Duembeb 29. 1888.] 



TEE GARDENERS' CER0N1CLE. 



759 



majority of the above being evergreen species the 

 fronds ought to be protected with pieces of matting 

 or similar material, and, in addition to this, a good 

 surface dressing of cocoa-fibre refuse or half-decayed 

 leaves might be employed. Xew work and alterations 

 should be pushed on during the mild weather. In 

 the making of outdoor ferneries no pains should be 

 spared at the outset to render the work of an en- 

 during character ; and I would mention two or three 

 essential points : 1st, situation ; this should be rather 

 moist and shaded than the contrary, and if the ground 

 is undulating with large trees close by, so much the 

 better. The soil is another matter of importance, for 

 if the staple is unsuitable for Ferns, some other must 

 be substituted, and this may consist of sandy loam, 

 leaf-mould and peat — the latter, in which the roots of 

 wild Ferns abound, is the best. In the matter of plant- 

 ing, and in the choice of suitable species and varieties to 

 plant I would say that in all cases where an intimate 

 knowledge of Ferns is lacking, the matter should be 

 left entirely in the hands of a nurseryman who makes 

 a specialty of Ferns, as by so doing disappoint- 

 ment in results is likely to be averted. Suitable 

 accommodation in the way of rockwork should also 

 be provided for a few of the smaller growing species, 

 such as Ceterach officinarum ; many of the Scolo- 

 pendriums, and some of the Aspleniums will also de- 

 light in such surroundings, and it would greatly add 

 to the attractiveness of the fernery, if a narrow 

 stream of water could be introduced, near to which 

 some of the hardy " filmies," such as Hymenophyl- 

 lum tunbridgense, H. unilaterale, and Trichomanes 

 radicans might be grown. All these, and many 

 other points are matters of detail which ought to be 

 taken into consideration and decided on their own 

 merits in each individual case. J. Horseficld, Heytes- 

 buru. 



Fruits Under Glass. 



Pines. — Plants, which are swelling their fruits, 

 must be carefully supplied with weak guano, or 

 Thomson's manure, every time they require water, 

 and sufficient should given to saturate the whole boll, 

 no more being given till the plants are dry. Let each 

 plant be examined once or twice a week as to its 

 condition. Some plants may require water oftener 

 than others according to their situation. Plants 

 which are plunged in a bed of moist leaves or tan 

 will not require so much water as plants wholly 

 dependent on fire-heat for bottom temperature. 

 Whenever the fruits show colour see that the soil is 

 in a hpalthy condition as regards moisture, and if 

 any be necessary give then, but no more till the 

 fruit is cut. Regulate the atmospheric moisture by 

 the state of the weather. If clear and bright, the 

 paths should be damped the first thing in the morn- 

 ing, and again about 1 p.m., when the air has been shut 

 off — the surface of the bed, and all wall surfaces, 

 being sprinkled at this time, but avoid as much as 

 possible damping the foliage ; 85° to 90° for 

 bottom -heat, 6j° to 70° as a night temperature ; 

 but if the weather be of a character demanding the 

 use of much fuel rather decrease the moisture, and 

 allow the temperature to drop to 60°, as a cold 

 frosty night is generally succeeded bv a clear sunny 

 day ; 80° as a day temperature ; 85 with sun and 

 air, which must be admitted at the top of the house, 

 and with care close the ventilator in time to run up 

 a temperature of 95°, and have the fire stirred to 

 prevent a too rapid decline of the temperature. The 

 night temperatures are to rule from 10 p.m. to dawn. 



Early Starters. — If not already done, no time 

 should be lost in getting these prepared. Select 

 only such plants for this purpose'as are likely to start 

 without making a growth, and subject them to a 

 bottom-heat of 90°. See that they are in a proper 

 state of moisture at the root when plunged, and be 

 careful of watering much until they throw up their 

 flower heads. If too much water be given they will 

 in all likelihood start into growth instead of show- 

 ing fruit ; maintain 65° to 70° as a night tempera- 

 ture, 80° to 85° by day; and similar [treatment as 

 regards moisture in the atmosphere as that recom- 

 mended for plants swelling their fruit. The plants 

 intended for starting in February should be kept as 

 quiet as possible, but the structure in which they are 

 to be started should be got in readiness; and the 

 plunging material should be renewed if necessary, so 

 that the rank heat may subside prior to the plants 

 being introduced. Keep these and all successional 

 divisions at 55° to 60° at night, and 65 c to 70 D 

 during the day with sunheat, airing on all favour- 

 able occasions. 



