244 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



( March 19, 1874. 



at an angle of 35° or eo, as shown infirf. 5, until such time as 

 they have attained their proper or desired dimensions. Then, 

 when the whole of the branches are formed, they may be 

 brought down to their proper or permanent position, as shown 

 by the dotted line in fg. 5. In the pruning of the branches 

 b, e, the object in view is their extension, and clothing or 

 furnishing them with fruiting spurs. According to their 

 strength, therefore, they should be pruned, so that they may 

 produce one shoot for continuation and fruiting spurs. As to 

 the main stem a, its purposes are altogether different. We 

 have this to prune so as to produce another tier of branches 

 similar to 6, c, and a continuation of the main stem a. Assum- 

 ing 10 inches as a very good distance apart for the branches 

 to be, the main stem a may be pruned to the bud that is 

 exactly 10 inches distant from the other branches. This top 

 bud will be available for the continuation of a, and the next 

 two lower buds for the formation of branches like b, c. In 

 the following year the same process is repeated, forming 

 another course of branches, and again in the succeeding years, 

 until the required size is attained. — B. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND PBESENT WEEKS. 



FECIT AND KITCHEN OAKDEN. 



Last week it was noted that the weather was cold, with a low 

 temperature at night. The frost continued to increase in in- 

 tensity, and was at its lowest on the morning of the 10th, when 

 the thermometer registered 13^ below freezing; on the 11th it 

 was 11". It is doubtful if expanded blossoms on wall Apricot 

 trees have escaped. Pyramid Pear trees were not sufficiently 

 advanced to sustain injury, owing to heavy falls of snow; and 

 the ground being in a sloppy condition at other times through 

 the sun acting on the frozen ground, operations have been 

 brought to a standstill. There is always plenty of necessary 

 work in the sheds at such a time. If Pea sticks have not been 

 pointed and sized, this should be attended to. Heaps of vege- 

 table mould can also be turned, and in places where manure is 

 not easily obtained it is very valuable as a substitute. The 

 heap ought to be kept free from stones, seeds of weeds, and 

 woody matter. 



riiUIT AND FORCING HOUSES. 



Vineries, — The early houses are progressing very favourably 

 this season ; the largest proportion of the bunches have been 

 thinned. This ought to be done as soon as the berries are large 

 enough, which, in the case of such sorts as Black Hamburgh, 

 the Frontignans, and Sweetwaters, will be in ten days from the 

 time of the first flowers opening. Muscat of Alexandria, Canon 

 Hall Muscat, and similar shy-setting sorts cannot be thinned 

 until it is evident which berries have set. This will be apparent 

 in two weeks from the time of flowering if an average night 

 temperature of 70° has been kept up. Thinning Grapes is an 

 operation requiring much care and judgment, and a high degree 

 of perfection can only be obtained by experience. The two essen- 

 tials are a steady hand and a large stock of patience. A bit of 

 stick as thick as a cedar pencil, with a fork at one end, is held in 

 the left hand to steady the bunch, and a pair of scissors in the 

 right, and in using the scissors great care is necessary to prevent 

 them from touching the berries that are to remain. The scissors 

 should also be wiped very frequently with a dry cloth. Many 

 gardeners remove only a portion of the berries at this time, 

 making a second thinning. This is not desirable ; all the berries 

 that are to be removed should be taken off the first time. The 

 laterals are pinched a few days before the first flowers open, and 

 the Vines are left alone until all the Grapes are set. We fancy 

 that the slight check which the Vines necessarily receive from 

 stopping the laterals would act upon the bunches, and to a cer- 

 tain extent prevent the berries from setting so freely as they 

 otherwise would. The laterals are stopped and the branches 

 regulated as soon as the berries are set. The borders inside and 

 out receive a thorough soaking with tepid water, and a httle 

 fresh stable manure is added to that on the border outside, which 

 requires to be turned over to allow of the water being applied. 

 A slight dressing of manure is also put over the inside border, 

 so that the nutriment from it may be washed-down to the roots. 

 After this time it is highly desirable to maintain a good supply 

 of atmospheric moisture from evaporating troughs, and by damp- 

 ing the paths and walls of the houses three or four times a-day 

 in hot weather. The Vines are breaking freely in the late houses. 

 The Muscat house ought to have a little artificial heat, but being 

 filled with bedding plants we will not do so until they can be 

 removed. Lady Downe's late black Grape has kept much better 

 with us than any other variety; there are still a number of 

 bunches left which were cut early in January, the branch at- 

 tached to the bunch having its end inserted in a bottle of water. 



