April 2S, 1865. ] 



JOUKXAL OF HORTICULXtTRE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



337 



the back of pits, where Cucambers, Melons, and Beans are 

 growing being rather too damp, eren with a little air on all 

 night. 



We notice what is sa"d of iZind St-awberries, at page 304, 

 and so far endorse "W. Y.'s" remarks. It is much the 

 safest plan to take runners from plants that have bloomed. 

 In early forcing many plants come blind owing to the bud 

 being starred by excessive dryness, or rotted by an excess 

 of moisture. In all such cases the plants will bloom well 

 enough if planted out, and often give a crop in the autumn. 

 Those that never had a flower-bud, but show strong-pointed, 

 sharp-angled shoots, had better be thrown away. Some- 

 times, however, on marking such plants we have found 

 item become frnitfal the following season. It is best, how- 

 ever, as we have several times remarked, to choose ranners 

 firom fruitful plants. Plants that are barren are generally 

 nrnch sti-onger-growing than the fruitful ones, and produce 

 stronger and earlier runners, and unless precautions are 

 taken these will be apt to be taken off or layered by an in- 

 experienced workman. 



One other fact we may mention. Owing to the dryness 

 last summer, our plants of British Queen were very small, 

 so much so, that we put three plants into a seven-inch pot, 

 firming them at equal distances round the side of the pot. 

 Several persons noticed these plants in winter and spring, 

 they were so weak, and we were not very hopeful of them our- 

 selves. They ar..-, however, doing remarkably well, throwing 

 up large broad trusses of bloara and fruit, and the foliage is 

 BO strong that we have bent it a little over the pot to give 

 more room to the flower-trusses. Such small plants, if the 

 bnds are well ripened, often do wonders, and beat larger 

 plants if not equally well ripened. 



Planted-out Melons in a frame and pit, the latter heated 

 by hot water. In both eases the space appropriated to soU 

 is about 24 inches wide, and the same in depth. We find 

 this quite sufficient for a bed 5 or 6 feet in width. We have 

 several complaints of scorching and injury from steam owing 

 to the shallowness of the frames. Our frames are shallow, 

 fi:om 9 to 11 inches deep in front, and from 14 to IS inches 

 deep at back. To save labour, as soon as the hotbed settles 

 and the heat rises, and the top material is sweet, wa take 

 the above- sized trench out of the centre and lay the soil 

 back and front, placing some old slabs, if we can obtain 

 them, on each side of the trench. The soil is then put in, 

 the frame set on, the soU being entirely below the level of 

 the fi-ame, a little earth is put over the two sides, and some 

 is jBrmly placed all round the box. The soU in the middle 

 is soon warmed, the less thickness of dung in the centre 

 prevents over-heating at the roots, and as the frame requires 

 no moving or elevating afterwards, there is no risk of un- 

 healthy steam getting in from the liyings. 



Disbudded shoots in orchard-hou^e. Cherries in pots are 

 now a fine sight with bloom, and Plums also ; the latter are 

 beginning to set. Gave a soaking to that part of the border 

 not previously watered. Use manure water freely now for 

 border and trees in pots, but considerably diluted, so as not 

 to be too strong. Thinned out shoots, and tied in the 

 Peach-house. The roof, being at 43°, is the steepest we 

 have, and the best place we have for Strawberries. Three 

 or four rows, however, shade the Peach trees rather much, 

 bnt we must keep them a little lonser yet. 



Regulated Tines, and proceeded with thinning Grapes in 

 dull days and early in the morning. The late vinery that 

 had the shoots suspended some 30 inches from the glass has 

 broken very freely, and we must now shut up and keep 

 going slowly. There has lately been air on all night, and 

 as much as possible during the day, and the canes never 

 had a sprinkling of water over them. In early houses we 

 generally moisten the canes before they swell and break 

 their buds, but it is of little importance doing so in late 

 houses. After the Grapes are set we syringe no more, but 

 keep the floor and pathway rather damo until the Grapes 

 ripen. 



"We saw a nice vinery the other day. which belongs to 

 John Hawkins, Esq., jun., near Hitchen, one peculiarity of 

 which relieves it from the monotony generally prevalent in 

 ■rfneries. The vinery had been built, planted, and some 

 time cultivated by the late — Ransome, Esq., who was quite 

 athome in all such n;atters. The vinery stands on a lofty 

 knoll, with the gi-ound falling from it all round. It is span- 



roofed, with glass at the sides nearly down to the ground. 

