Ihnh 20, 1866. ] 



JOUKNAL OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAHDENER. 



223 



the small furnace being some 18 inches below the bottom of 



the flue. 



Second, The flue, though so small, would give out far too 

 much heat at the furnace end, and, therefore, for 6 or 8 feet the 

 brick covering is double instead of single, and for about 3 feet, 

 I believe, the thickness is about triple brick on bed. 



Third, In front especially, there are at least three large cis- 

 terns, or evaporating-basins, formed by plastering with Portland 

 cement the top of the flue, the side walls, and the bricks across 

 to make the cisterns, which stand well, give off abundance of 

 vapour, and supply hot water for watering and syringing. 



Fovirth, The bed 7 is 2 feet in width, a width which, as I 

 have often stated, will render Cucumbers more fertUe than if 

 the roots revelled in the five-feet width. The hot dung at the 

 bottom win help to heat the soil when first put in ; but not to 

 be troubled with such dung at all, some rough stones might be 

 placed in the bottom, and openings left in the walls .5, 5, oppo- 

 site the flues ; but even without that the flues would soon heat 

 the soil, as now arranged, if the bags and cloths used for cover- 

 ing the glass were placed along the latticed parts 8, 8, as then 

 the heat from the flues would tell more on the bed. If cold 

 soil is now putin, it generally becomes hot enough in eight days. 



Fifth, Along the length of the flue there are five or six 

 openings left in the brick covering, and on these a paving tile 

 is fixed above the level of the bricks. By moving off these 

 tiles, the flue can be rapidly cleaned without disturbing any part 

 except these tiles. It is always cleaned before commencing 

 Cucumber work, and the exposed portions of the flue are washed 

 with fresh lime. All the waDs are washed with lime and sul- 

 phur, also, before commencing forcing-work. 



Sixth, It wiU be easily seen how such a pit, with shelves or 

 without them, might be used with the least or with more heat 

 to keep plants for bedding, A-c, in winter before commencing 

 with Cuciunbers or Melons. 



Seventh, Some improvements might be suggested, such as, 

 for early forcing, having a few pipes along the front, one end 

 opening above the flue, and the other communicating with the 

 air outside above the surface level, and furnished with a plug 

 to let air in or not at pleasure. The flue along the back will 

 enable air to be given early by tilting the sashes there. UntU 

 the season is advanced Mr. Attwood uses covering for the glass 

 at night. This keeps the heat from the flue more genial. 



Eighth, Along the front of the pit outside a yoting Vine is 

 trained, which, in addition to the sun heat, was no doubt much 

 helped by the wall being heated by the flue inside, so that some 

 fine bunches were produced. Like a good many of us gar- 

 deners, who will not let well alone, Mr. Attwood thinks of 

 taking a part of the Vine inside, so as to have early Grapes ; 

 but of course if he do so he must lose so much space for Cu- 

 cumbers. He might have fine Grapes when the wall is covered 

 with the Vine, by having a moveable small glazed box placed 

 against the wall, as indicated by dots (10), and to have them 

 early, half a dozen or a dozen half-bricks in the length of the 

 wall might be moveable, to admit when open the heated aii' 

 to the Vines. There would not, however, be the same easy 

 access to the Cucumbers. 



Ninth, I by no means infer that there is mnch of the novel 

 in this neat little pit, but I think it will be interesting to ama- 

 teurs, among tr^esmen and artisans especially, from its being 

 built and successfully managed by one of their own class, just 

 on the principle that what is done by one, others may at least 

 tn.- to accomplish. Let it not, however, be supposed for a 

 moment that the possession of such a pit will ensure success 

 unless to its possession there be added, not only practical skill, 

 but unremitting attention. — B. F. 



CULTURE OF \TNES IN POTS. 

 .Judging from the frequency of the applications for informa- 

 tion on the management of Vines in pots, it would appear that 

 the culture of fruit trees, and especially of Vines in pots, is not 

 losing but gaining ground. Though Vines have been grown in 

 pots for the greater part of a century, it is only of late years 

 that this mode of cultivation has been generally practised. 

