January 20, 1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 53 
deep with light soil. If blanched heads are required cover with 
4 inches of cocoa-nut fibre refuse, sifted spent tan, or leaf soil, and 
when the shoots are 2 inches through that they will have blanched 
stems with green tops, sufficient light being admitted to effect this, 
with ventilation to prevent them being weak. Sow Tomato seed, 
Yick’s Criterion being one of the best for early culture in pots. 
To save time sow three seeds in a 3-inch pot, half fill the pots with 
soil, and when the seedlings have grown a little remove all but one 
in each pot; place more soil around the one retained, and keep them 
near the glass to ensure sturdy growth. Potatoes should be planted 
on prepared beds when the shoots are an inch or two long, and 
those advanced in growth will need supplying with tepid water. 
Earth them up when sufficiently grown, ventilate whenever the 
weather is favourable, and afford protection in severe weather. 
Carrots, Radishes, and Lettuces sown as recommended should, as 
soon as they have germinated, have free ventilation on all favourable 
occasions. This is necessary until the rough leaves are formed, for 
if drawn so as to have long stems below the seed leaves they are 
worthless, especially Carrots and Radishes. Sow Erench Beans in 
pits or in pots, eight seeds in a 9-inch pot three parts filled with light 
rich soil. When the young plants are advancing they need a light 
position, earthing-up when sufficiently advanced, and maintaining a 
temperature of 60° to 65°. A good supply of Mint should be placed 
in pots or boxes in a vinery or Peach house, also a few roots of 
Tarragon. 
FItUIT HOUSES. 
Pines .—Plants that completed their growth early last autumn were 
rested, and then subjected to an increase of bottom and top heat 
early in December, will now be showing fruitj and they may be pushed 
on more rapidly by taking advantage of favourable weather to give 
them increased heat in the daytime, the temperature being allowed 
to rise to 80° before giving air, and under such conditions it should 
be maintained at 85° to 90°, closing the house between 80° and 85°. 
This will greatly assist the flowers and ensure the symmetry of the 
fruit. Advance the night temperature to 70° and 75° by day arti¬ 
ficially unless the weather be dull and cold, when 5° less will be more 
suitable. The moisture will need to be proportionately increased, brrt do 
not damp the pipes when very hot, nor syringe the plants overhead. 
The bottom heat should be kept regular at 85° to 90°. Examine the 
plants once a week, and give tepid liquid manure to such as require 
it. The temperature for fruiting plants should be G5° to 70° at 
night, with a rise of 5° by day, keeping the atmosphere moist by 
damping the paths and walls ; where the fruit is becoming coloured 
water must not be supplied. Succession plants require G0° at night, 
and 5° more by day. Collect leaves for fresh beds, or provide the re¬ 
quisite quantity of new tan. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Stove .—Plants of Anthurium Schertzerianum that have completed 
their growth should be allowed to rest, lessening the supplies of 
water, and keep them in a house with a temperature of 50° to 55° 
for the next six or eight weeks. A few Achimenes and Gloxinias 
now potted and started will provide a useful and early supply 
of flowers ; when they commence growing place them near the 
glass. Tuberous Begonias that have completed an early growth 
may be now started and grown on shelves near the glass, and will 
afford an effective early display of flowers. Well-grown specimens in 
6 -inch pots are handsome table plants, especially the brightly coloured 
varieties. A few Amaryllises in heat, and encouraged if possible 
with a little bottom heat, will come in at a time when they will be 
useful for cutting or decoration. Aphelandra cristata, A. nitens, and 
A. aurantiaca Roezli should have a light position, which will heighten 
the colour of the flowers, similar remarks applying to Begonias, Epi- 
phyllums, Euphorbia jacquinueflora, Gesneras, and winter-flowering 
plants generally. Imantophyllum miniatum should also be in a light 
position, and must not have too much moisture on the foliage, or the 
scapes will decay or be seriously disfigured. Hoya bella is one of 
the choicest of plants for affording buttonhole bouquets and for 
growing in baskets. It is impatient of stagnant moisture at the 
roots, and should have a position near the glass. 
