434 



THE GARDENER. 



[Sept.' 



there is any trace of red-spider, give 

 the foliage a few good washings with 

 water in which a little flower of sulphur 

 is mixed. Early Vines intended for 

 starting in November and December 

 will be ready to prune by the end of 

 the month. After the}'' are pruned let 

 all cleaning connected with them and 

 the vinery be effected at once. If the 

 surface of the border consists of close 

 inert soil, remove it down to the roots, 

 and substitute some turfy soil and a 

 fewhalf-iuch bones andhorse-droppiugs. 

 Indeed this surfacing is desirable in 

 the case of all Vines from which the 

 fruit are cut ; while the leaves remain 

 green there is a chance of the roots 

 striking up into the fresh soil before 

 the leaves are shed. Eecently-planted 

 Vines that have made vigorous canes, 

 that are not yet perfectly brown and 

 ripe, should have a free circulation of 

 dry warm air among them. They 

 must not be allowed to grow any more; 

 and if they have rambled and become 

 thick of wood and leaves, remove a 

 portion so as to let light and air play 

 more freely about them. Keep all 

 vineries where the Grapes are perfectly 

 ripe, cool, airy, and dry. Look over 

 them two or three times weekly, and 

 remove any shanked or decaying berries 

 that may appear. If Muscats and 

 other late-hanging Grapes are not like- 

 ly to ripen thoroughly without a little 

 steady firing by the end of the month, 

 let such be applied. Grapes, to hang 

 successfully, should be ripe by the 

 first week of October at the latest. 

 A fresh healthy leafage is of vast im- 

 portance in the case of these ; and 

 should any ti-ace of red-spider appear, 

 let it be got rid of at once by hand- 

 sponging or otherwise. In localities 

 that are subject to heavy autumnal 

 and winter rains, the outside borders 

 should be covered with wooden shutters 

 or some other means of throwing off the 

 rains, and it is a good plan to cover 

 the inside border in autumn with a 

 little loose dry earth or old Mushroom- 

 bed dung sifted finely. This prevents 

 evaporation, and the border from crack- 

 ing. Pot -Vines intended for early 

 forcing should now be thoroughly ripe, 

 and be pruned at once as far as they 

 require it. Place them in a cool place 

 where they will not get either very 

 dry or very wet at the root. The pot- 

 Vine system is by far the surest and 

 perhaps the best for Grapes that have 

 to be ready for table by the beginning 



of April, for it is seldom that any one 

 set of Vines bears the strain of winter 

 forcing for many years in succession. 



Peaches. — Should there be any trace 

 of red-spider on trees from which crops 

 . are all gathered, let them be vigor- 

 ously syringed with clean water till it 

 is conquered. See that these are not 

 allowed to become too dry at the root 

 when in inside borders. Where the 

 growths are strong and yet green and 

 soft, apply fire-heat and a free circu- 

 lation of air until they are ripened. 

 Crops in cool late houses will now be 

 rijie; look over them every day, morn- 

 ing and evening, and gather those that 

 are ripe. Push any leaves that may 

 be shading the fruit aside to let the 

 sun get fully at them. If it is desired 

 to keep fruit for some time after being 

 almost ripe, gather them a day sooner 

 than usual and place them in close tin 

 boxes on dry wadding, and put the 

 boxes in the ice-house. In this way 

 they keep well for fourteen days at 

 least. 



Figs. — Where late crops are swell- 

 ing off on old free-bearing trees, give 

 liberal waterings of manure-water and 

 keep up a warm moist atmosphere un- 

 til the fruit begin to ripen, when a free 

 circulation of dry warm air is necessary 

 to the production of highly flavoured 

 Figs. When the last crop is all gather- 

 ed, give the trees an occasional wash- 

 ing with the engine to keep the foliage 

 healthy to the last. Young trees that 

 have grown strongly should be kept 

 rather dry at the root, and have a 

 little fire-heat, if necessary, to consoli- 

 date the growths. Early-fruiting pot- 

 plants, if they have not already shed 

 their leaves, should be placed in a 

 sunny warm place until they do so. 



Melons. — Keep ripening crops dry 

 and warm, with a free circulation of 

 air on all fine days, and fully expose 

 the fruit to the sun. Crops that are 

 fully swollen should not have any more 

 water, or they are after this season 

 very liable tu crack. Now that the 

 nights are longer and cooler, apply 

 fire-heat to prevent the heat from de- 

 clining below 70° to 75° according to 

 the weather, and grow with less atmo- 

 spheric moisture. 



Cucumbers. — Should mildew appear 

 on the foliage of these, as it often does 

 in autumn, dust the affected parts with 

 sulphur, and keep the house warm and 

 airy. Those that are yet in fuU bear- 

 ing will now be the better of a slight 



