564 



JOURNAL OF HGRTICULTDEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ December 23, 1815. 



trees ; the ground had been previously prepared by trenching. 

 The space had been occupied by old trees, so that the work had 

 to be done in a careful manner, the old roots being picked out 

 to prevent fungoid growths from spreading in the ground, which 

 would be injurious to the young trees. A large proportion of 

 fresh loam was added, and a suiDcient quantity of rotted manure 

 was worked-in as well. Ground that has grown fruit trees until 

 they are decrepid cannot be very rich in manure, and when 

 trenching-up such borders we have manured heavily, generally 

 applying a double dressing when the ground has been trenched 

 about 2 feet deep. The young trees, of whatever sort, generallv 

 make a very good growth the following Eeason, and the ground 

 becomes matted with fibrous roots. Early in November follow- 

 ing the trees are again lifted, the ground is trenched over — this 

 time without any manure being added, and the trees replanted 

 with a good deal of rich fibrous loam about the roots. 



As many persons will be pUmiing fruit trees, a word about 

 the operation may not be in vain. In the first place the trees 

 must be carefully lifted : the nurseryman will see that this is 

 done as it ought to be if he obtains a fair price for bis trees. 

 When gentleman fry to purchase at the cheapest possible rate 

 they cannot expect to have healthy well-managed trees. If 

 they are more than two years old they ought to be trees that 

 have been transplanted when they were that age, and every 

 second year afterwards. Trees that are often removed will be 

 furnished with plenty of fibrous roots ; but the expense of re- 

 moving them is considerable, and the purchaser must pay for it. 

 It will always pay to take great pains in planting. The hole for 

 the roots should be wide enough to allow the fibrous roots to be 

 spread straight out, and deep enough to cover the roots and 

 Btem of the tree the same depth as it was before. Some fibrous 

 loam IS always placed under and over the roots, the soil is then 

 levelled-in, and over it to thefullestextent of the roots is placed 

 a dressing of rotted manure. This is not removed in spring, 

 but is allowed to remain until it is washed away by the rains. 

 We are root-pruning some of the Apple trees to induce fruit- 

 bearing, and in some cases to check the spread of canker. Half 

 the roots are lifted this season, and half the following one. 



We continue to prune Gooseberry and Currant trees, and also 

 to nail Cherry, Plum, and Pear trees on the walls. In the 

 southern counties Fines on the walls carry good crops of fruit. 

 We have seen Black Hamburghs of very good quality in favour- 

 able seasons, but this excellent sort does not always ripen. The 

 best of all for out of doors is Royal Muscadine, which seldom 

 fails to ripen. Those who can command glass erections will 

 occupy their walls with some other sorts of fruit trees, and will 

 find Peaches and the finer sorts of Pears more profitable than 

 Vines; others who cannot afford glass structures must trust to 

 walls for their Grapes. Next to a south aspect a wall facing 

 west is the best. If the Vines have not been pruned they ought 

 to be as soon as it may be convenient. If this operation is 

 deferred until spring the Vines will bleed, and late pruning 

 causes them to start later. We would rather prune out-of-doors 

 Vines in November. The system best adapted for the Sweet- 

 water and Muscadine class is that which encourages the forma- 

 tion of strong well-ripened young canes annually. The young 

 wood produced on old canes is often not strong enough to pro- 

 mS."® J™'t) aid if bunches do show they are generally small. 

 The old canes should be cut out when it can be done, and the 

 young canes be laid-in in the place of them. 



VINEKIES. 



We have started the early houses this week. The outside 

 borders are protected by wooden shutters. Both outside and 

 inside the Vines have had a watering with tepid water. The 

 outer surface bad a dressing of about a foot of fermenting mate- 

 rial, and the shutters were again placed over it ; they cause the 

 material to retain the heat much longer than if it was exposed. 

 The inside temperature of the houses is 40"; it may be 50° in 

 warm nights, a rise of 5° or 10" being allowed in the day. Mois- 

 ture 18 obtained in the atmosphere by evaporating troughs on 

 the pipes, and from water being sprinkled on the walls and 

 pathways. The Grapes in late houses keep better now that the 

 leaves have been removed from the Vines, but constant vigilance 

 )s required to delect and remove any berries that show signs of 

 decay. Those who intend to plant young Vines and have not 

 yet made their borders ready should lose no time in doing so. 

 It is better to have all the material ready and wheeled into its 

 place before the winter frosts. The Vines may be planted at the 

 same time, or they may not be planted until March. Whether 

 the Vines are intended for an early or late house, they ought to 

 be planted inside; any distance from 9 inches to 2 feet from the 

 front wall will do. The hot-water pipes to heat the house are 

 usually placed about 2 feet from the inside of the front wall; if 

 BO, the Vines had better be planted at equal distances from the 

 wall and the pipes. The best Vines to plant are those that have 

 been grown from eyes the same season, and we always prefer 

 such as have been grown without bottom heat, except a little to 

 start the eyes. Nor should tho potting material be rich : turfy 

 loaru with the addition of a little crushed bones promotes a 

 moderate growth which always ripens well. A Vine does not 



require a deep hole for its roots, but they should be uncoiled 

 and laid to their fullest extent horizontally. Some sweet mode- 

 rately dry rotted loam should be placed round the roots, and 

 when the Vines start all the eyes ought to be rubbed off except 

 two or three at the base. Two is the usual number if the Vines 

 are planted 5 or fi feet apart; this distance allows a space of 

 2 feet 6 inches or 3 feet between the rods. 