Gardenias that completed a growth early and have been rested 
awhile will now have their flower buds fast swelling. Assist the 
plants with a little extra heat and moisture and weak tepid liquid 
manure. Young plants not infrequently push fresh growths at the 
time the buds are swelling, which should not be discouraged, as the 
growths now made set buds and flower later in the season. By 
having plants in different stages and introducing them to heat as 
required a succession of flowers may be had all the year round. 
Eucharises which flowered at Christmas should be encouraged to 
make a strong growth by maintaining a moist atmosphere and sup¬ 
plying weak liquid manure copiously to the roots. When the growth 
is complete a drier condition at the roots with a lower temperature 
will induce rest, but water must not be withheld so as to cause 
flagging, as it exhausts the bulbs. After six to eight weeks of rest 
a return to heat and moisture will soon cause the flower-scapes to 
be produced. After flowering is a good time to divide the plants* 
potting single bulbs in 6-inch pots, five in a 9-inch pot, and so on, 
employing turfy loam moderately firm, and burying the bulbs entirely. 
NOTES ON VILLA AND SUBURBAN GARDENING. 
Pruning Fruit Trees .—Where the pruning is not completed it must 
no longer be delayed. All standard trees should have their branches 
thinned out if at all crowded, taking out those with an inward 
tendency, or that are interlacing, but do not shorten those retained. 
Those that are weakly, or have not long been planted, may be cut 
back freely to induce the formation ot the requisite strong head. 
Pyramids should have all lateral growth spurred-in to within two or 
three joints of the main branches, ^unless required to fill-up blank 
spaces, and the leading side shoots can be stopped to within three or 
four joints according to the strength of growth. The central leading 
shoot, if strong, may be left 9 inches or more in length. Many 
amateurs scarcely realise the fact that weakly growth should be 
pruned hard to induce better growth, the opposite being the case 
with coarse growth, which if pruned closely is followed by still 
grosser wood. If miniature trees are required, close pruning accom¬ 
panied with root-pruning in all cases where the trees are vigorous 
must be resorted to ; but if a heavy crop is desired let the pyramids 
from the time of planting grow naturally. Most kinds, and the Pear 
especially, will retain their pyramidal form, and will be in full 
bearing with little trouble in the way of thinning. Established trees 
that have been repeatedly pruned but are not fruitful, if thinned-out 
where crowded but otherwise left unpruned, will frequently without 
root-pruning form a number of fruit buds on the retained growth for 
the following season’s crop. Root-pruning will not do more than 
this, though many writers convey the idea that it affects the current 
year’s crop. 
All horizontal or fan-shaped Pear, Plum, Cherry, Apple, or Apricot 
trees should be pruned and nailed-in or retied as the case may be 5 
taking care to loosen all tight shreds or ties. Morello Cherries should 
be thinned only, these fruiting on the young growth. The leading 
branches of the others to be shortened where weak, the central or main 
branch of partly furnished trees being cut back to within one or two 
joints, where two side shoots should be laid-in, still continuing the 
central shoot. Spur-back all laterals and foreright shoots to about 
three joints of the main branches, to induce the formation of clusters 
of fruit buds. Peaches and Nectarines should not yet be pruned, the 
object being to retard the blooming period. Properly furnished 
bushes of Red and White Currants should have all side shoots closely 
spurred-in, and the leading shoots shortened to near their last 
starting points. 
Black Currants and Gooseberries produce their fruit principally on 
the young growths, which only require to be thinned out; and they 
should also be shortened back occasionally to keep the bushes in 
shape. Where, however, bulfinches and sparrows are troublesome, it 
is advisable to defer pruning the Gooseberries till the buds are 
bursting. Thin out the Raspberry canes and shorten those back 
considerably, and either tie to stakes or to wires strained for that 
purpose. Digging about the trees should be avoided in all cases as 
much as possible, as many of the best roots are destroyed thereby. 
Hoe over the ground, rake off rubbish, and mulch freely with manure. 
Grape Vines on Open Walls .—These should be pruned at once, late 
