550 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ DeoBmber 16, 1836. 
Tequire sortiner. Early Potatoes are sprouting a little and must be kept 
very cool. Where tubers were stored in a wet state turn them over, 
expose them to the air on a dry windy day, and look out for bad ones. 
Carrots are sprouting a little and all growth should be rubbed off them. 
Do not allow any Potatoes intended for eating to become green, but seed 
tubers need not be kept in the dark. Keep all cool, as a temperature from 
35° to 45° is suitable for all stored roots. 
Tomato Plants. —The late autumn plants make but slow progress 
now; indeed, they do not pay for their place, and we are just about cutting 
the fruit and throwing them away. The fruit that is unripe will be hung 
in a warm bouse to mature. Where cuttings were not secured a month or 
two ago they may be saved from the plants and be put in now. Those 
rooted in small pots must not be allowed to suffer for want of water, and 
they should be kept in the light and near the glass. A greenhouse tem¬ 
perature will keep them in good health. 
Mustard and Cress —It is now these are becoming more valuable, 
as they can be grown freely from seed, and when other salad plants are 
scarce these may be used in many ways. Half a dozen shallow boxes and 
pans will keep up a constant supply, as once every four or five days is often 
enough to sow the seed, and as the plants are ready for cutting in ten or 
twelve days after sowing a succession may be kept up with very little 
attention. A depth of 2 inches or 3 inches is sufficient soil, but it should 
be made very firm and the seed sown on the surface without covering, 
and if placed in a temperature of 65° or 70° growth will be rapid and 
satisfactory. In cutting Mustard or Cress care should be taken that the 
roots are not taken, as it is often a difficult matter to have all the grit 
washed out. 
Lettuce and Endive. —These will not bear frost and must be pro¬ 
tected. The plan recommended for protecting Parsley answers very well 
for them, and quantities may be lifted with good balls and placed in 
frames as closely as possible. Damp is the greatest enemy of these, and 
careful ventilating and protecting must be followed to prevent their 
suffering in this way. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Cucumbers —The weather has necessitated much fire heat during the 
past few weeks, but as there have been some bright intervals during the 
day the growth has not suffered like it does when the days are cold and 
the sun obscured. Light is very important in all forcing operations, 
especially in winter, and, therefore, the glass should be kept as clean as 
possible both inside and out. Earth over the roots as they show at the 
ridges or hillocks, using warm sweet soil and not very wet. For the 
surface use some horse droppings that have been spread in a shed a few 
days, as these are preferable to liquid manure at this season, but in limited 
borders or pots and boxes liquid manure will be necessary. It must not 
be given too strong nor too often, and always tepid. Damping in the 
morning and in the afternoon of fine days will be sufficient, and water 
should not be given until the soil is getting dry, then afford a soaking. 
Be careful not to overcrop the plants, and do not allow the fruits to hang 
too long j they keep fresh several days after being cut if the heels are 
inserted in saucers of water in a cool place but safe from frost. Remove 
superfluous fruits as they appear, also tendrils and staminate blossoms, 
unless they are.for fertilisation. Tie in the growths as necessary ; stopping 
and thinning will not be much needed, but it must not be neglected, as 
crowding cannot be allowed without evil consequences. Red spider is 
sure to follow a period of sharp firing. Sponging with a solution of soft- 
soap 2 ozs. to the gallon is the surest, and all things considered the safest 
remedy if only it be taken in time. Mildew can be destroyed by flour of 
sulphur, dusting it on the affected fparts, and the atmosphere should be 
kept drier. Green and black aphides are eradicated by dusting with 
tobacco powder, or fumigation on two or more consecutive evenings. Too 
much will cause irreparable injury, as the foliage at this time of year is 
thin and soon injured. The fumigation must, therefore, ODly be 
moderate. 
Figs. —Modes of Growing .—There are two modes of cultivating the 
Fig—viz., in pots and planted out. The former is mainly practised for 
affording early fruit and the latter tor successioDal supplies. In former 
years one house of Figs only was seen in the largest establishments, but of 
late years the demand for this wholsome and delicious fruit has inmeased 
to such an extent that a demand prevails for good examples even in the 
shops from April to November. For the early supply experience has 
proved the advantage of the pot as compared with the planted-out system. 
This may be in a great measure due to the practice pursued, but the fact 
is the Fig becomes more fruitful ihe older it is, and the rfstrktion of the 
roots to pots or feeding them in a small area contributes to their fe tility 
—much more so than is the case with trees planted out and having a 
mass of soil to grow in. There are some peculiarities of each method, 
which may be explained. Trees in pots forced early for a number of 
years become more fruitful as they advance in age, and they commence 
growth as the usual time of starting comes round in a lower temperature 
than trees that have not been subjected to the process. This shows the 
necessity of trees intended for early forcing being started early in the 
previous season, so as to make and perfeot a growth, and have time for 
rest before starting. In some instances trees are obtained that cannot 
afterwards be accommodated. They become too large for the h use. To 
keep them the plants are confined to small pots and the size of each tree 
is reduced. This is not desirable, because not profitable method. The 
propermethod is to reduce the number of the trees by removing the least 
appreciated varieties or duplicates. This will result in as much larger 
fruit of finer quality than where the whole of the trees are retained. The 
Fig is a light and heat-loving tree, therefore those which are forced 
through the darkest part of the year must not be crowded. For pots no 
Fig equals Brown Turkey ; variety being wanted White Marseilles may be 
added. Trees in pots do much better when afforded bottom heat, the 
roots being allowed to extend outside the pots and renewed annually. 
