80 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 14, 1892. 
of the stems being inserted in bottles of water secured in an inclined 
position, so as to admit of the fruit banging clear of the bottles. Sone 
put a piece of charo ial in each bottle to keep the water sweet. Any 
dry room will be a suitable place where an equable temperature of 40° 
to 45° is mainfained. Cutting the Grapes admits of the Vines being 
pruned, the house cleansed, and the rest is very advantageous to the 
Vines, the house being kept cool and dry. 
Peaches and Nectarines.— House .—The chief thing to 
aim at is the fertilisation of the flowers, which, having developed in a 
comparatively genial and well ventilated atmosphere, have opened well 
and are well furnished with pollen. Raise the temperature to 50°, if it 
has been lower through the night, as soon as pos'^ible after daybreak, 
and maintain it at that fiijure during the day by artificial means, putting 
on a little air so as to induce a circulation without causing a draught. 
Maintain a gonial condition of the atmosphere by damping the paths 
and borders in the morning and early in the afternoon of fine days. By 
ventilating early with a suitable temperature the trees are kept in 
steady progress, the blossoms become perfect, and fertilisation is readily 
effected. The pollen can be distributed by means of a camel-hair brush, 
feather, plume of Pampas grass, or shaking the trellis. Varieties deficient 
in pollen should have some applied from others. The night temperature 
must now be 50° to 55° in mild weather, permitting a fall of 5° through 
the night in severe weather, 55° by day from fire heat, advancing to 
(55° from sun heat. Increase the ventilation freely above 55°, but not 
so as to lower the temperature, and close at 65°, a few degrees advance 
from sun heat being beneficial. 
Disbudding must not be done hurriedly, buC any strong shoots of 
the previous year having a tendency to push growth in advance of the 
others may be commenced with first, removing the growths on the 
upper side of the shoots, and then reducing the side shoots 
to the number required, namely, one from or near the base as possible 
for to supplant that now fruiting, and another or more above or on a 
level with the fruit, and which should be pinched at a few inches of 
growth, or if the shoot be an extension leave growths at about every 15 or 
18 inches to form the bearing shoots of next season, continuing those 
with the leader intact. Disbudding, however, should be commenced 
before the shoots are an inch long, and be continued at short intervals 
until no more shoots are left than will be necessary for furnishing the 
wood of the ensuing season’s bearing. Afford due supplies of water to 
inside borders, and protect the roots outside with dry material. After 
the fruits are set an occasional syringing will assist the trees to cast the 
remains of the blossoms, yet avoid heavy syringings, which have a 
tendency to weaken the growths. 
Second Early House .—The house to afford ripe fruit early in June 
must now be started, employing fire heat only to maintain a day 
temperature of 50°, raising it early to insure the development of the 
blossom with light and its due airing, increasing the ventilation at 55°, 
avoiding cold currents, and allowing an advance of 5° to 10° from sun 
heat and corresponding ventilation. A night temperature of 40° to 45° 
is sufficient until the blossoms are well advanced for expansion, when it 
should be gradually raised to 50°, Syringe the trees in fine weather in 
the morning and early afternoon until the flowers show the anthers, 
when damping the borders and paths will be sufficient, admitting a little 
air constantly, with a gentle warmth in the pipes. When the pollen 
becomes ripe artificial fertilisation may be resorted to. If water is 
wanted give a thorough supply, affording liquid manure in a tepid state 
to weakly trees. Where the blossom buds are superabundant remove 
those on the under side of the trellis. 
Succession Houses .—These should be kept as cool as possible by free 
ventilation. The hou.se to be started early in February should now be 
closed, furnishing full supplies of water to the borders, merely excluding 
frost, and ventilating fully above 60°. Push forward the pruning and 
dressing of the trees in late succession houses, thoroughly cleansing 
them, securing the trees to the trellis, ventilating and keeping them as 
cool as possible. If necessary give a supply of water at the roots, 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Kidney Beans. —The value of a constant supply of these or even 
occasional dishes only cannot well be over estimated, and they are 
particularly desirable during the spring months. Shelves, walls, and 
front stages in forcing houses gene aPy are the best positions for them, 
plenty of heat, light, and moisture being the principal factors in success. 
At least three batches of from twenty-five to forty 9-inch pots or 
according to the demands and resources of the establishment, have to be 
found room at one time when once the forcing has commenced in good 
earnest, fortnightly intervals separating the different sowings. Drain 
and then fill the pots three parts full with moderately rich and not too 
heavy loamy compost, and sow about a dozen new seeds in each, 
covering with nearly 2 inches of fine soil. In order to hasten germina¬ 
tion set the pots direct on the hot-water pipes or troughs, and before 
the seedlings become leggy transfer to the walls or shelves. Reduce the 
number of plants to about seven in each pot, and lightly support with 
birch spray or stakes and strips of raffia before they break down. 
Water sparingly at first, and when the pots are well filled give more 
water and liquid manure frequently. Syringe freely on bright days, or 
otherwise red spider may gain an ascendancy. Avoid crowding the 
plants, and gather the pods before they get old and tough. Sion 
House, Osborn’s Forcing, and Ne Plus Ultra are all suitable varieties 
for early foreing, the last-named being perhaps the most profitable of 
the three. 
