594 



HOETICULTUKE 



November 1, 1913 



FRUIT AND VEGETABLES UNDER GLASS 



CONDtrCTEn BI 



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

 by Mr. Penson. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTDEE. 



Pruning Vines 



There remains just one month before we shall be 

 starting the early vineries into growth again. This is 

 hard to realize, for at the time of writing there are very 

 little signs of the leaves falling, the continued mild 

 weather here this fall being very much against vines 

 finishing up as early as we would like to have them, 

 particularly the early ones. Here is one of the many 

 things that we cannot govern or influence in any way; 

 we have to wait for nature to do her part, after which 

 we can have a say with the assurance of success. To 

 those who have not studied nature and learned that she 

 only allows us to go so far with our persuasive powers 

 and after that her natural conditions have to be conceded, 

 it is a great wonder that we cannot produce more than 

 one crop of fruit in a year. They forget that the vine 

 has to have a rest the same as other trees and human 

 beings, too, and the longer and more complete that rest 

 is, the better the vines will be for it. Get them to rest 

 as early as you can and keep them so until they are 

 needed. The first thing after the leaves have fallen is 

 the pruning. It will not hurt to prune before all the 

 leaves are down providing they are sliowing their au- 

 tumn tints and a few are already down. This early 

 pruning of the early vinery is an absolute necessity, as 

 no doubt all will agree, for it holds up all the other 

 work to follow in the shape of cleaning, etc., but not 

 only the early vinery should be pruned at the very earli- 

 est date possible, but all the succeeding ones, for there 

 is nothing to be gained by delaying the job, but on the 

 contrary there is a greater risk from bleeding when 

 they are started up again. Late-pruned vines are always 

 more liable to bleed than those pruned early. It is 

 obvious to all that bleeding in the spring or at the time 

 a vine is started must be a detriment to it. In the bud 

 that is to furnish tlie lateral is stored up the essentials 

 to make that lateral, and as the vine starts to answer to 

 the warmer treatment by action of the roots and later 

 the bursting of the bud, and so on until several leaves 

 are expanded, any waste energy' is an undue taxation of 

 the vine and certainly is not giving it a fair chance to 

 give us all that it is capable of doing. Prevent bleeding 

 if you want the best crops. It is muoli easier to prevent 

 bleeding than it is to stop it when once started. If it 

 has ever been your luck to try to stop a bleeding vine by 

 all the known remedies and several of your own that 

 never have been tried before to your knowledge and then 

 still have to gaze on the continual drip, drip, you will 

 know of what I write. I Jiclieve tliero are times that 

 nothing will stop a vine lileeding wlien once it has com- 

 menced, but if tlic caution nf preventing it is taken at 

 the right time it will be unknown. The greatest pre- 

 ventive is early pruning followed by a complete covering 

 of "Styptic," a preparation that can be bought at any 



seed store. There are two systems of pruning, known 

 as the long-spur and the short-spur systems. The former 

 I would not recommend except in the case of its being 

 the last year that it is intended to fruit a vine. Instead 

 of pruning hard back as is the case in short-spur prun- 

 ing, the best bud on the lateral is selected to furnish the 

 lateral in the coming year and only the growth beyond 

 it is cut away. See what a shape and network of old 

 and useless vine would accumulate in a few years of 

 this treatment. By using the short-spur system for 

 years, only a compact spur will steadily grow, taking up 

 a minimum of room. Prune the lateral back to two 

 good eyes. Some take the chance with one. It is all 

 that is required, but there is many a time that that one 

 left meets with an accident and there is not another to 

 take its place. It is a mighty hard job to renew a spur 

 when once lost. Leave two eyes at the time of pruning 

 and if the two should grow away in the spring select 

 the stronger and discard the weaker one. In the event 

 of both being equal retain the one nearest the rod. 

 There is nothing to beat a sharp knife for pruning grape 

 vines. 



The Heating Pipes in Cold Houses 



Vinos, peach and nectarine trees that are to be forced 

 early will l)e benefited by the frost that we get during 

 this month (providing no zero weather is experienced). 

 While it takes a hard and continued frost to freeze up 

 iieating pipes, especially if the return pipe is left open, 

 it is the easiest and also the safest way to let the water 

 out of the pipes in these houses. When building, this 

 provision ought to be made by having a valve on both 

 the flow and return pipes with a plug inserted on the 

 underneath side of each so that the water can be drained 

 out without any trouble, and when the time comes to 

 fill them up again all that is necessary is to screw in 

 the plugs. By doing this the house is sure to be kept at 

 the lowest temperature possible. 



Sorbaria arborea 



This new shrub, a portrait of which appears as the 

 cover illusti-ation for this issue, is one of the Arnold 

 Arboretum's introductions from western China through 

 Mr. E. H. Wilson. It is a strong growing, much 

 branched, late-summer flowering plant, perfectly hardy 

 in New England. It is very free blooming and prefers 

 a moist, cool situation. Under these conditions it grows 

 ten to twelve feet tall and produces broad panicles 

 twelve to eighteen inches long, of pure white, Spiraja-like 

 flowers. The arcliing branches are clothed with dark 

 green, pinnate leaves and each shoot terminates in a 

 truss of flowers. This new Sorbaria is a splendid plant 

 to grow in association with Bnddleia Davidii and its 

 varieties. It is readily propagated by seeds, cuttings, 

 or by the suckers which are abundantly produced from 

 the rootstock. 



