February 6, I'91. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
115 
the flowers, setting the mind at rest as to the first stage, which always, 
especially after a period of dull and cold weather, causes anxiety to the 
grower. Inside borders are a great advantage in early forcing ; the trees 
always succeed better than those having their roots in cold outside 
borders, and they set better in a lower temperature, making up for lost 
time as the days increase in length and brightness. Undue haste in 
early forcing often causes the loss of a crop. Proceed with disbudding 
cautiously, also shorten shoots that were left at full length at pruning 
time. Kemove the foreright shoots first, commencing at the most 
upright part of the trees, and work down to the horizontal branches at 
the base. Keep a sharp look out for aphides, and fumigate upon their 
first appearance. Be careful, however, not to give too much, as the 
foliage and tender fruit are susceptible of injury. See that all surfaces 
near hot-water pipes are kept constantly moist, and that the roots of 
the trees are well supplied with tepid liquid manure in a weak state. 
Avoid, however, over-excitement in the early stages of swelling, which 
is often fatal to stoning. Admit a little air on all favourable occasions, 
but be careful to avoid cold currents, and close sufficiently early to raise 
the temperature 10° to 15° from sun heat, avoiding a close atmosphere 
by a little ventilation. 
Succession Houses. —When the trees are approaching the flowering 
-state syringing must be discontinued, but secure a genial condition of 
the atmosphere by damping the house occasionally. In other cases 
syringe well until the flowers commence opening, and in case of a great 
show of flowers remove those on the under side of the trellis. Do not 
omit to fumigate on a calm afternoon to destroy any aphides that may 
exist, and so keep the trees free from those pests until the flowering is 
over. If the inside border be dry, afford a thorough supply of water, 
or liquid manure in the case of weakness in the trees. 
Later Houses. —Severe weather has one gooi effect, in that whilst 
■doing no harm to ripe wood it assures complete rest in the trees, and 
keeps the blossoms back. Dryness at the roots must be avoided, afford¬ 
ing thorough supplies, but where the roof lights have been removed the 
borders will have been well moistened by the recent rains. Ventilation 
will be necessary to the fullest extent, so as to keep the blossom baek, 
-and the lights should remain off until the blossoms are emerging from 
their scaly covering, and not then safe from frost. 
Cucumbers. —Avoid overcrowding, keep the foliage thin, remove 
bad leaves and exhausted growths, stopping one or two leaves beyond 
the fruit; crop lightly, and secure clean growth as essential to free 
successional bearing ; keep the night temperature at 65° to 70°, and 75° 
by day, with 80° to 90° with sun heat, closing early in the afternoon, 
with plenty of atmospheric moisture on bright sunny afternoons j this, 
with judicious applications of liquid manure in a tepid state, will insure 
-good root action and free growth in the plants and fruit. 
Young plants may be transferred to the hillocks or ridges in the 
-structure prepared for their reception by thorough cleansing of the 
woodwork, and soil having been in a few days to warm the soil should 
be pressed firmly about each plant, placing a stick to each plant and 
securing to the lower or such wire as suits for training the plants when 
grown over the trellis. Shade for a few days from bright sun at planting, 
but not more than is absolutely necessary to prevent flagging. 
Strawberries in Pots. —The weather has been such that the plants 
bave not been kept more than gently moving. Ventilation must be 
very carefully given to plants swelling their fruits, as sudden and dry¬ 
ing currents of cold air cause the tender fruit to indurate, and it rarely 
swells kindly afterwards. When the air is cold and sharp some hexegon 
netting placed over the ventilators admits of ventilation when it other¬ 
wise could not be given. Plants in flower should have air under or above 
them, so that it is warmed before it comes in contact with the tender 
•■fructifying organs. Have the atmosphere rather dry for a couple of 
hours each day, so as to insure conditions favourable for fertilising by a 
little extra heat if necessary, with freer ventilation. Fertilisation is 
<iuickly effected with a feather duster, examining the flowers each day 
until there is a good crop set, after which remove all superfluous flowers, 
-also surplus and deformed fruits. Water plants in flower on the morn¬ 
ings of fine days, lifting the leaves and flowers with one hand so as to 
.-avoid wetting them, and keeping the water from the crown, as that 
-sometimes suffers through the frequent application of water and a close 
^Atmosphere, Afford liquid manure to plants swelling off their crops, 
and maintain a genial condition of the atmosphere with a temperature 
-of 60° to 65°, with 10° to 15° rise from sun heat. 
KITCHEN GABDEN. 
Vegetable Crops, —The spring of 1891 is likely to be one of the 
•most deficient in vegetables ever experienced. The whole of the green 
crops are destroyed in many gardens, and the sooner they are cleared 
away the better, and the ground prepared for other crops. Possibly some 
•owners of gardens may think their cultivators have been careless in not 
■protecting and saving the green crops, but this was of no avail, and lack 
of attention is not the cause of the scarcity of green vegetables. 
Kaising Vegetables under Glass. —Although seeds cannot for 
■oome time be sown in the open ground with advantage, as many plants 
as possible should be raised under glass, as in b.ad springs it is a great 
advantage to have plenty of them in a forward state under protection 
for planting out as the weather becomes favourable. The best receptacles 
for the seed are shallow wooden boxes. A quantity of rather rich loamy 
soil should be broken up. Do not add any sand to it. Place a layer of 
fresh leaves in the bottom of each box, and then fill with the soil. 
