190 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r August 26, 1886. 
a month or two there will be none, and as a supply of them is very de¬ 
sirable throughout the late autumn, or indeed the whole winter, attention 
should now be given to produce them. Nothing can be done, however, 
until the materials with which to form the bed have been collected ; and 
sufficient should be got together during the next fortnight to make one 
good bed at least. Horse droppings should form half or more of this 
material, and they must be spread out and dried before any attempt is 
made to form the bed. It is not beneficial to dry them too much, but they 
must never be used in very wet condition. 
FRTJIT FORCING. 
Figs. — Trees Unsatisfactory. — Fig trees planted out in houses not 
unfrequently grow rampantly, and consequently produce thin crops of 
fruit. In that case, root-pruning should be resorted to, and the roots 
confined to a narrow border of from 3 to 4 feet in width. A trench taken 
out at this distance from the stem after the fruit is gathered will check 
the tendency to a late growth, assist in the ripening of the wood, more 
particularly if the growths are disposed thinly, and the points of the 
shoots, instead of being very closely tied in, are allowed to grow up to 
the glass. If the drainage be defective, it will he necessary to lift the 
trees in the autumn as soon as the leaves commence falling, and replant 
in fresh soil. Place 9 to 12 inches of drainage of rather rough lime 
rubble, using the finer parts at top and for mixing with the compost in 
the proportion of a sixth to turfy loam, and a twentieth part of crushed 
bones, and in replanting ram the compost, thoroughly incorporated, well 
about the roots, for short-jointed cannot so well be secured by any other 
means than a solidified c mpost. The border should be 30 inches deep. 
Should the drainage be good it will only be necessary to confine the roots 
to tbe narrow border, removing some of the old soil from amongst the 
roots, replacing and top-dressing with the compost above stated. 
Earliest Fig House —In the earliest house the trees will now be ripen¬ 
ing their wood, and watering may be discontinued, air being given very 
liberally. If, however, the second crop is not yet ripened, moderate 
moisture in the soil will be necessary, with a rather free circulation of 
warm air to insure high quality in the fruit. When the fruit is off take 
prompt measures to destroy insects. The early trees in pots we prefer 
to place outside if the wood be ripe, but if there is any doubt about this 
the trees must be continued under glass with a free circulation of air. 
These are matters on which the cultivator will need to exercise his judg¬ 
ment. In either case encourage surface roots by a dressing of manure, 
rough loam, and crushed bones. See that those in pots placed outdoors 
do not root from the base of tbe pots. Cut ofE all such roots, top-dress, 
after which afford a good watering, and they will need no more than to 
keep the foliage fresh. 
Late Houses. —The value of the fruit of trees in cool houses so as to 
ripen in late August and September is considerable. The great point is 
to keep the growths thin, and the roots restricted so as to insure a 
thoroughly solidified, short-jointed, well-ripened wood. If the wood does 
not ripen kindly treat them as advised for “unsatisfactory trees’’ when 
the fruit is gathered, and lift when the foliage gives indications of falling. 
Keep up a free circulation of air, expose the fruit as much as possible to 
the sun ; but if spider be troublesome syringe on a fine morning after a 
closely picking of the fruit, and afford fio more water at the roots than 
sufficient to keep the foliage in health. 
Pines. — Potting Hooted Slickers. —Suckers obtained from the summer- 
fruiting plants will soon be ready to repot. It is well to divide the plants 
into two batches ; one, the strongest, should be shifted into their fruiting 
pots as soon as ready, employing 10 or 11-inch pots according to kind, 
affording them a position near the glass in a light airy house, keeping 
them gently growing through the winter. The plants so treated will be 
readily excited into fruit next May or June, and will afford a good 
successional supply of ripe fruit in late summer or early autumn. The 
other plants, suckers from the summer fruiters, not large enough to shift 
into fruit,ng pots, winter best in 7 or 8-inch pots, transferring them to 
larger ones as soon as ready in spring, which with suckers of Smooth¬ 
leaved Cayenne that were started last March will supply a successional 
supply of Pines through the winter months. 
Re arranging Pine Plants. —A re-arrangement of the plants should 
now be made in order to separate the fruiting from the non-fruiting 
plants, as many of those that were started from suckers of last summer’s 
fruits will have fruit swelling. Those plants not fruiting will have com¬ 
pleted their growth, and should have air very liberally for the next six 
weeks when the temperature exceeds 80°, maintaining the bottom heat 
steady at 80°, and all plants well established— i.e., well rooted, should 
have a bottom heat of 80° to 85°; but recently potted suckers, or those 
not having roots well established in the fresh compost, should have a 
bottom heat of 90° maintained. 
Fruiting Plants. —Those swelling off their fruit should have moderate 
atmospheric moisture, admitting a little air at the top of the house early 
in the morning, so as to allow of any superfluous moisture escaping bef re 
the sun’s rays act powerfully or directly upon the fruit. Any fruit it is 
desired to retard should be moved to a rather cool or shady house, affording 
an abundance of air. 
