to shed their leaves. If they 

 are not in this condition, expose them 



