April i 4 , 1881 . ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 299 
trellis covered with foliage. If it be desired to accelerate the ripen¬ 
ing of the fruit the night temperature may be maintained at 65° to 
70°, 75° to 80° in the daytime, and 85° to 90° with sun heat, closing 
at 80 Q with plenty of moisture in the house. It is much better, how¬ 
ever, for the future well-being of the trees to finish off the fruit in a 
temperature of 60° to 65° at night and 70° to 75° by day, allowing an 
advance to 80° or 85° from sun heat, ventilating above 70°, and 
closing at 75°, and if the temperature then rises to 80° or 85° it will 
be an advantage. Peaches and Nectarines may be grown to a large 
size by maintaining during the last swelling a moist atmosphere and 
high temperature, but the fruit is not so good in colour and flavour 
as that ripened in a drier atmosphere and with better ventilation. 
If the trees are at all weakly give a good soaking with weak liquid 
manure at 75°, and mulch the inside border with short manure 2 to 
3 inches thick. Syringe twice a day, and damp the house well before 
nightfall. When indications of ripening appear discontinue syring¬ 
ing the trees, but damp the house several times a day according 
to the weather. This will hardly be necessary as yet, except with 
such extremely early kinds as Early Beatrice, and where those are in 
the same house with Royal George, which is four to six weeks later, 
the syringing must still be continued. Train the shoots as necessary, 
and have the fruit as much exposed to the sun and air as possible. 
Trees in the house started at the new year must be syringed twice a 
day, watered whenever necessary at the roots, and have the shoots 
tied in as they grow. Maintain an equable temperature of about 
60° at night or a few degrees less on cold nights, -60° to G5° by day in 
dull weather, and 70° to 75° from sun heat, ventilating above 65°. 
In the house started early in February disbudding has been com¬ 
pleted, and the shoots will need to be heeled or tied down carefully 
at the base. The trees started early in March will require attention 
in disbudding, which should be done gradually, leaving a growth at 
the base of the current year’s bearing wood to form next season’s 
bearing wood, retaining a growth on a level with or above the 
fruit, pinching out its point at the third leaf unless required for 
extension. Trees extending should have growths left on last season’s 
wood at 15 to 18 inches distance, and the shoots that are to form the 
branches should not be closer than 12 to 15 inches. Remove the 
smallest and badly placed fruit gradually. In late houses the 
fruits have set and the inside border must not lack moisture, damping 
the house in the early part of fine days and again in the afternoon 
and syringing twice a day. Fire heat will be necessary to maintain 
45° by artificial means at night, or 5° less on cold nights, and 50° by 
day, above which ventilate freely. Fumigate upon the first attack 
of aphides, also for thrips, on two consecutive evenings, being careful 
to have the foliage dry. If syringing does not subdue red spider 
apply an insecticide. 
Figs .—The fruit of the earliest forced trees in pots are now com¬ 
mencing to ripen, therefore cease syringing the trees. Increase the 
ventilation, as a circulation of rather dry warm air is essential to 
perfecting this fruit. Surface roots are of primary importance in the 
cultivation of fruit trees, especially of the Fig ; and if a mulching of 
short manure was given at commencing forcing and it has been kept 
moist it will be full of active roots, and in the case of early-started 
trees will now require a liberal supply of water in a tepid state ; or if 
the trees will bear it without becoming too luxuriant, weak liquid 
manure may be applied. Proceed with tying-in the shoots, leaving 
plenty of space in the ties for the swelling of the shoots. 
Nepenthes .—These also may be repotted, or rather moved into 
larger pots if they require it; but there must not be any attempt at 
removing the old soil from the roots, for they are very tender, and 
have, even when healthy, the appearance of being dead. Employ 
the same compost as named below for Sarracenias, and drain the 
pots extra well, as they require very copious supplies of water during 
growth. Syringe overhead daily in the afternoon, and maintain a 
good moisture by damping available surfaces frequently. A tempe¬ 
rature of 70° to 75° should be accorded them by artificial means, 10° 
to 15° more from sun heat. 
