161 
February 25, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
water is never free from them. A cubic centimetre of average spring 
or deep well water generally contains from several hundred to several 
thousand of them, while a single wineglassful of polluted water is o^^en 
found to contain more bacteria than there are people on the fa^ or the 
earth. Bacteria are indeed so abundant in nature and so diincult to 
separate from living tissue, that when our fingers, even after a thorough 
washing, have been brought in contact with the biologist s sterilised 
mieroscope slide, a dozen or more groups of them can be cultivated 
from it. And they are the most prolific organisms of which we have 
any knowledge, for in its multiplication a single bacterium may become 
the causative parent of sixteen million five hundred thousand 
descendants in a day. Bacteria are classified according to their shape 
and structure. Thus the micrococci are composed of single, spherical, 
or oblong cells; the strepticocci are composed of eells arranged m 
chains ; the bacilli are rod-like forms, while the spirilla are of a cork¬ 
screw or spiral shape. t . i. t • iu 
Although our most dreaded diseases are produced by bacteria, the 
harmless forms of these micro-organisms have their beneficent uses in 
the economy of nature. Through their efforts sugar is converted into 
alcohol, and, from the carbonic anhydride evolved, the cork of the cham¬ 
pagne bottle is discharged with almost explosive violence. While one 
class is thus engaged in making alcohol, another class is fermenting it 
into acetic acid; and still other classes are servants to the baker m 
raising his bread. . 
It is to bactej-ia that we owe the phenomena of fermentation and 
decay. They are the common scavengers of the earth. It has long been 
known that plants and animals bear a reciprocal relation, each produc¬ 
ing the food that is required by the other. Plants take up simple com¬ 
pounds, like water, carbonic anhydride, and ammonia, and elaborate 
them into complex compounds suitable for the food of animals. 
Animals, on the other hand, break down these complex substances and 
furnish.them again in the simplest forms available for plant food ; but 
still there is a large number of animal products that are not thus 
reduced, and not suitable for plants to assimilate. “ These it is the 
function of bacteria to transform and prepare. They are the cooks of 
the vegetable creation. Every fermenting manure heap, every ptten 
vegetable and animal is a great kitchen in which this preparation of 
■vegetable food is going on. But for the constant beneficent work of the 
bacteria the world soon be choked up with the undecomposing remains 
of plants and animals ; and vegetable and animal life must alike perish. 
They are at once, then, the scavengers, caterers, and cooks pf nature, 
and as no living beings are so widely distributed, so no living beings 
are more beneficent in their work.” 
Wherever bacteria are found abundantly, decomposing nitrogenous 
organic matter is always present, and Pasteur has shown that they do 
not multiply without a putrefactive environment, but remain infertile 
until they perish. Bacteria of putrefaction and infection fiourish most 
abundantly in a neutral or an alkaline menstruum, such as is generally 
found in decomposing sewage matter and the effluvium from sewers ; 
but they are readily destroyed in acid solutions. It has also been 
observed that the bacteria producing acid fermentations perish in alkaline 
liquids.— Floyd Davis, M.Sc., Ph.D., Des Moins, Iowa (in the Journal 
of 3IiGroscopy'). 
WOKK.foi\.theWEEK.. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. — Early Forced Vines in Pots. — These require generous 
treatment, such as surface dressings of rich material,, well decayed 
manure and lumpy loam, with a sprinkling of steamed bonemeal and 
copious supplies of liquid manure in a tepid state, keeping the plunging 
material about the pots well moistened with the same to insure the 
spread of the roots into it and augment the support of the Vines. With 
the roots coming over the rims and from the bottom of the pots the 
Vines make plenty of foliage, which should not be kept too closely 
pinched, as there is nothing like plenty of feeders to secure well swelltd 
berries. 
Early Houses. —Planted-out Vines started early in December have 
the Grapes swelling and approaching the stoning period ; they will 
require careful treatment in ventilating, affording a little air at 70°, 
increasing it with the sun heat, keeping this through the day at 
80° to 85°, closing by or before the temperature recedes to 80°, and 
if it advance to 85° or 90° all the better. Avoid cold draughts, they 
are prolific of rust and cripple the foliage. Keep inside borders well 
supplied with tepid water or liquid manure, and maintain a genial 
condition of the atmosphere by damping available surfaces two or three 
times a day, especially at closing time. 
Grapes in Floioer. —The temperature ought not to be less than 
60° to 65°, with a rise of 10° to 15° by day. Lessen or discontinue the 
syringing, though moderate humidity is desirable for the benefit of the 
foliage, preventing condensation of moisture by a little ventilation 
constantly, taking care not to cause a draught. Shy-setting varieties 
require careful fertilisation, all varieties well repaying the labour by 
producing finer bunches of evenly formed berries. Afford Muscats in 
bloom a night temperature of 65° to 70°, and 10° to 15° rise by day ; if 
the bunches are numerous a better set will be secured by the removal 
of the surplus bunches before they flower. Duplicate bunches only 
take support from those which are ultimately left for the crop. 
