September 12, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
209 
destroying weeds whilst they are in the small seedling state, but 
hoeing in wet weather is only so much labour lost. Potatoes are 
becoming diseased in some localities. Take up in favourable 
weather those that have the skins set, and if the haulm be in- 
fested it is better to pull up the tops and burn them before lifting 
the tubers, always avoiding placing large quantities of Potatoes 
together in a wet state. Onions which have been taken up and 
exposed for a time should be stored away thinly on shelves in a 
dry cool room, stringing the firmest bulbs so that they may be 
removed to cooler quarters, so as to prolong the season when the 
weather is becoming warmer in spring. Do not neglect the thinning 
of late Turnips, Winter Spinach, &c., as they require all the light 
and air possible to mature the growth. If any pits or frames are 
at liberty they may be planted with Lettuces or Endive for winter 
use. They will root much better and endure more wet than those 
lifted when of larger size and placed in frames after the weather 
is cold and wet. The forwardest clusters of Tomatoes as they 
show indications of ripening should be cut and suspended ina 
dry airy house. The removal of these clusters will assist the 
maturing of the later fruits. 
French Beans—Make a sowing in pots, placing six beans in a 
9-inch, and eight in a 10-inch pot, three-quarters filling the pots 
with rather strong turfy loam, draining the pots sufficiently, cover- 
ing the beans from half to an inch deep, placing the pots as near 
to the glass as possible so as to keep the plants dwarf, earthing- 
up after the seed leaves are fully formed. They cannot have too 
much light, and should have a temperature of 60° to 55° at night, 
65° to 70° by day rising to 75° or 80° with sun and free ventilation. 
Mohawk, Osborn’s Forcing, Sir Joseph Paxton, Sion House, and 
Fulmer’s are all good forcers, but we prefer the two first named 
varieties. 
MUSHROOM HOUSE, 
We would again suggest the desirability of forming beds for 
the winter supply with all dispatch, and also to the collecting of 
material for successional beds. Particulars for preparing the 
material and making-up the beds are given at page 135. The best 
plan of collecting the material is to place a barrow under coyer so 
that the droppings can be placed directly in it ; but where this is 
inadmissible the opportunity of shaking over any stable litter 
during dry weather should not be neglected, shaking all the 
droppings into a heap together, not being very nice about a little 
straw and its particles, as they not only increase the bulk but 
assist in drying the droppings and to maintain the bed in a slow 
and regular decomposing condition. If the compost is wet it 
must be dried so as not to decay too speedily, but form a warm 
fibrous material for the spawn to run in, hence the necessity of 
keeping the material dry from the first. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Vines.—The earliest Vines should be pruned at once, as advised 
in a former calendar. It is not necessary to wait till all the leaves 
have fallen before pruning, only the wood must be brown and 
hard and the leaves turning yellow. The pruning will cause 
the Vines to go more quickly and thoroughly to rest. It is im- 
portant that the house be thoroughly cleaned and the Vines also. 
Any weakly Vines or those in an unsatisfactory state may be 
improyed by remoy:ng the soil down to the roots and replacing 
with fresh turfy loam with an admixture of a tenth of old mortar 
rubbish and a fifteenth part of half-inch bones, lifting any roots 
available for the purpose, laying them out upon the fresh com- 
post, and covering them not deeper than 6 inches. This is best 
performed before the fall of the leaf. It is a mistake to allow 
‘Vines when at rest to become very dry at the roots ; comparative 
dryness is desirable, yet great injury is caused by allowing the 
soil to become dust-dry, especially Vines in pots which are to be 
started in November ; those for that purpose being now completely 
at rest, the wood thoroughly ripe, the laterals cut close home, and 
the canes shortened to about 6 feet, more or less according to the 
situation of the plump eyes. Whilst the cuts are dry dress them 
with styptic or “knotting” to prevent further trouble from bleed- 
ing. They should be kept in a cool airy house. The borders of 
the earliest houses—i.e., the outside borders, should have a cover- 
ing of some kind to protect the roots from the heavy autumn 
rains, which reduce the temperature considerably. Glass lights 
are every way preferable, throwing off heavy rains and allowing 
the sun’s heat to penetrate the soil. We, however, with many 
others, are obliged to be content with a covering of leaves and 
litter after the weather sets in cold; and though convinced that 
good Grapes can be produced without material to throw off the 
rains, yet reason and practice justify their employment whereyer 
ayailable for the exclusion of moisture in undue proportions to 
the requirements of the Vines. 
Late Grapes, whatever may be said to the contrary, keep much 
better when the roots are not chilled by the autumn rains ; there- 
fore tarpauling, shutters, or thatched hurdles should be held in 
readiness for use when required, ayoiding, however, their un- 
necessary use. Grapes ripening will require a dry warm atmo- 
sphere with a free circulation of air, keeping the laterals well 
stopped, which if allowed to grow cause damp and decay of the 
berries and excite root-action. Ripe Grapes should be looked 
over frequently for the removal of shanked or decayed berries. 
