December 9, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
527 
twelve months’ trial, and with nearly twenty locomotive engines, was a 
very great increase in the durability of the furnace bars, in addition to the 
obvious advantage of admitting much more air into the furnace. Some of 
the bars, after having been used for ten months, and with which the 
engines ran nearly 20,000 miles, were still perfectly good after having done 
nearly four times the work of ordinary bars. A slightly larger bar is 
given for locomotive engines—that is, from 5 to 5£ inches deep and half 
an inch thick, tapering to a quarter of an inch. Further he goes on to 
say, “ When the old form of furnace bar is used, and they are required to 
bear a very intense heat, their durability is increased by making a longi¬ 
tudinal groove in the upper surface about three-eighths of an inch deep. 
This groove becomes filled with ashes, which being a slow conductor of 
heat, preserves the bar from the intense heat of the fire.” The preserva¬ 
tion of these bars depends entirely upon the air entering to keep them 
cool, and therefore cold water in the ashpit would certainly effect this 
better than warm ; hence my idea for a flow in and out as stated. 
I must now turn to Mr. Burton’s article, page 431, and repeat, as I 
have done above, that 1 do not attribute much importance to water in 
the stokehole for the preservation of the bars. Mr. Burton has no right 
to assume that the bars used under the large boilers here twist because 
the cool water does not prove sufficient to prevent them. I have never 
said in any of my articles that I used cool water in the stokeholes here, 
and therefore your correspondent’s assumption and conclusions drawn 
therefrom are groundless. I may state plainly that no water is used below 
the boilers here, or will it be until the advantages arising from its use in 
the preservation of the bars has been proved. For twisted and hoisted 
bars I gave what I believed to be the true reason—namely, the expansion 
of the metal, and the principle upon which the bars are cast. I am 
certain that they are too thick, and the air has not that cooling effect upon 
them that it would if they were thinner. I may just state that I have 
used bars under my large boilers 5 and inches in depth, the majority 
has been 4J inches ; they are 4 feet in length, If thick. I have had 
them 1J inch, tapering to half an inch at the base. Across the ends, 
including the shoulder on each side, they are 2 inches, across the central 
shoulder If. I have had the bar grooved, and used them without, and 
I have found practically no difference, neither has the extra depth of the 
bar proved beneficial. The bars burn only for 1 inch or a little more 
below the fire, the thinner portion of the bar being perfectly good. They 
twist badly, which, I believe, is due to expansion and the great heat of 
the metal, the air admitted having no effect upon keeping them cool. I 
believe if thinner bars were employed they would last double the length 
of time, for the air admitted necessary for perfect combustion would keep 
them cool.—W m. Baednet. 
ON MUSCAT GRAPES SHRIVELLING. 
I WAS very much interested in a note recently published on the above 
subject, and as I have been troubled with the same evil as your corre¬ 
spondent, Mr. Williamson, I venture to say a few words in reference to 
Muscat Grapes shrivelling. It is without any doubt one of the best 
Grapes we have in cultivation, and I do not hesitate to say that it is the 
most difficult one to grow up to the required standard. I have in my 
charge a lean-to house of Muscat Grapes. The aspect is full south, with 
inside and outside borders. The Vines are planted inside, about 3 feet 
apart. Before the time of starting them we give the border a good 
watering, and again when necessary, and I might say the usual treatment 
was bestowed upon them in every respect, but nevertheless they shrivelled. 
It is my firm opinion that the cause of this evil is in a great measure the 
age of the Vines and the condition of the border. For instance, we will 
take newly planted Vines of the same variety that are just commencing 
to fruit. These will in all probability continue giving satisfaction for 
several years without either shrivelling or shanking, but at the end of 
this time it often happens that both these evils appear. It is understood 
by all growers that the latter evil arises from the bad condition of the 
roots ; then why not attribute the former evil to the same cause ? This, I 
believe, is the case, and it is not the fault of the atmospheric moisture at 
all. Mr. Williamson, in writing his paper, states that he has tried a dry 
atmosphere, but without success, and be goes on to say that he watered 
the inside border, with an idea that the roots lacked moisture, but not¬ 
withstanding this, they gradually went backward. To my mind this 
proves that it is not the want of moi-ture at the roots, nor, on the other 
hand, the fault of atmospheric moLture, for at the time it was beneficial 
to several of the varieties it was altogether unsatisfactory to the Muscats; 
and I might say the same by the one in my charge, although there are 
only two varieties grown in the same house —viz., Muscat of Alexandria 
and Bowood Muscat. These receive similar treatment, but without 
success, so therefore I come to the conclusion that it is in a great measure 
the fault of the border, or, I should say, the stagnant condition of the soil 
round the roots have got into, and it remains to be found out whether 
such be the cause of this evil or not. 
