JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
July 27, 1882. ] 
89 
remain. The rows may be 9 inches apart for the Cabbage varieties, 
of which the best are All the Year Round and Stanstead Park. Of 
the dwarf Cabbage or Tom Thumb class Commodore Nutt is an ex¬ 
cellent sort, and may be sown in rows 6 inches apart, the plants being 
thinned to that distance asunder. Of the Cos varieties Bath or Brown 
Sugarloaf and Hick’s Hardy White stand well. These should be 
sown in rows 1 foot apart, and thinned to 9 inches asunder. The soil 
should be rich and firm, so as to secure a sturdy habit. Keep the 
surface stirred, and dust well about the plants with charcoal broken 
up small, ventilating whenever the temperature outdoors is over 35°. 
In order to obtain a supply of French Beans when those in the open 
ground are cut off by cold a sowing should now be made in a pit having 
hot-water pipes, so as to maintain when necessary a temperature arti¬ 
ficially of 55° to 65°. The soil for these should be rich and light, but 
made tolerably firm, so as to induce a sturdy habit and free bearing. 
The rows should be 18 inches apart, and the plants thinned to 9 inches 
apart, which answers for such kinds as Osborn’s Forcing and Sir 
Joseph Paxton, but Negro Long-podded and Canadian Wonder should 
be given 6 inches more distance between the rows. The lights will 
not be needed until the close of September, perhaps not then ; but 
when the plants flower protection must be given from heavy rains 
and frosts. Free ventilation is essential. 
Although there are serious complaints about the Potatoes being in¬ 
fested with disease in many localities, so far as we have seen it is that 
form of the disease known as “ the curl.” Any early kinds that have 
the skins set should, when the disease manifests itself in the foliage, 
be at once lifted, sorted, and those required for use kept in a cool dark 
place, those for seed having a cool but light position. If there be any 
disease in the tubers it will develope rapidly under exposure. The 
haulm should at once be burned. Ground thereby set at liberty 
should without delay be planted with late Broccoli, Coleworts, Bore¬ 
cole, Savoys, or what may be considered necessary to assure a good 
supply for winter; also late crops of Celery. Of the latter we find 
none to stand the winter so well and late in spring as Sandringham 
White and Williams’ Matchless Red. Place out in a sheltered border 
a good breadth of Cauliflower from the late sowing, which, if the early 
winter be favourable, will afford useful heads, but be chiefly valuable 
from affording heads of the size of a small teacup for lifting and 
placing in pits or elsewhere to continue the succession through the 
winter. 
Notwithstanding that all available space should be occupied with 
Brassicas as above indicated, also with Lettuces, Endive, &c., yet 
ground must be reserved for Winter Spinach and Tripoli Onions. 
This should be prepared by manuring and digging, and where the soil 
is rich and light it should be made moderately firm. Periodical sow¬ 
ings will still be needed of Mustard and Cress, also Radishes at 
intervals, according to the demand. 
Celery can hardly have too much water or too much liquid manure? 
only it must not be given too strong. Early crops will need to be 
earthed as the plants advance, always doing so when they are dry, 
keeping the soil from the centres of the plants, and giving, if needed, 
a thorough watering before earthing. If there is any appearance of 
Celery fly remove the worst infested leaves, burning them, and whilst 
the foliage is wet dust freely with soot. Lettuces will need plentiful 
supplies of water, and to ensure well-blanched heads tie up the Cos 
varieties at intervals and when dry. Asparagus, Seakale, and Rhubarb 
can be freely supplied with liquid manure now, which will enable 
them to develope good crowns. All decayed leaves and spent flower 
stalks of Globe Artichokes should be removed, and the spring-planted 
to afford a late summer and autumn supply of heads be well mulched 
and supplied with moisture. Where it is contemplated to form new 
plantations of Asparagus, seedlings of this or last year may now be 
planted. It prefers a deep rich sandy soil, or one that will allow of 
the water percolating through it freely. For ordinary purposes 
4 feet beds, with three rows of plants in each and 2 feet alleys 
between the beds, answer well. Supply water if the soil is dry, and 
the plants will be well established before winter. They succeed 
better than plants of the same age put out next spring. Indeed, 
spring planting, unless it be deferred until the “ grass ” is grown 
> about an inch, is the worst of all times next to winter to move 
Asparagus. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Vines .—Early houses from which the Grapes have been cleared 
should be kept cool and well ventilated, the border fairly moist, not 
saturated, nor on the other hand allowed to become parchingly dry. 
