292 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 9, 1891. 
liquid manure and cover the surface with an inch of rather short, spent, 
but not soapy manure, or other substances. Early Grapes in a full crop 
severely tax the energies of the Vines, and through aiming high, perfec¬ 
tion in colour is not always attained. This spoils the fruit for home as 
well as market purposes. Bed Hamburghs may be sweet, but they are 
ilefective, because the Vines have not stored sufficient chlorophyll for 
conversion at the time of ripening the fruit into the essential purple 
black which gives Grapes a superior appearance and a more appetising 
as well as a higher quality. This is due to overcropping or a deficiency 
of foliage duly exposed to light, and no means can avert defective 
finish that is not otherwise induced concurrently with the growth. 
■Something may, however, be done towards aiding the Vines to prevent 
exhaustion, so as to prejudice next year’s crop whilst assisting in the 
ripening of the current crop of Grapes. This is best effected by a 
liberal and constant supply of warm dry air combined with a 
moderately low night temperature, but the temperature must be well 
maintained at 70° to 75° by day from fire heat, and 80° to 85° with sun 
heat, the temperature falling to between 00° and G5° at night. Red 
f^pider is usually found on forced Vines, particularly when hard forcing 
is practised. Painting the hot-water pipes with a mixture of sulphur 
and skim milk is a good remedy, but it must be done with care or the 
sulphur fumes act injuriously on the skin of the berries and spoil their 
appearance. Sponging the leaves with a solution of softsoap, not more 
than 2 ozs. to the gallon of water, is a safe but tedious method of 
freeing Vine foliage from red spider. Taken in time it is questionable 
if it have any equal for safeness and efficiency. 
Succession Houses. —Attend to thinning the bunches and berries, 
not allowing work of the kind to get into arrear. Stop and remove 
laterals, especially where there is not room for extension, as to allow 
them to extend considerably, or so as to necessitate a large reduction of 
•foliage at one time, results in a check, very often inducing shanking at 
a later period. See that the borders have plenty of water, and weakly 
Vines will be benefited by tepid liquid manure. Vines swelling their fruit 
should have a moist atmosphere (but not stagnant), damping the 
borders two or three times a day, and if liquid manure be used occa¬ 
sionally at the last damping it will improve the Vines and act as a 
check to red spider. Care, however, must be taken not to use the liquid 
too strong. Stable drainings must be diluted with five or six times its 
bulk of water, and 1 ounce of the ammonia manures to a 4-gallon 
pot of water is ample, that quantity, in either case, being sprinkled over 
30 square yards of surface. Do not syringe the Vines after the Grapes 
are set. 
Late T7?ic.s.—Disbud and tie out these as they require it. Close the 
houses early in the afternoon with sun heat, and plenty of atmospheric 
moisture by frequently damping available surfaces. These Vines where 
started early in March are making rapid progress, and must receive 
every encouragement; but avoid hurrying their growth by a close 
atmosphere, judiciously ventilating, particularly early in the day, so as 
to secure well formed, thick, leathery leaves. 
Young Vines .—Last yeir's planted canes will now be breaking 
naturally, and when the Wls have grown about half an inch a little 
fire heat will prove beneficial, especially cn cold days. Remove all the 
buds except one at each break, retaining the strongest, and gradually 
remove those not required, leaving the shoots for bearing or forming the 
side growths not closer than 15 to 18 inches on each side of the cane. If 
fruit is taken crop lightly. One or at most two bunches is as much as 
Vines in the first year of fruiting ought to be allowed to bear, but 
supernumeraries may be weighted with as much fruit as there is a prospect 
of their bringing to maturity. 
Melons. —In the early houses Melons are not as forward as they are 
expected to be at this time, but those in the earliest house are swelling 
their fruits and require to have supports placed for them. Half-inch 
white fir or pine boards 6 or 7 inches square, with a hole through each 
corner, and suspended by four pieces of string or copper wire from the 
trellis in a slanting direction to prevent water lodging, may be used for 
the purpose. Pieces of slates with holes drilled in the corners are 
preferable to wooden supports, but nets are still better. Remove all 
surplus fruits and all flowers from such plants, also superfluous growths, 
stopping and tying as necessary. Afford efficient supplies of water, 
giving liquid manure as necessary for the maintenance of a free yet not 
luxuriant growth. A good atmospheric moisture being maintained by 
damping early in the morning and afternoon, syringe the plants lightly 
about 3 P.M. on bright afternoons. Later plants showing fruit should, 
unless abundant and the plants vigorous, have the first blossoms 
removed, it being important that the female flowers be nearly of one 
stage of growth. Secure a somewhat higher temperature and drier 
atmosphere during the setting, only affording as much moisture as will 
prevent flagging. Stop the shoots at one joint beyond the fruit, but 
employ the knife as little as possible during the setting period. 
In pits and frames a good bottom heat must be maintained, observing 
the conditions previously given during setting. When the fruits are set 
and swelling they should be placed on a piece of slate. If canker 
appear at the collar rub quicklime well into the affected part, repeating 
this as necessary. 
