538 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 10 1883. 
The main secret in keeping stored roots sound and sweet until youDg 
ones come again is never to allow damp or decay to progress to any 
extent. Badly matured Onion bulbs may also be showing signs of 
growing, but those bulbs which are most likely to do this should be used 
first. The smallest and firmest should be placed aside for late use. 
Kidney Beans. —It is now a critical time for those being forced, and 
unless where the very best means exist their progress will be very slow now. 
Nothing less than 65° will do for them, and 5° or 10° more than this will 
suit them better. Careful watering at the roots is very necessary now, 
and a dry atmosphere is the only one in which the flowers will develope 
and the fruit form properly. 
Rhubarb, Seahale, and Asparagus. —These force more readily now 
than they did six weeks ago, and where a constant supply is desired 
successional batches must be brought into the forcing quarters every three 
weeks. A steady temperature of 65° is better for all of them than an 
excessive heat. Spent roots should be removed as soon as all the produce 
has been taken from them, as profitable forcing can only be carried on 
where the most rigid attention is given to make the most of everything. 
Kitchen Garden Work. —This is not very pushing at present, but 
manuring and digging should always be kept well forward. 
Seed lists for 1884 are coming to hand, and a selection will soon have 
to be made from them ; and although space forbids this here at present, 
we can only remark that extreme cheapness and high quality are never 
combined. 
FRUIT-FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines.— Earliest House. —The blossoms are 
expanding, and appear strong and promising. Syringing the trees must, 
when this stage is reached, cease, but a good amount of moisture must be 
maintained by damping available surfaces— i e., the floors, borders, &c., 
in the morning, and again in the afternoon. This, with a proper tempera¬ 
ture—viz., 50° at night and 55° by day from fire heat, will produce a 
genial condition of the atmosphere so essential to a healthy an l vigorous 
blossom; yet a close confined atmosphere is fatal, and must be guarded 
against by admitting a little air constantly—having the top ventilator open 
about an inch. This will cause a circulation of air under the most adverse 
circumstances, and prevent a close vitiated atmosphere. In the daytime 
no opportunity should be lost of admitting air, commencing from 5 5°, 
increasing it with the sun heat, so that the ventilation is full by the time 
the sun raises the temperature to 60° or 65°, at which it may be kept from 
sun heat, reducing the ventilation as the sun heat declines, withdrawing 
the ventilation for the day at 55°. In severe weather the temperature 
may with advantage be kept 5° less both day and night. If there be an 
abundance of blossoms some of those on the under side of the shoots 
may be removed by drawing the hand the reverse way of the growth. 
When the flowers have ripe pollen it should be carefully applied to the 
stigmas with a camel-hair brush. If there be any deficiency of moisture 
in the borders a good watering should be given not less in temperature 
than that of the house. 
Second House. —The trees in this house having been pruned and dressed 
the house should now be closed, but no fire heat need be given, or only to 
exclude frost, and above 50° ventilate fully. A thorough soaking should 
be given the inside borders, repeating the watering if necessary, so as to 
thoroughly moisten the soil in every part, and in the case of weakly trees 
liquid manure may be given, but it must be weak and tepid. Syringe the 
trees in the morning and again in the afternoon, but not the latter on a 
dull day, as it is important that the trees become dry before night. On 
New Year’s day forcing may commence in earnest, the temperature being 
kept at 40° to 45° at night, 50° by day, above which ventilate freely, and 
close for the day at the latter temperature. 
Succession Houses. —The trees in these should be pruned, dressed, and 
the houses cleansed, and should be kept as cool as possible by admitting air 
in all but frosty weather, and even then a few degrees of frost will not do 
any harm providing the air be dry; and should the lights have heen 
removed they need not be replaced, as frost is not injurious on any but 
unripened wood and whilst dormant, but after the buds begin to swell, 
and the sap becomes active, safety from frost is necessary. Yet to retard 
the flowering, especially in late houses, they might be kept as cool as 
possible, ventilating fully whenever external conditions admit. 
Cherry House. —Everything being in order, a start may be made at 
once by closing the house, but there must not be any attempt at keeping it 
close and warm, as this would cause a weak development of the blossoms 
—hence the nature of the treatment should be such as will not excite 
growth prematurely, but such as will insure a slow progressive develop¬ 
ment, a temperature of 40° to 45° at night being sufficient, and 50° in the 
day by artificial means, at and above which ventilate freely, allowing an 
advance to 60° or 65° from sun heat, and close at 55°. Maintain a genial 
condition of the atmosphere by syringing in the morning and afternoon of 
fine days, hut in dull weather damping in the early part of the day will be 
sufficient; yet it is essential that a growing temperature be secured. 
Keep a sharp look-out for aphides, and if any appear fumigate on calm 
evenings. 