An occasional syringing will be useful in clearing the foliage of red 
spider and dust. With a view to the preservation of the foliage and 
prevent undue development of the fruit buds for next year’s bearing 
shoots a moderate lateral growth may be allowed, otherwise if the 
foliage be healthy keep them closely pinched. It is wonderful to see 
the effects of a year’s rest on Vines that have been forced for say ten 
years to afford ripe fruit in May, but it is more marked when young 
canes are trained to displace the old, which is seen in the season of 
growth on the crop.of the season, and more decidedly in the next by 
the larger bunches, finer and better finished berries. This should 
not be done more distantly than every ten years, but of course where 
the extension system can be practised it is not necessary ; indeed by 
cutting away long bare spurs and laying in young wood much may 
be done to keep the Vines in a satisfactory condition over a lengthened 
period, although the growth is made when climatic conditions are 
most unfavourable, or from December to May inclusive. Generous 
treatment is essential. A top-dressing should annually be given, the 
old soil or mulching being removed down to and picked out carefully 
from amongst the roots. Fresh turfy loam where it can be obtained 
should be supplied in place of that removed, to which about a 
fortieth part of bone meal has been added. It should be made firm) 
and a good watering given with tepid liquid manure. The best time 
to do this is whilst the leaves are quite green, yet the buds must be 
plump and the wood ripe, keeping the house rather close, shaded if 
necessary (for the foliage must not flag), and the Vines damped 
occasionally. Where the roots are poor and bare lifting must be 
resorted to, and this likewise should be done whilst the foliage is 
green. 
The following is the best mode of performing the operation :—Shade 
the roof with mats after closing the house, and during the lifting 
syringe the Vines occasionally through the day. Commence remov¬ 
ing the soil of the border at the point most distant from the stems, 
and remove the whole of the surface soil down to the roots, and 
cover with mats to keep them from the air. Now, again, start at the 
most distant point from the Vines, and carefully remove the soil from 
amongst the roots, which should be laid aside and covered. In this 
manner proceed to the stem of the Vines, where great care must be 
taken not to injure the roots. See that the drainage is perfect. 
Place in a foot depth of compost rather firm, which will be suitable 
for the lowest tier of roots, spread out the roots carefully over it, 
and these should be covered with about 6 inches of compost also 
made firm. Another tier of roots should then be introduced and 
covered with a layer of soil G inches thick. Above this there will 
be no roots but those of a small fibry character, and these should 
be spread out carefully, and have some compost worked amongst 
them with the hand, covering them with about 4 inches depth of 
compost, and as they will be shorter than the other roots the soil 
should not be taken out more than a foot beyond their extension, 
which will give the border a slight incline from the Vines. The 
operation completed, give a thorough supply of water at 100°, and 
mulch the whole of the surface with short stable manure 3 inches 
thick. Syringe the Vines two or three times a day, continuing the 
shading, and ventilate only to prevent the temperature rising above 
90°. In the course of ten days or a fortnight fresh rootlets will be 
emitted, which will be evidenced by the foliage not flagging when 
air is given or the shading withdrawn, and this being the case ven¬ 
tilation should be resorted to gradually, and the shading withdrawn 
by degrees. Vines may be so treated without prejudice to their fruit¬ 
ing satisfactorily next season. Turfy loam, light rather than heavy, 
is most suitable, adding a tenth of old mortar rubbish, a twentieth of 
charcoal, and a fortieth of half-inch bones or calcined oyster shells, 
the whole thoroughly incorporated. If turfy loam be not obtainable 
garden soil of a light loamy nature with the ingredients above indi¬ 
cated to keep it open answers well, manure being best given at the 
surface. Laterals may be encouraged as an aid to root-action for a 
short time, but they should not be given too much freedom, or it will 
impede the ripening of the foliage and delay pruning operations. 
