378 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t October 21 , isso. 
crevice. The border, it is presumed, has been surface-dressed as pre¬ 
viously advised. Fermenting materials, leaves, and stable litter well 
mixed should be placed on the outside borders previous to closing 
the house and commencing fire heat, the necessity for the latter 
being lessened by placing similar materials inside the house. Syringe 
the rods twice daily, and force but gently till the Yines show signs 
of breaking. Young Yines that have completed their growth should 
have the laterals gradually reduced to admit light and air to the 
buds and induce the earlier ripening of the wood. Vines in pots not 
required for early forcing should be placed under cover, a shed or 
other place cool and dry will answer, the roots being protected by 
straw or bracken. An open shed with a north aspect is preferable 
when growth is to be retarded for late spring planting or fruiting. 
Examine all ripe Grapes frequently, removing decayed berries, and 
ventilate freely whenever the weather is favourable, employing slight 
fire heat by day, when plenty of air should be given to expel damp ; 
but in dull weather and the external atmosphere is charged with 
moisture slight warmth in the pipes without the ventilation is 
advisable. 
Peaches and Nectarines .—Young trees frequently make strong wood, 
which require more time to ripen than moderate growths made 
by older trees. Trees of this description may have a trench taken 
out at about 3 feet from the stem all around, all the roots outside 
the radius being cut away. The trench should extend down to the 
drainage, and may remain open for about a fortnight, which will 
check any inclination to late growth and assist in the ripening of 
the wood ; the trench should then be filled up again and rammed 
well down as the soil is replaced. The surface soil should be removed 
towards the stem of the trees down to the roots and from amongst 
them, replacing with fresh strong turfy loam with a sprinkling of 
about 12 per cent, of bone meal, ramming well down ; this should be 
done before the leaves fall, and a good supply of tepid water being 
given fresh rootlets will be emitted at once. Allow no wood to 
remain in late houses that will need to be taken out at the winter 
pruning, but cut out all superfluous shoots, as with proper summer 
pruning little work will be needed when the trees are leafless. Any 
trees in late, and particularly unheated houses, glass walls or cases 
that have a tendency to late growth and imperfect ripening of the 
wood should have the roots carefully lifted, shortening the strongest 
and relaying them in fresh compost, after having put the drainage in 
good order. Ventilate fully day and night, and if fire heat is em¬ 
ployed for ripening the wood turn it off at night. Proceed with the 
cleansing of the houses, the pruning and dressing of the trees as 
they become denuded of foliage; dress the trees, leaving nothing 
undone that is likely to have a deterrent effect upon the future 
increase of the pests infesting these trees, the most disastrous of 
which are red spider and brown aphis. 
MUSHROOM HOUSE. 
Continue to collect and prepare materials for making successional 
beds, and as the weather is becoming colder the beds should be in¬ 
creased in depth, so as to longer retain the heat and insure the more 
certain and speedy spread of the spawn. Care should, however, be 
taken not to place spawn in the beds at a higher temperature than 
85° in the general body of the materials, allowing the bed to lie for 
about a week after being made, when the temperature can be ascer¬ 
tained and the spawning proceeded with as the circumstances warrant. 