Your correspondent also draws attention to the colouring of Muscats, 
and with reference to this, my experience teaches me that they require all 
the sun that can possibly be brought to bear on the berries after the 
stoning process is over, at the same time allowing a free circulation of air 
with a temperature of from 75° to 80°. The laterals should be cut away 
at the first signs of ripening, which would have the advantage of per¬ 
mitting both sun and air free access to the bunches. Some growers 
prefer the extension system for Grapes, but I fail to see any advantage in 
this, or in fact any satisfactory results attending this system, for it would 
be impossible to admit the necessary amount of sun that these Grapes 
require to bring them up to the standard both in flavour and colour, so I 
adhere to the system under discussion, having learned from experience 
that good results can be obtained.—R. Kieby. 
WORK/o^t he WEEK., 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Peuning and training Pears, Apples, Plums, and Cherries should 
be done whenever the weather is favourable, it being important to have 
this done while the sap is at rest and before spring. Shorten all spur 
growths to two or three buds, thin out crowded shoots and thin out spurs 
where there is any tendency to crowding. Far better is it to have fruit¬ 
ing wood well apart than to have much thinning of fruit. Train young 
growth with careful precision, and remember that it is only while a tree 
is young that we can impart an elegant form to it. Such elegance is, 
however, highly desirable, contributing as it does to the attractions of a 
fruit garden. Train the lower branches of young palmette verriers and 
fan-trained trees at such an acute angle that the free flow of sap may 
contribute unchecked to the robust vigour it is so important to impart 
to them before upper branches have made much progress. Avoid impart¬ 
ing the horizontal form to any fruit tree ; it is as unnatural as unsatis¬ 
factory. For a fruit tree to be fruitful as well as healthy in every part 
of the branch growth, the end of every branch must point upwards ; then, 
and only then, can we be certain that the sap action will be free and 
unchecked in every part of the tree. Shorten the leading shoots suffi¬ 
ciently to induce a free lateral growth ; see also that there is no crowding 
of lateral growth or branches. Great caution is necessary in pruning old 
fruit trees to not remove old spurs if they are healthy, and leave two or 
three more buds upon the young growth than is done upon that of younger 
trees. Fruit before nil things is our aim, and so long as an old tree 
continues fruitful we need not mind if the spurs stand out far from the 
branches; to remove them is to risk the loss of fruit altogether. Thin 
the growth of standards, and any trees not subjected to close pruning. 
If we remember that in pruning our object is to secure a free admission 
of light and air to every part of the tree, we shall take care to thin all 
growth that is likely to shade the interior of the tree. Avoid using shreds 
and nails for walls; far better is it to strain wires against the wall and 
tie the branches to them. There are then no holes in the wall for the 
larva of insects. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. —Earliest House .—In the earliest house the temperature will 
need to be increased to 60° at night in mild weather, 55° in severe weather 
after the eyes break, gradually increasing it so as to have it 60° at night 
when the Vines are in leaf, 65° by day in severe weather, and 70* to 75° 
in mild weather with moderate ventilation. The evaporation troughs 
need not be charged with liquid manure provided there is fermenting 
material within the house ; but, if not, they may be filled with liquid 
manure, 1 lb. guano to 20 gallons of water being suitable for the purpose. 
In addition to this, the available surfaces in the house, such as floors and 
surfaces of borders, may be sprinkled in the late afternoon ; hut this is 
not equal to the fermenting materials turned frequently and fresh added 
as required. To Vines in pots the liquid should be applied at the tem¬ 
perature of the house. Tie up the Vines in position as soon as growth 
has commenced, and before the shoots are so long as to be damaged by 
the process. Sprinkle the house two or three times a day in clear 
weather, avoiding too damp an atmosphere on the one hand, and a dry 
one on the other. Disbudding should not be practised until the fruit 
shows in the points of the shoots. 
House to Afford Fruit in May .—The house or houses for this purpose 
should be started without delay. In order to obtain a good break, and to 
save fuel, a bed of leaves and stable litter placed on the floor of the 
house, turning a portion of it daily, so as to supply ammonia to the 
atmosphere, is useful. The outside border must also have the needful 
protection from cold rains and snow, two-thirds of leaves to one of stable 
litter affording a less violent hut more lasting heat than dung. Provided 
the outside borders were covered with bracken, straw, or litter in early 
autumn, so as to throw off the wet, the temperature will be considerably 
warmer than that of borders exposed, and in their case covering with hot 
litter may be dispensed with ; but a covering of warm litter after the Vines 
break is preferable, especially for borders that are all outside. The inside 
borders may be rendered thoroughly moist by applying water, or in the 
case of weak Vines liquid manure at 90°. Start with a night temperature 
of 50° in severe weather, 55° in mild weather, and 65° by day. except the 
weather be severe, when 55° will be more suitable, and, though this is but 
slow work, it is better in the end than a high, forcing heat; indeed, we 
do not advise those temperatures to be exceeded until the growth com¬ 
mences. Maintain a moist atmosphere by syringing occasionally, but 
avoid excessive moisture and keeping the rods dripping wet, which excites 
the production of aerial roots from the rods. Depress young canes to the 
horizontal line or below, to insure the regular breaking of the buds. 
Midseason Houses .—The Vines will be pruned and at rest ; if not, 
complete the work and cleansing the houses without delay. Where the 