CuCUMBEES. —Plants that have been bearing through the winter 
•will need to be renovated at the roots, removing with a hand-fork as 
much of the exhausted soil as is pessible without much injury to the 
roots, and fill with rich lumpy compost pressed down firmly. Stopping, 
training, and cutting out the old growths must be followed up, and 
abundant waterings given as necessary. Assist plants in full bearing 
with copious supplies of weak liquid manure, and earth the roots occa¬ 
sionally, rising •R'armed compost. Damp the floor about 8 A.M. and 
3 P.M., the foliage being syringed lightly on fine afternoons, and keep the 
evaporation troughs charged with guano water or liquid manure. There 
ought not to be any delay in having the blinds ready where that form 
of shading is employed, so that they may be employed for an hour or 
two at midday when the sun is brightest. Shadmg is most needed after 
a period of dull weather to prevent flagging. Worms may be expelled 
by lime water. 
Stea-wbeeeies in Pots.— The season of forced Strawberries will 
soon be at its height, and the labour entailed at its maximum. East 
winds are usually very prevalent in spring time, and watering must 
have great attention. Examine the plants at least three times a day 
in bright weather, and whenever a plant needs water give a thorough 
supply. The shelves at this time of year should be at a greater distance 
from the glass than earlier in the season, so as to allow a free circulation 
of air between the leaves of the plants and the glass, the flowers not 
being exposed to violent atmospheric changes by the admission of air 
after a period of dull weather. Plants that are to give very fine fruits 
should not only be those showing the largest flowers, but those must be 
thinned to about a dozen or so on each plant before they expand. 
Bring them forward in a gentle heat in the first stages of swelling, 
affording an abundance of atmospheric moisture so long as the fruit 
remains green ; but when it becomrs whitish green increase the tempe- . 
rature gradually to 80°, 85°, and 90° on sunny days, keeping through 
the night at 65° to 70°, with 5° more on dull days or from artificial heat, 
continuing this until t^le fruit becomes red all over, when the tempera¬ 
ture should be lowered to a minimum of 60°, in which they will increase 
considerably in size after they are app>arently ripe, and to secure high 
flavour a free circulation of warm rather dry air must be maintained, 
watering at the roots only to keep the foliage fresh. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Carnations and Picotces. —Old plants of these in beds or singly have 
been so badly injured by frosts that the greater part of them are either 
dead or not worth saving. Young seedlings and layered plants have 
fared much better, these suffering more from the weight of snow than 
from the severity of the frosts. The month of March has not improved 
matters, and during such cold wintry weather it would have been most 
unwise to either transplant any wintered safely in the open or to turn 
out any fortunately kept in cold frames. The sooner, however, this is 
done the better, keeping the plants in small pots under glass having a 
most weakening effect upon them. Make good the blanks if need he by 
transplanting, two poor beds, say, being converted into one good one ; 
also carefully move any from boxes and turn out those in pots, giving 
all a fresh loamy soil, sharp sand being freely added, and shelter from 
cold easterly winds. 
Sowing Carnation Seed. —Now is a good time to sow seed of border 
Carnations and Picotees, and strong plants will flower grandly in the 
borders next year. If the seed is sown thinly in pots, pans, or boxes of 
fine loamy soil, and placed either in very gentle heat or in cold frames 
or handlights, it will germinate surely and strongly. Cover with squares 
of glass, shade heavily till the seedlings appear, and keep uniformly 
moist from the first. Prick out the seedlings when about 3 inches high 
in other pans or boxes, and finally p’ant out where they are to flower 
before they spoil each other by crowding. The new race of border 
Carnations offered in most seed catalogues under the name of Double 
Margaret or Marguerite are well worthy of a trial. By sowing now in 
gentle heat, placing the seedlings singly into 2J-inch pots, and finally 
planting out before they are badly rootbound, strong heads of flower will 
be produced during next August, the flowering period lasting well into 
the winter. There is only a small per-centage of single flowers from a 
packet of seed, but even these are pretty, while the rest are very double, 
well varied in colour, and •sweetly scented. Seed of this novelty sown 
recently in gentle heat came up as quickly and evenly as Phlox 
Drummondi. 
Anemone coronaria. —Anemones generally are serviceable and beau¬ 
tiful, and none more so than A. coronaria. The flowering season of the 
latter lasts from March to June inclusive, beds of plants yielding a pro¬ 
fusion of flowers in various bright colours. If the seed is sown now a 
good display ought to result next spring. No particular soil is abso¬ 
lutely necessary for these very hardy and beautiful occupants of the flower 
garden, but they succeed best in a rather rich loamy root run, and a betl 
might well, therefore, be specially prepared for them. Make this as fine 
as possible near the surface, draw shallow drills 6 inches apart, and sow 
the seed thinly. The latter operation can be most readily carried out by 
well mixing sand or fine soil wdth woolly seeds, and the latter should be 
covered with fine soil. Keep the seedlings free of ■weeds, and when 
they are 2 inches or rather less in height transplant a portion of them 
elsewhere. Showery weather ought to be chosen for this delicate ■wmrk, 
small patches being taken up here and there with a trowel and replanted 
without further disturbing them. The plan of sowing the seed directly 
it is ripe also answers well, only in this case the seedlings are longer 
before the bulk of them flower. It is advisable to raise a bed of 
seedlings everj-- year, but the old roots if undisturbed and manured from 
the surface every summer will long continue serviceable. 
Hardy Annuals. —From the beginning till the middle of April is a 
good time to sow seed of hardy annuals. If sown much earlier there is 
every likelihood of many of the seedlings coming to grief, and if the 
sowing is deferred till May a spell of dry weather may hinder germina¬ 
tion, hot weather also setting in before the plants have become well 