Vines. — The early house will now be making rapid 

 progress. Let the forcing be conducted as much as 

 possible during the day. Where the leaves are 

 developed cease the use of the syringe and damp the 

 paths and ridge of fermenting leaves. Temperature 

 55° on cold nights and GO 3 on mild will be a suffi- 

 ciently high until the Vines come into' flower, when 

 65° to 70° should be maintained, with 10° higher by- 

 day — 5° more being allowed with bright sun. Do 

 not damp down the house in the morning when the 

 Vines are iu bloom, and towards midday distribute 

 the pollen with a Pampas-grass plume. Damp the 

 surface of the border at 2 p.m., when the house is to 

 be shut up for the day. The tying down of the 

 shoots must be very carefully undertaken else they 

 will in all likelihood break off, but there is 

 no need for hurry in this matter if the foliage be 

 kept clear of the glass until such time as the Vines 

 are coming into bloom, when the shoots will bend 

 very freely. A watering of tepid water should be 

 given to the border prior to the Vines blossoming, 

 and thejbedsof fermenting leaves may receive a slight 

 addition, if the heat has declined ; and during the 

 blooming stage of the Vines the daily turning of a 

 portion may be dispensed with. 



Pot Final. — Much of that which has been recom- 

 mended in regard to permanent Vines applies to 

 these, only that every attention to watering and the 

 due administering of weak manure stimulant must 

 be duly carried out as recommended in the Calendar 

 for December 8, giving top-dressings as frequently 

 as they appear needful. Keep a steady" root tem- 

 perature of 85° by slight additions to the fermenting 

 leaves. 



The Second-house will now be swelling fast, and 

 due attention to disbudding must be paid. When 

 the buds are fairly burst, 55° should be the mini- 

 mum night temperature, and 60° that by day ; ceise 

 syringing the canes, and supply the necessary mois- 

 ture by damping down. Prune all late vineries as 

 they are cleared of fruit, and get them cleaned and 

 prepared for starting. 



Ihe First Muscat-house should now be shut up, and 

 fire-heat applied by the middle of the month. 

 Grapes still hanging on the Vines should be examined 

 at short intervals, and decaying berries removed, 

 but considering the bad influence light has on black 

 Grapes in lightening their colour, it is by far the 

 best method to cut them with a good length of wood, 

 and to place them in bottles in a'dark room. Where 

 convenience for this does not exist, a shade of brown 

 paper may be laid on tbe trellis over the bunches. 

 When the weather will allow, admit all the air pos- 

 sible, and keep a slight warmth in the heating appa- 

 ratus, to expel damp; and when the weather is foggy 

 keep the ventilators closed and the temperature as 

 near 45° as possible. When hard frost necessitates 

 the warming of the house the warmth ought not to 

 exceed 40°. Win. M. Baillic. Luton Boo. 



The Hardy Fruit Garden. 



Apeicots. — These trees being the first to bloom, 

 the pruning and nailing of them should be finished 

 early in the Xew Year, and this year more especially, 

 the weather being at present so very mild ; and the 

 swelling of the bloom-buds will be hastened con- 

 siderably. I always endeavour to have the trees here 

 pruned and nailed as early as possible, so that on the 

 approach of frosty weather some kind of protection 

 may at once be placed over them, if the state of 

 the bloom-buds should seem to require it. The 

 summer pruning of fruit trees, often before alluded 

 to in my notes, applies also to the Apricot, and when 

 this has been performed the present pruning, will not 

 be of a severe character. All dead snags must be 

 cut away and the spurs shortened to three or four 

 buds. Young trees that have made strong shoots 

 should have these left entire, as no good can accrue 

 from cutting them hard back ; in fact, it is very often 

 the cause of a great deal of gumming taking place in 

 the trees. These strong growths should have their 

 tips pinched when they begin to grow, which will 

 cause them to produce numerous laterals. The fore- 

 right ones should be pinched in, and to form spurs, 

 the others laid in, and the trees will thus be quickly 

 furnished with bearing wood, as these laterals will 

 generally become studded with bloom-buds in the 

 following autumn. Where gaps have been caused 

 by branches dying off during the last season, it will 

 always be good practice to lay in enough young wood 

 to fill them up, than to attempt to move one or more 

 of the older branches out of their old position for 



that purpose, the old wood of the Apricot being of 

 a very brittle character which will not bear any force 

 being employed in bending it one way or the other, 

 and once the tissues are ruptured, gumming at 

 once sets in, and the branch dies shortly after being 

 moved. After the nailing is done, subject the trees 

 and walls to a thorough washing with soap-suds with 

 the garden engine, and if the trees are infested with 

 brown scale, paint them with a home-made mixture, 

 such as was recommended for Plums in. my last 

 calendar, p. 731. 