Sarracenias. —These may now be potted, removing all the old soil 
as far as can be done without injuring the roots, using fibrous peat 
and chopped sphagnum in equal parts, with a sixth of potsherds and 
a sprinkling of sand, and keep them liberally supplied with water at 
the roots. All the species do well in a winter temperature of 45° to 
50°, and 10° or 15° more in summer as the weather may determine. 
They should be near the glass, and not be syringed much. The pots 
or pans may be half filled with drainage, keeping the shelves con¬ 
stantly moist. 
Greenhouses .—Spring potting of Aphelexises, Adenandras, Acro- 
phyllum venosum, Chorozemas, Dracophyllum gracile, Eriostemons, 
Tremandras, Statices, and other plants of a similar character should 
be completed as soon as possible, as the drier condition of the atmo¬ 
sphere later on makes it rather difficult to manage newly potted 
plants. Any hardwooded plants of which it is wished to retard the 
flowering should be removed to a house with a north aspect. Plum¬ 
bago capensis is very useful for summer and autumn flowering, and 
should be grown in a light position. Plants in G to 8-inch pots are 
most serviceable, and any plants now in G or 7-inch pots should be 
cut well back, and when they have started transfer them to pots an 
inch larger, sandy loam with a little leaf soil suiting them well. 
Cuttings of double Petunias inserted now strike freely in gentle heat, 
and grown on will afford acceptable plants for decorative purposes later 
on. Plants in small pots should be shifted into a larger size, keeping 
cool and near the glass, stopping the shoots to induce a well-branched 
habit. Fuchsias should be kept in a temperature of 50° at night, this 
applying to both last year’s struck plants and older required for early 
bloom. Pelargoniums, from the increased leaf growth and the pots 
being filled with roots, will need a little more water. Fumigate upon 
the first appearance of aphides. The late Cinerarias should be moved 
to a north house. They like a still moist atmosphere, as also do 
Calceolarias, both of which should be assisted with weak liquid 
manure. 
Conservatory .—Remove all plants past their best and supply fresh, 
of which there will be a great number to make an effective display. 
Slight shade will be necessary for Azaleas, Spiraeas, Cytisuses, and 
other plants in flower in the middle of the day, or they will continue 
but a short time. A strict look-out should be kept for insects, which 
now increase rapidly ; and if allowed to get ahead are difficult to 
deal with in this structure, as the means of destruction by fumigation 
and washing are more objectionable in this than other plant struc¬ 
tures. Lily of the Valley should after flowering be returned to a 
light airy house and be well supplied with liquid manure, keeping 
them there until the weather is mild, when they may be placed out¬ 
doors, but not before June, in an open situation, and they will ripen 
early and be again available for early forcing. Deutzias should be 
removed to a house where there is a moderately high temperature, 
as that of a vinery being forced, where they will be encouraged to 
produce fresh growth. Cut out all the present flowering wood down 
to the collar of the plant, which will induce them to produce strong 
shoots that when in flower have a better appearance than the formal 
plants resulting from the partial cutting-back system. 
NOTES ON VILLA AND SUBURBAN GARDENING. 
HOTBEDS. 
Cucumbers and Melons .—From this time little difficulty will be ex¬ 
perienced in forcing these. Telegraph is the most popular variety of 
Cucumber, and about five seeds may be sown in a well-drained G-inch 
pot. The seedlings when in rough leaf to be carefully separated and 
potted singly into 4-inch pots, burying as much of the stems as 
possible, which will then emit roots. Employ light loamy soil 
previously warmed. The seed may be sown singly in 4-inch pots, 
allowing room for top-dressing as the plants become stronger. In 
either case and at all times the bottom heat should not be below 
G5° nor exceed 85°. To induce sturdiness keep the plants near the 
glass, pinching back the running growth to the second joint, and 
when fresh growth commences is the time to plant. A few days 
previous to planting, a bushel of soil, consisting if possible of two 
parts of turfy loam to one of well-decayed manure, should have been 
placed in a heap in the centre of each light. It is advisable if the 
heat of the bed be dangerously strong to place some turves grass 
downwards under the soil, and failing these some small drain pipes 
may be used: either will moderate the heat. Do not plant till the 
soil is found to be comfortably warm to the hand, as Cucumbers do 
