14 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



\January, 



quarters in breadth, distant and very distinctly 

 stalked, the stalks varying from one-quarter to 

 three-quarters of an inch, the terminal ones are 

 usually wedge-shaped, while the lateral ones are 

 usuall}' truncate at the base, so as to become 

 semi-circular in outline ; they are deeply cut down 

 into from three to five large lobes, which are 

 again more or less parted ; an oblong sorus ter- 

 minating each of the divisions in the fertile por- i 

 tions."' I 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Mealy Bug. — A. A. B.,Coburg, Ont., Canada, 

 says : " I notice a letter in July number of Gar- 

 dener's Monthly, from Dr. W. F. C, as to 

 remedy of mealy bug. What proportions of 

 Hellebore and whale oil soap he would mix, he 

 does not say. It would gratify me, and I have no 

 doubt many others ,taknow the quantities to mix." 



Fruit and Vegetable Gardening. 



CO MM UNICA TIONS. 



CRAPES AND PLANTS. 



BY JAMES HUNTER, JR., GLENDALE, MASS. 



I have had very fair success in growing Grapes 

 and plants in the same house, and will give my 

 experience, hoping it may be of some benefit to 

 J. C. S., of Hampton, Va. M}^ house is about 

 fifteen feet long, by about the same in width, and 

 is an extension of the cold grapery, having a 

 glass partition between the two, which I think 

 is unnecessary, a double board partition would 

 give it better protection. The boiler-house is at 

 the other end, giving ample protection from 

 the cold north-west winds. There was at one 

 time six vines in the house, but one not being of 

 a suitable variety, I took it out. The roots are 

 all confined in an inside border, which gives me 

 better control of the vines. At the back part of 

 the house is a brick terrace about tlu'ee feet 

 high and five wide. On the top of this is built 

 a common stair staging, on which I have been 

 in the habit of keeping my plants over Winter, 

 such as Geraniums, Roses, Carnations, Helio- 

 tropes and other half-hardy plants. I have 

 never grown any plants tlkit require much heat ; 

 my object being to keep the vines dormant, and 

 the plants growing just enough to keep them 

 healthy. 



During the fore part of the Winter, and up to 

 the time the buds on the vines begin to start, 

 wliich is about the middle of February, I keep 



the temperature as low as p(t5ssible, say from 

 thirty-five to forty degrees. I let the vines re- 

 main tied to the wires after pruning them in the 

 Fall, as there is moisture enough in the house 

 to keep them from being injured by the sun. 

 They must be closely watched about the first 

 of February, and as soon as the buds begin to 

 swell, the heat must be gradually increased each 

 day, keeping a spring-like temperature, and imi- 

 tating nature as near as possible. When the 

 buds break, and the shoots begin to grow, keep 

 on increasing the temperature, just as if there 

 were no plants in the house, until it reaches 

 seventy degrees on a cloudy day. It will be 

 found that by the time the temperature reaches 

 60* it will be too hot for the plants, causing 

 them to grow faster than is good for them. I 

 suppose I have the advantage of many persons, 

 there being hot-water pipes in the cold-grapery. 

 I can heat it up at any time, and as soon as I 

 find that the plants are suftering, I turn on the 

 heat and put all the plants in there ; this gives 

 them a cooler atmosphere, and is more conge- 

 nial to their nature. 



1 am convinced that no one can be successful 

 in growing Grapes and plants in the same house, 

 unless they study the nature and requirements 

 of each ; for if the temperature is kept up as it 

 should be for the Grapes, the plants will be per- 

 manently injured, and again, if the temperature 

 is kept too cool, the Grapes will be a failure. I 

 have no doubt that J. C. S., would succeed very 

 well, if he would remove his plants to a cooler 



