302 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ September ss, m 2 . 
room. Birds are usually troublesome, hence late Peaches and Plums 
should be securely netted. Gather Apples and Pears as fast as they 
become ripe, and place them carefully upon the shelves of the fruit 
room. Care should be exercised in gathering these fruits as well in 
doing it at the proper time, for if gathered too soon they will shrivel, 
and if allowed to become too ripe they will be deteriorated in flavour 
or become mealy. The fruit so far as practicable should be placed 
singly on the shelves, and be examined occasionally, removing de¬ 
cayed fruit. Autumnal Raspberries will soon begin to ripen their 
fruit, and will need to be protected with nets. The crop of these, 
if the autumn be favourable, will prove very useful. The plantation 
should be formed in an open situation, the soil being well enriched 
at the time of planting. When the fruiting season is over the cane3 
should be cut down close to the surface of the soil, carefully selecting 
the young canes in spring, and cutting away all weak or superfluous 
ones. Strawberries placed out after being forced will be setting the 
fruit for an autumnal crop, and will need to be protected with nets. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Cauliflower plants are now ready to be transferred from seed 
beds. Select the strongest for placing under handlights, employing 
good strong loam so as to secure a sturdy habit, this being further 
insured by attention to ventilation, it being necessary at this season 
to afford full exposure to all such vegetables in frames. Prick out 
into frames the requisite number of the remaining plants from the 
seed bed for transplanting in spring. Dust with wood ashes or quick¬ 
lime as a preventive of the depredations of slugs and worms. A few 
of the larger leaves should be bent over the heads of Cauliflowers 
coming into use, both to keep them white and as a protection in case 
of sudden frosts. 
Assuming that the crops of Onions and Potatoes were lifted and 
stored during suitable weather, the ground with but a forking-over 
will be available for Cabbages and Lettuces, breadths of which 
should now be placed out. The Onion ground will be a suitable 
change for Cabbages, which to insure fine heads should not be less 
than 18 inches apart every way, and 6 inches more for the large- 
heading sorts. If not already done a number of plants from the seed 
bed should be pricked out for transferring to their final quarters in 
spring and secure a succession of heads in summer to those afforded 
by the autumn-planted Cabbages. 
For the spring and early summer supply of Lettuces a somewhat 
sheltered situation must be chosen, the plants succeeding admirably 
in the intervening spaces where early Peas will shortly be sown 
4 feet apart, a row of the Cabbage variety being placed at a foot on 
either side of the row of Peas, and a row of the Cos between those, 
which will give two rows of Cabbage and one of Cos between each 
two rows of Peas. If this method does not afford a probability of 
supply equal to the requirements supplementary planting must be 
made in a sheltered position. Where the soil is light it should be 
made moderately firm by being trod over once and then raked level, 
and the plants placed out in drills. Stanstead Park Cabbage Lettuce 
and the black-seeded Brown Cos are reliable sorts. Careful attention 
should be given the plants, all vacancies being kept filled up regu¬ 
larly, and dustings of soot, wood ashes, or lime be applied as needful 
to keep down slugs and worms. After the planting of the main crop 
of Lettuces is completed a number of plants of Cos should be pricked 
out into a prepared bed in a sheltered place for transplanting in 
spring. 
Lose no opportunity of earthing up Celery which may require it. 
The earliest crops should now have a final earthing-up, drawing the 
leaves close together, firming the soil well about the stalks, and well 
beat down the banks of soil so as to exclude the rain as much as 
possible. Parsley which is sown in pits should be well thinned, kept 
free of weeds and decayed leaves, exposing fully on all but frosty 
nights, when the lights should be put on and removed during the 
day. If no provision has been made for a supply in severe weather 
spring-sown plants may now be lifted and placed in pits or in deep 
boxes or pots, which, placed in a Peach house or vinery from which 
the Grapes have been cut, will furnish a moderate supply in severe 
weather. Chervil may be treated similarly. 