This with copious supplies of liquid manure and judicious thinning of the 
fruit result satisfactorily. 
Planted-out trees are much more luxuriant and have longer-jointed 
wood than trees in pots. This arises mainly from their having a much 
larger space to grow in. A border is made deep, wide, and rich. The 
wood must be stout, short-jointed, hard, fruitful; the growth must be 
sturdy, the foliage thick, and to insure this the border must be firm, and 
the leaves have all the light practicable. Irstcad of a border ihe widths 
of the house of rich loam, made richer by surface dressing", the border 
should be narrow, and composed of materials that, whilst affording a 
favourable rooting medium, contain siliceous and calcareous matter. A 
3-feet width of border is ample to begin with, and 6 feet for the largest 
tree. A foot of drainage should be provided, having a drain under (unless 
the strata be gravel or other natural drainage) to carry off superfluous 
water. The drainage should have a thin layer of lime rubbish over its 
The soil may consist of turfy loam of medium texture, and if not off a 
limestone formation add a sixth of marl dried and broken up fine, a fifth, 
part of old mortar rubbish, one-fourth of road scrapings, and a twentieth 
of crushed bones. If the loam is inclined to clay omit the marl and add 
road scrapings ; if sandy, omit the road scrapings and increase the marl. 
Incorporate well together, and make up firmly when moderately dry, 
allowing a few inches extra height for settling. Trees with single stems 
of a few inches height are the only suitable ones. They will be in pots. 
Soak, and wash away all the soil. Disentangle the roots, and spreap 
them out evenly, covering about 3 inches with fine soil. Give a thorough 
soaking with tepid water. When soaked in and become dry so as to bear 
the foot without clogging, tread firmly, and mulch with a couple of inches 
thickness of short manure. Fan training is most suitable. The house 
must be light, and have top and bottom ventilation. The shoots should 
be trained about 12 inches from the glass. In lean-to’s we have seen 
trees planted at the back and trained down the roof. This insures the 
finest fruit, which in everything is borne by the terminals, and the down¬ 
ward training causes the fruit to appear lower down the shoots than by 
up training; besides, the points of the shoots are pointing to, not from the 
light. It is the way to get the finest Figs, especially of the shy fruiting 
sorts, such as Black Genoa, Bordeaux, Brunswick, Castle Kennedy, Grosse 
Monstrueuse de Lipari, and Violet Grosse. These have all large fruit. 
For ordinary culture the finest Fig is Brown Turkey. If another is 
wanted, Negro Largo, and a white, White Marseilles. They are good for 
pots or planting out, and alike suitable for early, midseason, or late. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Chrysanthemums .—Where large exhibition blcoms are required strong 
root suckers must be taken and inserted singly in small pots as they can 
be obtained. It is much better to place them singly in pots than a 
number in each pot, for a check is given when these are separated for 
potting. A little sand should be inserted in the centre for the base of 
the cutting to rest upon. They will root freely enough at this season of 
the year in a vinery or Peach house just started ; in fact, in any structure 
that is kept close. The cooler the structure in which they are rooted the 
less liable are they to be drawn up weakly. This must be avoided, for 
success in a very large measure depends upon a strong p’ant to commence 
with. Directly they are rooted harden and grow them under cool con¬ 
ditions. For decorative purposes cuttings need not be rooted before 
February or March, and for this purpose, if the old stools are retained, a 
large space is taken up if the plants are in 10-inch pots. To save room 
the cuttiDgs for these plants are rooted now, the same as those required 
for large blooms, but they are inserted together in 5 and 6-inch pots, and 
then topped and re-rooted at the desired time. By this method stronger 
plants can be had for a start lhan if the old stools are retained and 
allowed to grow until February. A few stocks of each should be kept 
until the necessary numbtr of plants for another season has been insured. 
Late vaiieties, such as Princess of Teck, Fair Maid of Guernsey, Princess 
Louise, and others, should have abundance cf air on a'l favourable 
occasions, merely excluding frost from them, for they are coming on too 
fast, being naturally eatly this season. 
Violets .—Those planted in cold frames must have every attention, 
giving air freely on all favourable occasions. In damp localities it is 
often difficult to keep the flower buds and foliage from damping. If the 
soil is moderately moist place between the plants a ihin covering of cocoa- 
nut fibre refuse, which arrests evaporation, and insures the plants from 
damping to a large extent. If flowers are requ red, keep a good lining 
of hot litter and leaves round one or more of the f ames, and if mild or 
open weather continues, a good supply of blooms will be produced. In 
case of frost the frame should be matted, so that frost can be excluded 
from the plants. Marie Louise is a very continuous bloomer, and 
undoubtedly the best for yielding autumn and winter flowers ; but un¬ 
fortunately they are not very fragrant when produced during the dark 
sunless days of winter. 
Ghent Azaleas .—A good stock cf these, as well as Rhododendrons,, 
should be lifted before severe weather sets in. Pot and plunge them 
outside, protecting the pots and surface of the soil with litter, where they 
will be perfectly safe until it is necessary to introduce them into the- 
forcing house. Lilacs, Guelder Roses, Roses, and similar plants for- 
forcing will be perfectly safe, provided they are carefully protected with- 
litter. It is necessary to irotect the pots ; the plants will bear mode¬ 
rately severe frost without the slightest injury. 
