July 31, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
10S 
it will be necessary to keep the bouse rather close by day, but with suffi¬ 
cient ventilation to cause evaporation and allow the moisture to escape. 
Give no more water to the border than will prevent the foliage becoming 
limp. If the weather prove moist employ fire heat in the daytime to 
maintain a temperature of 70° to 75°, with moderate ventilation, and 
turn the heat off at night to allow the pipes to cool, increasing the ven¬ 
tilation so as to cause a thorough draught ; and this will soon cause the 
wood to harden and the buds to plump, inducing rest, which for Vines 
that are be started in December should be complete from the middle to 
the end of September. When the Vines have the wood ripe ventilate 
fully day and night. 
Vines Cleared of their Crops.— Second early-forced Vitnes have the 
crops cleared ; and they should have the foliage cleansed by means of 
the syringe or engine, and, if needful, by applying an insecticide. If 
there be any mealy bug or scale promptly use petroleum, a wineglassful 
to four gallons of water, in which 6 ozs. of softsoap and 1 oz. of soda 
has been dissolved, keeping the mixture thoroughly agitated whilst it is 
being applied to the Vines, which must be done thoroughly, wetting 
every part. It is best done on a calm evening, and should be repeated 
two or three times at intervals of a few days, and is best used at a tem¬ 
perature of 90° to 100°. If there are any plants they must be removed, 
and if the roots of the Vines are near the surface, cover the border with 
dry short litter to absorb the waste. 
Keep the laterals fairly in check, but not closely pinched unless the 
Vines are very vigorous and are not ripening the wood freely, then keep¬ 
ing the house rather dry at night with all the air possible, and some¬ 
what close and warm by day, will tend to promote the maturity of the 
wood and buds. In stopping vigorous Vines regard must be had to the 
principal buds, not stopping so close as to cause them to start into 
growth. Such Vines should be kept without water until the leaves are 
a little limp. Vines that, on the other hand, are not strong, having 
been enfeebled by continuous cropping, or other cause, should be 
encouraged to make growth by applying liquid manure to the border ; 
but whatever extraneous foliage is made must not be allowed to inter¬ 
fere with the free access of light and air to the principal leaves, which 
must be kept healthy, so that they may appropriate some of the extra¬ 
food, and store it in the buds and adjacent wood. Ventilate freely day 
and night. 
Grapes Ripening .—Admit air constantly, enough with a gentle 
warmth in the pipes to insure a circulation. In ripening most Grapes 
swell considerably, therefore a moderate amount of air moisture is 
necessary, and there must not be any deficiency of water at the roots. 
Give the border, if necessary, a good supply, and in the early part of 
the day, so that superfluous water may be dissipated before night. If 
the Vines are heavily cropped afford liquid manure, but not strong, and 
allow them plenty of time, otherwise if there be any hastening of the 
ripening and a deficiency of moisture or nutriment, it is likely the fruit 
will be defective in colour. A good rest at night in a temperature of 
60° to 65° with air is a great help to Vines taxed to the utmost by weight 
of Grapes. A moderate air moisture will be secured by damping avail¬ 
able surfaces occasionally, and if possible allow the laterals to extend, 
but overtaxed Vines rarely can cater for more than the principal leaves 
and Grapes. 
Cucumbers. —Let the growths be thinned at least twice a week, 
removing exhausted growths to make room for young bearing shoots. 
Keep the shoots well stopped to one joint beyond the fruit, or at the 
fruit if the plants are vigorous and showing no signs of exhaustion. 
Always allow weakly plants more extension, and crop them lightly. 
Maintain a steady root action by necessary bottom heat and due atten¬ 
tion to watering two or three times a week. The bottom heat should 
be 80° to 85°, top heat 70° at night, 75° by day, 80° to 85° with sun, 
closing earl} to increase to 90° or 95°. Syringe in the afternoon of hot 
days, but avoid late syringing, for the foliage should be dry by sunset, 
and commence ventilating early, it being important that the foliage be 
dry before the sun acts powerfully upon it. The autumn fruiters 
should now or soon be planted on hillocks or ridges moderately firm, 
maintaining a moist and genial atmosphere, and they will soon show 
fruit in plenty. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Calceolarias .—Prick off seedlings into pans 14 or 2 inches apart, so 
that when they fill this space they will be ready for placing into 3-inch 
pots. Several successional batches may be obtained from one sowing. 
Seed may still be sown where the supply of plants from the first sowing 
are not sufficient. Grow these plants in a cold frame with a northern 
aspect, at any rate where they can be shaded from the sun. 
Cinerarias .—The earliest plants should be transferred into 5-inch 
pots, others into 3-inch that display signs of crowding in pans. Those 
still in the seed pans may be pricked off into other pans or boxes 
2 inches apart. A little more seed may be sown to supply plants for 
flowering in small pots late in the season. Give abundance of air to 
these plants to induce a dwarf compact growth. Be careful not to 
crowd them, shade from bright sunshine, but carefully avoid over¬ 
shading them. 
