November 4, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Admit air freely to Radishes in frames, and make up another bed, and 
sow as soon as the heat is up and has warmed the soil, keeping off the 
lights whenever the temperature is above 35°, with a view to prevent 
drawing whilst the plants have only their first or seed leaves, but 
when the rough leaves appear the frame may be kept close to advance 
the growth. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Vines .—Where it is necessary to have new ripe Grapes in April 
starting the Yines must not be any longer delayed. If in pots, a good 
supply of fermenting materials for affording heat to the roots should 
be provided of a description that will afford a mild lasting heat, such 
as that obtained by an admixture of two parts of Oak or Beech leaves 
to one of stable dung. The heat around the pots must not be allowed 
to exceed 75°, the supply of water being moderate in the early stages. 
Bottom heat is not essential, but it will hasten them considerably, 
and if the roots be allowed the run of the fermenting materials 
the swelling of the fruit is enhanced. Permanent Yine3 are, however, 
by many, and rightly, preferred, as they afford finer Grapes with less 
labour. In that case the early Vines to afford Grapes at the time 
stated should now be started, the inside border receiving a thorough 
soaking with liquid manure at a temperature of 90° ; making up a 
bed in the house about 2 feet thick of two parts leaves and one part 
stable dung, occasionally turning the whole or a part of it over. The 
moist ammonia-charged heat will greatly facilitate the starting, and 
be more beneficial to the Yines than fire heat alone. Syringe in 
bright weather three times a day, damping available surfaces morning 
and afternoon in dull weather, maintaining a night temperature of 502 
to 55°, and 60° to 65° by day, continuing these until the buds burst, 
then advance 5° all round. The outside border must have regular 
attention as to coverings from heavy cold rains. Do not delay, as is 
often done, the pruning of the Yines in succession houses for a con¬ 
siderable time after the leaves have fallen, but push on the pruning 
and cleansing of the houses and Yines as fast as possible, so as to 
induce early and complete rest. Remove all leaves from Yines going 
to rest, and keep the house cool, dry, and airy, also removing the 
dead and decayed foliage from Yines with ripe Grapes, as they 
engender moisture, which injuriously affects the keeping of the crop. 
Late-planted Vines not yet brown and hard in the wood should have 
fire heat still applied with free ventilation, so as to thoroughly ripen 
them. Examine ripe Grapes frequently for decayed berries, main¬ 
taining a dry cool atmosphere, and protecting outside borders with 
dry litter or fern with shutters or tarpaulin. Late Grapes should 
not be cut for bottling until the close of the year or early in the 
coming year. 
ORCHARD HOUSE. 
Those who have not potted or top-dressed the trees whilst they 
were in leaf, and object to placing them outdoors after the leaves 
have fallen or the wood is ripened, should lose no time in attending 
to those operations, which we consider preferably performed at an 
earlier stage. Trees planted out must be examined, and where 
necessary be carefully lifted, root-pruned, and immediately replanted, 
removing a portion of the old effete soil, and employing a like 
portion of fresh turfy loam, firming the soil well about the roots and 
giving a good watering after replanting, and when the soil has 
become moderately dry again firm it well and mulch with half- 
decayed manure about 2 inches thick. Trees in pots not requiring shift¬ 
ing into larger pots should have the soil scooped out at the sides to 
as great a depth as possible, filling in with fresh compost—turfy loam 
of a heavy nature, adding about a fourth of well-decayed manure 
and about 15 per cent, of bone meal, which being in proper condition, 
neither too wet nor too dry, should be rammed down as firmly as 
possible, the trees then being given a good watering. Young trees 
in comparatively small pots may now be shifted into larger pots, 
which must be well drained, and the sides of the balls being loosened 
the fresh compost should be rammed as firmly around the balls as 
possible. Pruning may be done now; but if summer pruning has 
been properly attended to, and thinning out exhausted growths after 
fruiting, there will be little necessity for it at this time of year. 
