882 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 23, 1884. 
should be tied up than are wanted for immediate demands. Before the 
frost comes severely lift a good hatch, and pack the plants closely in 
dry frames or on the inside border of an airy Peach house or vinery. 
Celery. —All Celery should now be earthed-up, and much of it may 
be finally attended to in this way. We have often repeated how to do 
this, and need only say now that if the soil is allowed to get into the 
centres of the plants they will certainly decay and be spoiled. In cold 
damp situations it is a good plan to use ashes for earthing-up Celery, 
as they keep it clean, and it does not decay so fast in winter amongst 
ashes as in soil. 
Teas. —Sutton’s Latest of All is still affording us some gatherings. 
It is a dwarf robust grower and a capital sort at this season, but, like 
all the others, it will soon be past, and a general clearing away of all 
Pea haulm should take place. Seed of any variety ripening now will 
not be very good, and it will need great attention and a very dry place 
for storage before it can be induced to keep. The same remarks apply 
to Kidney Beans at this season. 
Vegetable Marrows. —These are at a standstill now, and will not grow 
any more. Late fruits only half grown or in a smaller state will not 
keep, and may be thrown away. Those which have gained full size and 
have assumed a yellow hue should be cut and put into a dry cool room, 
where they will remain good for some months, proving useful throughout 
the winter. All the old plants should be thrown away. Where they 
have been growing on manure heaps these will now be set at liberty, 
and may be used on the quarters being dug over. 
Asjyaragvs. —Do not cut over the stems of this until they have quite 
decayed Many of the growths have been unusually fruitful this season, 
and are now clothed with red berries. These should be collected for 
seed, but none should be gathered except those which have developed 
better than the ordinary crop. 
Manure Heaps. —As the time is fast coming when these will be 
in great demand attention should be given them now. The old refuse 
which has been collecting from the kitchen garden, potting shed, pleasure 
grounds, and everywhere throughout the summer, may now be rather 
much decayed ; but if all the old vegetables, fallen leave.«, and a quantity 
of manure from the cow-shed or stable be added to this, the whole turned 
over and formed into a good square heap, it will be useful for all quarters 
by the early spring. Eoad scrapings should also be got in, and if one 
cartload of lime is added to every half dozen or so of this material 
where limestone is not used it will soon form an excellent mixture for all 
kitchen garden ground. 
FEUIT FOECING. 
Figs. — Earliest Trees in Pots. —Trees that have been some time at 
rest may now be prepared for forcing. If thoroughly establislied in large 
pots, and it is not considered necessary to give them a shift, all roots that 
have found their way over the rim may be cut off and cleared away with 
the mulching and plunging material. After this is done any barren 'shoots 
that are not required should be cut out, and old stakes removed prepara¬ 
tory to the annual scrubbing with soap and water, when dry painting 
them with some approved insecticide. Place new stakes, and'tieinthe 
young wood in a horizontal or drooping position, allowing plenty of room 
for the even development of the young foliage. Eeadjust the pedestals on 
which the pots are to be placed in the fermenting bed, and replace the 
trees. With a sharp-pointed piece of iron work well down the inside ( f 
the pot to a depth of about 9 inches, removing the soil and supplying fresh 
rich compost. Earn firmly, and give the first of a series of watermgs to 
render the soil well soaked by the time the house is closed in November. 
Where there is plenty of space several varieties may be grown, but Brown 
Turkey is unquestionably the best for giving an abundant crop of fruit of 
the highest quality. Brown scale and red spider are very troublesome on 
Fig trees grown under glass, and as these pests increase very rapidly too 
much attention cannot be paid to the winter dressings of the trees, and 
the thorough cleansing of every part of the structure in which they are 
grown. 
Planted-out Figs. —Trees that have been in bearing since mid-ummer 
are now commencing to rest, and may be divested of the old foliage as 
soon as it parts freely from the wood when touched by the hand. If 
planted in inside borders, and the growth is considered too strong, the 
present is a favourable time for root-pruning, an operation that can 
scarcely be overdone, paiticularly where the space is limited. AH inert 
soil should be cleared away, strong roots cut out, and the drainage 
examined. The young roots may then be relaid in new compost, firmly 
rammed, mulched, and left dry until the time arrives for forcing. The 
young shoots that have been allowed to grow up to the glass will be 
thickly studded with embryo fruits, which must be protected from injury 
when the trees are cleaned, as well as from the effects of sudden and 
severe frosts, by being unfastened and drawn down below the trellis until 
the time arrives for thinning out the branches that have reached the ex¬ 
tremity of the trellis. The best soil for Figs is a good friable loam with 
a liberal addition of lime rubble, broken bricks, and bone dust. Stimu¬ 
lants in the form of solid manure or liquid should always be applied to 
the surface when the trees are growing. 
CucuMBEES. —Keep the day temperature by artificial means at 70° to 
75°, with 10° to 15° rise from sun heat. Ventilate carefully, avoiding 
currents of cold air, closing early, so as to make the most of sun heat. 
Avoid overcropping the plants, which in most cases will be inclined to 
fruit too freely during the autumn months. This must be prevented by 
at once removing all superfluous fruits as they appear. Eemove any 
damaged portion of wood or leaf as they appear, and let the stopping, 
thinning, and tying of tbe shoots be proceeded with as necessary. 
