December is, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 557 
advantageous to cover outside borders with leaves 1 to 2 feet in 
depth, make them firm, and cover with shutters to throw off rain and 
snow. The earliest-started Yines in pots will require disbudding, 
reserving those growths with the most promising bunches, stopping 
two joints beyond the bunch, allowing more if there is sufficient 
space for the exposure of the foliage to the light. The laterals below 
the bunches may be rubbed off, but those from the same joint as well 
as those above may be allowed more latitude, or if likely to crowd 
the principal foliage stop them at the first leaf. The temperature by 
day should be 65° artificially and 70° to 75° with sun heat, and in 
mild weather it must not exceed G0° at night, whilst in severe 
weather a few degrees lower may be permitted. If the pots are 
surrounded with fermenting materials replenish them as necessary to 
maintain the heat about the pots steady at 70° to 75°. Damp the 
house and Yines in the morning and early afternoon, and if the 
weather necessitates sharp firing moisture must be distributed about 
the house, but not on the Vines, about 8 P.M. When the flowers are 
showing 70° to 758 will be required, not falling below G5° at night. 
Assist the setting by lightly passing a camel’s-hair brush over the 
bunches. Afford water as necessary, alternating with liquid manure. 
Have succession houses and Yines that are intended to be started 
early in the coming year thoroughly prepared, and repeatedly water 
inside borders so as to have them in a moist condition. If the in¬ 
ternal borders have not been top-dressed lose no time in doing so, 
removing the loose surface soil, and apply a dressing of turfy loam 
with a sprinkling of crushed bones. Push forward the pruning of 
late summer and autumn Yines as soon as the leaves have fallen, 
cleanse the house, and give the roots the needful attention in top¬ 
dressing. If this work is likely to be delayed by Grapes still hanging 
cut and bottle them, for nothing is of such importance as affording a 
long and complete rest, which is often very much interfered with by 
the plants arranged in vineries, for a well-ventilated house is neces¬ 
sary day and night in all weather, except when frost prevails. 
Plants requiring more heat should be excluded from vineries. 
Figs .—To have ripe Figs at the early part of May the trees should 
be started at once. Trees in pots are preferable to those which are 
permanently planted out, as at this early season a slight warmth at 
the roots is very beneficial, providing it be regular and does not 
exceed 70° at the commencement, as more than this is calculated to 
produce growth too rapidly. The pots should be placed on pedestals 
of brickwork of the requisite height, and the bed must then be filled 
with Oak or Beech leaves and firmly placed together, bringing them 
up around the pots, taking care that the heat about the pots is not 
allowed to exceed 70° or 75° at the base. If the plants are small the 
brick pedestals may be dispensed with, but be careful not to plunge 
the pots deeply in the bed if the temperature exceeds 70°. If the 
soil in the pots has become dry immerse them in water until it 
is well moistened. Commence forcing with a night temperature of 50° 
and 55° in the daytime, allowing an advance of 5° to 10° more from 
sun heat. Keep the atmosphere generally moist by damping available 
surfaces frequently, and syringe the trees twice a day. It is of the 
utmost importance that the trees have a position where they will be 
exposed to light. The house in which the trees are planted out and 
intended to be forced next month for affording ripe Figs early in June, 
must now be attended to in dressing and securing them to the trellis, 
ventilating freely until forcing commences, except during frost. 
Cucumbers .—The winter plants are showing plenty of fruit, and 
unless they are extra strong fully two-thirds of it should be removed, as 
nothing tends so much to weaken them as allowing too free bearing 
in the early stages. Remove all male blossoms and tendrils, affording 
a moderate earthing to the roots of previously warmed soil, pressing 
it down rather firmly. Be moderate in the supplies of water to the 
roots for the present, a fair supply twice a week will be sufficient. 
Plants growing in tubs or boxes will require it more frequently. 
