528 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 9, 1883. 
Grapes aie partially cut the remainder may be removed with a good 
portion of wood attached, and that inserted in bottles of water with a 
piece of charcoal in each, will keep admirably in a dry room, from which 
frost is excluded. This will liberate the Vines for pruning and the house 
for cleansing, repairs, and painting. There is nrth : ng so invigorating to 
Vines as a long and complete rest, which early pruning effects more than 
anything else. 
Late Houses. —Late Vines that have the foliage all off will only require 
sufficient fire heat to exclude frost; even a temperature of 50° dries the 
atmosphere too much to preserve thin-skinned Grapes, such as Muscat 
and Black Hamburgbs ; 40° to 50° is sufficient, keeping the house closed 
in damp weather, and seeking to ensure a dry and equable atmosphere. 
Pines.— Young Stock. — Well-ventilated pits or small houses properly 
heated are most suitable. Such plants at this season often suffer irrepa¬ 
rable injury from being kept too close and warm, the plants becoming 
drawn and weakly. At night 60° should not be exceeded, but a mean 
between that and 55° secured at night, which, with 65° in the daytime, 
will keep all young stock gently growing, admitting a little air at the top 
of the house at 65°, leavingit on all day, but do not let the temperature fall 
below that point, and when the sun raises the temperature to 75° a free 
circulation of air should be allowed. The bottom heat must be kept 
steady at 80°, avoiding a very damp atmosphere ; moderate humidity 
will suffice. Apply water only when the plants become dry, and then 
give weak liquid manure. Keep the plants near to the glass, and allow 
them plenty of room. 
Plants for Affording Fruit in May and June. —’Considerable judg¬ 
ment and skill are required to maintain with limited means a succes- 
sional supply of ripe Pine Apples throughout the year. The cultivator 
with hundreds of successions may do it readily enough, but the gardener 
with his tens or twenties is often at his wit’s end how to act so as to have 
fruit at the right time. Where a supply of ripe fruit is required in May 
and June, and plants are not showing fruit, it will be desirable to select 
from those started last March, which have completed a stout growth, and 
are now in a state of rest, such as show the best indications of starting 
into fruit when subjected to a higher temperature both at the roots and 
in the atmosphere. If the plants cannot have a structure to themselves 
they should have a light position in the house where the fruiters are 
swelling. In the fruiting department 65° will be amplest night, 5° lower 
in the morning in cold weather, and 70° to 75° by day. Take every 
opportunity of collecting leaves whilst dry, and whenever a favourable 
opportunity offers push forward whatever may be necessary in renewing 
or augmenting the fermenting beds. 
Figs.— Early Forced Planted-out Trees. —The earliest house, with 
the trees in inside borders, should now be closed with a view to having 
ripe Figs in May, but where the earliest Figs are had from trees in pots, 
starting the trees planted in borders may be deferred until the new year, 
so as to aff rd a succession, yet if the trees planted out be now started 
they will aff rd a closer succession to those being forced in pots. Apply 
wafer to the roots at frequent intervals until the soil is thoroughly 
moistened, introducing thoroughly sweetened leaves and stable litter in 
ridge form into the house, to produce a moist genial atmosphere and 
induce gentle excitement as well as to economise fire heat. Commence 
with a temperature of 50° at night, 55° by day, and 65° from sun heat, 
syringing the trees and every available surface in the morning and early 
in the afternoon unless the weather be dull and cold, when the morning 
syringing only should be practised. Admit air moderately whenever the 
weather is mild, closing the house with sun heat at 65°, or if it exceed 
that with full ventilation close the ventilators when the sun heat begins 
declining. 
Earliest Forced Trees in Pots. —They must not be over-excited by too 
much bottom heat, but as the fermenting material settles more should be 
added and pre-sed firmly, being careful not to allow the heat about the 
pots to exceed 65°. When the buds are swelling freely the temperature 
may be increased to 55° at night, 60° by day, by artificial means, admit¬ 
ting a little air above that, and allowing an advance to 70° to 75° by sun, 
with corresponding ventilation, closing at 65°. Sprinkle the trees and 
house morning and afternoon, or in the morning only if the weather be 
dull. 
Young Pot Trees intended for Early Forcing. —Those that require to 
be grown for forcing another season should be shaken out and repotted, 
starting them into growth shortly or at once, so that they may make the 
necessary growth and complete it early, so as to have time to root before 
being forced for fruiting. Brown Turkey is the best all-round Fig. 
White Marseilles and Negro Largo are excellent. Very early Figs may 
be had of Early Violet, but the fruit is small, still it is worth place for 
affording early dishes. Bondance Precoce, Black Marseilles, Angelique, 
and White Lochia are also good for pots and forcing, and Dwaif Prolific, 
which is very similar, if not identical, with Brown Turkey. 
Strawberries in Pots. —When the crowns commence swelling and the 
trusses appear, the temperature may be advanced a few degrees by day. 
A temperature of 50° to 55° is sufficiently high at night. Syringing the 
plants gently in the early part of bright afternoons will be advantageous. 
Examine the plants daily, and supply water to all those that require it. 
