April M, 1866. ) 



JODENAL OF HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



303 



cracks. The pots having been placed in the position they are 

 destined to occupy, each cane should be tied to tho rafter at 

 the point immediately over the pot, and there only, the cane 

 being allowed to fall from that point, the end on a level with 

 the rim of the pot. If it will not do this of its own accord, or 

 through its weight, it must be fastened thus low by a stone 

 at the end. This will cause the eyes at the bottom of the 

 cane to break well, raising or lowering the cane as the eyes 

 seem disposed to break at the lower or upper part. The main 

 point is to secure their breaking equally well from top to 

 bottom. If trained to the rafter at once the canes will only 

 break half a dozen eyes at the upper part, and the highest of 

 these will be the strongest, and they will be so, even after 

 measures have been taken to prevent it. When the eyes have 

 troken well the rod should be fastened to the rafter. 



Temperature. — To start Vines in autumn a higher tempera- 

 ture is required than in spring. For the first fortnight the 

 temperature should, therefore, be 45° to begin with, increasing 

 to 50' at night by the end of that time, and in another fort- 

 night it should be gradually increased to 55° at night. By the 

 end of the third fortnight the thermometer should read G0° 

 irom fire heat at night, and this should be the maximum night 

 temperature until the Vines are ia flower, when it should be 

 increased to 65° at night. The night temperatures are to be 

 counted from the readings of the thermometer at daybreak, 

 when the minimum is attained. From that time the tempe- 

 ratm-e should increase gradually until 1 p.m., and it should 

 then be 5" higher than the night temperature on dull days, 

 10° on those which are cloudy with clear intervals, and from 

 15° to 20° on bright days. After the fruit is set the night tem- 

 perature may be 65°, and not less than 00°, though it is well to 

 have it 5° lower, rather than 5° higher, than the necessary 

 night temperature. An excess of 5° in the night temperature 

 will do more harm than 5° too little. The day temperature 

 after the leaves are fully formed may be allowed to rise to 

 85° or 90° on clear days, these extremes of temperature being 

 from sun, and not promoted by increased fire heat. When the 

 Grapes change colour the night temperature may fall 5°, or 

 be 60° ; they will colour much better in that than in a higher 

 temperature. The Grapes fully ripe, a lower degree of heat 

 vrill keep them more fresh and brisk in flavour ; the tempe- 

 rature may, therefore, be 55°, or as low as 50° by night. 



Atmospheric Moistdre. — At the shutting-upof the house on 

 starting the Vines, they should be syringed morning and evening 

 with soft or rain water always of the temperature of the house, 

 until they are in leaf, when, if the weather be cold and dull, 

 they should not be syringed more than once a-day, and that in 

 the morning ; but if the day be clear so that air can be ad- 

 mitted, then they should by syringed in the morning by 9 .\.m. 

 (i am speaking of winter, from November to Marchj, and again 

 in the afternoon at the time of closing the house. In addition 

 to syringing the Vines, the floors, walls, and those parts of the 

 flues which are not very hot, should bo kept moist by wetting 

 them in the morning, at noon, and in the evening, and this 

 must be continued until the Grapes change colour. If the 

 day be dull, then a thorough wetting of the paths, walls, and 

 other available surfaces will be ample provision for keeping 

 the air moist ; and this should be done in the morning or early 

 in the afternoon. It will be well on such days to dispense 

 with the syringe, but whenever the weather is mild and the 

 days clear, then the syringe must be used twice a-day until the 

 Vines are in flower, then discontinue its use as regards the 

 Vines, but still keep the house moist by wetting the flooi-s, 

 walls, &e. When the flowering is over syringe twice daily — in 

 the morning and at the time of shutting up the house, or very 

 soon afterwards. The water should be directed at the foliage, 

 so as to strike upon it like a brisk shower of rain, and it will 

 fall upon the bunches like a refreshing shower. It must not 

 be directed against the bunches so as to strike them on the 

 under side, or upwards, for that injures the bloom, but coming 

 down upon them it does not. The scorching of Vine leaves is 

 often attributed to syringing the foliage, but I have practised 

 this for many years, using clear rain water. I have no attacks 

 of thrips or red spider, and I can recommend gently syringing 

 the foliage at all times, except when the Vines are in flower, 

 and after the Grapes have changed colour for ripening. Heavy 

 syringings seldom given, like heavy rains, are not desirable ; 

 they break and injure the foliage, and it is better not to syringe 

 at all than do this. 



