JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t A „ gnsW0 , Im . 
little towards making suck experiments more exact, more scientific, 
and therefore more useful, and the results more geneially applicable. 
Out of the mass of facts that are being patiently unearthed we ought 
by-and-by to be able to gather something that will raise our agricul¬ 
ture to a higher pedestal and plant it on a securer foundation. 
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STRAWBERRIES IN POTS. 
These should now be transferred to their large pots, as it is best 
performed when the runners have filled the small pots with roots. 
For early forcing 5-inch pots are most suitable, as the kinds adapted 
for this purpose are moderate growers, and for the successional crops 
G-inch pots are ample, whilst for late forcing and for strong-growing 
sorts 7-inch pots may be used. The pots should be efficiently drained, 
and the soil can hardly be made too firm. Sufficient space should be 
left for watering, as copious supplies are required. The plants should 
be placed in an open situation, being on a bed of ashes or other 
material impervious to worms. Avoid crowding the plants. Each 
should have sufficient space for development. Good turfy rather 
strong loam is the most suitable material for potting, with about a 
fifth of well-decayed manure incorporated. Runners layered into 
large pots may, now they have become well established, be detached 
from the parent plant, and removed to a situation where they can be 
more conveniently watered. Keep them free from weeds, and re¬ 
move all runners as they appear. When the plants have filled the 
pots with roots liquid manure may be advantageously applied, as 
the finer the crowns the stronger will be the trusses of bloom. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Pines .—The suckers, which were produced by the early summer 
fruiting plants, will now be started. The treatment most suitable to 
such plants was indicated in our last calendar under this head, 
which should be continued until growth in the plants is percep¬ 
tible, when shading should be gradually discontinued and more 
ventilation given on all favourable occasions. Pine plants in all 
stages of growth will now advance rapidly, providing they have the 
necessary attention. See to the state of those beds which have been 
upset or renewed by the removal of the fermenting beds and re" 
placing of plants, not suffering the heat at the roots to exceed 95=> 
without at once raising the pots, and placing a piece of slate beneath 
them so that they may stand clear of the material of which the bed 
is composed, as the consequences resulting from inattention to this 
matter would be most disastrous, especially in the case of fruiting 
plants. Shading, which is advisable in houses or pits where the 
plants are grown near the glass, particularly those having large 
panes, for an hour or two at mid-day when the sun is powerful, is 
highly beneficial to both plants and fruit during May, June, and 
July; but this should now be discontinued, and the plants exposed 
to every ray of light, with a plentiful supply of air when the tempe¬ 
rature in the house stands at from 85° to 95°. Fruiting plants must 
have a night temperature of 70° to 75°, and successional stock 65° 
to 70°. 
Vines. —Muscats, Lady Downe’s, and other late Grapes, to insure 
their keeping fresh and plump through the winter, should be ripe and 
well finished off by the second or third week in September. To 
effect this a little fire heat will be necessary to maintain a maximum 
temperature of 85°, and a minimum temperature of 70°, with a steady 
circulation of air day and night. Assuming that the roots were 
well supplied with water and mulchings during the swelling period, 
healthy Yines under this treatment will be certain to afford satis¬ 
factory results ; but where there has been any neglect during the 
swelling process it may be expected to show itself during the ripen¬ 
ing in imperfect colouring and shanking. Keep the laterals well 
stopped; and although Muscats cannot endure the direct rays of 
the sun through large panes of glass, they must have plenty of light 
to ensure the golden colour characteristic of good finish. Examine 
the borders inside"and*out, and if at’all dry soak well with tepid 
water. Red spider is unusually troublesome, and it is necessary to 
dress the pipes with sulphur upon its first appearance. 
Late Hamburghs will only require fires to maintain a night tem¬ 
perature of G0° to 65°, and 70° to 75° in the daytime, advancing to 
85° from sun heat, ventilating from 75°, and freely between 80° and 
85°. See that there is no deficiency of moisture in the borders, and if 
necessary afford tepid water or liquid manure at 80° liberally. 
Moderate extension of the laterals may be allowed where the Yines 
are carrying heavy crops of fruit, and especially when the Yines are 
weakly, otherwise keep the laterals well stopped. Houses with the 
Grapes colouring should have a rather dry warm circulation of air 
day and night, giving what air moisture is needed by damping the 
borders in the early part of the day. 
Yery early Vines having the wood fully ripe may now have the 
laterals cut back close, and in a few days some of the longest shoots 
can be shortened back, but defer the final pruning until the leaves 
are all or nearly all down. The outside border should be protected 
with some waterproof material to ward off heavy rains, as a satu¬ 
rated condition of the soil is not conducive to early and complete rest. 
The borders of early houses must be renovated, as it is always desir¬ 
able to keep the roots of the Yines near the surface. Remove the old 
surface soil without injuring the roots ; supply good loam, with 
which has been incorporated a small proportion of crushed bones, 
wood ashes, and charcoal. 
"V ines in pots intended for very early forcing now have the wood 
ripe, and will rest all the sooner if moved into the open air and placed 
at the south side of a wall or fence, to which the canes should be 
secured to protect them against injury from wind. Provision should 
also be made to protect the roots from heavy rains, which would 
prove injurious by destroying the roots, and overdryness is equally 
so, hence extremes should be avoided. If by any means the canes 
are not ripening well fire heat should be applied forthwith, and be 
accompanied with abundance of air. All attempts at lateral growth 
should be checked by pinching, but all the old foliage should be 
retained and allowed to fall naturally. Ripe Grapes will require 
frequent examining for the removal of shanked or decayed berries. 
Melons. Place the last batch of plants out at once, and maintain a 
moist genial condition of the atmosphere with a temperature of 70° 
at night, and 75° to 85° or 90° in the day, with ventilation upon all 
favourable occasions, seeking by a firm condition of the soil and not 
too moist a condition of the soil and atmosphere a short-jointed, 
sturdy, solidified growth. Remove every alternate lateral as soon as 
they appear, and stop the primary growths when they have extended 
two-thirds across the trellis, pinching the laterals at the second joint 
if they do not show fruit at that on the first laterals. Commence 
fertilising the blossom when three or four on a plant are expanded, 
and do so daily until about half a dozen fruit on a plant are set and 
swelling, when all above that number should be removed. If the 
plants are weakly about three or four fruits to a plant will be suffi¬ 
cient. Keep the laterals closely pinched and well thinned, so as to 
give the principal foliage the full benefit of sun and air. Earth up 
the roots after giving a good watering when the fruit is fairly swell- 
ing. Dispense with fire heat as long as possible by the husbanding 
of a good sun heat, closing the ventilators early in houses with grow¬ 
ing crops, maintaining a moist atmosphere to all plants not setting 
or ripening the fruit. Shade no more than is absolutely necessary to 
prevent flagging and scorching. 
Cucumbers .—Plant the autumn fruiters on raised hillocks or ridges 
made moderately firm. Where autumn-fruiting plants are not grown, 
seed to raise plants for winter fruiting should be sown, so that the 
plants may be sturdy and fit to place out not later than the middle 
of September. Telegraph is one of the most reliable sorts. Let the 
work of trimming plants every week be regularly attended to, re¬ 
moving the exhausted growths to make room for young bearing 
wood. Maintain a healthy root-action, not allowing to become dry 
at the roots, supplying liquid manure. Shade only to prevent flag¬ 
ging and scorching. Syringe freely as early in the afternoon as the 
brightness of the sun will permit, closing the ventilators for an hour 
or two, and afterwards reopen them for a short time to allow of the 
