366 
[ October 23. 1830. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
■forests by overthrowing confidence in the security of forest property, by 
discouraging the investment of money in forest, by the destruction of the 
young growth, and by the effect upon the fertility of the soil, would still 
remain without mitigation.—(From “ The Forests of North America 
by Dr. Heinrich Mayr.') 
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FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. — Early Houses. —Where late Grapes are not cultivated in 
quantity to maintain a supply to May, preparations must be made for 
early forcing. The Vines being pruned in September, the loose bark 
stripped off, the house may be cleansed, the border top-dressed, and the 
Vines dressed with a solution of softsoap, half a pound to a gallon of 
water, brought to the consistency of cream with flowers of sulphur, 
adding, if there be any scale, a wineglassful of spirits of turpentine, the 
composition being equally effective against mealy bug, killing all it 
touches. The whole being in readiness as advised in former calendars, 
■cover the outside border with leaves and stable litter, so as to warm the 
border preparatory to employing fire heat. If there be the convenience 
for making up a good bed inside the house of Oak or Beech leaves, with 
■about a third of stable litter, it will greatly facilitate the Vines breaking, 
and be more beneficial to them than fire heat alone. Therefore have 
them in readiness for placing in the house at the early part of next 
month. 
Early Forced Vines in Pots. —These are much better than per¬ 
manently planted Vines for very early forcing, say to afford ripe fruit 
late in March or early in April, selecting early varieties such as Buckland 
■Sweetwater, Foster’s Seedling, and White Frontignan in white Grapes, 
and of black, Black Hamhurghs, Mill Hill Hamburgh, Royal Ascot, 
and Madresfield Court. They should now be in position preparatory to 
starting early in next month. 
Renovating Vine Borders. —Vines thrive for an almost indefinite 
period in a soil suited to their requirements, and where they have a good 
extent of rooting area, as may be seen in many places where the Vines 
were originally planted to cover a large area. Vines mostly nave their 
roots confined to limited areas, and the natural outcome is that the soil 
becomes less favourable as a rooting medium if not defective in aliment, 
hence the desirability of renewing the soil, or such portion of it as will 
secure as many active feeders as possible. There is nothing perhaps 
equal to fresh soil as an encourager of Vine roots. 
Where Vines are unsatisfactory, no time should be lost as soon as the 
leaves have effected their functions to the extent of perfecting the buds 
and wood, and whilst they are still upon the Vines, in removing the soil 
down to the roots and picking it from amongst them, so as to displace 
as much of it as possible with fresh. In case the border is very un¬ 
satisfactory, and the roots few and deep, it will be necessary to remove 
all the soil and renew the whole border, commencing with the drainage, 
which should be clear 9 inches to 1 foot thick, having a layer of fine 
material at the top, nothing answering better than old mortar rubbish 
■•i inches thick over 9 inches of drainage. The drainage must have 
a tile drain to carry off superfluous water. Two feet depth of soil 
is ample, and the roots should be laid out evenly in the top foot, en¬ 
couraging those from the collar by laying any that proceed therefrom 
only just beneath the surface. The whole should be made firm, and the 
compost moderately dry. If the roots are inside and outside, one part 
may be done one year, and the other the next without any danger of 
loss of crop, care being taken to preserve the roots, and to keep them 
from the drying influences of the atmosphere, whilst the growth is in 
progress. Mulch the surface with a little short manure, preferably 
fresh horse droppings, and cover outside borders with a good thickness 
of leaves or other protective material. As regards soil, good turfy loam 
is best, but any ameliorated soil will grow good Grapes. Preference 
should be given to medium textured loam, that overlying clay being 
better than that overlying sand. The most suitable is a rather strong 
loam overlyiEg the limestone formation, and interspersed with flints. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
State of the Flower Reds.—It is not often, the beds present so gay 
an appearance during September and the early part of October as they 
have done this season. Only in very low positions have early frosts 
crippled the most tender plants, and the bright state of many of the 
beds, though very satisfactory in some respects, will greatly hinder the 
work of refilling for the winter. Advantage ought to be taken of a dry 
time for breaking up any of the beds not in an attractive state,refilling 
these with hardy flowering plants, shrubs, and bulbs, before rain falls on 
the newly disturbed soil and thereby quickly render it too sodden to 
work on. In some instances it may be advisable to dig the beds prior 
to refilling ; poorer soils where possible being enriched by well decayed 
manure, but those of a heavy retentive nature frequently work more 
freely and remain in a drier warmer state when not dug, the surface 
being merely cleared of rubbish, and the planting at once proceeded 
with. 