Currants. — Those where grown on north walls 

 should be spurred in to two buds, and with regard to 

 old trees, lay in some young wood at the base for 

 training up as branches, so that the old ones 

 eventually may be cut away. Examine the shreds, 

 and make good deficiencies, well washing the trees 

 afterwards with a solution of soot and lime. Point 

 the alley over to the depth of 2 or 3 inches, and dust 

 the surface well over with newly slaked lime. 



Orchards. — Examine the young trees, and shorten 

 or remove altogether any branches that are 

 likely to grow in the wrong direction, and cut off 

 the points of any others that stand in need of it. 

 Old trees that have been neglected will require the 

 removal of the cross and interlacing branches, and 

 the crowns should be thinned out, so that as much 

 sunlight and air as possible will reach the inner part 

 of the trees. If infested with lichen, dust the trees on 

 a damp day with soot and lime, or syringe them 

 with those substances thoroughly mixed in water. I 

 had a great many trees so treated last winter, and 

 the bark on stem and branch is now bright and 

 healthy. 



General Work. — As soon as the nailing of trees is 

 finished the alleys will require attention, as the soil 

 will have been trodden very hard. They should be 

 forked up to the depth of a few inches, afterwards 

 applying a mulching of dung to any trees which seem 

 to stand in need of it. Apple and Pear borders 

 should also be lightly dug over, and the digging of 

 bush fruit quarters proceeded with after pruning the 

 bushes. A. Ward, Stoke Edith Park. 



The Kitchen Garden. 



Frbni b Beaks is Pots. — These require a nice 

 light position at this part of the year, a temperature 

 of ij.v — 70°, with plenty of moisture in the atmo- 

 sphere, and they should be assisted when the roots fill 

 the pots with weak manure-water at each alternate 

 watering. Light turfy loam, pulled to pieces by 

 hand, mixed with half decayed leaf-soil that has not 

 been sifted, or old Mushroom dung, is the best kind 

 of compost for Beans, and at this season it should 

 be made warm before sowing the seed. Eight-inch 

 pots are about the best size for most varieties, but 

 6-inch ones will be large enough for small growing 

 varieties, or indeed for most others in the winter 

 months. Some gardeners sow the seeds in 60's first 

 and repot afterwards, but I have found the French 

 Bean to do best if this disturbance is avoided by 

 sowing the seeds in the larger pots. As they only 

 remain in the pots a short time the drainage required 

 may be of the slightest — one good sized crock over 

 the hole and a handful of the rough part of the com- 

 post over this being sufficient for the purpose. 

 The pot should only be made about half 

 full at the time of sowing or transplanting, the 

 soil being put in lightly, merely shaking the pot on 

 the bench, and not pressing it with the hands, as the 

 Beans prefer a loose soil through which the water 

 will percolate freely. Enough seed should be put 

 into each pot to allow for a few failures and 

 to make sure of at least five good plants. The pots 

 may be placed on the hotwater-pipes in a forcing- 

 house to hasten germination, and when the plants 

 show the third leaf they may be filled up with soil 

 and a few twigs of Birch be stuck amongst the plants 

 to support them. If any plants show a disposition 

 to grow too tall the points should be pinched out 

 when the stems have got three joints beyond the 

 seed leaves ; but if dwarf compact varieties like Sir 

 J. Paxton and Osborn's Forcing are grown, this 

 stopping of the points will be unnecessary. Canadian 

 Wonder is a good variety but it is more useful at a 

 later period. French Beans when grown in the tem- 

 perature given above will be ready to gather in about 

 six weeks after sowing, so that by sowing once a 

 fortnight a fourth part of the quantity to be grown 

 a continual supply can be maintained as each lot 

 will last in bearing about that space of time. W, H. 

 Dicers, Kctton Hall, Stamford, 



