188 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 10, 1892. 
WOKKfoiithe WE EK.. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. — Earliest Forced Pot Vines. —Those started last November 
have the Grapes in the last stages of swelling, and must be adequately 
supported with liquid manure and rich surface dressings, while if the roots 
extend beyond the pots feed them there as well as in the pots. The 
very early varieties, such as White Frontignan, Foster’s Seedling, Black 
Hamburgh, and Madresfield Court, are well advanced towards ripening, 
and will only need clean tepid water after the colour is well pronounced. 
A circulation of warm moderately dry air conduces to the flavour of the 
fruit, but the Vines must not lack the needful supplies of water to keep 
the foliage fresh, nor the atmosphere be allowed to become so parched as 
to invite red spider, for the Grapes require some little time to mature 
after apparently ripe, and a moderate amount of atmospheric moisture 
without stagnation is essential to their remaining plump and fresh 
until cut. 
Vine Eyes. —These having been inserted as before advised are now 
well rooted, and should be potted singly, or if inserted in small pots 
they must be shifted into 6-inch pots as soon as the roots reach the sides 
of the smaller, placing them in bottom heat, or preferably on shelves 
over the hot-water pipes. Syringe well amongst them, and pinch the 
laterals at the first leaf, unless they are intended to be planted out this 
season and not fruited the next, when the laterals should be left entire, 
but in that case the Vines must be planted out before the roots become 
matted. 
Ont-hach Vines. —For fruiting in pots next season these Vines will 
now be fit for shaking out and repotting, or if that has already been 
done and the roots have reached the sides of the pots they will need 
shifting into the fruiting—12-inch —pots. If they have been given 
bottom heat they should be returned to it for a time, 75° to 80° being 
sufficient, otherwise bottom heat is not necessary, yet the pots are better 
stood on slates over hot-water pipes than on a cool bottom. Keep the 
house close and moderately moist until they become established. Train 
the canes near the glass, pinching the laterals to one leaf, and thus 
secure solidified growth and plump buds. Use clean pots, and efficient 
drainage. Turfy loam with a fifth of old mortar rubbish answers well 
for potting, but a quart of steamed bonemeal and soot, and double 
the quantity of wood ashes, may be mixed with every bushel of 
loam. 
Early House, — Vines started early in December and previously 
forced will soon have the Grapes stoned, and should have copious 
supplies of tepid liquid manure. A light mulching of lumpy, partially 
decayed manure may be placed on the border, as the Grapes swell con¬ 
siderably in the later stages, even after commencing to colour, and allow 
a little lateral extension, as every leaf encourages root action, and that 
leaf duly exposed to light and air aids the Grapes in swelling and 
finishing. The Vines started later in the year, and of which the Grapes 
have been thinned, will need liquid manure applied to inside borders ; 
but surface dressings are more potent in accelerating and keeping 
surface roots, and a good handful of almost any of the advertised fer¬ 
tilisers per square yard makes a wonderful difference in the colour of 
the foliage, which means ultimate good colour and high finish in the 
Grapes. 
Ventilation needs to be carefully attended to, as with sharp north¬ 
east winds and bright gleams of sun the temperature is subject to 
sudden alternations, which must be avoided by admitting air in small 
quantities at a time, always in advance of rather than after a great 
rise of temperature, taking care to allow a good rise from sun heat 
after closing early in the afternoon at 80° to 85°, allowing the house to 
fall to 65° at night, or even 60° when very cold. 
Vines started in January and not forced before have pushed slowly, 
and some that have started freely show a tendency in the bunches to 
twirl and twist, whilst others are “ blind.” This may be a consequence 
of last year’s cold sunless weather, resulting in unripe wood and imper¬ 
fectly formed embryonic Grapes. Nothing can be done now, but a 
slight increase of temperature and a rtduced supply of moisture for a 
few days may be beneficial. Avoid the close stopping system until 
every part of the trellis is well covered with foliage, then allow no more 
than there is room for. Vines started with the year will be in flower, 
and should have a rather drier atmosphere with a gentle circulation of 
air and a temperature of 65° to 70° at night and 70° to 75° by day 
artificially, with 10° rise from sun heat, maintaining moderate moisture 
by damping the house two or three times a day in bright weather. 
Muscats should have at least 5° higher temperature, and the flowers 
must be carefully fertilised. 
Succession Houses. —Disbud and secure the growths as they advance, 
stopping them two joints beyond the bunches where the space is limited, 
but where there is room allow a greater extension of the shoots before 
stopping. Remove the laterals from the joints below the show of fruit, 
except from the two base leaves, stopping those at the first leaf, and to 
one afterwards as produced. The laterals above the fruit may be 
allowed to make such growth as can have exposure to light without 
crowding, and then be stopped, keeping them pinched afterwards, as 
well as in the case of those not having room for extension. Remove all 
superfluous and ill-formed bunches of the free-setting varieties as soon 
as those that are the most promising for the crop can be selected. 
