514 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 4, 1884. 
or more 2-inch pots with a lis'h^. sandy mixture, put two or three seeds 
into each, and theu place them in a tern )‘-Tatare of Go° or 70'’, when the 
youn^ p’antn will soon appeaiv 'I'hev' should then be kep*; in a moist 
warm atmosphere near the gla-s, and th^y w 11 be useful plants early iu 
the year. 
liroad Beans. — Where these are valued very early in the season a quan¬ 
tity may be sown now. They require a rich soil, and” if’ kept from the mice 
they will be ready for use some weeks earlier than any which can be sown 
in spring. We always sow a few r iws nowin a warm border and find 
them very useful. Digging, trenching, and manure-wheeling are opera¬ 
tions which may always be proceeded with at th’s season. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Pines. —During the next two months it is likely the weather will be 
sunless, with cold nights, which is not at all favourable to the advance- 
rnent of vegetation ; yet in the cultivation of Pines r.ipi 1 progress at this 
time of year is not advisable. It is better to rest contented with a slow 
rate of progress being made in a steady uninterrupted manner, hen^e 
the temperature should be lowered to iti minimum in each department, 
which for the fruiting house will range at G5° to 70°; successional houses 
G0° to 65° ; and for suckers 56° to G0°, allowing a rise of 5° to 10° from 
sun heat. The atmosphere in the hou e containing the fruiting plants 
will, in order to make the best of the fruit, require to be of an 
invigorating nature, and will need constant attention iu sprinkling the 
pathways and inoistening other surfaces in the house as they become dry, 
and in proportion to the fire beat the syringing must be regulated. In 
light airy houses the plants will need to be lightly syringed at least once, 
if not twice, every day. This may be safely done so long as the axils of 
the leaves are not surcharged to an extent that will affect the state of the 
soil around the collar of the plants. Examine the plants by hand at 
intervals of not less than a week, and give tepid liquid manure abundantly 
to those plants only which require it. Plants in fermenting beds do not 
as a rule require nearly so much water as those subjected to the heat 
which arises from hot-water pipes ; but, notwithstanding, the plants must 
be looked over at least once a week. In successional houses and pits 
where less heat is applied, a moderate and equable state of moisture 
should abound, and no more fire heat be employed than is indispensable, 
which coverings at night will in a great measure dispense with, and 
therefore these should be employed whenever practicable. See that the 
plants have the full benefit of light in every division by keeping the 
gla«s clean. 
Vines. —Early House .—When the buds in the house that was closed 
last month show signs of swelling the inside borders should receive 
another watering, with water only in the case of vigorous young Vines, 
and liquid when they are old and require stimulating. This should be 
applied at a temperature of 80° to 90°, and if not already done some good 
fermenting leaves and short stable manure laid in heaps or ridges on the 
borders will help the surface roots, ani give off warmth and genial 
moisture to the atmosphere, reducing the necessity for hard firing and 
incessant syringing. Young Vines that have not been forced early will 
require bending down to a horizontal position to insure an even break 
down to the base ; but old Vines that have been some years at work may 
be tied to the trellis immediately they are pruned, and will usually break 
freely. 
Early Put Vines .—Pay attention to fermenting material in pits, 
which if every pot is placed on a solid pedestal built from the bottom of 
pit will admit of frequent additions being made as the heat declines, the 
whole mass being turned over without displacing them, and root-action 
will be steadier and less liable to a cheek when the pots are only partially 
surrounded by the plunging manure. Afford tepid liquid manure when¬ 
ever moisture is needed, and cease syringing the Vines after the bunches 
show, when the final disbudding should be made, leaving the most 
promising, with a surplus for contingencies, which, however, should be 
nipped off before the flowering. Stop the growth a couple of joints 
beyond the show of fruit, laterals below the bunch at the first leaf, and 
those beyond may be allowed to extend as far as it can be done without 
crowding the principal foliage. Keep the temperature at C5* to 70° by 
day, 5° to 10° more from sun heat, and 00° to G5° at night, damping 
available surfaces two or three times a day. ° 
Succession E[ou.'ies .—Take advantage of unfavourable weather for 
outside work to get Vines pruned, always bearing in mind that early 
pruning conduces to a strong and even break when the time arrives for 
facing. Iu dressing the Vines do not remove more than the loose bark, 
and wash with soap and water in preference to a composition which 
leaves a thick deposit. Thoroughly cleanss the glass with water, the 
woodwork with soap and water, and the walls with limewasb. Remove 
the loose surface soil, and give fresh material—lumpy loam, with a little 
charred refuse and bonemeal. 