Pot Vines that were started in October will now be breaking 

 freely. The night temperature should be G5°, or it may fall to 

 C0° in cold weather. It is better to obtain atmospheric moisture 

 from the paths or walls of the house than from evaporating 

 troughs until the days are longer — say about a month after 

 Christmas. We have grown canes of all the leading sorts of 

 Vines from eyes put in about Christmas. The eyes ought to be 

 taken from Vines that were forced early the previous season. 

 Tho pots are put into a house with a night temperature of 5.5°, 

 and a bottom heat of about 85°. 



Straioherrics. — A batch of Black Prince in 5-inch pots have 

 been placed in the early vinery on a shelf near the glass. It is 

 very important that the pots should be close to the glass, for 

 when at a considerable distance from it the plants never do well, 

 especially early in the season. We shall remove them to another 

 house as soon as the Vines come into leaf. The temperature of 

 the vinery at that stage is also too high. From 55° to 60° is the 

 best for Strawberries at the time the flower truBses are thrown 

 up. The vinery will be 05° when the first leaves are forming. 

 When the vinery has not been available at this season we have 

 made a dung bed and plunged the Strawberry pots in a gentle 

 bottom heat; the lights were kept rather close, and in three 

 weeks the plants were removed to a house with a temperature 

 of from 55° to C0° at night, and did well. Without this start 

 they would not have thrown up their trusses freely. 



Aspararjus. — The most general mode of forcing this vegetable 

 is by preparing a hotbed. The best material is equal proportions 

 of fresh stable manure and leaves. After laying on a heap for 

 two weeks, and turned over twice in that time, the manure is 

 not likely to heat violently ; but the Asparagus must not be put 

 in until a week after the bed is put up. By that time the extent 

 of its heating power may be ascertained. If the heat is thought 

 to be too strong, a layer of freshly cut turf with the grass side 

 down will check its rising into the soil. Some persons are very 

 particular about the ago of the roots. We would not use plants 

 less than four years old, but they maybe used up to thirty years 

 old or more. A three-light frame of the usual size will, if the 

 plants are packed-in closely, produce a dish every day for three 

 weeks. Hotbeds are rather uncertain. Sometimes, even with 

 the best management, the heat will suddenly rise and injure the 

 roots. A heated pit is the best place to force Asparagus with 

 two pipes for bottom heat, and where this can be obtained dang 

 beds can be dispensed with. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSEBVATOKT. 



Chrysanthemums are now going out, and a succession of 

 flowers will be kept up from perpetual-flowering Carnations, 

 Cyclamens, Cinerarias, &c. We have on previous occasions 

 alluded to the valae of the flesh-coloured Carnation Miss Jolliffe 

 for decorative purposes and for cut flowers. As a companion to 

 it we would mention a newer variety, raised by Mr. C. Turner 

 of Slough, named Empress of Germany. It is an immense 

 flower of excellent form, pure white, with an occasional stripe 

 or red flake. The flowers open freely at midwinter in a cool 

 greenhouse. Stage Pelargoniums are now kept close to the 

 glass, else the growths become drawn : where they are too thick 

 we tie or thin them out. Cinerarias are also placed on shelves 

 near the glass. When they are in bloom we place them on the 

 stage with other jjlants. Bulbs and other plants that have been 

 brought out of the forcing house should be placed in a warm 

 corner, or the house may be kept closer for a day or two. We 

 have finished repotting the last of the Liliums : this ought to 

 have been done early in November, but from an unavoidable 

 cause it has been delayed until the present time. They were 

 all varieties of L. lancifolium, and the bulbs had not started into 

 growth. Lily of the Valley roots were also potted, about twenty- 

 live crowns in an 8 inch pot, and the whole of the pots were 

 plunged in cocoa-nut fibre refuse out of doors. — J. Douglas. 



HOKTICDLTUBAL EXHIBITIONS. 

 Secretakies will oblige us by informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 



Maidstone (Rosea). Jane 21st. Mr. Hubert Bensted, Rockstow, Maid- 



Btone, .Sec. 

 Spalding. June 21st. Mr. G. Kingstou, Sec. 

 Helensburgh (Roses). July 12th and 18tb. Mr. J. Mitchell, See. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 *,* AU correspondence should be directed either to " The 

 Editors," or to " The Pablisher." Letters addressed to 

 Mr. Johnson or Dr. Hogg often remain unopened unavoid- 

 ably. Wo request that no ouo will write privately to any 



