344 



JOURNAL OF HORTICTDLTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ M«7 8, 18M. 



eztonsivo resources will famish maKriel worthy of the occa- 

 sion. We are desired to announce that through au error of the 

 engraver the tickets liave been printed Tuesday, May 21th, 

 instead of Thursday, May 2-lth. 



CULTURE OF VINES IN POTS. 

 (Conlinued from payc 303.) 



Am. — Until the Vines break the house may be kept closed, 

 for then a much more humid atmosphere can be maintained; but 

 should ventilation be necessary to keep down the temperature, 

 air must be given, advantage being taken of sun heat to close 

 early, for such heat is vastly superior to that which is artifi- 

 cially supplied. After the eyes have broken air must be given, 

 but, from the dulness of the winter mouths, if we wait for the 

 sun before giving it the shoots may become as weak as straws. 

 A little air should be given daily if possible, if only for an 

 hoar or two, so as to afford a change of atmosphere. When 

 practicable, affording a little air constantly is the best way to 

 avoid lank growths and thin leaves, neither of which give fruit 

 wortli the pains. It is galling to devote a house to Vines in 

 pots for early fniit, and find the loaves scorched by the sun, 

 or flagging after dull periods, and the bunches twisting or 

 curling into tendrils, as is commonly the case. I am certain 

 that the principal e^Hs attending the early forcing of Vines are 

 to be traced to a deficiency of air in the early stages of growth. 

 Until the leaves attain their full size air is particularly essential, 

 in order that the parts that are to feed the crop maybe capable 

 of performing their fimctions. A little air, then, on dull days 

 does good, and it should be given more abundantly with the 

 increase of temperature. On dull days, when the temperature 

 by day may be only .5° higher than by night, a little air may be 

 given for an hour or two, which will be sufficient to cause a 

 change of atmosphere. On cloudy days with clear inter%'als air 

 should be given when the thermometer has risen 10' above 

 the night temperature, and on clear days when it registers 

 10° higher than in the night, increasing the amount if the 

 temperature rise more than 5° after the first admission of air. 

 Ventilation should never bo resorted to to lower the tempera- 

 ture ; but the latter, whatever it be, should increase after ven- 

 tilation is given, or at least be maintained. If ventilation 

 lower the temperature either the house is too warm or air has 

 not been admitted suilicientlj' early. When the temperature 

 deohnes, then is the time to shut up the house, and not to 

 admit much air. 



Provision being made for the admission of a little air at all 

 times, the house being heated sufficiently to admit of this, air 

 should be afforded when the thermometer reads 10 higher 

 than the night temperature, which I will for the purpose of 

 illustration suppose to be (>()'. Air will then be given at 70", 

 not in such quantity as to lower the temperature, but so that 

 the latter may increase. The temperature increasing 5° more, 

 if the sun's power is likely to raise it stUl higher the maximum 

 amonnt of air may be given, but so that the mercury may rise 

 ever afterwards. It may rise to 80' or 85' and will do good. 

 The amount of air shoiild be reduced when the thermometer 

 first begins to faU, and, beyond the little left on day and night, 

 no ventilation should be afforded by the time the heat has 

 fallen to between the maximum day temperature (75), and the 

 highest extreme (HO' or 85') ; but in any case the house should 

 be shut up by the time the temperature has fallen to 75'. On 

 clondy days with clear intervals it will be impossible to adhere 

 rigidly to this rule without continually opening and shutting 

 up of the house, but it will be found that any trouble taken on 

 such days has not been misspent. 



When the Grapes change colour more air may be admitted ; 

 and if not hitherto given at night and in dull days it should 

 now be afforded, otherwise moisture may condense or be depo- 

 sited on the berries, and it is destructive to the bloom. At 

 this period air must be given early, or before the atmosphere 

 has become heated to any considerable extent ; for the heated 

 air will deposit moisture on the berries, because they wUl not 

 become heated so rapidly as the surrounding atmosphere, and 

 BO long as they remain colder moisture will be condensed on 

 them : hence the necessity of increased ventilation when they are 

 colouiing, so that the atmosphere may not be rapidly heated, 

 or become much warmer than the berries. This is an impor- 

 tant point, for an indifferent or spotted bloom on the berries 

 is frequently to be attributed to allowing the moisture to con- 

 dense on them after they change colour, and not to syringing 

 up to the time of colouring, as is often asserted. Providing 



air be given early (and it is of no use giving it late), no harm 

 results to Grapes from a judicious nso of the syringe. I say. 