Solanums .—Where these are under glass give them abundance of 
air. The weather of late has been unfavourable for turning them out, 
but should it change they are better outside. Keep the plants growing 
by giving them stimulants occasionally. Seedlings that were placed into 
5-inch pots some time ago and encouraged to grow should have com¬ 
menced to flower freely, although they have been grown closer than cut¬ 
back plants or those raided early from cuttings. They should be care¬ 
fully hardened and subjected to the same treatment as old plants. 
Salvias .—These plants should be growing rapidly ; pinch the points 
out of them to induce them to branch. If the stock is deficient 
cuttings may still be rooted of late flowering kinds, which will make 
useful plants by autumn. Plants in 5 and 6-inch pots for furnishing 
purposes are often more useful than those of a larger size. Where tall 
large plants can be accommodated allow them to extend and branch 
naturally. There is no difficulty in producing plants 5 or 6 feet high in. 
a season provided the leader is not too closely pinched. 
Rouvardias .—Discontinue pinching the early plants and allow them 
to grow naturally from the present time—that is, if large fine trusses of 
bloom are needed. If the plants are needed for decoration only any 
strong shoots that start from the base may be pinched. Our plants 
have still the protection of frames, but with a change of weather they 
may be turned out for a time to make room for those in a less forward 
condition. Some of the latest plants are only just being placed in their 
flowering pots. These should be kept under glass, and when they have 
taken fairly to the new soil they will be pinched for the last time. The 
early batches, whether kept under glass or turned out, may be given 
weak stimulants occasionally or artificial manure to the surface of the 
soil. 
Primulas .—The earliest plants should be placed in their flowering 
pots. Pot them moderately deep, so that they will not shake about 
when in flower. Where practicable plunge the pots amongst leaves or 
ashes, and when they have taken to the soil raise the frames slightly 
so that a good circulation of air can play amongst them. This is 
important if sturdy plants that will flower well are required. Those 
for succession must be potted as they require more root room ; it is a 
mistake to allow them to become root-bound before they are placed into- 
larger pots. This induces the young plants to flower, which indicates 
that they have been seriously checked. Double varieties should be 
placed in 5 and 6-inch pots. Those that flowered late may be divided 
and potted in 3-inch pots. Each portion should now be well rooted. 
They will strike from cuttings, but the safest plan is to earth them up 
until they emit roots from the stem. 
Mignonette. — Standards and pyramids should be extending rapidly 
over their trellises. All the attention needed is to remove the flowers as 
they appear, and regulate their shoots from time to time. Give the 
plants abundance of air; during the day the lights may be removed 
altogether. To do well they should stand on a moisture-holding base, 
and be carefully watered and syringed twice daily. Later plants for 
spring flowering should have their trellises placed to them. Seed 
sown in 6-inch pots should be thinned out. The plants should be 
1£ inch apart. Sow a good batch of pots, and place in a cold frame 
until the seed germinates ; the frame should be shaded with mats. To 
the earliest plants clear soot water may be given, but avoid strong 
stimulants, they do more harm than good. A little artificial manure 
applied to the surface is preferable. 
Heliotropes .—Plants intended for autumn flowering—White Lady 
is unquestionably the best—should be placed in 6-inch pots, and stood 
outside on a bed of ashes in a sunny position. Standards and pyramids 
should have the flower trusses removed as they appear. Pinch any 
shoots that are taking the lead, so that the trellis is evenly covered. 
These plants are better outside than in. 
Stocks .—For spring flowering in pots seed should be sown in boxes 
without delay. Place the boxes in frames until the seed germinates, 
then grow them perfectly cool, and when large enough pot them singly.. 
The varieties of East Lothian and Intermediate are useful for this- 
purpose. Princess Alice is a very useful Stock, and well worth sowing, 
now for growing in pots. 
Campanulapyramidalis .— Sow seed now in a box or pan to main¬ 
tain a succession of these plants. Those sown last year at this time, 
and now in 6-inch pots, should be placed in 9-inch ; they do well in 
loam, sand, and one-seventh of manure. They should stand outside. 
The only protection they need is a cool Peach house during the winter. 
The seedlings should be raised in a frame, and when large enough potted 
singly and watered in a cold frame. 
Celosias .—Pot those plants that need more root room, 5 and 6-inch 
pots are suitable. Grow them in cold frames fully exposed to the sun, 
and give liberal ventilation. Nothing is gained by trying to hurry 
those raised from seed early in May. Plants raised later, and are only 
ready for breaking off or placing into pots, will require to be grown 
in an intermediate temperature. The faster they can be pushed on the 
better consistent with maintaining sturdy growth. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Tiie Weather. 
Another boisterous week of unseasonable weather has passed, 
gloomy and stormy in the extreme, with a mean temperature of 
52° Fahrenheit. The 21st was an exception, the morning’s read¬ 
ing of the thermometer being 54° and the day temperature 70°, 
the most genial day of the season, and the bees worked tolerably 
