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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



497 



that on hot sunny days the floor and stages of the house may be 

 sprinkled two or three times. I advise this as 'a preventive 

 against the inroads of red spider, which an amateur cannot 

 so well eradicate as a professional gardener. I do not think 

 it proper treatment to grow the Grapes in a moist atmosphere, 

 and then when a few berries begin to colour suddenly to with- 

 hold the application of moisture, for the healthy foliage re- 

 ceives a check, and if there is a little red spider in the honae 

 it begins to thrive immediately. I think we.eannot speak too 

 plainly to an amateur upon these matters, because in his usually 

 small houses it is a question of a crop or no crop. In speaking 

 of applying moisture, even that treatment ought to be withheld 

 within a reasonable time, say a fortnight after colouring; then 

 if the leaves are healthy they will carry the crop to perfection. 

 Grapes in the above ripening stage, if they are not admitted air 

 all night, the house ought to be partly opened early in the morn- 

 ings of sunny days, say by six or seven o'clock, to prevent the 

 condensation of moisture upon the berries, which is injurious 

 to them if they are required to hang long ; it also detracts from 

 their appearance, because the bloom runs off and they become 

 spotty. 



Having hitherto referred to forward Grapes, which is not 

 likely to meet all cases, I will remark on late houses in which 

 the fruit is but just set. Here, then, thinning must be quickly 

 completed, and if the fruit is required to hang well on into 

 autumn allowance must be made for this by cutting out more 

 berries, and tying up the little shoulders, which both improves 

 the appearance of the bunch and allows a circulation of air 

 between the berries. At the same time keep the young growth 

 pinched back at least once a fortnight up to the time of colour- 

 ing, when it may be allowed to run more freely. 



Maintain a growing atmosphere at all times, and if the roots 

 of the Vines are inside of the house the borders must be well 

 watered, that is, not to be satisfied with a mere sprinkling, but 

 give a good soaking, and even the outside border will be the 

 better of a supply, especially if the borders happen to be lightly 

 made with an abundance of good drainage and porous soil. 

 These borders whether inside or out will take large quantities 

 of water at three or four different times during the summer, 

 givingthe last one just before the time for colooring, and then 

 proceed as I have directed in the first part of these notes. As 

 to temperature, if the Vines are Muscats they must have a 

 heat of not less than 70° at night, which will be probably main- 

 tained by the summer weather, or, if not, a little fire heat at 

 night must be applied. Black Hamburgh Grapes and some of 

 the common White sorts will do with a heat of 05° at night at 

 this time of the year, allowing 5° higher for all sorts in the day, 

 with the addition of 10° for sun heat with air on. — Thomas 

 Record. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST AND WORK FOR THE 

 PRESENT WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



In the last reference to kitchen garden work we had to com- 

 plain of the want of rain ; since that time an inch and a quarter 

 has fallen with good results. 



Early Potatoes and Peas are the most important crops. The 

 Extra Early Vermont Potato has disappointed us this year, not 

 perhaps so much because it is not quite so parly or of such good 

 flavour as the earliest English kidney varieties, but because of 

 very nearly half of them becoming diseased. They started well 

 on the early borders and a patch of them in one of the fields, 

 but nearly half has gone off with the disease alluded to in last 

 week's Journal, leaving ugly gaps in places a yard in length. If 

 this new disease is introduced to our fields and gardens, and the 

 Dalmahoys and Regents are decimated as the Early Koses and 

 Vermonts have been this year, many hardworking farmers will 

 wish that our American cousins had kept their stock at home. 

 Indeed, it is doubtful if any of the sorts that have crossed the 

 Atlantic to England either have or will give universal satis- 

 faction. They are very well as a trade speculation, and are no 

 doubt adapted to those who crave for something new, but they 

 are far behind our own Regents, and cannot be named with the 

 white kidneys. 



From Potatoes it is pleasant to turn to Peas. Our vegetable 

 principles are inclined to conservatism, but our old favourite 

 Taber's Early Perfection has probably been sown this year for 

 the last time, and for the earliest crops nothing will be sown but 

 the sorts raised by Mr. Laxton of Stamford. The first sowing 

 has been gathered ; it comprised William I. and Alphf, they 

 were ready in the order named. William I. is not only pre- 

 ferred in the kitchen to Taber's Early, but it is by far the best 

 early exhibition Pea. Dr. Hogg was sown on the 27th March, 

 and on the 17th June it was quite ready to pick ; it has very 

 handsome curved pods of a deep green colour. Unique sown on 

 the same date was ready a day or two earlier. This will be a very 

 fine Pea for those who have gardens in exposed situations or 

 who cannot readily obtain sticks for the taller sorts. It does not 

 grow more than li foot high ; it has very fine-looking pods. 



