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JOURNAL OF HORTIGULTUas AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( Ojlober 15, 1874. 



cirpet bedding it appears quite indispeasablo. Tliat it is 

 worthy of this high positioa there eia bs uo doubt, for apart 

 from its great iutriusio value, the ease and facility with which 

 a large stock may be raised from seed without artificial heat, 

 places this unique plant at the disposal of everybody. Blue 

 is the only important colour of which the blossom has a 

 monopoly, all others being beautifully developed in tha foliage. 

 This fact, no doubt, caused the Lobelia to be found in all 

 designs where blue was required, and the plants of it were 

 generally in excellent condition, being healtliy, full of bloom, 

 aud of a nice even growth — evidence that more than ordinary 

 care and painstaking had been devoted to their selection and 

 management. I allude to this because the Lobelias in many 

 places have not been good this year; it may be that this is 

 owing in some measure to the use of many of the worthless 

 varieties which have been sent out during the last year or two. 

 A really good strain of the true old speoiosa is the best aud 

 safest kind to use, aud all the newer introductions ought cer- 

 tainly to be tested more than once before they are introduced 

 into a design. Coleus Verschaffeltii and Alteruanthera versi- 

 color, with others, such as amoena, were in every group where 

 crimson deep or bright, or carmine, was required, and un- 

 doubtedly with the best effect, for there was great richness and 

 beauty combined with a quiet refinement of tone in every 

 combination; not that this result was by any means owing to 

 plants of one particular colour, but rather to the judicious 

 selection and tasteful combination of several. Soft grey was 

 not so prominent here as at Battersea, or rather I should say 

 it was not much used in the carpet beds. By-the-by, why not 

 term it enamel bedding ? It is a much more expressive term 

 for such artistic work. Feathery Fern-like masses aud lines 

 of greenery were used instead of grey to give tone and softness 

 to those designs wherein bright colours most prevailed. Our 

 old friend Tagetes signata pumila was the plant selected for 

 this purpose, the groivth being kept to a uniform height, and 

 every flower kept picked off with such jealous care, that it 

 was only by a very close inspection I could detect even a few 

 buds, and these were being removed. Treated in this way it 

 forms masses aud bands of a lovely and novel character, aud 

 which have only to be seen to be appreciated. It was a good 

 many years ago that I tried to produce a somewhat similar 

 effect with Geranium dentieulatum, but neither that nor any 

 other can at all compare with the Tagetes for such a purpose. 

 Of course it is not used for an outer row, all the beds here being 

 on turf with which it would clash, but for a secoud row or 

 central mass nothing can be more telhng. — Edwakd Lhckhurst. 



VINE CULTUnE. 



Weiohi of Crop, Thinning, DisBunniNG, &a, — Cropping 

 Vines too heavily is a prevailing error in Grape-growing. Pre- 

 suming that the rafter is — say, 21 feet long ; that the young 

 Vines are to bear to a third of this length the first year, and 

 that the Vines show more than a bunch to each shoot — re- 

 move them all but one to a s,hoot as soon as they are far 

 enough advanced to be got hold of ; aud after the berries are 

 Bet — presuming that the bunches are large, as they generally 

 are in young Vines — remove all but four bunches on every 

 rod. This will leave eight bunches on a Vine. Of course, the 

 largest and most shapely are generally left ; and in most cases 

 it may be presumed they will average at least 2 lbs. or more. 

 This is crop suflicient for the first year in the case of permanent 

 Vines. None of these bunches should be loft on the leading 

 shoots, which should not be stopped this year till they reach 

 the top of the house. When the Vines are in full bearing, 

 li lb. of Grapes to every foot run of the main stem of the Vine 

 may be regarded as a fair crop. 



In disbudding the side growths of young Vines, due regard 

 must be had to a regular establishment of permanent fruiting 

 points or spurs. From 1(> to 18 inches apart will be enough ; 

 and this will generally call for the removal of two buds for 

 every one left all along the main stem. These side fruit- 

 bearing growths should be stopped two or three joints beyond 

 the bunch that is left. This, generally speaking, will give 

 foliage sufficient to clothe the whole roof, when the main 

 stems are trained 3 feet apart. If there is room for a more 

 lengthened growth, it should be allowed to those from which 

 the bunches are all taken off. This gives foliage enough to 

 sustain the Vines in vigour. Closer stopping has a tendency 

 to we.ik ta the Vines in time. Allow the lateral growths which 

 tpring from the axils of the leaves of these fruit-beariug shoots 

 to foiin one leaf, aud slop them, and do not allow them to 



make more growth the whole season. A less number of large 

 well-developsd leaves is preferable to a greater number in a 

 crowded condition. 