Melons.— In pits and frames the last batch of plants will have set or 
be setting. Ours are set and swelling freely. In order to insure a good 
set the growths require to be kept rather thin, the atmosphere dry and 
warm by the aid of linings, so as to insure steady progress, and the free 
admission of air. Those in hot-water heated pits will be the better of a 
gentle warmth in the pipes on cold nights and dull wet days, a gentle 
heat affording facilities for ventilation, which should bo given, if only a 
little, so as to insure evaporation, and the consequent elaboration and 
assimilation of the sap, on which depends in a great measure the quality 
or otherwise of the fruit. The plants may be sprinkled, avoiding tho 
collar or stems, early in the afternoon, and closing before or by th; 
temperature has receded ti 80° or 85°, and so as to raise the temperature 
to 90° or 95°. Admit a little air at 75°, or increase it from that with th; 
advanced sun heat to 85° or 90°, at which keep it through the day from 
sun heat. Those in frames should be attended to as required with linin s 
of sweetened fermenting materials as the nights become cold, so as to 
prevent the temperature falling below 65° in the morning, and if mats are 
placed over the lights after the sun leaves the frames, and removed shortly 
after the sun has risen, very much greater success will be had with late 
Melons than usually results from frames. 
Melons in Houses. —Maintain a night temperature of 65° to 70°, and 
75° artificially by day. As the days are shorter lessened supplies of water 
will be required, yet give sufficient to keep the soil in a moist state 
whilst the fruit is swelling, but after it is full-sized or ceases swelling afford 
no more water than to prevent tte foliage flagging. Keep the laterals 
well stopped to one leaf or joint, and rub off all superfluous shoots as they 
show, allowing n< thing to interfere with the principal leaves or to retard 
the swelling of the fruit. Plants with fruit advanced for ripening should 
be kept dry at the roots and have air very liberally with, if practicable, an 
advance of temperature, avoiding a close moist atmosphere, which 
invariibly results in the fruit cracking or being of inferior flavour. 
Latest Plants. —The batch of these will have been planted in houses 
and growing freely. The leader must nut be pinched until it reaches the 
trellis, when it may have its point taken out if more than one leader is 
wanted, or may be allowed to grow two-thirds of the distance up the 
trellis if only one leader is wanted, and then be stopped, removing every 
alternate lateral directly they can be handled. Maintain a moist atmo¬ 
sphere, a temperature of 70° t > 75° by artificial means, falling 5° on cold 
nights, and keep the bottom heat steady at 80° to 85°. Keep a sharp look 
out for canker at the collar and upon the stem, rubbing quicklime well 
into the parts affected, striving to maintain a clean growth and healthy 
collars to the last. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Amasonia punicea —This is unquestionably a very beaut ful plant, 
and will become popular for stove decoration when well known. It is 
most striking amongst other plants with its rich vermilion-crimson bracts 
1 foot or more in length. From the base of tbe bracts are produc d 
creamy white pendulous tubular flowers, which afford a marked contrast 
to the richly coloured bracts. All who have not yet flowered this plant 
may allow the strongest of their stock to do so, while the other plants 
may be utilised for propagation, so that a brilliant display can be made 
another year. Cuttings of young wood strike freely if inserted singly 
in small pots in 6andy soil, and kept close and shaded until rooted. This 
plant being of upright growth will be most effective for decoration in 
5-inch pots if grown with one shoot only without being s’opped. It must 
be grown exposed to a fair amount of light to ripen and solidify the woo 1 
as made. 
Medinilla magnifica. —If this plant has made good growth and fully 
developed the whole of its foliage, it should be removed from the shady 
house in which it has been growing. Light ana air are nece'Sary to ripen 
the wood that has been made if this plant is to flower freely next May 
and June. If allowed to remain in a close, shaded, moist atmosphere it 
will soon commence to make fresh growth, which it will be impossible to 
thoroughly ripen before winter. Further growth can be prevented by 
exposure to light and a lower temperature. Tbrips must be watched for; 
if once established on the foliage they quickly destroy its beautiful 
appearance. 
Stephanotis floribunda. —Plants that were started early into growth 
will have ceased growing, and att ntion must be devoted to the thorough 
ripening of their wood. This can be accomplished by exposure to the tun 
with a good circulation of air daily. The temperature should also be kept 
lower than has been the case up to the present time, and the atmosphere 
drier. Supply water liberally at the roots, and syringe the foliage occa¬ 
sionally to keep insects in check. Plants still growing should be exposed 
to full light, for if grown in the shade they seldom flower satisfactorily. 
Gardenias. —Young stock for spring flowering may te transferred 
into larger pots if those in which they are growing are full of roots. 
Grow these plants in a close moist house fully expo-ed to tbe sun, which 
will induce the formation of sturdy firm growth. Where these plants are 
grown from cuttings annually root some at once and winter them in 3 inch 
pots for a good start early in the year. By propagating now a whole 
season can be devoted to the young plants, and before the following 
autumn bushy compact specimen! 2 feet or more through can be pro¬ 
duced. It is impossible to accomplish this if cuttings are net rooted u til 
the spring. 
Ixoras. —Where a quantity of these plant r is arranged for decoration 
in 4 to 6-inch pots cuttiDgs should now be rooted. Insert these smgly 
in 2-inch pots and place them in the propagat ug f awe. When the 
small pots are full of roots place the plants into others 2 inches larger, in 
which they will do very well until the spring. Some can be allowed 
flower in this size, while others early in the year should be cut back, and 
when they have started into growth can be placed into larger pots. Ibis 
treatment will produce from three to six shoots to each plant, and if 
grown fully exposed to the sun as many trusses of flowers, the plants not 
exceeding 1 foot in height. 
Tydceas. —Those of the Madame Heine section will be bushy lit le 
plants in 3-inch pots ; these may be transferred into 5-inch pots without 
further delay. They should be grown in a house or p t clo=e to the glass, 
where they can be shaded from the sun. Care must be taken that they 