Wasps are very troublesome this season; scrim canvas placed 
securely over the ventilators excludes them better than anything 
we have tried. 
Young Vines, especially those that have made a strong growth, 
are late in ripening and should be assisted with fire heat, main- 
taining a minimum of 65° and maximum of 75° from fire heat, 
continuing it until the wood is ripe, accompanied with free top 
and front ventilation. Similar remarks apply to late Grapes not 
yet ripe. Ventilate freely and maintain by artificial means a tem- 
perature of 75° to 70°, falling a few degrees during the night, dis- 
couraging any further growth by the removal of the laterals as 
they are produced, 
Peaches and Nectarines.—In the earliest forced houses it is un- 
desirable to allow the borders to be too much saturated and cooled. 
by the autumnal rains, therefore houses from which the lights. 
have been removed should have them replaced as soon as the rains. 
occur, admitting, however, full ventilation top and front. In the 
latest houses it may be desirable, if the autumn be cold and wet, 
to assist the ripening of the wood with a little fire heat, admitting 
air abundantly, and cutting out the bearing wood of the current 
season so as to admit light and air to play freely about next year’s. 
fruiting wood, remembering that a crowding of the foliage only 
tends to immaturity, so that if the shoots are too thick thin them 
well out, it being better done now than at the winter pruning, of 
which little ought to be required in the case of trees grown under 
glass. A good syringing will occasionally be required to free the 
foliage of red spider, but avoid anything approaching to a con- 
fined moist atmosphere, yet affording copious supplies of water to 
the inside borders, so as to prevent premature falling-off of the 
foliage. 
Cucumbers.—With shorter days the cold of the nights increases, 
which necessitates the earlier closing of the house, and the em- 
ployment of the syringe also earlier,so as to have the foliage 
fairly dry by dusk. Fire heat will also be necessary to maintain 
a temperature of 75° to 70% by artificial means, falling about 5° 
during the night. Afford every encouragement to the autumn 
fruiters, removing the first fruits, also the male blossoms and 
tendrils. No shading will now be necessary, and avoid morning 
syringing, damping being sufficient. Sow at the middle of the 
month for a supply of fruit at Christmas onwards. Telegraph 
(one of the best), Osmaston Manor, and Duke of Edinburgh 
(Munro’s) are suitable varieties. Any sorts difficult to secure seed 
of may be increased by cuttings, placing them ina brisk bottom 
heat and covering with a hand or bell-glass until rooted, as they 
will be in about ten days. 
Melons.—The last batch will be well up the trellis and showing 
blossoms. If the crop be wanted quickly these early blossoms 
should be impregnated. A portion of the plants may have the 
first fruits removed, and will afford a later and fuller crop from 
the second laterals. Earth-up the plants after the fruit is set, 
not before; and after this be sparing of the syringe, employmg 
it only during bright afternoons, and then early, taking care not 
to overwater at the roots, yet maintaining a genial moisture in 
the atmosphere by sprinkling ; promote also healthy root-action 
by proper moisture in the soil. Plants in frames will require no 
more damping overhead, and should only have sufficient moisture 
in the soil to keep the foliage from flagging, keeping it rather 
thin and the fruit elevated above it on inverted flower pots, 
applying good linings so as to finish off the ripening satisfac- 
torily, which requires a warm, dry, well-ventilated atmosphere. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Stove-—In removing stove plants from conservatories care must 
be taken when they are returned to the stove not to excite them 
into growth, which from the higher temperature they are likely 
to be; seeking rather to prevent growth by withholding water 
so as not to injure the foliage, and by keeping the atmosphere 
drier than during the summer. This more particularly applies to 
Allamandas, Bougainvilleas, Clerodendrons, Ixoras, &c., that have 
ceased flowering ; but plants that were started late in the season 
will continue flowering for some time yet, and at no time are they 
more acceptable than in late summer and autumn. Many of the 
freest-flowering stove plants do best in an intermediate house in 
winter, whilst others, as Ixoras, require a higher temperature. The 
temperature should now be 65° to 60° at night, 70° to 75° by day from 
fire heat, with an advance from sun heat of 10°, ventilating freely. 
In dull weather damping twice a day will be sufficient, syringing 
early in the afternoon any plants in growth so as to have the 
foliage fairly dry before nightfall, but any plants going to rest. 
need not be syringed. Shading except for very tender foliage 
plants will not longer be required. The blinds should be tho- 
roughly dried andstowedaway. The glass both inside and outside 
should be well cleaned, as the plants require after this all the 
light that can be given them. 
Orchids.—The temperature should still range from 75° to 85° by 
day in the East India house, maintaining it until the end of the 
month, when a gradual reduction must be made, for the present 
keeping up a growing atmosphere, giving every possible en- 
couragement to Aérides, Saccolabiums, and Phalaenopses. The’ 
blocks, baskets, and pots must be damped in the morning, and the 
plants will be benefited by being syringed on the afternoons of 
