104 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 2,1883. 
some of the short outer leaves should be drawn off, then one person 
should break up the surrounding soil with a spade, and another hold one 
hand around the plant and with the other place the soil about the stems. 
In doing this care should be taken that none of the soil goes down to the 
centre of the plant. Where worms are plentiful a dusting of soot may be 
thrown over the plants before earthing begins. 
Spinach. —More seed should be sown to keep up the supply in autumn. 
Through lifting Potatoes and clearing off other vegetables there is now 
plenty of empty space for such crops. 
Late Peas. —Where it is seen that any of these are likely to be too 
early cut the tops off below the first bloom, and this will cause them to 
produce side shoots, which will bloom very much later than the main 
stems. Where a number of rows of Peas are grown a long succession 
may be had from them in this way, as those allowed to go on will form 
pods socn, and the others will follow. 
Saving Seed. —Wherever any kind of vegetable seed is being saved 
attention must be given to the plants, as they may become too dry for the 
proper development of the seed, or the stems may fall over with the 
weight, and a check and deterioration may take place in this way. We 
always prefer to allow some of the very finest of the produce to mature 
for future stock. This is the only way to retain the true character of 
any variety, and it is always an advantage when seeds can be matured 
on the plants through the assistance of plenty of air and sunshine. 
Seeding plants which are pulled up and taken indoors in autumn to 
ripen in a green immature state will neither benefit the cultivator nor 
improve the race of the plant. 
FRUIT-FORCING. 
Vines in Early Houses. —The Vines from which the Grapes were cut 
in April and May must still have attention in watering and syringing, 
so as to preserve the foliage in a clean healthy state until all the buds 
are fully matured, when, if the lights are moveable, they may be taken 
off for a few week and painted. If it is necessary to make any altera¬ 
tions or additions to the border the needful compost should be prepared, 
so that it may be proceeded with promptly as soon as the foliage shows 
indications of ripening. 
Vines in Pots fur Early Forcing. —These will now be ripe in wood 
and buds plump, when they should be placed outdoors in a warm airy 
situation, protecting the pots from the sun by wrapping some canvas 
around them. Supply water moderately, and stand the pots on slates 
to prevent worms entering. 
Pipe Grapes. —These should be kept cool and the atmosphere rather 
dry, but there must not be any extreme dryness at the roots, moderate 
moisture being essential to the health of the foliage ; and great aridity in 
the atmosphere is not essential, but to some extent prejudicial to the 
keeping of the Grapes, and is absolutely so as regards the foliage, which 
should be maintained in good condition as long as possible. Houses 
of ripe Hamburghs will need slight shade over the glass to prevent loss 
of colour. Herring netting will be sufficient to break the force of the 
sun’s rays, and as the netting will not exclude too much light it may 
remain until the Grapes are cut. Keep the laterals within bounds, 
though moderate extension will be beneficial, particularly in the case of 
weakly Vines. 
Late Vines. —These now swelling off their crops will need especial 
attention in watering, it not being possible when the crops are heavy 
to give too much tepid liquid manure to the inside borders. Similar 
attention will need to be given the outside borders if the weather be 
at all dry, and a good mulching. The Vines being started early the 
Grapes will be well advanced, and their ripening ought not to be acce¬ 
lerated by sharp firing. Give air abundantly and early, and close with 
sufficient sun heat to raise the temperature to 90° in the early part of 
the afternoon, admitting a little air before nightfall at the top of the 
house, as also in front, a very little being sufficient to cause a circula¬ 
tion of air. SyriDge the walls, paths, and borders every evening 
without wetting the Grapes, and an ammonia-charged atmosphere will 
be beneficial in keeping down red spider, in addition to benefiting the 
Vines. Perhaps there is no better means of supplying ammonia than 
by introducing a few pecks of fresh horse droppings at frequent intervals, 
spreading these on the borders thinly. The tendency of ammonia, 
along with proper nourishment at the roots, is to encourage a vigorous 
growth of leaves and laterals, and the laterals should be encouraged, 
only thinning and stopping so as to prevent overcrowding. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Watering. — One of the most im¬ 
portant elements in the treatment of late houses is the liberal employ¬ 
ment of water alike to the roots and foliage. In properly constructed 
and thoroughly drained borders the Peach will take almost any amount 
of water, and in hot weather the inside and outside borders will need 
thoroughly soaking twice a week where there is no mulching ; but as a 
mulching of well-decayed manure is essential in keeping the roots near 
the surface and the soil uniformly moist, all borders inside and outside 
should not be neglected in this matter one moment later than the trees 
have passed the stoning process. More failures in Peach cultivation are 
attributable to moderate, or partial watering, than any else, as it induces 
red spider, and the present crop, as well as the buds for the future, do 
not attain to that development they otherwise would were the supply of 
water adequate to the requirements of the trees, which during hot weather 
is very considerable from the large extent of evaporating surface of the 
leaves exposed to the sun. 
