386 



JOURNAL 0? HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARbENEE. 



( October 29, 1874. 



Grape harvest. France may well be proud of its vineyards ; in 

 quantity, quality, and variety it is the queen of wine-producing 

 countries. ' From the plains of Champagne to the slopes of 

 the Bordelais,' the EcoiiomUte Franraisc lately exultingly ex- 

 claimed, ' from the banks of the Loire to those of the Rhone, 

 our beautiful sun gilds with its rays upwards of two millions 

 of hectares of Vines, affording occupation to more than seven 

 millions of labourers, and producing as much as seventy mil- 

 lions of hectolitres.' This is admitted to bo a maximum, 

 which has only once been attained, in the year 18G9. The 

 years 1847 to 18.57 formed an exceptional series, of which the 

 earUer years produced some of the finest vintages then known, 

 while in the later ones the oidium played havoc with the Vine. 

 The product in 185i was less than eleven millions of hecto- 

 litres (the hectolitre is twenty-two gallons), and in 185.5 little 

 more than fifteen. The eleven years from 1803 to 1873 yielded 

 502 millions of hectolitres, an annual average of fifty-three 

 millions ; and even 1870, in spite of the war and occupation, 

 attained that quantity. The worst vintage of that period was 

 in 1873 — less than thirty-six millions ; but it seems probable 

 than 187i will compensate in great measure for that large 

 deficiency. The Vine covers more than 4^ per cent, of the 

 surface of France, of which only ten departments produce no 

 wine. The number of proprietors of vineyards, according to 

 the last census of which I find a record, was upwards of two 

 millions in 1829. There is no important difference in the 

 extent of vineyards in 1851 and at the present day, and the 

 fluctuations during that interval have been trifling. The small- 

 est surface planted with Vines during those twenty years was 

 in 1870, when it was only just over two millions of hectares, 

 whereas in some of the previous years it had ranged as high 

 as 2,300,000." A hectare nearly equals 2J English acres, so 

 that there have been sometimes 5,750,000 acres occupied as 

 vineyards. 



The opening of the School of Horticulture at Versailles, 



which was to have taken place on October 1st, is postponed 

 till December Ist. — {Nature.) 



NOTES ON VILLA and SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



The frosts that succeeded the rain on the Slst inst. have very 

 much altered the appearance of the flower garden, for while 

 Dahlias, Cannas, and many other plants of large growth and 

 foliage have been blown to pieces, the most tender of the dwarf- 

 growing bedding plants have been cut down by frost, notwith- 

 standing that most of the Geraniums have escaped injury, and 

 may yet be induced to put on a bri^liter appearance. The dis- 

 likt! of most people to seeing the beds made bare so earlyin the 

 season, will induce them to give another dressing and trim the 

 plants up once more, and if frost keep away the beds will look 

 much better than the naked earth. Where Dahlias are much 

 broken about the branches had better be cut off, and those re- 

 maining should be fresh tied-up. I am not an advocate for 

 taking up either Dahlias or Cannas too soon ; the middle of next 

 month is quite soon enough; the roots become better matured. 

 But if severe frost should cut down the tops to the ground before 

 that time, protect the roots by coal ashes ; or if these are not to 

 be had, throw a few inches deep of the garden soil over them. 

 Make sure now without delay that all the cuttings of every sort 

 wanted have been obtained, and if any stock is likely to fall 

 short of what will be wanted, either propagate more or take-up 

 the old plants before it is too late. 



Verbenas in frames are liable to the attacks of mildew at this 

 time of the year ; immediately it is discovered dust the leaves 

 with powdered sulphur. I generally keep my stock of these 

 plants in the cold frames all winter, together with Calceolarias, 

 variegated Alyssums, Guaphaliums, and Pansies. The frames 

 are stood upon a dry bottom and filled half full of some rough 

 material, then coal ashes are placed on the top of these, the pots 

 put on the ashes, and, of course, every opportunity is taken to 

 give all the air possible, and several times during winter the 

 pots are taken out, and both these and the plants cleaned if 

 needed. Plenty of air circulating among the pots, and not stand- 

 ing them closely together, are good means of keeping away mil- 

 dew, and my plants in spring cause much less trouble. Being 

 very short of house room, I find this method of great advantage. 

 All the other plants named above are not kept in pots, but the 

 bed is made-up inside the frames to within 8 inches of the glass, 

 with 2 inches of finely-sifted sandy soil on the top of other 

 rougher material. The cuttings are dibbled into this about 

 2 inches apart and made firm, watered, and kept close for a 

 time. They are never allowed to flag from the sun heat. If 

 they show signs of dryness in the leaf the lights are thrown off 

 in the morning and the cuttings sprinkled with water. This 

 keeps them so fresh that they are not long before they take 

 root. 