As soon as the shoots can be tied down without fear of their 

 breaking, carefully bring them down till they can be tied to 

 the under sides of the wires. This operation must not be at- 

 tempted at once. They must be brought down by degrees, 

 beginning with them when their points have nearly touched 

 the glass. Even when they can be tied down safely at one 

 time, they frequently force themselves off the main stem in 

 the course of a few hours. Shorten the laterals on the portion 

 of the main stem which is not bearing to one leaf when the 

 wood has become brown. 



In thiuuing off the bunches to the number directed, make a 

 partial thinning when the shoots are tied down, and the final 

 thinning when they are out of bloom, except in the case of 

 Muscats, the thinning of which should be left till it can be 

 seen which bunches have set their berries most regularly. The 

 thinning of the berries should take place, in the case of Him- 

 burghs and all free-setting sorts, as soon as the berries attain 

 the size of Radish seeds. But with the shy-setting sorts it is 

 best to delay their thinning till they are largei', and it can be 

 seen which are properly fertilised and which are not. 



SpuR-rRUNiNQ FOR NEXT Season's Crop. — It is now very 

 generally admitted that the close-spur system of pruning is 

 the best — i.e., to cut back this season's fruit-beariug growth 

 to within an eye or bud of the main stem. In each succeeding 

 year the pruning takes place back to the single bud at the base 

 of last season's bearing growth. As the Vines get older, a 

 cluster of buds generally forms at the spur, notwithstanding 

 this close pruning. Only the strongest of those that grow are 

 left to bear fruit. This close pruning is much preferable to 

 leaving two or three eyes. Not only can the Vines be main- 

 tained for a longer time in a more manageable and sightly 

 condition, but they yield more compact serviceable bunches, 

 that swell their berries better than those long and looser 

 bunches generally produced from buds further from the main 

 stem. Prune, especially Vines to be forced early, immediately 

 they have shed all their leaves. The wounds should always be 

 dressed with styptic to prevent any chance of bleeding. When 

 in the course of time spurs get long and unsightly, a portion 

 of them can be cut right back to within au inch of the main 

 stem, and the adventitious buds there will break again aud 

 form fruit-beariug wood. By cutting back a certain number 

 annually, they can thus be kept within bounds, or young rods 

 can be brought away from the bottoms of the Vines, and the 

 old ones out out altogether. 



Teaininc. — With regard to the extension system of training, 

 by which a Vine is made to fill a whole house, there can be no 

 objection to it, provided a border extending away from the 

 front of the vinery in proportion to the extension of the 

 branches can be secured for that large range which an im- 

 mense Vine, filling, it may be, one large house, requires for its 

 roots. This condition secured, there can be no objection 

 urged against what is called the extension system. Another 

 matter to be taken into consideration is, that a Vine having 

 its roots extending to an immense border area is less under 

 control, especially for early forcing. All things considered, I 

 prefer in a general way a compromise between the one-rod 

 and the extension systam ; and think that a Vine limited to 

 two main rods is, in by far the majority of eases, more under 

 the control of the cultivator, and best adapted for early forcing. 



For the supply of summer and autumn Grapes, there can be 

 uo objection to filling a house with a Vine or two, provided 

 that a run of border congenial to them can conveniently be 

 provided for such large Vines. In some localities where the 

 vinery is set down in a soil naturally congenial, there is little 

 difficulty in this respect. But in the majority of oases the 

 border has to be artificially prepared and limited ; under such 

 circumstances, it is better to restrict the Vines to two or three 

 rods. — D. Thomson (in Tlie Gardener). 



JASMINE FRUITING. 



Admiral Sir Frederick Grey, Lynwood, Sunnin 

 Staines, informs us that the Jasmine plants trained on the 

 walls of his house have this year borne fruit, and as this 

 appears to occur but rarely, lie should be glad to know if plants 

 have seeded in other places. 



The aspect of the house is S.S.E. Four plants have fruit 

 on them, one to the E.N.E., one to the S.S.l'V, and two on the 

 wall facing the W.S.W. This wall is sheltered by a con- 