Syringing. —Trees in late houses must be syringed twice a day, but 
discrimination must be made of trees which, from being gross, do not 
become dry between the intervals, for it is essential that the foliage do 
not remain for any length of time “dripping wet.” The foliage should 
become fairly dry before nightfall; but when this does not take place, 
the trees being wet in the morning, it is obvious that the morning 
syringing must be omitted, but instead of following this precedent the 
evening syringing should be discarded, and the trees syringed in the 
morning only. Be very particular about the water employed for 
syringing. It ought to be clear, soft, or rain water, or, if of necessity 
spring water must be used, it must be free from lime. 
Training, Exposing the Fruit, and Thinning, —Keep the young shoots 
tied down to the trellis, train them in thinly so that the foliage will be 
acted on freely by sun and air, stop all laterals at one joint of growth 
as made, and remove or shorten back any gross shoots likely to interfere 
with an equal distribution of sap, and consequently vigour throughout 
the trees. The leaves where they overhang the fruit must be turned 
aside or shortened, so that the fruit will be fully exposed to the sun. 
Fruits on the under side of the trellis should be turned round, so 
that their apices face the light, keeping in position by laths placed 
across the wires of the trellis. If the crop when the fruit is taking the 
last swelling be too heavy thin it without delay, removing the smallest 
and worst placed. One fruit to a square foot of trellis covered by the 
trees is ample to have really fine highly flavoured fruit. 
Gathering the Fruit. —To have Peaches of the best flavour they ought 
to be gathered before being dead ripe, as if allowed to remain too long 
they lose juice, becoming more or less mealy, and this is more particularly 
the case if the fruit has to be packed for travelling. The fruit should be 
gathered in the morning. Great care is necessary in handling Peacheu, 
as the slightest pressure leaves an indent and the fruit is spoiled in 
appearance. In some of the large kinds which swell considerably round 
the wood it is advisable, when practicable, to remove the wood with the 
fruit, clasping the fruit in all cases with a pad of cotton wool in the 
hand. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Ferns. —Plants that have become rootbound will be much benefited 
by the application of weak stimulants occasionally. These plants, in the 
majority of instances, receive little hut water after they reach this stage, 
but it is surprising what noble specimens can be produced in small pots 
by judicious feeding. Nothing will be found more satisfactory than 
liquid made from cow manure and clear soot water, applied alternately 
or together. Adiantums and Davallias include those most useful for 
cutting purposes, and should have free exposure to air and light to 
harden their growths. Fronds from plants that have been well prepared 
for the purpose last much longer than those from plants that have been 
grown in a close moist heat; in fact, Ferns grown under the latter 
conditions are useless for cutting. 
Polystichum proliferum. —Although hardy, this is one of the most 
useful Ferns that can be grown indoors for purposes of decoration. 
Small plants form a very effective edging for the greenhouse stage, and 
when grown in from 2 to 5-inch pots, are unsurpassed for the decoration, 
of rooms. Being hardy, and grown under cool conditions, they last 
much longer than any other Fern. Another advantage, and one that 
most highly commends it to notice for this purpose, is the ease with 
which a large stock of small plants can be produced. One fair-sized 
specimen will produce hundreds, which form along the entire length of 
the older fronds. The fronds should be pegged down on a pan or over 
a bed of soil until the young plants form roots and are independent of 
the parent, when they can be placed in small pots, or, to save labour in 
watering, in pans or boxes, until they attain a larger size and are ready 
for placing in the sizes they are intended to be used in for decorative 
purposes. These plants can be grown in cold frames, or can be plunged' 
outside during the summer months in any shady position where plenty of 
water can be given them. 
Small Ferns for Decoration. —It is surprising how easily a stock of 
small Ferns can be maintained if a few plants are allowed to establish 
themselves naturally in the walls of plant or fruit houses. Where the 
stock is raised by sowing spores we would strongly advise cultivators to- 
endeavour to establish a few plants from which thousands of seedlings 
can soon be obtained. A few plants have been established in our 
Cucumber house on the top of the back wall, and the wall beneath has 
been left unlimewashed since early spring, and is now a mass of small 
Ferns, and the same may be said of lumps of loam that have been undis¬ 
turbed for a time on the Cucumber bed. By means of this system a 
continual supply of young Ferns can be maintained with but little care or 
trouble. 
Selaginella Kraussiana (denticulata ).—One of the most useful species 
that can be grown for furnishing purposes, either in dwelling-rooms or 
any of the many decorative purposes this plant is useful for. Where 
large quantities are in constant demand all the year round successiona! 
batches must be provided according to the demand, but where only re¬ 
quired largely during the winter and spring the present is a good time 
to prepare a large batch. We find this plant the most useful in 2 and 
3-inch pots, and in shallow pans not more then 1 inch deep ; those 
prepared in the last mentioned are the most serviceable, as they can be 
used for surfacing the soil in the pots used in dwelling-rooms. It is wise 
to prepare the pans in time, so that the Selaginella becomes a dense 
mass. Any light soil will suit it, and when the pans are filled they can 
be placed amongst other plants in the stove or under the shade of late 
Vines, or in any shady position until they commence growth, and after¬ 
wards are better in a cool house than in heat. 
Chrysanthemums. —The majority grown for the production of large 
blooms will now be showing a flower bud, which is known as the “July 
bud.” This must be removed at once with the point of a knife, and the 