Feach Huune. — During the recent weather, cold and with httle 

 sunshine by day, it was better to let the temperature faU 5° 

 below the minimum than to apply too much heat to the hot- 

 water pipes. Inside borders often become overdry, and it takes 



a very large quantity of water to moisten them to the bottom ; 

 this is all-important, and should be looked to. Red spider must 

 not gain a footing, and aphis must also be destroyed ; this 

 enemy cannot be dislodged by syringing, but the bouse must be 

 fumigated with tobacco smoke. If the fruit has not been finally 

 thinned in the earliest house, thinning ought to be done before 

 the fruit has completed stoning. If the trees are old, do not 

 overcrop them ; one fruit to every square foot of surface is a fair 

 crop. The trees would carry a larger quantity than this, but it 

 is not desirable that they should do so. Late houses, where the 

 trees are in blossom, must be ventilated freely, but the sashes 

 should not be thrown open to a cutting frosty wind. A chink 

 of air should be left on at the top of the house all night, and 

 during the recent severe weather it has been necessary to use 

 artificial heat. Shake the trees once or twice a-day, which will 

 cause the poUen to be distributed freely, and will ensure the 

 setting of the fruit. 



PLANT STOVE. 



We found it necessary to put up the summer blinds for shad- 

 ing. The sun is very powerful at this season, and, acting upon 

 the expanded flowers and young growths of hardwooded plants 

 and Ferns after a period of dull weather, it has a very injurious 

 effect. Many persons do not take their shading down during 

 the winter ; indeed, in cases where the heating apparatus is de- 

 ficient, it is absolutely necessary that there should be some 

 covering which can be let down when the nights are unusually 

 cold. For our own part we do »ot approve of covering up too 

 much in winter, and would rather have all houses well fitted 

 with hot-water pipes. The shading ought to be nailed to a lath 

 fixed at the apex of the roof, and be let down and pulled up by 

 roller, hues, and pulleys. Mealy bug had appeared on one or 

 two of the plants which had been recently purchased ; these 

 were cleansed at once. It is very desirable not only to thoroughly 

 wash any new plants that are bought in, but they should also he 

 watched for a few weeks afterwards. Look over all plants sub- 

 ject to this horrible pest, and have every vestige of it removed. 

 Soft soap and rain water appUed with a sponge is the best way 

 to remove them. 



Potted Galanthes. The varieties we grow are C. vestita Intea, 

 C. vestita rubra, and C. Veitchii. Usually they are potted before 

 starting into growth ; this time they hadi just started, and fresh 

 roots were pushing from the base of the young growth, so that 

 they will start into the fresh material at once. The potting 

 material was composed of turfy loam and fibrous peat in nearly 

 equal proportions, with a little sand and sphagnum moss inter- 

 mixed. The plants will not receive any water for a week; they 

 are placed in a house where the temperature ranges from 65* to 

 70" at night. These valuable winter-flowering plants are easily 

 cultivated ; they succeed with ordinary stove treatment, and the 

 flower spikes will keep for three weeks in water in a room after 

 being cut from the plants. C. Veitchii is now common, and 

 can be obtained at the price of the usual run of stove plants. 



Caladiums were also shaken out of the pots and repotted 

 after having been started into growth. The compost used 

 consisted of turfy loam, ahout two parts to one part of peat, 

 with some rotted manure added to it. The plants should be 

 placed near the glass, and kept free from green fly and red spider 

 by syringing. There ought to be a hberal supply of moisture 

 kept up by syringing the plants that require it in the morning, 

 or, if the day is fine, early in the afternoon. The paths and 

 stages may be sprinkled with water during the day. 



FLOWER OAEDEN. 



The time has now arrived when gardeners are driven up for 

 room for bedding plants. Justice cannot be done to late Vines 

 that are starting mto growth if the house is full of bedding 

 plants. Calceolarias may be planted-out in trenches at once, 

 and as soon as opportunity offers we shall have a turf pit put 

 up. After the middle of March zonal Pelargoniums, Verbenas, 

 LobeUas, Centaureas, and other tolerably hardy subjects will 

 take no harm in such a place. They ought to be covered at 

 night with straw hurdles or some other efficient protector. The 

 straw hurdles were employed by us for two or three seasons, but 

 the straw was attractive to mice, which used to gnaw it and 

 made the place littery. As a substitute frigi dome was nailed 

 on the hurdles ; this is not half the trouble of straw. The same 

 material has served us three seasons, and is quite good yet. 

 Cuttings that have been struck in heat should be gradually 

 hardened-off ; to remove them from a hothouse all at once to a 

 cool greenhouse would be injurious. If there is not a sufficient 

 stock of everything required for the flower beds, cuttings must 

 be put in without delay. — J. Dodolas. 



roTATOES. — In the last two months the value of Potatoes 

 imported was £.310,993, against £544,639 in the same period 

 of 1873. 



TEADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED, 



T. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, London. — Cata- 

 logue of Antirrhinums, HoUijhocks, Finks, Carnations, de. 