Keep a sharp look-out for aphides, and if any appear fumigate the house 
on two consecutive evenings. Another batch of plants should be placed 
in a house from which frost is excluded, the decayed leaves being removed, 
and the surface soil loosened and top-dressed with horse droppings. The 
drainage must be attended to, and if necessary rectified, and the pots 
washed. The plants may be introduced during the next three weeks to 
a Peach house or Strawberry house, if such be available, following the 
instruction given in a former calendar. Vicemtesfe Hencart de Thury 
La Grosse Sucrde, Sir Harry, and President are suitable varieties. Plants 
for introducing later on will be quite safe in their quarters outdotrs 
plunged in ashes to the rim, and a light covering may be given of dry 
fern or litter in severe weather, removing it when the weather is mild. 
If placed in frames the plants should have the lights drawn off in mild 
weather, in mild wet weather the lights should be tilted. The plants 
cannot be kept too cool. See that none suffers for want of water. . 4 , 
Cherry House. —Pruning the trees must be attended to. Full-grown 
trees regularly stopped during growth will require very little pruning. 
Any that have grown considerably should be cut back to an inch of the 
base of the current year’s growth, and the worn-out or decayed spurs 
must be removed. The terminal shoots in the case of trees not full-sized 
must not be shortened unless the extremity of the trellis is reached, and 
the central shoot or shoots of young trees will require to be cut back as 
may be necessary to originate shoots for filling up the space regularly. 
The fan mode of training is the most suitable, as it admits of replacing 
any shoots that may fall a prey to gumming. The trees and house should 
be thoroughly cleansed. Keep cold by free ventilation. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Justiciaflavicoma. —Some of the most forward of these plants will be 
showing their flower trusses, and if wanted in full beauty as early as 
possible they should be introduced into a temperature of 65°. Few plants 
are more valuable for conservatory decoration, as they last a long time in 
beauty. When the first flowers fade they are not long if returned into a 
heated structure before they flower a second time from the same truss. 
In fact, they will flower three times in succession, and each time produce 
a larger and finer truss of bloom. The remainder of the stock should be 
kept about 55° at night. 
Poinsettias.^ -Under the same treatment these will have finished their 
growth and commenced forming their bracts. They are much larger in. 
size and more brilliant in colour if they are developed in brisk heat than 
will be the case if allowed to remain in an intermediate structure. When 
allowed to develope under moderately cool conditions they retain their 
foliage and last considerably longer in the cooler atmosphere of the con¬ 
servatory. When developed in strong heat they must be gradually and 
carefully hardened before they are removed to the conservatory, or their 
foliage flags, turns yellow, and eventually falls. The foliage must be re¬ 
tained if the plants are to display their true character and beauty. 
Euphorbias, Plumbagos, and Linums are coming forward rapidly, and 
may be subjected to the same treatment as advised for Poinsettias. 
The Forcing House. —The glass, woodwork, walls, floors—in fact, every 
part, should be thoroughly cleaned in readiness for the introduction of 
many plants that will presently need warmth to force them into bloom. 
A good heap of litter from tho stables and dry leaves should be thrown 
into a heap in a shed and prepared by frequent turnings for a week or ten 
days before the beds are made up inside the house. Thorough preparation 
before taking this material into the house not only insures the heat last¬ 
ing double the length of time, but the paint of the house is not injured by 
the strong ammonia that rises from it. When the rank steam has been 
expelled before the beds are made up the house may safely be used for 
plants in a very short space of time afterwards. During the dull sunless 
days of autumn and winter the majority of plants used for forcing come 
forward more quickly and better by the moist gentle warmth arising from 
fermenting material than by the aid of dry heat from hot-water pipes. 
Azaleas, such as A. indica, A. narcissiflora, A. Deutsche Perle, and 
A. amoeaa, are in a forward state, and will need no forcing, for the buds 
of many have already commenced bursting, the result of assisting them to 
make their growth early. 
Bulbs .'—Roman Hyacinths that were potted early come forward 
rapidly in gentle warmth after this date, and a succession may be 
maintained by introducing a pan, box, or a few pots once a fortnight 
according to the demand. The earliest Dutch varieties are Homerus, 
single red, and La Tour d’Auvergne, double white. These, if potted when 
advised, will have been removed from the plunging material and have 
become green in a cold frame. A few of both may be introduced into a 
temperature of 50° until they display signs of starting. Nothing is gained 
by placing them into brisk heat to force into bloom. No treatment is 
more certain to ruin them, for they are unduly forced out, and commence 
expanding their bells at the top of the spike instead of the base. They 
should be started gradually until they are growing, and then given a 
temperature of 60°, in which they will unfold their spikes in good 
condition. Early Tulips, such as scarlet Due Van Thol and white 
Pottebakker, will also be ready for starting. These should have the 
same treatment as the Hyacinths until it is certain they have commenced 
growth, when they can be forced in brisk heat. When once growing 
Tulips will stand more heat than Hyacinths. We have frequently forced 
them into bloom in a close propagating frame where the night temperature 
of the house does not fall below 65°. This course is not advised, but 
when the blooms are required it may be safely practised. 
Spircea japonica. —Those planted outside last autumn may now be 
lifted and placed into 5 and 6 -inch pots. The whole of our stock has 
developed large flowering crowns except those left outside for flowering 
for cutting late in the season. One or two of the rows prepared for 
forcing will be left out for this purpose next season, while those that 
flowered outside should be lifted. These will have small crowns only, and 
may be cut into two, throe, or four pieces, according to their size, and 
replanted at once in rich fertile soil, 1 foot apart, in an open sunny 
position. They will develope their crowns in one season, and be in 