Thinning Grapes. —Keep this operation well in hand, thinning Black 
Hamburghs and other free-setting varieties as soon as possible after 
flowering, but the shy-setting Muscats and others should be left until 
the properly fertilised berries can be distinguished by their taking the 
lead in swelling. Thinning requires the exercise of a little judgment, 
taking the character of the kind and capabilities of the Vines into con¬ 
sideration. Sufficient berries should be taken out to allow of those leit 
attaining their full size, without wedging or crushing ; retariiing 
sufficient to prevent the bunches falling out of shape when cut and laid 
upon the dish. _ *. 1 , n <- 
Succession Houses. — Attend to disbudding as soon as the best 
breaks can be discerned, proceeding gradually. Stopping inay take 
place one, two, three, or four joints beyond the show of fruit as the 
space admits, but the more leaves beyond the fruit having ^posure to 
light the more certain is it of being well supported. If the space is 
limited stop at the second joint, or even one beyond the bunchbut 
where space admits stop the growths at the third or fourth ]oint 
bevond the bunch, and then allow the laterals to extend until the 
available space is covered with an even spread of leaves, then keep 
closely stopped. Tie the growths down before they touch the glass, 
bringing them down carefully, as the growths of vigorous Vines are 
liable to snap. Allow plenty of room in the ligatures for the swelling 
of the shoots. When the bunches show increase the temperature to o5 
to 60° at night, 65° by day artificially, 70° to 75° from sun heat, and an 
increase of 5° to 10° from that source after closing. 
Late Houses. —If late Vines are not yet cleared of Grapes it should 
be done at once, pruning the Vines and dressing the cuts with patent 
knotting or styptic, shellac dissolved in alcohol being excellent for this 
purpose, and cleanse the houses and Vines, removing the loose surface 
soil from the borders, supplying fresh loam, keeping the house as cool as 
possible. Examine Grapes in rooms, removing any decayed or mouldy 
berries, as one soon spoils a whole bunch. Maintain the temperature 
about 40° to 45°, and the room being dry the Grapes will keep sound 
and give little trouble. Muscats, Lady Downe’s, and other late varieties, 
from which the Grapes were cut about the New Year, may now be 
encouraged to grow, as the Vines starting early m March have a 
chance to mature their Grapes throughly before the cold and sunkss 
autumn weather, and the fruit keeps much better ripened not later than 
early September, late ripened fruit being in every way Ips desirable. 
The inside borders must be brought into a thoroughly rnoist state by the 
application of water at a temperature of 80°, following with rather 
thick but tepid liquid manure wfflen the Vines are weak or_been heavily 
cropped. The outside borders will only need the protection of a little 
rather short litter to prevent chill from frost, cold rains, or snow. 
Peaches and Nectarines.— House. —Continued sharp 
weather necessitates recourse to fire heat more than usual at this 
season, yet no more should be used than is absolutely necessary to 
maintain the trees in steady progress. The days have been brig t 
and the trees look well, though the fruit is later than usual. A ^ight 
temperature of 50° to 55°, and 60° to 65° by day artificially, with d to 
10° more from sun heat, especially after closing, will keep the trees 
in steady progress. Disbud carefully and in accordance with the growth. 
When this is strong the whole of the foreright shoots may be taken 
off at once, and some of the side shoots pinched back to form spurs 
on the extension, but not on shoots that will be removed after the 
fruit is gathered, retaining the best break from the base of the several 
shoots now bearing, and this must have room for extension with full 
exposure to light, and a shoot must be reserved on a level with or 
above the fruit to attract the sap to it, pinching such, when not re¬ 
quired for extension, at the third leaf, and to one afterwards as made. 
Trees that have set heavy crops of fruit should have the least pro¬ 
mising removed, especially those badly placed or on the under side of 
the trellises, and to help weakly trees afford liquid manure, syringing 
the borders occasionally with weak tepid liquid, which will e 
the colour of the foliage and strengthen the growths. Syringe m the 
morning and afternoon with water a few degrees warmer than the 
house, and always sufficiently early to allow the foliage to become 
dry before night. On dull days omit the .afternoon syringing also the 
morning when cold and sunless, damping the borders and paths 
instead^ Ventilate from 60°, increasing with the sun heat, taking 
care to avoid cold draughts and sudden depressions of J^mperature 
which cripple the foliage and may cause the fruit to fall. Inside 
borders m^ust be duly supplied with water, and outside borders 
^^°^Second^Early Trees started at the new year ha,ve set the 
fruit and syringing will need to be resorted to after this is effected, 
wMch will aLtlbel to cast off tho remai. a ol tho (""f »• 
however, cautiously In dull cold weather, 
and has a tendency to induce wood at the expense f ® 
A night temperature of 50° is safe m severe weather, and oa ^ day 
5°mmeinmfid weather, with 5° to Jr^^ 
gradually and carefully, practising it when 
swelling, and when begun follow it up a little each d y. 
there is\ thick set of fruit remove ^he smallest and worst place y 
degrees. See that the borders are properly supplied with water. 
