November 4, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER , 
409 
rCOMING EVENTS W 
4th 
Th 
Linnean Society at 8 p.m. 
5 th 
F 
6 th 
S 
Sale of Bulbs at Mr. Stevens’ Rooms, Covent Garden. 
7th 
SUN 
24tii Sunday after Trinity. 
8 th 
M 
9th 
Tu 
10 th 
W 
Sale of Nursery Stock at the Preston Nursery by Messrs. Jabez 
[Jones & Son. 
THE VINERY IN AUTUMN. 
HE growth of Vines should now be completed, 
as any made after this time will serve no good 
purpose. I like to see Vines cease growing in 
September, the time from then until now being 
occupied in ripening their wood. This is the 
great secret of success the following season 
Many Vines showed prominent marks of the im¬ 
perfect ripening last year, when they were started into 
growth this season ; but nothing of the kind should be 
visible next season, as the autumn has been very favour- 
for ripening wood. Still there may be cases where the 
wood is not now so ripe as it should be, and no time must 
be lost in aiding its maturation. Remove every lateral growth 
and all decaying leaves. Keep a little fire on continually, and 
ventilate night and day. A fortnight of this treatment will 
do much in ripening the wood and insuring success next year. 
Vines bearing fruit will be benefited by the treatment, as it 
will be the means of preventing the fruit from decaying, and 
this is no small advantage at the present time, as it is just now 
that Grapes are most likely to decay. The fall of the leaf and 
the change of the sap affects them very much. In a month 
or so they will be past all danger. 
able 
The remarks by Mr. Taylor in a recent issue on the damping 
question were interesting, and no doubt correct, but his treat¬ 
ment must be carried out with great care, or more harm than 
good will follow. I approve of and practise watering the roots 
even when the fruit is ripe and throughout the winter, but under 
chosen circumstances. Were we to water the inside border 
during a rainy day, and a dozen or more similar days follow 
in succession, I know that we should be the losers by the 
operation, as no matter how fire heat may be employed in a 
vinery during wet weather, it is most difficult to keep the fruit 
from decaying, and the evil is still worse when the border is 
wet on the surface. Vines, however, do not need water either 
daily or weekly at this time ; and when the border requires 
water I advise that the supply be deferred until the first bright 
morning when it can be done early, opening the ventilators at 
the same time, and keeping the fire on all day, so that the 
interior of the house may be well dried by night. This is a 
safe plan, especially in vineries where there is not enough fire 
heat to render the place dry in an hour or two, or even keep 
the temperature up to a given point in all weathers. Where 
the house is moderately air-tight, and the interior dry, I think 
the best way is to keep the ventilators quite close in damp 
weather. This I have found to do much good in many cases, 
and is not so expensive as firing continually when there is no 
occasion for it. 
All Grapes should be examined daily at the present time, 
and for the next month. There may not be more than two 
bad berries to take out, but by removing them it -will reduce the 
chances of having more, as when they are only examined once 
or twice a week a number will often be found together, whereas 
had the first one that decayed been at once removed, it is 
likely that another would not have been destroyed. 
It is remarkable that" the Black Hamburgh is not more 
grown as a late Grape. It is a great favourite at all times 
owing to its excellent flavour, still it is hardly grown to 
meet any demand after the end of October. If I were to 
supply Lady Downe’s, Gros Colman, and others of the kind 
to my employers in November and December, an explanation 
might soon be desired, as the}’, like the writer, regard quality 
and superiority before external appearance. Although, no 
doubt, Gros Colman might look better on the table than our 
Black Hamburghs, yet they would not bear comparison in 
flavour. Black Hamburghs lose their colour when they hang 
for a long time after being ripe, but they never lose their 
flavour, and one good dish of Black Hamburghs at Christ¬ 
mas is worth dishes of all the other late Grapes together. 
The Black Hamburgh has much to recommend it for late 
use. It will keep as well as any late Grape until the month 
of January, and it is certainly much easier to cultivate, so as to 
be thoroughly ripened and coloured by September or October, 
than any of the late varieties. No other black Grape is so 
well worth growing for supply from May until January as the 
Black Hamburgh, and I wish to impress this fact on all Grape- 
growers who love well-flavoured fruit. 
It is surprising how fast mealy bug appears to be spreading 
in vineries. Many I know, who would not previously own to 
having such a pest on their premises, are now complaining of 
it. Many think it is during winter the attempt must be made 
to thoroughly destroy it; but this will not do it altogether. It 
must be searched for and killed all the year round. I have 
killed many more when the Vines were in leaf than when they 
were bare. Dressing the Vines with any mixture I have tried 
will not exterminate the pest, and now I prefer leaving the 
rods clean and killing all the insects from their first appearance 
after the Vines have been started into growth. In this way 
they may be kept from doing any harm. Fir-tree oil, so far 
as I have tried it, seems a greater enemy to mealy bug than 
any other insect, and I advise all interested in the matter to 
give it a trial. The Vines, glass, and woodwork may be washed 
with it in a very strong state. 
Vines from which the Grapes were cut some time ago, and 
which now have the wood hard and brown and denuded of leaves, 
should be pruned at once. When this work is neglected until 
a short time before the Vines are started into growth again, it 
is very often imperfectly done. It does not take long to prune 
them, but the cleaning afterwards involves much more time ; 
and if they are pruned and cleaned now, if it is seen in a 
month or two hence that they are not so clean as is desirable, 
they can then be attended to again before starting time. 
Vines in pots are yearly becoming greater favourites. They 
may be grown in any kind of house. Those with no proper 
vinery might have plenty of Grapes by growing Vines in pots. 
Like many other plants, they can be bought more cheaply than 
No. 19.— Yon. I., Thirp Series. 
No. 1675.—Yon. LXIY., Old Series. 
