November 25, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
471 
Allusion has been made by “ Experientia docet ” to the Mount 
Melville Grapes to prove the necessity of shade for colouring and pre¬ 
serving Muscats. To prevent misconception as to the use of the paper shades 
I may explain the reason why they were there at all. My friend, the late 
gardener, in writing to me, expressed doubts as to his Muscats being up 
in time for the contest alluded to. In reply, I suggested clearing away 
the leaves to admit plenty of light, which was rather overdone, hence the 
use of the shade during the hottest part of the day only. Your corre¬ 
spondent has made a slight mistake legarding the awards for Grapes at 
the Show referred to, which I conclude was the last international in 
Edinburgh. The only first prize awarded to Mount Melville was for the 
collection of four varieties. The Muscat not being of high colour, although 
having fine berries, were scarcely ripe ; this was accounted for by the 
fact of being started in the beginning of March—rather late to insure 
thorough ripeness in the first or second week of September without hard 
forcing. 
Diverse measures are applied to secure perfect colouring, and are 
not generally attended with very great success. Experienced growers 
advise exposing the bunches to the sun from the time of setting ; others 
keep them moderately shaded ; a third allows the sun free access at the 
last stage of finishing. The Vine will endure singular treatment, and 
Grapes may be fairly well coloured either in sun or shade, all other things 
being favourable. Although like your correspondent (p. 380) I have dune 
nothing wonderful, I may venture an opinion on Muscat colouring. The 
fruit should receive as much light as it is possible to give them, and as 
much of the direct rays of the sun as they can bear, which I should say 
in the north would be from early morning till ten o’clock, from three to 
four in the afternoon till sundown. 
I find the best colour in the west end of the house, where they get the 
full effect of the sun after three o’clock. I have also had them fully 
exposed in the middle of the day, getting fair colour, but also slight 
shrinking and discoloration. The finest finished Muscats tve have seen in 
the north for many years were exhibited at Edinburgh this year by Mr. 
M'Kelvie of Broxmouth Park. The bunches were somewhat small, but 
perfect in colour. It would be interesting and instructive to many of us 
to have the treatment pursued by him sketched out, more especially this 
year. 
1 trust that through the columns of the Journal opinions in connection 
with this subject may be freely advanced and discussed ; perhaps 
resulting in fine Muscats being the rule instead of the exception.— 
W. Williamson. 
LIFTING AND STORING ROOTS. 
Where not already done this operation should be brought to a close 
forthwith, except in the case of Jerusalem Artichokes and Parsnips, as 
both of these esteemed roots are just as well left in the ground until the 
approach of spring, unless the ground which they occupy be required for 
other purposes, taking up enough of the former at one time to serve a 
week or two, and as much with a view to preventing the ground from 
becoming frostbound, thereby perhaps injuring the tubers, as manuring 
the soil, lay on a surface-dressing of short dung to the thickness of 
3 inches. On the approach of frost a breadth of the ground containing 
the Parsnips should be covered with long dung or fern in order to prevent 
the ground and roots being locked in the firm grip of King Frost, thereby 
cutting off the supply of that root for the time being. Beetroot should 
be taken up carefully so as to preserve the roots entire, otherwise they 
would bleed, and this would be injurious to them. In order to preserve 
their freshness the roots should be packed in damp material, which will 
not tend to absorb the moisture from them, and for this purpose the most 
effectual, as well as simple method, is to open a trench about 15 inches 
deep in a dry border under a south or west wall, and then pack the roots 
therein closely together in rows, burying the crowns about 1 inch under 
the soil excavated in forming each succeeding trench. The leaves should 
not be removed from the roots. They will afford sufficient protection to 
the latter from several degrees of frost, but in the event of its being 
severe a protection of dry litter or fern will be necessary. Carrots, with 
the exception of cutting off the top to within an inch or so of the crown 
at the time of taking them up, may be treated in the same way as Beet¬ 
root. If wintered in this way there need be no apprehension of fer¬ 
mentation ensuing, as is sometimes the case where a quantity of them has 
been put together. Salsafy and Scorzonera may be wintered also in the 
same way, and will, like the Beetroot and Carrots, be found superior in 
flavour and appearance to those which have been wintered on the dry 
shed and sand principle.—H. W. Ward. 
FORCING RHUBARB. 
