August 10, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



329 



naglected at thiB time, as they require to make a good growth 

 before the month of October. By that time the crowns will be 

 formed. All the plants for forcing have been potted, and the 

 pots placed on bricks in a sunny position. 



VINERIES. 



The early Vines are better furnished with leaves this season 

 than they were last year at the same time. The wood is perfectly 

 ripe ; but the longer we can keep the leaves in a healthy state 

 the better for the future welfare of the Vines, for while they are 

 healthy they continue to nourish the buds at their base. If the 

 leaves should be removed from the earliest Vines they must be 

 kept as cool as possible. The weather is notv somewhat cooler, 

 but it is still unnecessary to apply artificial heat to late vineries. 

 It is well to have the fruit fairly ripe by the end of August, and 

 if it is seen that this will not be the case artificial heat must be 

 applied, and the ventilators should be open a little night and 

 day. If there is any appearance of mildew paint the pipes with 

 flowers of sulphur made into a paint with soapy water. The 

 pipes must be made rather hot afterwards, just sufficient to 

 rill the air with the sulphur fumes. Sulphur is by far the best 

 agent to destroy mildew; but when the fungus has spread over 

 the leaves and fruit very extensively, all the affected parts ought 

 to be touched with the sulphur. But no good gardener would 

 allow his Vines to get into such a state, but on the first appear- 

 ance of the enemy no would take steps to check its advance. 



The trellises of our late vineries are quite covered with the 

 growth of the Vines, and all lateral growths that are made now 

 are removed by pinching them closely. Both outside and in- 

 side borders should be watered if neceBsary. The Grapes will 

 not colour well, nor will they be of good flavour if the Vines 

 suffer for want of water. Ripe Grapes are a prey to wasps and 

 bluebottle flies at this season, and we have triod different ways 

 to protect them from their attacks. Medicated bags or bags of 

 any material are bad ; the Grapes are more liable to decay in 

 them, and you require to be constantly taking the bags off to 

 examine the fruit, else you may find some of the best buoches a 

 mass of decay. Beer in bottles wasps do not prefer to ripe Mus- 

 cats ; indeed no syrups are so attractive as the ripe fruit, ticott's 

 poison is no use whatever. By far the best wiy — and it is 

 most effectual — is to keep the waBps outside the house, and 

 this is easily done by fastening gauze over the ventilators. 

 Hexagon netting lasts a long time, and the meshes are large 

 enougn to admit plenty of air, and sufficiently small to keep out 

 flies of the bluebottle type. All decaying terries are promptly 

 removed. 



CUCUMBER AND MELON HOUSES. 



Melons sown last month will have made rapid growth, and 

 when the roots have fairly filled the small pots into which they 

 were potted the plants may be turned out into the border. They 

 are usually about 6 inches or a foot high when they are planted. 

 Some Borts, such as Turner's Scarlet Gem, make compact short- 

 joiuted growth; others, as Trentham Hybrid, make long-jointed 

 weakly growth, and the one would be much taller than the 

 other at planting-out time. For the latest planting it is better 

 not to have any manure in the soil, nor should the beds be very 

 large. Good turfy loam of a medium clayey texture pressed in 

 firmly will grow the plants well. If the loam is of a retentive 

 nature a little leaf mould mixed with it will be very beneficial. 

 When the soil is rich the fruit is not likely to be highly flavoured. 

 In Bummer a richer loam is desirable. Plants in full growth 

 and on which the fruit is set should have the laterals thinned 

 out, and those that remain should be stopped a leaf or two 

 beyond the fruit, and this must be done before they become 

 crowded; the fewer the leaves and growths that are removed 

 at one time the better. Ripening fruit must not be entirely 

 shaded by the loaves ; in northern districts it may be fully ex- 

 posed to the sun, but a Blight Bhade is better with us in the 

 south. 



Our Cucumbers have been in bearing since March. We shall 

 now either sow seeds and have the old plants removed, or raise 

 plants from cuttings. If only one house can be devoted to 

 CucumberB it will be necessary to grow the plants on in large 

 pots, say 10 or 11-ineh, until they are nearly in a bearing state, 

 so that there may be no break in the supply. We do not give 

 the plants a very rich compost at this season; if it is found 

 that more support is necessary it may be given in the form of 

 surface-dressings. The Cucumber plants when growing freely 

 greatly enjoy this surface stimulant, the young roots working 

 into it at a rapid rate. 



PLANT STOVE AND ORCHID HOUSES. 



We have now a change from the scorching hot weather of 

 July.^ On several days the weather has been cloudy with rain 

 occasionally, and the nights are colder, the atmosphere is heavier 

 and moist, a different treatment is therefore necessary. The 

 shading requires to be removed earlier at night, nor is it neces- 

 sary to shade so early in the morning. Plants with leathery 

 leaves, such as Stephanotis floribunda, Ixoras, &c, ought not 

 to be shaded at all after this; and to do such plants justice a 

 house ought to be devoted to them at this season, as the largest 

 proportion of stove plants cannot safely be exposed to the direct 



rays of the Bun ; those that can be so exposed require it to ripen 

 the wood, bo that it may the more perfectly produce flowers 

 next season. 