Cucumbers. —Let every effort be made to retain the sun heat by closing 
the house early in the afternoon, damping at the same time with tepid 
water. Pathways and other available surfaces should be damped every 
morning, and again in the afternoon if the day has been bright. Afford 
liquid manure in a weak and tepid state to plants that are making growth 
freely, but those that are stationary should not have this until they again 
show signs of free growth. A little fresh lumpy loam placed over the 
roots is a great incentive of root-formation, and when these are plentiful 
feeding will soon enable the plants to commence healthy free growth. A 
little air on mild days will be advantageous in giving the foliage an 
improved texture, but cold and drying currents must be avoided as much 
as possible. Remove all superfluous fruit from the plants as they show, 
and let all shoots be tied to the trellis as they require it, removing bad 
leaves and superfluous growths, it being essential that the foliage have free 
access to light and air, and the glass should be kept clean, so as to admit 
all the light possible. Little stopping will be needed now, although 
vigorous growths may need their points pinched out, the object being to 
encourage free growth. If mildew appear dust the affected parts with 
flowers of sulphur, and for red spider coat the pipes thinly with a wash of 
sulphur and skim milk ; for aphides fumigate moderately on two or three 
consecutive calm evenings. A few seeds of Cardiff Castle or Telegraph 
may he sown now to produce plants lor early spring fruiting. A bottom 
and top heat of 70° is as little as they can be brought forward in, and plenty 
of light is required to make the plants robust. 
Preparing Material for Hotbeds. —Where Cucumbers and Melons are 
grown in pits or frames heated by fermenting materials, these should now 
be prepared for raising the plants and growing them. Oak or Beech 
leaves with about a third of stable litter are far preferable to all stable 
litter, as they afford a milder and more lasting heat. Material of this 
description should now be thrown into a heap, mixing them as evenly 
together as practicable, and, if dry, they should be damped as they are 
thrown together. In the course of a week or so the materials will be 
warmed through, and should then be turned overthrowing on more 
water if there be not sufficient moisture in the material to insure 
fermentation, and that without causing it to be so violent as to heat itself 
dry, and which should be obviated by turning frequently and throwing on 
water according to the state of the material. As much of the after-success 
depends on the preparation of the material, this should be commenced in 
good time, so as to have thoroughly sweetened material by the time it is 
deemed advisable to make up the beds. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Calanthcs. —Few Orchids are more beautiful or useful than Calanthes 
at this season of the year. Those that have their spikes fairly well 
advanced will need no more water at their roots, but those that have not 
yet commenced to open their flowers may need occasional applications 
until the spikes are further advanced. Do not keep them while in flower 
too warm or where the atmosphere is rather moist. They look handsome 
arranged amongst Adiantum cuneatum grown for cutting, and now in a 
temperature of 50° to 55° at night according to the weather. Calanthe 
vestita nivalis is later comiDg into flower than either C. v. lutea or 
C. v. rubra oculata, but C. v. Turneri is much the latest and flowers 
when all the others are over. It produces large pure white flowers with 
a rose-coloured eye, and its spikes are longer than those named above, 
but its greatest value is its late-floweiing habit. 
Centropogon Lucianus. —This is a grand winter plant, and the earliest 
are just now in full beauty. They are at home in the stove or in an 
intermediate temperature, but in the latter they last very much longer 
than they do in the former. Our plants are all grown in 5 and 6-inch 
pots, and are in early autumn supplied with stakes about 1 foot in length 
and the growth made afterwards allowed to arch naturally, and in which 
condition they are the most effective when arranged amongst other 
plants. A number of plants associated with an early batch of Euphorbia 
jacquiniasflora, and rising above Zonal Pelargoniums, Primulas, Cyclamen, 
Hyacinths, Tulips, Chrysanthemums, and other dwarf flowering plants in 
the conservatory, have a very charming effect. This plant when well 
grown is beautiful, and we cannot dispense with it from the stove, and 
in consequence it is grown in large numbers. Our latest plants are in a 
temperature of 50°, and are not yet showing the colour of their terminal 
truss of flowers. We rooted a number of cuttings late, and the growth 
made does not exceed 4 to 8 inches. They are flowering profusely, and 
we find them most useful where small plants for decoration are 
appreciated. 
Poinsettias and Plumbagos. —These should now be in grand condition, 
and the former will last nearly double the length of time after their 
bracts are fully expanded if not kept in strong moist heat. The former 
will stand for a long time in a night temperature of 45° to 50° if gradually 
hardened previously and cold draughts excluded from them. If removed 
from stove heat to the temperature given without previous preparation 
their foliage will turn yellow and fall, and half the beauty of the plants 
is lost. The Plumbago will not open its flowers freely if kept in too low 
a temperature, and should not be subject to one lower at night than 55°. 
P. coccinea superba is very much brighter in colour than the old P. rosea, 
but is taller in growth and not quite so freely branching ; both should 
have a place in every garden. These plants look light and effective 
when arranged with the yellow Linum trigynum ; in fact, they are more 
striking with this than any other plant. The last-mentioned plant, 
although useless for cutting, is beautiful for decoration, and not grown 
half so much as it deserves to be. 
Begonia semperflorens grandiflora. —This is one of the best and most 
useful winter varieties. The last batch of plants if treated as directed 
some time ago will now be flowering profusely in 3-inch pots. We have 
just taken out the central shoot of half our batch and placed them in 
5-inch pots. These will make beautiful plants in a very short time. To 
grow this Begonia well during the winter it should be kept in rather a 
dry atmosphere, close to the glass, and where the temperature will not 
fall below 60° at night. 