In order to obtain a supply of the more tender vegetables as long 
as possible every aid or protection to such in the open air should be 
attended to in due time, as by preventing the evil effects of a few 
cold nights the supply of such may be prolonged—possibly for some 
weeks longer. 
Accommodation must now be provided for the Lettuces and Endive, 
which are to be lifted from the open ground to give a continuation to 
the supply when that which is outside is either exhausted or de¬ 
stroyed. The earlier the plants are placed into their quarters the 
better, moving with good balls, firming the soil well about them, 
watering well, and exposing fully on all but frosty nights, when the 
lights should be put on, and withdrawn in the daytime. Where large 
supplies of salading are in demand in winter shallow pits with moveable 
lights, and the command of sufficient heat to exclude frost, are essen¬ 
tially necessary to providing it in good condition and with certainty. 
French Beans sown in August in pits as advised should now have 
the lights over them, but be ventilated freely in favouiable weather; 
indeed a little should be given constantly, and artificial heat afforded 
to maintain a minimum of 55° and G5° in the daytime. Water when 
necessary with weak tepid liquid manure. 
Tomatoes on walls should have the fruit cut as they give indication 
of ripening, placing in a vinery or other dry house to accelerate the 
process, and when there is danger of frost cut all the fruit of any size 
and lay them out in a similar place to finish. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
reaches and Nectarines .—The trees in the house started early in the 
year to afford ripe fruit in June will now be shedding their leaves, 
and the trees having had a tendency in previous seasons to cast the 
buds, not set well or stone indifferently, which is a sure indication of 
the imperfect ripening of the wood. The roof lights in such case have 
not been removed, as this will tend to ripen the growth. Yet some¬ 
thing more than this is necessary to rectify the evils above alluded 
to, which chiefly arise from too rich, loose, deep, and unrestricted 
borders ; indeed, most fruit trees under glass are given far too much 
root space. Trees in the condition above indicated should, as soon as 
there is the slightest indication of the maturity of the foliage, be at 
once root-pruned. In a majority of instances it will be sufficient to 
remove the soil between 3 and 6 feet from the stem, and, making an 
examination of the roots, cut through the thickest and deepest, remov¬ 
ing the detached parts, and also the soil down to the roots towards 
the stem, and, without disturbing them, supply fresh loam rammed 
well down, giving a good watering. This will cause the speedy rest¬ 
ing of the trees, whilst at the same time new roots will be emitted, 
continuing more or less active through the winter. In some instances 
it will be desirable to detach the whole of the roots at the distance 
above indicated, according to the size and vigour of the trees. 
In the case of trees that have long-jointed wood and that do 
not fruit satisfactorily they should be entirely lifted. In this case 
the whole of the soil should be removed down to the roots, and 
then, commencing at the point most distant from the stem of the 
trees, the roots should be carefully lifted from that point towards 
the stem, laid aside and covered. The soil should be removed down 
to the drainage, which should be rectified and covered with a layer 
of turves. Putting in a foot of soil, a layer of the roots should be 
spread out carefully and covered with about 6 inches depth of soili 
and then the remainder of the roots, which should likewise be 
covered with 6 inches of soil; the smaller roots from the collar 
being laid out should be covered but lightly with soil. A good 
watering must be given, and a mulching of partially decayed manure 
about 3 inches thick. If the weather be bright shade during the 
operation and for a few days afterwards, and syringe occasionally. 
The trees will soon produce fresh roots, when the usual routine 
should be resorted to. This operation must be performed before 
the leaves fall. Rather strong loam is the most suitable for Peach 
trees, adding about a tenth of old mortar rubbish. Trees in suc¬ 
cession and late houses may be treated similarly, but it must not be 
performed until the growth is completed and the wood somewhat 
hardened, or it may cause the wood to shrivel or die. In the case of 
young and other trees growing too luxuriantly a trench may be taken 
out at a third of the distance from the stem that the branches cover 
in extent of trellis, and the roots detached from the trench may be 