 Now, in almost every garden they are grown more or less ex- 

 tensively ; and this has created such a demand for what are 

 known as fruiting Vines, that the supply is barely equal to the 

 demand. Only a few years ago the propagation of Vines for 

 sale was limited to those for planting out ; but now we find 

 them grown by the thousand, more for fruiting in pots than 

 for planting new or replanting old vineries. It is by no means 



uncommon to meet with thousands of Vines at otur principal 

 nurseries, and yet we are told that great as the supply is it is 

 hardly equal to the demand. Partly for the latter reason, 

 partly from the oft-repeated applications for information, and 

 partly for the supposed reason that many like to raise and 

 grow their own Vines for fruiting in pots, and derive as much 

 if not more gratification from doing so as from fruiting them, 

 I am induced to offer some hints on the cultivation of Vines in 

 pots. At the same time I hope that others will also state their 

 experience on this subject. 



In propagating from eyes select the most plump eyes upon a 

 cane of the previous year, as thick as the little finger, and 

 brown and hard, showing that the wood has been well ripened. 

 Reject all canes of which the eyes are large and flat, or have 

 the appearance of being double, and more particularly all 

 canes as thick as the thumb, and not well ripened. The wood 

 from which the eyes are taken should be kept from the time of 

 pruning to that of inserting the eyes with the lower end in 

 moderately moist soil, in a house from which frost is excluded. 

 Take care to use no eyes but those from Vines which have not 

 been affected by thrips, red spider, or mildew in the previous 

 year, as the leaves, being robbed of their juices by these pests, 

 can only form imperfect buds at their axils. In preparing the 

 eyes proceed as follows : — Having fixed on one, place the edge 

 of a sharp knife behind where the tendril was, and where 

 the wood is slightly raised make a clean cut through the cane 

 in a slanting direction, so as to bring it out three-quarters 

 of an inch below the eye, and on the same side as that on 

 which the eye is situated. Turn the cane upside down, and 

 make another slanting cut nearly from the same point as the 

 first, but beginning 

 it one-eighth of an 

 inch higher up, and 

 bring the knife out 

 three - quarters of 

 an inch above the 

 eye. The eye thus - -.rlj^ ,-'-''' 



prepared will mea- —-■ 



sure IJ inch from 



cut to cut on the upper side, and be exactly of the form shown 

 in the engraving. 



For potting the eyes prepare the pots by placing a piece of 

 pot or crock over the hole, then an inch of smaller pieces, and 

 upon these half an inch or so of the sittings of the soil. Fill 

 the pots to within half an inch of the rim with soil chopped 

 pretty fine with a spade, but not sifted ; and a portion of the 

 soil should be sifted through a sieve with quarter-inch meshes, 

 which win give fine soil for covering the eyes, and rough pieces 

 to put at the bottom of the pots over the drainage. The pots 

 should not be less than 3 nor more than 4i inches in diameterj 

 and the soil should have no manure in it, but be turfy light 

 loam from turves a year old. 



In potting place the eye in the centre of the pot, flat, and 

 pointing upwards, and press it in so that the cut part may be 

 imbedded. Now cover the eye, or fill the pot level with the 

 rim, with the finely sifted soil. Passing the thumb rovmd the 

 inside of the pot will lower the soil half an inch or so there, 

 leaving the centre elevated over the eye. If the soil is in the 

 right state no water will be necessary, bnt if dry give a little 

 round the thumb mark inside the pot, which will keep the 

 water away from the eye, or not wet the soil much over it. 



After potting plunge the pots to the rim in a bottom heat of 

 55' for a fortnight, and that temperature must not be the read- 

 ing of a thermometer at 1 foot below the surface, but at 2 inches 

 below it, for it is there that the eyes are. Keep them plunged 

 until they raise the soil over them, which will be in a fortnight, 

 or at latest in three weeks, then transfer them to a bottom heat 

 of 75' at 2 inches below the surface. If plunged in a tan-bed 

 it must have a temperature of 90' at 1 foot below the surface, 

 to give one of 75' at 2 inches beneath it; if a dung-bed covered 

 with soil and dry, 85', and if the soil be wet, 80'. The tempe- 

 rature where the eyes are situated should in any case be 75'. The 

 top heat should be 65° by night. In this heat, top and bottom, 

 the shoots will soon appear, and then the surface of the pots 

 ought to be sprinkled through a syringe, morning and evening, 

 with water of the same temperature as that of the house, 

 causing the water to fall upon them like a fine but thick mist. 

 This will generally keep the soil sufliciently moist ; if not, give 

 water so as to keep it moist, but not wet, otherwise the eyes 

 may only give a shoot which will rot off, and, on the othLr 

 hand, if "dust dry the eye will show growth only to the extent of 

 an inch or two, and then be dry and withered. 



