October 51, 1886. ] 
373 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
on the incline it is often difficult to prevent the gravel or ashes 
being washed down, and in such cases we would advise that grass walks 
be made. We have lately seen some kitchen gardens on the face of 
banks with grass walks, and they answered the purpose so well that they 
ought to be generally introduced into gardens of this sort. In repairing 
ordinary garden walks they should be picked up all over, the surface, 
gravel, ashes, or whatever it may be, drawn to each side, then place a 
quantity of rough material in the middle and replace the surface gravel. 
Carrots. —Those from seed sown some time ago should be thinned to 
a few inches apait. Young Carrots in autumn are almost as valuable as 
early ones in spring, and a patch on a south border or a frameful will be 
most useful during the next month or two. All the crops which are fully 
grown should now be lifted and stored. As a rule the roots are very good 
this season, and many of them are almost too large, but any which are 
split or not good should be put on one side and only the best stored. 
They may be drawn up by catching hold of the tops and pulling, or if 
they fail to come up in this way they may be assisted with a fork. The 
stems should be cut off close to the crown, and then bury them in a heap 
closely packed together amongst seed or leaf soil. Ashes and sawdust may 
also be used, but we prefer sand to any of them. They will keep well in 
a shed or cellar or any cool dry place of this kind. 
Beetroot, —This should also be taken up and stored in the same way 
as the Carrots, but care should be taken that the roots are not broken in 
any way, as when this happens the sap escapes and the root loses much of 
its value. For the same reason the stems should not be closely cut into 
the crown, but should always be left 3 inches or 4 inches in length. The 
Carrots and Beet are the only roots we store at present, as Parsnips, 
Salsafy, &c., are better in the ground for some time to come. 
Herb Borders.— These should be cleaned for the winter, Remove 
weeds and decayed growths, and give a good dressing of manure for 
Mint, Tarragon, and all roots with no top growths above ground. Mint 
is more inclined to spread than any other herb, and a small bed of it is 
capable of giving a very large supply, and there is no profit in growing 
more than is actually required, and where it has outrun its bounds it 
should be cut in or rooted out before the permanent roots are top- 
dressed. 
Winter Spinach.— The autumn has been in favour of this, and the 
plants have grown very freely of late. We are gathering now from 
August-sown seed, but that sown in September will also soon be ready. 
It is a good plan, however, to thin the late sowings more than the early 
ones, as the plants can then develope freely without any drawing up or 
pampering, and this is a great advantage to them when very severe 
weather come?. From 6 to 8 inches is not too much space between the 
plan's, and if they ara thinned out early they will make much hardier 
plants than if allowe 1 to become crowded and then thinned. Where the 
plants are still very small the inexperienced may be inclined to think 
that they will never become a useful size, and hoe them up or throw 
them away ; but if they are too late to be of use this autumn they will 
grow larger and prove highly useful in the spring, and plenty of Spinach 
in March and April is as acceptable as it is in October or November. 
Leeks. —These are amongst the most useful of all winter vegetables, 
and although some may regard them as a coarse vegetable they are not so 
when properly cooked ; but, apart from their value as a dish, the cooks are 
always glad to secure them for their soups, and a good supply never fails 
to give satisfaction in the kitchen. A good length of white stem is very 
desirable in all of them, and to secure this they must be earthed up. In 
growing Leeks for exhibition they are earthed up from time to time as 
they grow, but for table purposes one earthing is generally sufficient, and 
this should not be given until they are well grown, as most of them are 
at the present time. If earthed now they will be well blanched by 
December, and then they will remain fresh and good until May. Where 
they are grown wide apart the soil on each side of them should be banked 
up to the stems, but where they are grown so close together that the soil 
cannot be disturbed between them, a quantity of leaf soil or something 
of that sort should be put in between the plants and close up to the 
stems. 
Digging and Trenching. —Many parts of the garden are now becoming 
vacant, and digging and trenching should be attended to from now 
onwards. Turn the soil deeply, leave it rough on the surface and well 
exposed to the weather, and it will soon mellow and become in capital 
order for spring cropping. Crops grown on soil which is merely scratched 
on the surface cannot bo compared with those grown on ground which has 
been deeply dug and well cultivated. 
. FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. —Late Grapes .—We have so many good varieties of late 
Grapes that early forcing is not by any means essential for insuring a 
supply of Grapes in every month of the year. They almost all, however, 
lack the quality of the thin-skinned variet es. No one knowing anything 
of the quality of Grapes will take to a thick-skinned variety, which con¬ 
stitutes their keeping quality, so long as a Black Hamburgh or a Madres- 
field Court, a Daks of Buccleuch or a Muscatof Alexandr a is forthcoming. 
These and other thin-skinned varieties are not good keepers. It is diffi¬ 
cult t > keep Black Hamburgh from losing colour, which seems chiefly 
dependant on the amount of light or sun to which it is subjected after 
being ripe. They have to be kept in a well-ventilated atmosphere to 
protect them from shrivelling by too little or of damping by too much 
moisture. All the thin-skinned varieties can be and are kept until the 
new year or after, but we submit the losses from decay or other causes 
are considerable, and to one case of profitable keeping there is at least 
nine of failure. With the present system of houses that are constructed 
upon no sound principles for the insuring of a regular temperature and 
uniformity of moisture, it is evident that the bottling system is much 
the best, not only for the thick-skinned but also for the thin-skinned 
varieties. More especially is this the case in houses that are not drip 
proof, and of not having large laps of glasi in which the water hangs, 
and is driven in by wind over the bunches of Grapes, causing them to 
spot and decay. 