After the Grapes change colour leave off the syringing, but 

 keep the floors and walls moist so that the berries may swell 

 well, diminishing the supply of moisture, however, so aa to 



discontinue it altogether by the time the Grapes are ripe, after 

 which keep the atmosphere dry, no water being allowable if 

 the Grapes are expected to hang. 



Watering. — At starting the soil should be no more than 

 moist, and clear water will do until tho eyes have broken, and 

 for a time until the Vines are in leaf, then more copious supplies 

 should be given — thorough wettings, and not driblets. Weak 

 liquid manure may be applied once a-week. No water should 

 be afforded uutil the soil has become so dry as to render a 

 thorough watering necessary — one that will reach the bottom 

 of the pots ; but it will not do to wait until the leaves flag. 

 When the Vines are in full leaf thoy will require thorough 

 waterings daily ; vigorous Vines once, twice, or thrice, according 

 to the weather. Liquid manure may bo applied twice or thrioe 

 a-\veek in not too strong but yet in good doses, for though 

 strong ones are injurious, ver)' weak and frequent applications 

 do not seem to do much good. A most excellent liquid manure 

 for pot Vines is made by dissolving a peek of sheep's-duug in 

 thirty gallons of water ; let it stand half a-day, then stir 

 it up well, and after it has been allowed to stand half a day 

 more, stir well up again, and then strain through a coarse bag 

 or cloth. One pound and a half of Peruvian guauo to thirty 

 gallons of water, and treated in the same manner, will form an 

 excellent liquid manure. A good watering with either once or 

 twice a-week will be found more eflicient than frequent water- 

 ings with weaker solutions. 



Copious waterings are to be continued until the fruit is ripe, 

 when water is only to be given in sullicient quantity to main- 

 tain the foliage and fruit fresh. All water used should be 

 heated to the mean temperature of the place in which the 

 Vines are grown — for instance, if the temperature by day be 

 75°, and that of the night be 60°, the water should have a tem- 

 perature of 67° or 08°. — G. Abbey. 



(To be coDtinued.) 



THE MANETTI STOCK FOR ROSES, 



Is compliance with the wishes of " Country Curate " (page 

 253), I will join the mite of my contribution with those of Mr. 

 Kent, and others. I am amused with his description of his 

 shallow soil. He describes it as not being more than from 

 2i to 3 feet deep. I have no such depth here. At my future 

 residence at Okeford Fitzpaine, I shall have a strong rich soil 

 3 or -i feet deep. I dare say I shall have to learn and unlearn 

 much. I should say from his description of the dying of his 

 fruit trees, that it is occasioned by iron in the land, the very 

 land for the British Queen Strawberry. I recommend him to 

 keep the perpendicular roots cut back, and to encourage the 

 horizontal roots. As his soil is strong, it will cause strong 

 succulent Rose wood on the Manetti stock, and he will do well 

 to root-prune, or remove the Koses annually, and prune the 

 roots tolerably severely. Perha]is I shall have to do the same. 

 If he can grow Broccoli and Cabbages to perfection, he ought 

 to be able to grow Hoses on either the Manetti or the Briar. 



As regards budding the Manetti stock, he may bud it as early, 

 or late, as the stock will run. Early in the year the bud ueed 

 not be fully developed ; but late in the year, both for Briar and 

 Manetti stocks, I think a full, ripe bud would be more likely to 

 staud. In the sultry season much depends on the quickness 

 with which the operation is performed, and also on the "tie." 

 A bud will fail from opposite causes— from being tied too 

 tightly, or not tightly enough to exclude the air. I do not 

 practise raising Manetti stocks, nor do I bud many. I put the 

 novelties on Briars, because it ia more agreeable. 



I believe that Manetti cuttings should be about 10 inches 

 long, with a leaf at the top, and that one-half should be buried, 

 and the ground trodden tightly. September is the best time for 

 striking cuttings, because the earth is then hot, and the air is 

 cold. I saw in September, 1860, at Mr. Ke.vnes's, a quarter of 

 Manetti for budding, consisting of, probably, 10,000 stocks. 

 Not one in a hundred had failed. They were planted in Sep- 

 tember, 1859, and when I saw the m they were strong trees, 

 nearly up to my chest, with wood as strong as one of my ringers. 

 As "Country Curate's" land is strong, and probably the 

 Shropshire air in winter is cold, he would do well to scatter 

 leaves amidst the slips,orhorse.litter, or straw, all of -which are 

 excellent " frigi domes." I know two good propagators of 

 Manetti Koses. One plants the slips in a shallow trench, and 

 the other on the flat. They both bud from 2 to 4 inches above 

 the radius of the roots. I recommend " Country Curate," if 

 he bud in either fashion, and wish to protect his buds, to put 