My cuttings of Calceolarias have only just been put in. I 

 always defer the work as long as possible, and feel myself satis- 

 fled if they are rooted by about Christmas. Now, as these 

 plants are kept in the frames all winter, there is need of pro- 

 tection to exclude frost. This is done by what in the London 

 nurseries is called banking-up. A lining of rough dung, or dung 

 and earth together, is laid firmly round for about 18 inches in 

 width, reaching to the top of the frame ; it would require a very 

 severe frost to get through that thickness. Then the glass is 

 protected by mats, and on these is laid a little dry straw or rougli 

 clean litter, such as may have been used in the stable for one or 

 two nights. Some persons keep the commoner sorts of Gera- 

 niums in frames also through the winter, but they should be 

 treated like Verbenas — that is, be grown in pots and set on a 

 very dry bottom elevated close to the glass. 



Cinerarias are yet doing well in frames, though they will 

 damp-off if not watched ; Primulas the same", but in a short time 

 they will be taken into the house and placed on a shelf near the 

 glass, where their flowers will soon open. I now come to the 

 herbaceous Calceolarias, which are, perhaps, the easiest of any- 

 thing to preserve in a cool frame or pit during the winter. 

 They grow very fast at this time of the year, and must bo 

 potted-up frequently, for if allowed to become pot-bound too 

 soon they turn yellow and start-up a flower-stem prematurely. 

 These plants are comparatively hardy, and I have more than 

 once seen plants with a piece of ice lying in the heart. They 

 will thrive in a rich loam with finely-sifted manure added in 

 the proportion of one part in four, and made workable by 

 adding sand to it. 



Strawberries in Pots. — There are many villa gardeners who 

 ought to pay more attention to ripening the plants off a little. 

 I do not mean to dry the plant up so that its leaves shrivel, 

 because that alone would ruin the prospects of a crop of fruit, 

 but the plants should be taken up and the pots placed on a 

 hard bottom of boards, still out of doors ; their roots cannot then 

 run through the bottoms of the pots, but the crowns increase in 

 size very much at this time of the year, and the plan of stand- 

 ing them up in the way I mention so far checks their growth 

 as to leave the plant nothing else to do but to mature itself. 

 At no time should Strawberry plants be allowed to become dry 

 at the root ; the object should be to preserve the roots fresh as 

 they are made at this time of the year.— TnoM.iS Recobd. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND PRESENT WEEKS. 



H.VBDY FRUIT OABDEN. 



We have now had sufficient rain to penetrate to the subsoil, 

 and all fruit trees to be rcinooed should be hfted at once. The 

 trees to be benefited by removal are those which have been 

 planted a few years only, and have a tendency to grow more to 

 wood than to fruit buds. There are also older trees which have 

 the same evil tendency. Almost imder any circumstances the 

 same variety of tree has a woody character ; of such are Tower 

 of Glamis, Blenheim Pippin, &c., amongst kitchen Apples. 

 Amongst Pears, Plums, and Cherries there are varieties having 

 the same fault. Varieties that have a gross habit may be checked 

 and thrown into fruit-bearing when yoimg by grafting on dwarf- 

 ing stocks — viz., the Apple on the Paradise, the Pear on the 

 Quince, and the Cherry on Cerasus Mahaleb. It will at the same 

 time be necessary to state that many varieties of Pears will not 

 succeed on the Quince until a variety that thrives on it has in 

 the first place been worked on the latter. Gentlemen in the trade 

 know the peculiarity of each tree, and this matter can safely be 

 left in their hands, but amateurs and others who have leisure 

 can often find a source of enjoyment in budding and grafting 

 trees of their own. There are also many varieties of Apples 

 and Pears that are prolific in all soils. Lord Suftield, Cellini, 

 Dumelow's Seedling, Hawthornden, Cox's Pomona, and many 

 of the best dessert Apples are sure croppers, and such only 

 should be planted, especially in small gardens and in positions 

 where the trees are intended to grow large. Lastly, those trees 

 that have shown signs of canker before they have arrived at the 

 meridian of life would often take a new lease of life if their 

 leading roots were brought nearer the surface, and some suitable 

 loam that has not already grown fruit trees were placed amongst 

 the roots. When it is intended either to remove or root-prune 

 a fruit tree, the first operation is to dig a trench round it, taking 

 the radius of a circle at the extremity of the branches, and 

 there digging out a deep trench. The larger the tree, so much 

 the deeper ought this trench to be ; from this work under the 

 roots to the centre of the tree, and with a spade cut through all 

 descending roots. If it is intended to replant the tree in another 

 situation the same care is requisite to save all roots that would 

 be immediately useful. 



American blight is best attacked at this season. It ought not 

 to have a place in any well-managed garden ; it must and can 

 be removed from young trees, but cankery old subjects that are 

 badly infested are only fit for the fire. Oar plan is simply to 

 dress the part affected with boiled oil, which is fatal to the 

 insect. The buds and young wood must not be thickly dressed 