It is essential that the materials be thoroughly consolidated, and to 
form a firm mass without being so moist as to destroy the spawn, or 
dry enough to prevent its spreading. In the case of beds that have 
been made and soiled some time the Mushrooms will usually appear 
in about six weeks, when the covering of hay or straw should be 
removed and the surface kept moist by damping lightly with tepid 
water from a syringe. Artificial heat from successional beds being 
made will not as yet be necessary, and damping of the house may not 
be necessary ; but the temperature must not be allowed to fall below 
50°, a mean of about 55° being most suitable, and a dry atmosphere 
should be prevented by damping available surfaces as may be neces¬ 
sary. Slugs should be sought for at night and destroyed. Woodlice 
are great pests. A little hay placed at the angle formed by the bed 
and walls will cause them to secrete there, where they may be destroyed 
by pouring boiling water over them, a small quantity being sufficient 
to kill them. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Stove .—Although shade is essential in the summer months, it is 
hardly possible in the winter to afford plants, foliage as well as flower¬ 
ing, too much light during the winter months. The glass, therefore, 
of this, and, indeed, all glass structures, should have a thorough 
cleaning both inside and out, and if this were done more frequently 
than it is, the general appearance of the plants would be better and 
their flowering capabilities increased. Many plants will grow freely 
and yet flower sparsely, which is mainly attributable to a deficiency 
of light for the solidification of the growth as made. The confined 
humid atmosphere necessary to be kept up for stove plants causes 
slime, &c., to form on the inside of the glass, to say nothing of soot 
and dust on the outside, and this takes more or less from one of the 
most essential elements of plant life—viz., light; besides, many stove 
plants are in active growth during the dull autumn and winter 
months, hence the importance of securing to them all the light 
possible. 
Eucharis aniazonica .—To secure a succession of flowers treat the 
plants liberally whilst making growth by keeping them well supplied 
with moisture both at the roots and in the atmosphere, feeding with 
liquid manure, maintaining a brisk heat, with plenty of light. When 
the growth is complete afford a rest of about six weeks’ duration by 
keeping the plants somewhat drier and cooler ; they will when placed 
in heat throw up their flower scapes in about three weeks. Plants that 
have completed their growth should now be rested by keeping them in 
a temperature of about 55° until the beginning of December, then 
place them in a temperature of 65° to 75°, and, if available, a bottom 
heat of not exceeding 90° at the base of the pots. Flowers will thus 
be obtained for decoration at Christmas and the new year. 
Griffinias .—Seldom are these beautiful bulbous plants met with, 
and yet they are amongst the finest of autumn-flowering plants, 
expanding their blue and white-striped flowers in succession over a 
lengthened period. The individual flowers last in a cut state a week, 
and are of a soft violet colour with a white central stripe down each 
of its curved narrow petals, being well suited for bouquets. The 
umbels of flowers are produced somewhat like an Agapanthus, and 
the flowers open from September onwards. The natural season of 
growing is during the autumn and winter months, and should be 
duly supplied with moisture, never allowing them to become dry, 
providing a temperature of about 60° minimum in winter ; and after 
the growth is complete, as it is about April, they may be removed to 
a greenhouse not having a less night temperature than 50°. Fibrous 
loam with a little sand suits them. The bulbs should be kept about 
two-thirds above the soil. Being slow growers they are some time 
in attaining to a flowering size—usually three years, during which 
they should be kept growing through the summer up to August in a 
cool stove, and then placed in a greenhouse for about two months, 
the temperature not being lower than 45° at night. Good drainage is 
essential, as during growth good supplies of water is necessary, and 
never allow the soil to become quite dry, or the foliage will suffer. 
All winter-flowering plants should be kept well up to the light, to 
insure sturdy growth, large heads of bloom, richness of colour, with 
durability in the flowers. Gesnera zebrina, G. zebrina splendens, 
and G. exoniensis should be kept in plenty of light, not allowed to 
lack water, and be grown in a temperature of 60? at night. If in 
small pots supply with liquid manure. Caladiums will be going off ; 
lessened supplies of water will be necessary, but do not withhold it 
altogether. 
■' «r 
NOTES ON VILLA AND SUBURBAN GARDENING. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
jBeet and Carrots .—It is now advisable to lift and store the roots of 
these, as the former are liable to injury from severe frosts, and the 
latter when left in the ground are much infested by insect pests, 
indeed are already much damaged in this respect. Select a dry time 
for the work, and after having twisted off the tops of the Beet, and 
cut off those of the Carrots to near their junction with the roots, 
lay them in heaps for a few days in order that they may dry thoroughly 
previous to being stored. The tops should be thrown over the heaps 