_ We have still been repotting specimen plants, but it ia now 

 time that all such work be brought to a close, as the pots ought 

 to be pretty well filled with roots before the cold damp days of 

 autumn set in. Amongst others Anthurium Scherzerianum has 

 been repotted. This plant has thick fleshy roots, and they ought 

 to be preserved as much as possible during the operation. The 

 plant requires plenty of pot room, and about 2 inches of space 

 should be allowed between the pot and ball of roots. The best 

 potting material is tough fibrous peat, to which has been added 

 a third part of freBh-chopped sphagnum, some potsherds, and 

 pieces of charcoal ; the pot ought also to be filled quite one- 

 third of its depth with clean drainage. We do not care to repot 

 Orchids after this time, but some of tho species may require 

 fresh compost. The best time to pot Orchids is when the roola 

 start into active growth. Like the rest of the stove plants, they 

 do not require so much moisture at this season, and to ripen 

 their growth they have as much Bunshine as they will bear with 

 impunity. — J. Douglas. 



HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 

 Secretaries will oblige us by informing ua of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 



Filey. August 11th. Mr. Walter Fisher, Hon. Sec. 



Otley. August 12th. Mr. Alfred Suttle, Hon. Sec. 



Clay Cross. August 15th. Mr. J. Stallard, Clay Cross, near Chesterfield, Sec. 



Emsworth. August loth. Mr. H. Moore, Hon. Sec. 



Weston-super-Mare. August loth and 16th. Mr. W. B. Frarupton, Sec. 



Preston. August 16th aud 17th. Mr. W. Troughton, Hon. Sec. 



Shrewsbury. August 166h and 17th. Adnitt & Naunton, Hon. Sees. 



Ledbury. August 17th. Mr. J. B. Masefield, Hon. Sec. 



Norton, near Stockton-on-Tees. August 18th. Mr. C. Turner, Sec. 



Mirfield. August 19th. Mr. G. Senior and Mr. 3. Rushforth, Hon. Sees. 



Calne (WiltB). August 22nd. Mr. H. Blackford, Sec. 



Newbury. August 22nd. Mr. H. Seymour, Hon. Sec. 



Bawtry. August 22nd. Mr. J. W. Fritchley, Hon. Sec. 



Dorset County. August 23rd (at Dorchester). Mr. A. Pope and Mr. C. 



Parsons, Sees. 

 Chepstow. August 23rd. Mr. R. Thorn, Hon. Sec. 

 Carbhalton, Wallington, and Beddington. August 24th. Mr. J, 



Baines, Leicester House, Carshalton, and Mr. V. . Clark, the Nurseries. 



Wallington, Hon. Sees. 

 Largs and Faiblie. August 25th. Mr. D. G. Glen, Hon. Sec. 

 Sandy. August 25th. Mr. E. T. Smith, Hon. Sec. 



Seaton Burn. August 26th. Mr. R. Richardson and Mr. W. Eliott, Sees. 

 Isle of Thanet (Margate). August 30th. Mr. C. D. Smith, 8, Marine 



Terrace, Margate, Sec. 

 Shirley. Millbbook, and Freemantle. AuguBt 30th. Mr. Jennings and 



Mr. Squibb, Hon. Sees. 

 Pocklington. August 31st. Sec, Mr. J. E. Ross. 

 Yarmouth. AugUBt 31st. Mr. S. Aldred, Hon. Sec. 

 Thornton Heath. September 1st and 2nd. Mr. W. Raines, 10, St. John's 



Villas, Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, Hon. Sec. 

 Montrose. September 1st and 2nd. Mr. Alex. Burnett, 2, High Street, Sec. 

 Dundee (International). September 7th, 8th, and 9th. Mr. W. R. McKelvie, 



26, Euclid Crescent, Sec. 

 Glasgow. September 12th and 13th. Mr. F. Gilb. Doughall, 167, Canning 



Street, Sec. 

 Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society. September 13th. 

 Kilmarnock. September 14th. Mr. M. Smith, 11, King Street, Sec. 

 Ipswich. September 17th. Sec, Mr. W. B. Jeffries, Henley Road, Ipswich. 

 Northampton (Chrysanthemums). November 14th and 15th. Mr. W. 



Gutteridge, 51, Denmark Road, Northampton, Sec. 

 Loughborough (Chrysanthemums and Fruit). November 21st. Mr. John 



West, Chapman Street, Loughborough, Sec. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



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

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

 Mr. Johnson or Dr. Hogg of ten remain unop;n<?d unavoid- 

 ably. We request that no one will wiite privately to any 

 of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 



Correspondents should not mix up on the same shest questions 

 relating to Gardening and thoBe on Poultry and Bee sub- 

 jects, and should never send more than two or three 

 questions at once. All articles intended for insertion 

 should be written on one side of the paper only. We 

 cannot reply to questions through the post. 



List of Roses in Pots (I. A. P.). — You will find a liBt with cultural 

 directions in a recent number, No. 791 New Series. 



Tacsonia Flower Buds Falling {A Lady Amateur).— -Want of moiBture 

 in the soil and air is the probable cause. 



Earthenware Labels iNewton). — We have jast seen some which ar e 

 manufactured by Messrs. Hooper & Co., Covent Garden. They are white 

 and handsome, and an indelible ink is provided, but they can be written on 

 with a lead pencil. 



Dark Rose— Soil for Roses (X Y. Z.).— Alphonse Damaizin is deep 

 crimson ; Triomphe de Paris is purplish crimson. The best soil is a rather 

 strong loam ; the deeper it is the better. It should be well drained. Snch 

 land as will grow good Wheat or good Hops will grow fine Roses. Next, it 