Tomatoes. —No plants having been kept through the winter and 
early fruit being desired no time shouhl be lost in raising a batch of 
seedlings. A good stock of Large Red is perhaps the best thar can be 
sown, Dw.arf Orangefield being another free setting variety, and a good 
quality when ripe, but any other selected varieties may also be sown 
and grown with every prospect of success. Sow the seed thinly in 6-inch 
pots well drained and filled with fine light soil, and plunge in mild 
hotbed. To prevent the seedlings from becoming leggy and weak 
raise them well up to the glass and thin out early. Not till they are 
strong and furnished with leaves other than seed leaves should they bo 
petted off. Placing them singly in small pots is not the best step that 
can be taken, much better plants being obtained with less trouble by 
placing the seedlings direct into 5-inch pots, or in pairs in 6-inch pots. 
Use light loamy compost previously warmed, and sink the seedlings 
well up to the seed leaves. Given the benefit of a little extra warmth and 
shade, and being also very sparingly watered the olants soon commence 
growing strongly, and should then be kept near near the glass in a fairly 
brisk heat till the fruiting quarters are ready for their reception. 
Cauliflowers. —Any wintered in frames should be ventilated 
freely whenever the weather is mild, as they ought not to make much 
growth before being finally planted out. If there are many failures 
in the handlights, and those in frames are not sufficiently strong to make 
good the blanks, pot them singly into 3-inch pots, keep them near the 
glass m pits or in cool houses, and transfer to the handlights directly the 
pots are well filled with roots. This plan of preparing the plants is- also 
advisable where there are no handlights, the earliest crops being 
obtained with the aid of rough pits and warm positions at the foot of 
south walls. Supposing no plants have been kept through the winter, 
and they are somewhat scarce, seed of the Early Forcing, and either 
Early London or Erfurt Mammoth, should be sown in pans or boxes at 
once. It will germinate quickly in gentle beat, and soon after the 
seedlings are up they ought to be raised well up to the glass, care being 
taken not to break them down by syringing recklessly. Tnin out early 
if at all crowded, and when in rough leaf transfer them to a greenhouse 
or to shelves in moderately cool houses. This will strengthen and 
prepare them for potting off. They move better out of small pota than 
they do from boxes, especially if not left too long in the former. When 
they are sufficiently strong, therefore, place either a single plant in a 
2J-mch, or a pair in 3-inch, or rather larger pots, using a good loamy 
soil. Grown without experiencing a severe check (this latter would 
cause premature buttoning) early and fine hearts could be had nearly 
as quickly as any might be produced by autumn-raised plants, the jittle 
Early Forcing being exceptionally precocious. 
Early Lettuces. — Since the introduction of the extra quick 
growing Cabbage varieties there has been less need to take so many piins 
in raising and wintering a number of planrs to give an early supply of 
hearts. Both Early Paris Market and Veitch’s Golden Queen are of 
exeeptionally quick growth, and are second to none in point of quality. 
Sow seed at once, and treat very much as advised in the case of early 
Cauliflowers. Espeeially ought thick sowing to be avoided. Crowded 
seedlings either damping off badly or quickly become worthless. There 
is, however, no necessity to pot the plants, in fact they move better 
out of boxes, and ought to be early pricked out in these accordingly. 
Duly hardened and planted out on warm borders they form hearts very 
quickly, but where frames or the room can be spared a few score ought 
to be gently forced. Shallow frames on a mild hotbed are the best 
positions for them, but a moderately good supply might be had with 
the aid of boxes, these being located in a light position in a newly started 
vinery or Peach house. 
Carrots and Radishes. —Tender young roots of either Horn 
Carrots or Radishes are always acceptable, and an early start should be 
made in forcing them. What is needed is a mild hotbed not less than 
3 feet deep, and formed, if possible, of a mixture of leaves and prepared 
or not very fresh stable manure, this giving a fairly brisk and lasting 
heat. On this place a shallow frame, half filling this with short manure, 
and fill up with light and fine soil, a depth of 6 inches or 6 inches of 
this being ample. Open shallow drills 8 inches apart for the Carrot 
seed, and midway between these other drills for the Radishes. Gently 
moisten the drills if the soil is at all dry, sow the s^ed thinly, and cover 
with sifted soil. Keep close and dark till the Radishes are up, after 
which give all the light possible, also ventilating slightly, taking care 
to make all snug and close every evening. French Forcing and Nantes 
Horn are good forcing Carrots, while the best Radishes for present 
sowing are the Extra Early, Scarlet and White, Forcing Turnip, French 
Breakfast, and Wood’s Early Frame. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Glo;cmias .—Where these are rested in warm houses and moisture 
is abundant the plants soon start again into growth, especially if 
water moistens the old soil in which they have been stored. The 
stock should be examined, and those that have started may be 
encouraged to grow by placing the tubers in boxes or pans filled 
with leaf mould or cocoa-nut fibre refuse until they have well started, 
when they may be potted singly. Those started some time ago will be 
ready for potting singly. Large tubers may be at onee placed in the 
pots in which the plants are to flower. If the shoots that spring up are 
numerous the weakest may be removed and rooted singly in small pots 
if the kinds are good. These plants will do where the temperature 
ranges at night 60°. Where hotbeds have been made up seed may be 
sown if an inerease of stock is needed. By sowing early good flowering 
plants are produced early in the season. Where plenty of tubers of good 