Pang-heated Pits and Frames. —Tbe linings will now need to be 
regularly attended to, making them up weekly or fortnightly according 
to circumstances, and the 1 ghts should be covered with a double thickness 
of mats on cold nights. When mildew appears dust with flowers of 
sulphur. If aphides are present fumigate with tobacco on two or three 
consecutive evenings moderately. Canker is sometimes very troublesome, 
and is only to be arrested by preventing a close stagnant atmosphere, 
ventilating early on favourable occasions, and keeping the stems free 
from moisture. E ib qu cklime well into the affected parts, repeating it 
until they become dry. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Eucharis amazonica. —When the blooms of these plants are required 
in succession during the autumn and winter, plants that have completed 
and matured their growth should be selected and given two or three 
week’s rest at the very least. In resting these plants they may with safety 
be placed in any cool structure, provided cold draughts are not admitted 
directly upon them. Before their removal from the stove they should be 
kept somewhat drier at their roots, in which condition they should 
remain while at rest in a cool structure. If the soil is wet about their 
roots, and it is kept in this condition while the plants are in a low tem¬ 
perature, the majority of their roots will perish. When strong flower 
spikes with large bold flowers are required the roots must be kept in a 
healthy state. By selecting a few plants at intervals of a few weeks 
and resting them, it is not difficult to maintain a supply of flowers during 
the whole winter. 
Epipliyllunis. —It is easy to bring these into flower in a very short 
time if required, especially plants that were assisted by heat and moisture 
to make their growth early in the season. If these plants have been 
properly treated they should, since the completion cf growth, have been 
in a cool light airy position to thoroughly ripen and harden them. Plants 
subject to this treatment will be showing flower buds in abundance, and 
if introduced into heat will soon unfold their beautiful bright-coloured 
flowers. All plants that are retarded by being kept in a cool house should 
be most carefully watered at their roots, or they are very liable to perish. 
These plants require considerably less water than has been the case up to 
the present time ; sufficient only should be given to keep them fresh and 
plump. It is a mistake to allow their growths to shrivel. 
Impatiens Sultani. —Plants that have been in a cool house up to the 
present time will flower much more profusely in a night temperature of 
55° to 60°. These are admirably adapted for cool-house decoration during 
the summer months, but at this season of the year growth is too slow 
under cool treatment to render them effective. They are very gay during 
the winter in the stove, and for this purpose should be grown in quantity. 
Seedlings are decidedly the best when large bushy plants are required, 
for they branch with greater freedom than those raised from cuttings. 
Those from cuttings are very useful in small pots, and are very effective 
when freely intermixed with other small decorative plants. They will 
grow well in any light moderately rich soil, and will strike freely on a 
shelf close to the glass in any warm structure where the atmosphere is 
not too moist. If the cuttings are kept close and confined they are very 
liable to damp instead of striking freely. 
Carnations. —Tree varieties that have been standing outside up to the 
present time should be placed under cover without further delay. If 
w rms have entered the pets while outside they must be removed, or they 
will soon choke the drainage, and the plants afterwards will not long 
remain healthy. One good application of lime water in a clear state will 
be ample to remove the worms from tbe soil When taken indoors these 
plants should occupy a light ccol position where abundance of air can be 
admitted on all favourable occasions. Any attempt at forcing in a close 
confined atmosphere will end in failure, and the plants will grow weakly. 
Aphides often infest the shoots of these plants during the winter months, 
but these are easily destroyed by fumigat ng the house with tobacco 
smoke. 
Chrysanthemums. —All the early-flowering varieties grown for decora¬ 
tion should now be under cover, for we might have a frost at any time that 
might prove too severe for them. They should be housed in vineries. 
Peach, and orchard houses where they can be kept cool night and day. 
Abundance of air must be given—in fact, the ventilators should not be 
closed only during frosty and stormy weather. Those grown for very late 
flowering should be arraoged in a shelterel position outside to keep them 
back as long as possible. Some mats or tiffany should be arranged in 
readiness to draw over them in case of severe fros". With care these plants 
may be kept outside fir some weeks longer, which will wonderfully re’ard 
them. In a cool house the buds during mild weather swell very rapidly, 
but outside they remain almost stationary unless the weather be very mild. 
Pompons and other dwarf varieties propagated late may now be placed in 
cold frames, the lights only being put over them when the weather is 
unfavourable. These plants with us are in the most backward condition 
this season, and will be retarded for late flowering as long as po-sible. 
Chrysanthemums from this date must be liberally supplied wnth stimulants, 
for they need assistance more from this time than at any time during the 
season’s growth. Mildew must be carelul'y watched for, and up^n its 
first appearance syringe the plants well with 1 oz. of siftsoap to a gallon of 
water and a good handful of flowers of sulphur intermixed. If this is 
allowed to remain upon the plants for two or three days ihe mildew will 
be destroyed, when the sulphur may be washed off with clear water. 
Zonal Pelargoniums. —All plants that have been outside during the 
summer months for winter flowering should now be placed under cover 
where they can be protected from frost and heavy rains. The plants 
intended for late flowering will do in cold frames for some weeks longer 