Maintain the borders in a proper state of moisture, and secure a genial 
atmosphere by damping the house well at closing time as well as in the 
morning and evening. A temperature of 60° to 65° at night is suitable 
af:er the Vines come into leaf, allowing 65° to 70° on dull days, and 75° 
to 85° with sun and ventilation, taking care to ventilate early, to avoid 
cold draughts, and to close early. 
Late Houses .—Vines intended to afford ripe Grapes in August 
onward must now be started, and Muscats, with other varieties, should 
be encouraged to move, as the fruit keeps much better when ripened 
in August or early in September than when the season is more 
advanced at the ripening period. Vines which have only been recently 
pruned should be given a little rest before starting them, yet all thick- 
skinned Grapes should be started not later than early April, for they 
take a long time to ripen properly for keeping, and should be assisted 
all along with fire heat, as upon their thorough ripening depends their 
keeping sound. Inside borders may be brought into a thorough state 
of moisture by the application of water at a temperature of 80°, and if 
followed by an application of rather thick but not too strong liquid 
manure it will incite root activity as well as nourish the Vines. Outside 
borders will only need a little partially decayed manure as a mulch to 
protect the roots from chill by frost or snow. The atmosphere must be 
kept genial, damping the rods and every available surface two or three 
times a day, maintaining a temperature of 50° at night or 55° when 
mild, and 65° by day with sun. Late Hamburgh houses may be kept 
cool, not starting the Vines until next month—indeed, they may start 
naturally. It will suffice if they have the fruit set by early June, and 
the Grapes are ripe in September. 
Peaches and Nectarines.— Forced House. —Alexander 
and other very early varieties wdl soon have completed the stoning, and 
will advance rapidly to ripening if duly supplied with nourishment and 
the trees are not over-burdened with fruit. The fruit swells and ripens 
well enough under the same conditions as are required by the older 
forcing varieties whilst stoning. The temperature then requires to be 
kept as equable as possible, too high a night temperature being unfavour¬ 
able to the fruit, and cold draughts in the daytime often giving a check 
that causes the fruit to fall. This must be avoided by judicious early 
ventilation made up for by closing early in the afternoon ; but cutting 
winds are so pernicious as to bring off the fruit wholesale, and drying 
the atmosphere by over-fumigation is equally disastrous. Continue the 
temperature at 60° to 65° at night, and 70° to 75° through the day, 
syringing morning and afternoon to keep red spider in subjection ; but 
promptly eradicate it by an insecticide if it gain a footing. Thin the 
fruit directly the stoning is effected to the number wanted for the crop. 
It is not wise to let the trees stone twice as many fruits as are required, 
and it often happens that leaving too many brings off the major portion. 
One fruit to a foot of trellis is ample. Nectarines may be left a little 
closer. Tie the shoots to the treLis as they advance, and stop any 
growing too long at 12 to 15 inches, pinching laterals to one leaf, and, 
above all things, avoid overcrowding. Shoots retained to attract the 
sap to the fruit should be closely pinched to one leaf unless the trees are 
weak and it is desirable to encourage root action by a little extension, 
yet allow none beyond what there is room for. 
Successioji Houses. —Disbudding and tying-in must be attended to 
before the growths become too long, disbudding gradually. If the 
blossoms have set thickly—more than a dozen on a foot length of 
shoot—thin them soon after the remainder of the blossoms are cast, 
removing the smallest fruits, those on the under side of the branches, 
and those badly placed, leaving three to five of the best. These in turn 
should be reduced to two or three when the size of marbles, and finally 
to one or two, the latter only in case of there being a deficiency in other 
parts of the tree : this thinning taking place when the fruit is the size 
of Walnuts. The temperature may then be raised to 5.5° to 60° at night, 
and 60° to 65° by day from fire heat, ventilating from 65°, and insuring 
75° from sun heat, closing moderately early in the afternoon, but 
avoiding a close atmosphere. 
Late Houses. —Those having the lights off have the buds quite 
dormant, and the lights need not be replaced until the buds are 
commencing to swell freely. Trees under fixed roofs have the buds 
well advanced for expansion, and will need an occasional syringing 
until the stamens appear, when the floors and borders may be damped 
in the morning and afternoon, leaving a little air on constantly, and 
employing fire heat only to exclude frost. After the flowers open 
maintain a night temperature of 40° to 45°, 50° by day in dull weather, 
5° more when mild, with a free circulation of air, advancing to 65° with 
sun. Where the blossom is superabundant it will be advisable, especially 
in the case of weakly trees, to remove the flowers from the under side or 
back of the shoots, as the trees may be against front or back trellises. 
The borders must not lack moisture, affording thorough supplies where 
needed, repeating, if necessary, so as to bring them into a healthy 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN, 
Kidney Beans. —In order to maintain a constant supply of these 
fresh batches of plants must be following in close succession, from 
twenty-five to forty pots being sown every ten days or thereabouts. 
Shelves and front stages will soon be too hot and dry for these 
crops. Beans succeeding better on a moist bottom, and where they 
can be kept easily supplied with plenty of water. From first to 
last there must be no neglect. Thin-out the plants freely and 