Thin out the growth as necessary to admit light, and encourage fresh 
growth in the autumn. Plant so as to maintain a continuous supply, 
but for the next six weeks be careful in stopping. Keep the glass 
clean so as to admit all the light possible. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Stove .—Heat for the roots of plants is not so much advocated now 
as it was, yet it still has its advocates, for many plants, though not 
absolutely needing bottom heat, are benefited by it at some stage of 
their growth, as in the case of Eucharis amazonica and others that 
have been repotted, and it is particularly valuable for plants that 
produce few roots or lose them at the most critical stage of their 
growth—namely, when advanced for flowering, as is often the case 
with Poinsettias and Euphorbias. To accelerate the flowering of 
plants at particular times, or to induce growth in order to secure a 
tendency to earlier flowering, bottom heat is indispensable. No other 
means exist of producing so genial a condition of the atmosphere as 
that of a good bed of fermenting materials, as tan or Oak leaves ; a 
bed 4 feet in depth of those will maintain a good heat for a long time, 
and materially assist the heating power, especially on cold nights. 
Where hot-water pipes exist to furnish bottom heat cocoa-nut fibre 
refuse is generally employed as the plunging medium, and is better 
than sawdust from not being so liable to foster fungus. The heat 
from passing through this moisture-laden material tends to maintain 
a genial atmosphere, and, though not equalling a bed of fermenting 
materials in that respect, is more enduring and cleanly. To render 
assistance in this way no time should be lost in preparing the material, 
giving the house a thorough cleaning, well washing the woodwork 
and glass. Where means do not exist of affording bottom heat, suffi¬ 
cient piping should be available for maintaining the requisite tempe¬ 
rature without constantly having to heat them highly, as nothing 
induces such an unsatisfactory condition in plants. No economy is 
so false as little piping, which necessitates keeping the water in the 
pipes near boiling point when the weather is at all severe. 
Light is at this time of year of great importance to plants, and 
everything should be done to favour its admittance. Roof climbers 
are usually left until the early part of the year before thinning and 
regulating the growths, but if it was not attended to in autumn all 
superfluous growths should now be removed. Some are, however, 
now in great beauty, such as Ipomsea Horsfallim, Bougainvillea 
glabra, Manettia bicolor, M. micans, several Passifloras, particularly 
P. Madonna, P. calycina, and P. kermesina ; those with others of an 
evergreen character should not be disturbed in such manner as will 
interfere with their flowering. Deciduous climbers will require to be 
dry at the root, but not so much so as to, cause the wood to shrivel ; 
and although the evergreen species are the better for being kept 
rather dry, it must not be entirely withheld, as that would cause the 
young shoots and leaves to flag to the serious injury of the plant. 
Many stove plants flowering at this season do best in an intermediate 
temperature, lasting much longer and bearing removal for decorative 
purposes better than those grown in a higher temperature. Serico- 
graphis, Eranthemums, Centropogons, Thyrsacanthus, Euphorbia 
jacquiniseflora, Begonias, Gesneras exoniensis, zebrina and splendens, 
and the attractive Epiphyllums, all do well in a temperature of 55° 
to 60°, and to have them in the brightest colour the plants must be 
so placed as to have their heads near to the glass. For forwarding 
Richardias and continuing Bouvavdias in flower similar conditions 
as to heat and light are absolutely necessary. 
FLOWER GARDEN. 
When the leaves have all fallen a thorough cleaning should at 
once be commenced. The lawn must be kept free from wormcasts 
by sweeping and rolling, also similarly attending to the walks. 
Thin out and transplant trees and shrubs where too thick, and the 
dressing of the borders should be proceeded with as the weather and 
opportunity offers. Bed and borders edged with Box must have any 
gaps filled up, and where the edgings have become too large they 
may now be taken up and relaid. Box does not succeed in all soils, 
often having a rusty brown colour, which usually arises, except in 
very sandy soils, from a deficiency of calcareous matter; hence in 
relaying the colour may be improved by working in a good quantity 
of fine chalk. Where Box does well it is unsurpassed as an edging 
plant. 
There is always great risk in digging borders of herbaceous plants 
at this season, unless the position of all plants and bulbs are clearly 
indicated by stout labels ; and although a peg in the case of bulbs 
and such plants is considered sufficient, yet much is added to the 
interest of a garden by having them properly named. The borders 
should now have a good mulching of half-decayed manure, so as to 
enrich the soil and form a suitable protection against the severity of 