Premium Gem is splendid this year. The later sorts are much 

 improved by the rains, which have also kept off the thrips ; 

 this pest always attacks our Peas in the summer months, and 

 is not easily destroyed. The hoe had been well kept at work 

 amongst the crops, but after the rains the weeds could easily 

 be discerned; when the surface had become rather dry the 

 Dutch hoe was run through the rows again. Cabbage Lettuce 

 is not grown, but the Cos variety Hick's Hardy White is certainly 

 the very best selection of the Paris White; it has been very fine 

 and has stood well through the drought. 



The young Celery plants have been eaten very much by ear- 

 wigs. Young earwigs burrow in the ground in clusters by day, 

 and come out to the work of depredation at night. A good way 

 to destroy them is to place some dry moss in the bottom of 

 GO-sized pots, and lay the pots on their sides near their haunts ; 

 the earwigs will hide in them, and may be destroyed in the 

 morning. As soon as Peas come in plentifully we discontinue 

 cutting the Asparagus, and have now done so. 



PINERIES. 



Some allusion was made to temperatures two weeks ago ; since 

 that time the weather has been such that we could not dispense 

 with artificial heat altogether, although but little has been re- 

 quired. On mild nights the temperature will be from 70' to 75° 

 at 10 p.m. This must not be considered excessively high for a 

 midsummer temperature ; on very hot days we have often had 

 it up to 80° and 85° without any artificial heat at that hour, but 

 rather than this shoald be it is better to leave the ventilators 

 open all night. So far it has not been necessary to do this. 

 If some good strong suckers of Queens could now be obtained 

 and potted in G or 7-inch pots, the pots plunged in a brisk 

 bottom heat and a high temperature kept up, under good general 

 management they would nearly all fruit next summer from Jun& 

 onwards. Succession Queens that have now nearly completed 

 their growth should have air freely admitted by day, and be 

 cautiously watered; in a word the growth must be well matured 

 for starting early for early fruit next season. It is quite certain 

 that Pines may be started for fruit as soon as the growths are 

 matured, but they are not likely to give satisfaction unless they 

 have a season of say two months' rest. All plants have a season 

 of rest, and the gardener who carefully studies those periods and 

 treats his plants in reference to them is sure to be aacoessful. 



CnCUMBEB AND MELON HOUSES. 



It is almost a question with us whether it is not desirable to 

 grow the Cucumbers in frames during the summer. Good 

 houses like ours are more useful for Azaleas, Camellias, &o., 

 where they can be placed to make their growths and have their 

 special wants attended to without interfering with any other 

 plants, as is the case when they are placed in vineries, where the 

 plants are too often the medium by which red spider is intro- 

 duced to the Vines. In Scotland it is necessary to resort to 

 linings of fermenting material to maintain a sufHciently high 

 temperature in frames; but "down south" plenty of good 

 Cucumbers may be grown with the glass protection merely, 

 and many prefer the Gherkins that are grown in the open 

 fields by the acre, and of which some of the large growers cut 

 several tons weekly in the season. All the shelter they require 

 is from rows of Rye sown at intervals across the fields to break 

 the force of the wind. 



Melons are nearly all cut, and if anyone is anxious to notice 

 the amazing fecundity of the red spider, an excellent opportunity 

 is afforded as soon as syringing is discontinued to allow the fruit 

 to ripen. Though the leaves may appear quite clean, in a week 

 the active little Acarus will be crowding them in every part. 

 If it had been intended to put out another crop the plants would 

 have been ready, but the house is useful for Azaleas making 

 their growth, and will be utilised for that purpose. 



PEACH HOUSES. 



In the late houses fruit will be stoning, and in some instances, 

 perhaps, making the second swelling ; in either case let the 

 syringe, or if the house is high the garden engine, be applied 

 with vigour. Like the Melon, the Peach tree ought to be quite 

 free from spider when the fruit is on the point of ripening, and 

 this can easily be done by constant syringing from the first. 

 The roots ought to have a thorough watering when stoning is 

 completed, jjressing the surface of the border with rotted 

 manure before watermg is preferable to using manure water. 

 Fruit that is ripi-ning ought to be looked over daily, and all 

 that parts freely from the stem ought to be gathered. Hexagon, 

 netting, or, indeed, any old shading, may be suspended under- 

 neath, into which the fruit will fall. Thoroughly wash the 

 trees and water the borders, if root-watering is necessary, in 

 houses where all the fruit has been gathered. 



PLANT STOVE AND ORCHID HOUSES. 



Young hardwooded plants, such as Ixoras, Gardenias, Bougain- 

 villeas, &c., also Ferns growing freely that were potted in the 

 early spring months, now require to be placed in larger pots, and 

 if they receive a liberal shift no more will be required this year. 

 Thus a plant in a 7-iuch pot may be transferred to a 9 or 10-incb. 

 pot, and the more robust-growing specimens may be shifted 



