462 



HOETICULTUEE 



October 4, 1913 



FRUIT AND VEGETABLES UNDER GLASS 



CONDUCTED BY 



i^t^r^, 



Questions by our readers in line with any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially received and promptly answered 

 b^ Mr. Penson. Such communications should Invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTURE. 



Care of Late Vinery 



Watch the berries closely here to determiue when they 

 are rii^e so that the temperature and general care of the 

 house can be adjusted to favor their keeping in good con- 

 dition a maximum length of time. It will be difficult to 

 determine an approximate date for ripening in the dif- 

 ferent sections of the couutr)-, as so much will depend 

 on the latitude and the heat of the summer months. 

 This house is usually kept back as long as possible in 

 spring and gTow'u as cool as is practical throughout, 

 which will make our friends in the north a month or 

 more Ijehind those further south. Keep the house going 

 nicely until finished up, when a cooler and drier atmos- 

 liliere will be more congenial to their welfare. Do not 

 make the mistake so often made of keeping the border 

 dry immediately the berries are ripe. It is a mistaken 

 idea as a little thougiit will reveal. If the roots are 

 dried out they cannot furnish the necessary amount of 

 sap to keep the berries plump. This can be miscon- 

 strued and anyone is liable to think a real wet border is 

 the ideal. No, that is not the point; when a vine border 

 is dry give it water even though ripe fruit is hanging. 

 Some varieties are given to split a few berries about 

 the time they are ripening. T_/)ok out for these and re- 

 move them before they damage any of the perfect ones. 



Prune Pot-Trees 



As a preliminary to the general overhauling these 

 trees are to have, the necessary pruning can be done be- 

 fore they are removed from their summer quarters. 

 Plunged as they are to the rim of the pot and spaced 

 so that it is an easy matter to get around them, no time 

 is better for pruning. There is a direct opposition in 

 the method employed to jjrune trees that are grown in 

 pots to those that arc growing on the trellis. The for- 

 mer should be kept pyramidal in shape, making a cen- 

 ter or leader essential, while trellis trees are best with 

 the center left open. When disbudding was properly at- 

 tended to in the spring there will be very little wood to 

 be cut out. Eemove any that is crossing a neighbor, 

 also any that makes the trees unshapely. Shape should 

 always be considered, as a one-sided tree is not profit- 

 able, but the greatest factor is the fruiting l)uds for next 

 spring. A tree having plenty can be put into good shape 

 but where they are scarce we sometimes reluctantly have 

 to leave all the wood hearing tlie promise of a crop next 

 year. At the time i>f disbudding some of these can often 

 be removed if there is enough to make a cro|) without 

 the fruit they carry. TTse a sharp knife fm- all |u'iming. 



The First Frost 



The first frost is welcomed more in the early fruit 

 houses than elsewhere, coming as it does to herald a few 

 weeks' rest for the tired subjects found there. It is 



generally noticeable that we get one frost of sufficient 

 severity to cut down all tender growth, after wdiich we 

 are exempt for a short while. This has often lieen our 

 experie'nce. I do not think it is wise to let the first or 

 second frost cut in on the vines and trees that are more 

 tender than those growing outside; rather let them down 

 gradually. Put a minimum of 35 deg. on them for a 

 while aud after they have gone down to this two or three 

 times let them liave all that is coming for a while. 



Crowding Plants in the Frait Houses 



With the advent of frost it is a commnii occurrence to 

 see the fruit houses crowded (uit witli flnwering jilants 

 or shrubs. In many instances this is unavoidable and is 

 no great detriment to the vines for a short time so long 

 as tliey are free from the many pests that we are con- 

 tinually fighting. It is most disappointing 1o n uuui 

 after warring against mealy bug say for instance, all the 

 growing .season through, ami promising tluiu all he 

 knows from his undertaker's dictionary during tlie win- 

 ter cleaning to find a new and vigorous stock imported 

 into his domain through the intrusion of plants that are 

 infested. It is of no use to say .syringe them with some 

 insecticide or other or fumigate them and the bugs are all 

 dead. Some will go as far as to tell you to give them a 

 good syringing with the hose and that is the cud of 

 them. Is it? Wliere do they go to? Bug is a hard 

 thing to get rid of, once it is in a vinery or peach house. 

 If your houses are clean now, keep them so and lake no 

 chances of getting Ihein infested. 



Winter Cucumbers 



Keep (lie winter (Miriiinlici's going along all the time; 

 any check will tnkv some time to be made up. Frequent 

 top dressings are much better than a large quantity at 

 any one time. Use the best loam procurable, broken up 

 into small lumi)s. Mix in two parts of rough leaf soil to 

 every three of loam and add a little fresh horse manure. 

 It is not necessaiy to make this very firm ; a gentle ])ress- 

 ing witli the hands will be sufficient. Keep a sharp look- 

 out for red spider, as they will do a great amount of 

 damage in a short time. 



Parsley 



Parsley will lie lu'eded on every |irivate place during 

 the winter months and provision should be made nt 

 once to accommodate some of it in the greenhouse or 

 heated frames so that it will take hold of the soil in its 

 new quarters and make a little growth beHu'e the short 

 days set in. 1 f no sowing was made es])ecially for it re- 

 move some of the latest sowing from the garden. Pro- 

 tect a few rows of tlie best growing in the garden and 

 later on they can have some dry leaves tlirown over them 

 which will rurnish a supply until the real bad weatlier 

 sets in. 