Late Houses. The attention of growers has frequently been directed 
to the importance of starting the Vines and helping them forward with 
fire heat in the spring, as being safer and more economical than trusting 
to sun heat during the early part of the season, and having to fire bar I 
through the .autumn to get the wood and fruit ripe or apparently so by 
the end of November, In fine hot seasons like the past it may answer 
very well, but in a cold wet season the Vines hold the foliage until it is 
displaced or liberated by a rapid depression of temperature. This sudden 
check is not ripening, and the chances are that the Grapes, particularly 
of such varieties as Lady Downe’s and Mrs. Pince, do not retain their 
colour and freshness until the time arrives for cutting in January, and 
when Grapes begin to shrivel on the Vines it is useless trying to keep 
them in the Grape room until May. This is given for the benefit of those 
who have not hitherto made a start sufficiently early to insure a satis¬ 
factory result in autumn. All Grapes intended for keeping fresh and 
plump for some months after they are cut should now be hanging on 
leafless Vines that had completed their season’s growth, and ripening by 
the end of October. Where Vines are now in this condition the Grapes 
will keep satisfactorily with the temperature falling as low as 10° to 45°, 
with just sufficient fire heat to dispel damp and to protect them from 
frost; but fire heat after the leaves fall must be sparingly applied, par¬ 
ticularly to Muscats and thin-skinned varieties that soon begin shrivelling 
in a warm dry atmosphere. In damp weather, when the external air is 
charged with moisture, the house should be kept dry, cool, and close, and 
when the nights are clear and frosty light non-conducting material such 
as scrim canvas, or even fishing nets drawn over the roof, will prevent 
radiation and so economise fire heat, while the subdued light is rather 
beneficial than otherwise to the Grapes, and certainly does no harm to 
the Vines. 
PLANT HOUSES, 
Heaths .—Such Heaths as Erica hyemalis, E. autumnalis, and others 
that have flowered early and are past their best for decoration, should be 
cut close back if they are intended to be utilised for the same purpose 
another autumn. If they have been in structures where heat has been 
maintained, they should not be placed direct into the cold greenhouse or 
they will be seriously checked. They should be gradually hardened to 
greenhouse treatment, so that they will start into growth slowly but 
naturally. Plants that have been in rooms for decoration are useless for 
growing on for another year. All plants employed for such purposes are 
better conveyed to the rubbish heap as soon as they are removed, for they 
are not worth the trouble necessary to restore them to health. Young 
plants in small pots that are intended for flowering another year must be 
kept in a light position and as cool as possible, so that they will not be 
excited into growth. Any plants that did not show flowers and are 
dwarf and bushy should be subjected to the same treatment. These 
plants should be watered carefully, taking care never to allow them to 
suffer by an insufficient supply. 
Epacrises .—These are naturally early owing to the mildness of the 
season, and with us will need no warmth to bring them forward into 
flower. Where these plants are intended for early flowering, and are 
pushed forward in gentle heat early in the season, they need no forcing 
in autumn to bring them into flower ; but where the directions given have 
not been carried out, and the plants are in a backward state, the eailiest 
may be forwarded in a temperature of 50°. They will advance more 
rapidly in this temperature if lightly syringed once or twice daily. Later 
plants, especially those intended for late flowering, should be kept cool, 
ventilating both day and night when the weather is mild. 
Azaleas .—Where these plants are trained or closely tied annually, the 
operation will have been completed some time ago if previous directions 
have been attended to ; if not, bring this work to a close at once. This is 
often regarded as work for the winter, and in many gardens is not yet 
touched; but this is a mistake, for it should always be completed directly 
the flower buds are formed, so that they have an opportunity of turning 
outwards naturally, which they will not do if tied after the growth is 
completed and has become firm. These plants must be kept as cool as 
possible, especially those required for spring and late flowering. If frost 
is just excluded from them it is all that is really required. The cooler 
they can be kept at this season of the year the more completely will the 
plants rest, and flower and grow better afterwards when required to do 
so. All that is needed to induce these plants to rest thoroughly is a low 
cool temperature. To induce them to rest by dryness at the root is 
ruinous, and disastrous results are sure to follow. Water should be 
applied carefully and judiciously, but at the same time they should not 
be allowed to suffer at their roots by an insufficient supply. Azaleas 
must never be du-t dry at their roots, or these will soon perish. Plants 
prepared for early forcing are already bursting their flower buds under 
the cool conditions advised above, and a week or ten days’ warmth would 
bring them into full bloom. If forcing is done early in the year by 
inducing the plants to make an early growth very little is needed at this 
season, but where plants have not been prepared, forcing will be found 
hard work now the days are short and sunless. Where plants have not 
been prepared, and they are wanted in flower, excite them into growth by 
placing them at first in a temperature of 45° to 50°, and syringe them 
twice daily. A good place for them is on the surface of the bed of leaves 
advised to be made up for forcing operations. Before introducing these 
plants into heat examine them carefully, and if any thrips exist upon 
them syringe thoroughly with tobacco water, softsoap, and a little 
common washing soda, for this insect in heat will multiply rapidly and 
soon spoil the appearance of the plants. It is much better to destroy 
this insect by the above solution than by strong fumigation, for Azaleas 
often in this way lose a very large per-centage of their foliage. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUNDS. 
Sweeping up and collecting leaves is the principal occupation at 
present. Now that they are nearly or quite all fallen some steps must be 
taken not only to clear all the walks or grass plots of them, but the 
shrubberies must also be looked to, or otherwise the leaves will bo con¬ 
stantly blowing out from among these. All the vacant or exposed fronts 
of the shrubberies may well be lightly forked or dug over and the leaves 
buried, while the leaves farther back can be raked together and buiied 
in large holes. Here they will slowly decay and form excellent soil for 
the flower-beds and other purposes. All the be>t of the Oak, Chestout, 
and Beech leaves that can be collected should when dry be stored in a 
large heap, and wdU early next year be available for mixing with stable 