There is much difference in keeping qualities of Grapes. Black Ham- 
burghs, for instance, will not remain in good condition nearly so well 
ripened in a cool house or late as when the Grapes are brought to a high 
finish by fire heat when there is sun or light for the conversion of the 
juices of the fruit into, and secure a high development of the saccharine 
matter so characteristic of high quality and known long-keeping pro¬ 
perties. Muscat of Alexandria is a notable example of this, for unless 
its berries are ripened up to an amber colour they are almost certain to 
spot, and worse still, to decay at their junction with the shank when the 
weather is damp, whilst if the atmosphere is kept dry the berries lose 
moisture and shrivel, never again to be restored to their former plump¬ 
ness. All Grapes owe their keeping to thorough ripening under the 
influence of sun and strong heat. Of late Grapes we consider Lady 
Downe’s the most valuable. It is a free bearer, and the fruit is of a 
quality simply unapproached in late Grapes, for when well ripened it has 
the Muscat flavour nearly as highly developed as in Mrs. Pince, and the 
keeping qualities of Lady Downe’s are unsurpassed, keeping excellently 
up to May or even June. Mrs. Pince, if we only knew how to get the 
berries to ripen thoroughly and colour to the shank, would be a very great 
rival, indeed it would be hard to say which would win. Neither is very 
large either in bunch or berry, but they have quality which no other 
late Grapes possess in the remotest degree. Some have size, colour, and 
some are sweet, but they have, on the palate of those accustomed to high 
quality fruit, a most disagreeable earthy taste. Alicante is free from this 
defect, is an excellent keeper, and invariably finishes well. Gros Maroc 
is one of those Grapes that, after being little Dotioed for some time, 
springs all at once into prominence. Its appearance is good, and is an 
earlier type of Gros Colman, and in keeping qualities not going beyond 
Black Alicante, say February. The great merit of Gros Maroc is that 
of its fine appearance, and in not requiring more heat than a Black 
Hamburgh. For quality, West’s St. Peter’s, not so often seen as it deserves, 
is good, and though not so imposing in bunch or berry as many, it is very 
taking when well done, and always pleases at table those that like some¬ 
thing in a Grape beyond appearance. It is one of the best Grapes for 
keeping to February. 
Gros Colman is perhaps the most magnificent in appearance of all 
Grapes. In bunches of 4 lbs. weight, and berries 4 inches in circum¬ 
ference, and in its best form it is simply superb. Well ripened, and allowed 
time to mature, it loses much of that earthy taste so characteristic of 
this variety. It requires a longer time and stronger heat to finish it satis¬ 
factorily than the majority of late Grapes. Gros Guillaume is little in¬ 
ferior to Gros Colman in appearance. It surpasses it in size of bunch, 
and the berries are little less in size, and it is very much better in quality. 
It requires time in ripening, and shows soonest of any Grape we know 
the evil effects of overcropping, not only not colouring, but even not 
ripening. Of late white Grapes, Trebbiano is perhaps the best. It is coarse 
generally, but well ripened the flesh is firm, crisp, and sweet, and re¬ 
quires well thinning and time to ripen. Unless well ripened it is spotted 
next in degree, only worse, to Muscat of Aldxandria ; of course we exclude 
Duke of Buccleuch. Syrian has very large bunches, a thick skin, and 
ripened in a strong heat is not bad in flavour. Calabrian Raisin has 
large bunches, is sweet when well ripened, and the berries a good size 
when thinned. The raiser of a white Grape having the quality and keep¬ 
ing of Lady Downe’s would have no further need of the blue apron. 
With the above or other varieties to maintain the supply of Grapes up 
to May, the necessity of starting permanently planted out Vines does not 
arise. This is a great advantage to the Vines and to the grower from 
an economic point of view. 
Earliest Vines in Pots .— For reasons above given some Grape 
lovers will not take to the thick-skinned varieties, and desire sweet Grapes 
(Black Hamburgh) and Musk Grapes (Muscat of Alexandria) at all 
times. This is well understood, thereto:e we need only consider the 
case to arise of having fresh ripe Grapes in spring. In that case it is 
preferable to take the early supply from Vines in pots than to start 
the permanently planted Vines at a very early period. Vines in pots 
produce fruit very little inferior, if any, to that borne by Vines planted 
out, and often better, from the conditions of cultivation being more 
favourable. Especially is this the case where there is the convenience 
of affording bottom heat. Success in that case is certain, the canes 
being sufficiently strong, thoroughly ripened, and duly rested. The 
materials for affording bottom heat —i e., tree leaves and stable litter, 
should be in due course of preparation. To begin with, the heat about 
the pots should not exceed 65°, augmenting it by bringing up the ferment¬ 
ing materials to the level of the pots, so as to raise the temperature to 
70° or 75 Q when the Vines are in leaf. Vines in pots not intended for 
early forcing should be placed under cover, an op9n shed with a north 
aspect being suitable, and the pots protected with hay or straw. 
Melons. —The Melon season as regards dung-heated pits and frames 
is at an end. Any fruit yet remaining may be cut, they being full grown 
and placed on shelves in a warm house. The latest plants in houses will 
require a night temperature of 65° to 70°, and 70° to 75° by day artificially, 
advancing to 85° with sun heat. The paths and other available surfaces 
should be sprinkled about 8 A.M. and 3 P.M., until the fruit is full sized, 
when a drier atmosphere will be advisable. Cut out all superfluous 