A GOOD supply of forced Rhubarb during the winter months is of 
great importance in most gardens, and it will be more so this year in some 
localities, on account of the shortness of the Apple crop. There are 
various ways of forcing Rhubarb. Those who have a Mushroom house 
may lift the large roots and pack some soil round them on the floor of his 
Mushroom house, which will be about the right temperature. But 
everyone has not the convenience of a Mushroom house, and their Rhubarb 
has to be forced out of doors. Fortunately, Rhubarb can easily be had 
without the aid of fire heat and forcing houses. All that is necessary is a 
good supply of leaves and a little stable litter to mix with them. About 
one-third of the latter will be enough, so that the heat does not become 
too strong. It should be mixed and thrown up in a heap till it heats, and 
if turned over once or twice before putting it on the plants so much the 
better. 
Rhubarb is generally planted in rows from 3 to 4 feet apart, 
Where a large quantity is wanted to come in for use at one time this is 
convenient enough. The pots are placed on three or four rows, and the 
whole space round the pots filled in with dung and leaves to a depth of 
3 feet. When only a small quantity is wanted at one time this plan does 
not answer so well. If only one row is covered up the ridge is so narrow 
that the heat in it is soon gone, and if two rows are taken—which is better 
—the rows on each side are very apt to be trodden on by careless feet, 
and the crowns materially injured. I think it is better to have a row or 
rows set apart for forcing clear of the ordinary plantation, so that a trench 
about 18 inches wide can be dug out on each side of the row, and the soil 
packed up on each side and round the pots as shown in the accompanying 
section, or the whole of it on each side, having a greater body of manure 
in the centre. The soil so placed helps to retain the heat of the bed, and 
the trenches allow the heat to reach the roots more quickly, and with a 
less degree of heat than would be necessary if the material was placed on 
the surface. The leaves when properly prepared should be trodden in 
firmly to prevent it heating violently, as only a mild heat is wanted. 
When the pots are first opened out, instead of covering them again with 
dung, it is a good plan to make up a round bundle cf clean straw, so that 
it will fill the hole made in the heap and can be pulled out again when 
necessary. This saves a little trouble and some breakage in “ feeling 
amongst the manure with a fork each time, and it affords a little ventila¬ 
tion in the pots. Two feet apart will be far enough to place the crowns. 
Those grown on each side of the row can of course be cropped with any 
Fig 67. 
ordinary summer crop that can be cleared off the ground again by the end 
of October or early in November. It should only be forced once in two 
years.—A Working Gardener. 
APHIDES. 
[Substance of a paper read at the meeting of the Horticultural Club, Tuesday, Nov. 9 th 
by the Hon. Sec,] 
In taking up this subject I have not attempted to do so in a scientific 
point of view. 1 have no pretensions to be a man of science. I have 
never dissected the stomach of an aphis, nor made a microscopic pre¬ 
paration of its big toe, and I can assure you I am not a commission agent 
for any of the numerous insecticides, which, if we were to believe their 
vendors, ought quickly to exterminate the whole race of these interesting 
little enemies of all mankind, at least of gardening mankind. I have 
something to say to them practically. I have read a great deal about 
them, and my hope is that by combining these two together l may be able 
to start a discussion which may give us a profitable evening. 
I do not think that there is the slightest necessity to describe what, an 
aphis is, for I feel convinced that all of you have had practical acquaint¬ 
ance with it, for whether it be the window plant of the cottager, or the 
grand conservatory of the nobleman, it is sure to make itself at borne, 
make the most persistent efforts to maintain its footing when once it has 
got a hold; and if I refer to it in its ordinary form, it is simply to give 
me a sort of introduction to the more particular species of it to which to 
direct your attention. . ,, , . .« 
I would more esoecially speak of those which are usually designated 
as woolly aphides, and particularly those which have attacked the Auricula, 
the Apple, and the Vine. . ,_. • s 
Some years ago I was startled on repotting my Auriculas by an insect 
which, although I had cultivated them for forty years, I had never seen 
before. At the same time mv friend, Mr. Llewelyn, had discovered it on 
his plants. Mr. Horner had' heard of it. Mr. Murray described it as 
Trama Auricula:, and I believe all Auricula growers were pretty consider¬ 
ably frightened at it. I must confess to having been so. I could not 
believe that a mass of insects clustering about the roots of a plant cou d 
be anything but injurious to it. None of us could tell whence it came or 
how it was that it appeared almost simultaneously in various parts of the 
country. It had a suspicious appearance of kinship to the _ American 
blight, and knowing what a pest that is, we were therefore anxious to e 
rid^of it; and now, looking back on those worrying years, I am persuaded 