Make it very firm, as this prevents the plants running into too much 
leaf. Level the surface, sow the seed thinly on this, and cover with a 
little of the soil sifted fine, A sprinkling of sand placed over all will 
help to prevent damping. We are about to sow the following crops in 
this way :—Celery for early use, Brussels Sprouts for a few early rows. 
Cauliflower for first crop, and a pinch of Early Paris Market Lettuce. 
As a beginning one box of each of these will be sown. When the plants 
are large enough to be handled they will be transferred to other boxes, 
and after gaining a good size they will be gradually hardened pre¬ 
vious to being planted out. A few scores or hundreds of such plants 
will be found most useful before any of the open air sowings can be 
ready. Successional lots will bo sown in three weeks hence. 
Raising Early Peas. —The early Peas sown in autumn have 
failed, indeed the plants have not appeared, and should they do so 
after this they will be so weakly as not to be worth keeping. The 
first crop must be sown under glass, and it may be put in at once. Wo 
have tried raising them on turves and other ways, but find it best to 
sow them in 3-inch pots. A few pieces of drainage are put in the bottom 
of each pot. They are then filled half-way up with rich soil, about a 
dozen seeds arc put in, and more soil is placed over them. They arc 
then placed in a heat of 60°, and they soon germinate. The young plants 
must be kept near the glass and well in the light. Air shouhl also be 
admitted on all favourable occasions. The back shelf of an early vinery 
is a very suitable place for them, and they may be kept in heat until 
about 6 inches high, when they should bo placed in a cold frame 
previous. Young Pea plants do remarkably well in this way, and can 
bo turned from the pots and planted with the balls of soil entire at a 
distance of 8 or 10 inches from each group. They receive less check in 
being raised this way than any we have tried. The new early Pea 
William Hurst is the best of its class we have yet tried. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Cleaning the Houses. —All houses in which plants are grown must be 
thoroughly cleaned before the growing season commences. Clean the 
plants first, and if possible remove them to the adjoining house until the 
woodwork and glass have been washed M'ith softsoap and warm water. 
All walls and brickwork not painted should be limewashed once or twice 
according to the condition of the walls. If very green it will be necessary 
to scrub them well first, and then wash them with a weak solution of 
chloride of lime and water. This will destroy vegetation, and if well 
limewashed afterwards they will remain clean for a long time. The 
green soon comes through if the walls are damp and very green when 
the lime is applied, but if the walls can be well dried after an applica¬ 
tion of chloride of lime and then thoroughly limewashed it will be found 
to adhere perfectly and last well. The curbs and floors if formed of 
stone should be cleaned with chloride of lime. The pipes and staging, 
if the latter is iron, should be painted with lampblack and boiled oil. 
The material used on the stage for holding moisture must bo well 
washed if gravel, or removed and replaced by fresh. If ashes are used 
the best plan is to take it out and bring in fresh. If the stages arc well 
cleaned, and the moisture-holding material renewed quantities of slugs 
are frequently removed. Slugs are frequently a source of annoyance 
through negligence in these matters, and can often be stamped out by a 
thorough cleaning. There can be no comparison between the growth of 
plants in houses that are clean and sweet, and those that are the reverse. 
After the houses are cleaned any potting needing attention should bo 
attended to from time to time. 
Storing Soils.—U the long spell of severe weather has prevented 
wheeling in a good supply of soils that will be needed shortly for potting, 
no time should be lost in getting them under cover. If wet store these 
soils where they will dry sufficiently to be fit for use when wanted. 
Many plants often fail to do well through wheeling in soil that is too 
wet, and using it in that condition. All soils used for potting must be 
in an intermediate state of moisture, and this condition can bo readily 
detected by its silky feel when passing it through the hands. If it 
adheres to the fingers it is too wet; on the other hand, plants should not 
bo potted with soil that is too dry, and thus necessitate a liberal supply 
of water. Soil in quantity will be needed for seeds, and may be 
prepared. It does not take long to sow seeds and insert cuttings if the 
soil is ready for use. 
Pots and Crocks. —Pots should be washed and stored in their sizes, 
so that when potting commences there is no waiting. It is a good plan 
to wash the pots as they are emptied, they arc done in loss than 
half the time than is needed when placed on one side, and allowed 
to become dry. Frequently dirty pots are placed on one side to be 
washed at a more convenient season, which never arrives, and 
finally entails double the labour and often considerable inconvenience. 
If the supply of pots in hand is not equal to what may bo requireil 
it is a good time to prepare them. Crocks may be washed and 
broken by passing them through sieves with various sized meshes. 
Stakes and Labels.—K good supply of the latter can be made or 
bought, for they are needed in (juantity in most gardens. Where labour 
is limited it is a mistake to attempt making them, for good labels can 
now be bought very cheaplyt Hort and tic stakes into bundles of 
various sizes, as they generally become very much mixed in the course 
of a year. If the majority of those used are made of deal it will often 
be necess.ary to remove the end that has been in the soil. I or lasting 
no stakes equal those made of bamboos; thick canes can be savvn into 
lengths and split readily ; to be fit for use they only need the rough edges 
removing afterwards. For the sake of appearance paint all newly made 
stakes. It is surprising what a quantity can bo done at night and 
morning before it is light enough to attend to watering and other work. 