Spring Flowering Plants. —The best display is made by plants 
established long before this in their flowering quarters ; but if Wall¬ 
flowers, Forget-me-nots, Daisies, Polyanthuses, Primroses, Violas,, Saxi¬ 
frages, Aubrietias, and Arabises, and such annuals as Cullinsia bicolor, 
Limnanthes Douglassi, Gypsophila elegans, Nemophila insignis, 
Silenes, Saponaria calabrica, and Virginian Stocks have been well pre¬ 
pared, they transplant readily. This season they are exceptionally 
strong and healthy, and the sooner they are in the winter quarters the 
greater the likelihood of their doing well. In many districts the ground 
is in a comparatively dry state, and nothing therefore should be moved 
till the soil about the roots has been well moistened, one or two good 
waterings being given overnight. All ought to be lifted with a good 
ball of soil about the roots and carried in flat baskets or. on hand- 
barrows to where they are required. Thin planting and mixtures are 
not recommended, masses of one or two colours arranged according to the 
known height of the respective kinds being most effective. Very few, 
if any, of the plants will increase in size before flowering time, and 
many will lose their outer leaves, consequently becoming smaller than 
when first put out. If therefore there are not enough to fill all the beds 
thickly do a limited number well, and cover the remainder with shrubs 
rooted, or branches and sprays only, with flowering bulbs among them. 
It is of the greatest importance that all the plants be firmly refixed, 
this causing them to become quickly re-established ; frosts also being 
liable to upheave them considerably. 
Spring-flowering Bulbs. —Old bulbs cannot be depended upon to 
flower freely, much the best effect being produced with the aid of a 
newly purchased stock. Luckily Hyacinths, Narcissi, Tulips, Crocuses, 
Scillas, and Snowdrops suitable for bedding out can all be bought at a 
comparatively cheap rate, and these should be put out in the beds, the 
choicer kinds and varieties being planted in herbaceous and other 
borders, where, if not often disturbed, some of them, notably Daffodils 
and Narcissi, will continue to increase and improve every season. Nor 
ought the bedding bulbs to be put out very thinly, or they will present 
a meagre appearance ; and central masses of either Hyacinths, Narcissi, 
or Tulips, with broad bands of dwarfer kinds, are much preferable to 
mixtures. Plant Hyacinths and Narcissi about 9 inches apart each way 
and I inches deep, Tulips going in the same depth, and not more than 
6 inches apart. Triple lines or bands of Crocuses, Snowdrops, and 
Scillas are recommended, the bulbs being placed out from 3 inches to 
4 inches apart each way, and 3 inches deep. Beds largely or wholly 
filled with bulbs might well have a temporary covering of sprays of 
such evergreens as Hollies, B 'X, Ivies, Aucuba, Portugal Laurel, common 
Laurel, and short pieces of Conifers, these being grouped and stuck in 
thickly, so as to resemble small plants. They will long retain their 
freshness. 
Shrubs and Conifers in Beds. —The outlay in the first instance 
would be considerable, but there is no mistaking the value of various 
shrubs and Conifers for furnishing beds, borders, large vases, and window 
boxes during the winter. They can be had of any size, ranging from 
6 inches to 6 feet in height ; they move readily (being specially prepared 
for the purpose), and a beautiful and lasting effect is created in a few 
hours. Many of the Golden and Silver forms are quite bright enough 
for the summer arrangements, while all can be moved in May to the 
home nursery, and brought back to the beds in the autumn. Neat little 
specimens look well in a carpeting of dwarf flowering or coloured- 
foliaged plants, and mixtures also are effective. Quite small plants, 
however, ought to be in masses of one kind, or panels may be formed 
of different colours, with dividing lines of other SDecies. 
Selections of Conifers and ’ Shrubs. —A visit to a good nursery 
would disclose the fact that there are numbers of plants admirably 
suited to the purpose of filling flower beds, foremost among these 
being such handsome Conifers as Cupressus Lawsoniana erecta 
viridis, lutea and nana glauca ; Cupressus nutkaensis ; Cryptomeria 
elegans ; Juniperus tamariscP'olia, Retinosporas ericoides, obtusa aurea, 
nana, plumosa argentea, squarrosa and plumosa aurea ; Taxus baccata 
elegantissima, and Thuiopsis dolabrata. Quite dwarf plants can be had 
of any of these. Some of the most useful evergreens are variegated 
Hollies in variety ; gold and silver variegated Box; gold and silver 
variegated Tree Ivy; Euonymus radicans variegata ; Aucubas, 
Mahonia aquifolia, and the Myrtle-leaved Portugal Laurel. With these 
may be associated such flowering shrubs as Andromeda floribunda, 
Ligustrum japonicum, Rhododendrons daphnoides, myrtifolium ovatum 
and Wilsoni, herbaceous Ericas, and Kalmia latifolia. Berried plants 
of Skimmia japonica, the beautiful Peroettyas and Cotoneaster micro- 
pbylla are also effective. Nor must the graceful Yucca recurva be 
omitted, and much also might be done with a few clumps of Iris 
feetidissima variegata, and which divide readily. Old plants of Golden 
Pyrethrum, Stachys lanata, Golden Thyme can be used up again, 
and small Beet will usually pass through a winter without being 
greatly disfigured. 
Violets in the Flower Garden. —A few rows or small beds 
filled now with strong plants of Russian Violets would most probably 
afford much pleasure to the owners. Showy they would not be at any 
time, but they would be handy for gathering from, and only a few 
flowers serve to scent the air near', them. The Neapolitan forms, 
notably Marie Louise, will frequently survive the winter on raised beds, 
and these are quite showy in the spring. 