 The peculiarity is that the Tines have been planted in the 

 centre of the house, grow up in bush fashion to the ridge, 

 and taen occupy about a yard of the roof on each side of the 

 ridge. Tines are also planted at the sides so as to run 

 along the sides, leaving an opening on each side of the 

 roof for from 4 to 5 feet in width, so that the sun may 

 I reach the bottom, next the floor, of the central Tines. The 

 ; effect is very pleasing on entering the house. The fin» 

 healthy-looking Tines had good bunches 2 or 3 feet from 

 the ground, as well as at the top and in all the intermediate 

 I places. We suppose to make the Tines break uniformly 

 at first, the stems from the ground to the ridge had been 

 twisted something in corkscrew fashion. The furnace and 

 boiler were fixed at the north end, and this end was occupied 

 by a brick wall. The chimney goes through this wall. From 

 against it a bunch of ripe Grapes had been cut, and one 

 or two bunches of Hamburghs were colouring, and soma 

 bunches of Sweetwater were nearly ripe, whilst the bulk of 

 the crop will not be ripe for something like six weeks, unless 

 a strong heat be kept up. The wall makes what would 

 have been the coldest end the warmest. Dry flowers of 

 sulphur were laid along the pipes. We think some amateurs 

 would prefer growing Tines in this manner in span-roof 

 houses to having them suspended under the roof in tha 

 nsual way. 



OENAaiEJlTAI. DEPAETSIENT. 



Tery much the same as. in previous weeks. Finished 

 pruning Roses, ilowed, roUed, dug beds and borders, lined 

 walks, borders. Sec, with edging-iron. Cleaned walks in 

 kitchen garden. Potted, planted out in temporary beds, 

 and put in the last batch of Terbena cuttings, placing them 

 at once in Ught soil in a frame, with a little heat beneath 

 them, &c.— R, P. 



GOTEXT &AEDE2T MARKET.— Apkil 22. 



The supplies of home-grewn vegetables aie doit abuodant, and iroporta- 

 tioas from iLe cnntioent are heavy, but not by any means m such g'oodcon.- 

 diciiu £3 f.irmerly, owing to the lieat, Afewdes^drt Apples and Pears are 

 still to te had, also good new Grapes. Tue Pocat j trade cootioues dull. 



Apples.. i sieve 2 



Apricots r..,doz. 



Cncrries lb. 



Cnestnats bush. 14 



Filbercs Idolbs. 40 



Cobs do. 50 



Gooseberries .. ^ sieve 



Grai>es lb. 15 



Lemons loO a 



FBTJIT. 



d. f. d 8, d. s. d 



Co 4 ITolbemas . , . , punnet to o 



Neciarmes - doz. 0ft 



Oranges 100 6 14 



20 Pe;iches doz. 



Pea-s (ki-chen)...busti. 8 12 



60 dss-!.-: dnz. 3 10 



PiTe Applet „lb. 10 14 



25 I Plnms ^ sisre 6 



10 { Strawberries oz. 10 16 



Meloiis each ! Wilunts bush. 14 23 9 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes each 



.\3jara;ms bundle 



Beans Broad i sieve 



K'dney 100 



Br-et. Red doz. 



i BfoccoU handle 



! BrussrlsSproata ^ sieve 



Cabb.ig-e doz. 



Capsicoms 100 



Carrocs banck 



Cauliflower doz. 



Criers bandle 



Ciicambers each 



En'tive score 



Feane' bunch 



Q&rlic aiid>faallo!;s, \h. 



tierC>= bunch. 



dorssradisti ... bundle 



Leeks... bunch 



Lettuce.. per score 1 



MashrootQ^ pottle 1 



Mustd. & Cras:', punnet 

 Onions ........ bosbel 5 



pickling quart 



Parsley h s-eve I 



Parsnips do-:. 



Pea^ ^ qaart 10 



Potatoes ..,.„.. .bushel 2 

 Ra-Jishes do-;, banuh?- 



Rhubirb bundle 



SaTt>T3 doi. 



Se^-ki!e ....„ .. bl,5li'^■: 



Spinach .-^^ieva 



Tomita s ^ sieve 



Turnrp* buuoia 



Vesetable .Marrows doz. 



a. 9. 

 3to 

 6 2 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*** We request t-bat no one will write privately to the de- 

 partmental writ^ers of the " Journal of HortictiltTire, 

 Cottage Graxdener, and Country G-entleman." By so 

 doing they axe subjected to unjostiSable trouble and 

 expense. All communi<iations should therefore be ad- 

 dressed solely to The Editors of the -/(nirnal of Horticid- 

 ture, 4"c., 171, Fleet Street, London^ E.C. 

 FiowEE-G^RDEN pL^K (J E ). — "We wiU hive the plan engraved, and 



publish it nest we^k. wirh .i brief notice. 



ORCHiRn-HOtrsE (Igtioramits). —^hy did yon wrire to Mr. Fish uofwith 



sta;.d OS oar published notice I You. may lind some information in '' DoiBgi 



of ice La*: NVeek." 