 Use it, employing clear rain water only, and heated to the 

 temperature of the house. It is want of air early that causes 

 the leaves to scorch, or allowing moisture to condense upon 

 them whilst the sun is causing rapid evaporation. The foUage 

 of trees under natnral conditions is not scorched after a shower, 

 but under glass the leaves suffer from this evil, because we do 

 not give air to carry off the moisture. The berries very often 

 spot from the same cansc. Bad glass is also a frequent canse 

 of the leaves being scorched. Syringing has nothing to do 

 with it. It does not matter whether the leaves are wet or dry 

 when the sun's rays fall upon them, if only there bo air to 

 kee]> the atmosphere from being more suddenly heated than 

 the water on the leaves, and to carry off the moisture evapo- 

 rated instead of allowing it to condense. If the moisture is 

 not carried off by giving air early, it will condense upon the 

 leaves, and they will scorch without being syringed. 



Fresh air cannot be admitted too early, but it may be in too 

 great a quantity, and so cold as to lower the temperature, and 

 thus stagnate the growth. Various schemes have been adopted 

 to effect the heating of the air before it comes in contact 

 with the Vines. I find nothing answers so well as a piece of 

 tiffany naUed over the ventilating openings. It breaks the 

 current of air if it is disposed to rush into the house, and the 

 heated and vitiated air is driven out at the upper part of the 

 house. It is of no use admitting air in front if the vitiated 

 air is not allowed to escape at the back. We want to displace 

 foul air by fresh. It is hardly necessary to admit air in front 

 in the early forcing of Grapes ; but if it is given there tho 

 openings should be on a level with the hot-water pipes or flues, 

 or, better, when a little below them, and so contrived that the 

 cold air entering passes over or comes in contact with the 

 heated surface, and thus becomes warmed before it reaches the 

 Vines. To prevent currents, a piece of tiffany or hexagon 

 netting doubled should be fastened over the external openings. 

 — G. Abbey. 



(To be continued.) 



NEW' BOOK. 



THE FRUIT MANUAL. 



The Fruit Manual: containing llw Descriptions, Synonymfs, and 

 Clniifilication of the Fruiti and Fruit Trees of Great Britain, 

 irith Selected tints of the best I'arieties. By Bobebt Hooo, 

 LL.D.,F.Ij.S.,Pomoiogical Director of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society of London; Author of "British Pomology," "The 

 Vegetable Kingdom and its Products;" and Co-Editor of "The 

 Journal of Horticulture." Third Edition. London : Joomal 

 of Horticulture Office. 



This, the third edition, is really a new book, and contains 

 many varieties and kinds of fruits not described in the pre- 

 vious editions. These fill many more than one hundred addi- 

 tional pages ; but we cannot do better than quote a passage 

 from the Preface : — 



'' In the present edition the main features arc. — a great increase in 

 the unmber of varieties described ; an entire rerision of the svnonymes, 

 in which some errors in the prcvions edition have been corrected ; new 

 classifications of the vftrions Fmits, with the exception of the Apple 

 and the Pear, which I have not yet sncceedod in arranging to my 

 satisfaction : and greatly enlarged and re-constmcted lists of the most 

 select varieties of the different kinds of Fmits, serring as a guide to 

 tho?c who have no other moans of knowing what are and what are not 

 worthv of cnltivation." 



CHERRIES AT CANTERBURY. NEW ZE^VL.VNT). 



That the Cherry is equal to the Peach in the shape of stone 

 fruits in this part of the world, there is abundant proof this 

 season in my fruit garden, for the greater part of my trees are 

 heavily laden with abundance of fruit, and of the finest quality. 



The first I will mention is Bigarreau Napoleon ; for size 

 the fruit are more like Plums than Cherries. It is a French 

 Chen-y. It is also a good bearer, resembling the old Bigarreau, 

 but darker-coloured, and of first quality and first size. 



The second is the May Duke, not so large as the first, but 

 possessing many other good qualities. 



The third iscalled Black Tartarian, generally considered to 

 have been brought into England from Russia. It is also stated 

 to have originated in Spain, whence it was transmitted to the 

 Russian gardens, and through them into England. .\t any 

 rate, let its history be what it may, it is a Cherry of great ex- 