The only pruning further required will be the thinning of the crowded 
spurs and shoots in spring, especially those too weakly for the pro¬ 
duction of fine fruits. To prevent insect attacks dress the trees with 
423 
an insecticide, such as a solution of nicotine soap, at the rate of 6 ozs. 
to the gallon of rain water, applied at a temperature of 90°, which 
destroys every kind of insect. The trees may be placed close to¬ 
gether and covered with some dry litter or fern as a protection for 
the roots during frost. At all times, except during the prevalence 
of frost, the ventilators must be left open, the object being to secure 
a complete rest to the trees, which is best done outside, as by keeping 
them close and comparatively warm the buds will be excited and 
cause much trouble to retard the bloom in spring. 
STRAWBERRIES IN POTS. 
Those plants intended for early forcing must be conveyed under cover 
as soon as possible. They may be plunged in ashes to the rim of the 
pots in cold pits or frames, and the lights only employed to throw off 
heavy rains and to afford protection in severe weather. The plants 
will not perhaps require any water; but on no account must they be 
permitted to lack moisture at the roots, or they will lose the young 
white rootlets so essential to the well-being of the plants in the early 
stages of forcing. The general stock will do very well plunged in 
ashes in a sheltered situation, and if a little dry litter or fern be 
placed over them in severe weather nothing more in the shape of 
protection is necessary. It must, however, be removed in mild 
weather, or when there is no frost, for Strawberries like plenty of air 
and a moist soil. 
FLOWER GARDEN. 
The frosts and stormy weather have settled matters in a decided 
manner with the summer and, indeed, autumn-flowering plants of the 
flower garden. A general clearance will have been, or must be at 
once effected ; and whether it be intended to fill the beds and borders 
with dwarf evergreens and Conifers of a hardy character, or with 
other plants for spring flowering, no time should be lost in plant¬ 
ing to enable them to obtain hold of the soil before severe weather 
commences. The plants employed for spring gardening have much 
to recommend them, as they are hardy and not expensive ; indeed 
a moderate expenditure in bulbs, such as Hyacinths, Narcissuses, 
Tulips, Crocuses, Anemones, <Src., and a few packets of seeds of Nemo- 
philas, Silenes, Limnanthes, Myosotises, and other hardy annuals, with 
Hepaticas, Snowdrops, Winter Aconites, Primroses, Polyanthuses 
Auriculas, double Daisies, Yiolas, Pansies, and Wallflowers, afford a 
good and cheap display to enliven what would otherwise be cheer¬ 
less b eds and borders. Before digging the beds preparatory to plant¬ 
ing the above it may be necessary to give a good dressing of manure, 
and after planting a mulching of cocoa-nut fibre refuse over the 
bulbs and about the plants 2 inches thick will improve the appearance. 
Such weeds as Plantain, Daisies, and Buttercups on lawns should 
be removed as opportunity offers in mild weather during the winter. 
The removal of these will encourage the growth of the grasses and do 
much towards securing a rich velvety lawn. The heavy rains have 
brought worms to the surface, disfiguring the lawn. Give them a dose 
of lime water, which soon brings them out, and they may be swept 
up and destroyed. A few applications of this will save much time in 
sweeping and rolling. Any inequalities in the lawn surface should 
now be rectified by raising the turf, filling in the low parts before 
relaying the turf, whilst those too high should have soil taken out 
and the turf lowered, beating it well down. 
Herbaceous borders have a wintry aspect—little in flower, many 
plants that are usually fine at this season being cut by frost. The tops 
of any varieties that are sufficiently ripened should be cut off, and the 
surface of the soil made neat and clean by stirring. Remove the soil 
from about the crowns of Pyrethrums, and Delphiniums which are liable 
to have the crown buds eaten by slugs, and after dusting with quick¬ 
lime fill in with sifted ashes. Take up Dahlia roots, and after laying 
a few days to dry in a shed store away in sand in a place safe from 
frost. Take up and pot choice Hollyhocks, and winter them in a cold 
frame. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Orchids .—Lowering the temperature gradually will have induced 
partial rest of the Orchids in the East India house, but moisture must 
nevertheless be attended to as soon as the temperature commences 
rising in the morning, or by 9 o’clock. Water will need to be sprinkled 
or poured over the paths, and to anyjplants requiring it water should 
