466 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jaue 8, 1S93. 
maintain a temperature of 70° to 75° by day. If tliere is likely to be 
any want of finish allow the Vines time by giving as long a rest at night 
as possible. Examine the borders, and if there is any lack of moisture 
give a thorough supply of water in the morning of a fine day, and when 
soaked in mulch with a little light material. 
Early Muscat Houses .—Vines of the Muscat of Alexandria started 
at the new year are now ripening their crops, and require a dry con¬ 
dition of the atmosphere, but extreme aridity causes the foliage to fall 
a prey to red spider. Being gross feeders do not allow any lack of 
moisture in the soil, but feed with tepid liquid manure or top-dressings 
of phosphate, potash, and ammonia or nitrogenic substances. Muscats 
seem to require more phosphoric acid than Sweetwater Grapes, say 
five parts superphosphate (bone) and two parts nitrate of potash (salt¬ 
petre finely powdered), with a little sulphur, say one part gypsum, mix, 
and apply at the rate of half a pound per square yard after making the 
border moist with tepid water, and afterwards wash the top-dressing in 
moderately. A light mulching of stable manure will supply similar 
elements, slowly conserve the moisture, and compensate for the drier 
condition of the atmosphere. Lateral extension at this stage is the best 
safeguard against shanking, along with a steady temperature and the 
avoidance of sudden fluctuations and depressions. Maintain a night 
temperature of 70°, falling 5° through the night, ventilate early, but 
allow the heat to rise to 80° or 85° with a little sun and more air, and 
90° to 95° with sun in full force, regulating the ventilation accordingly. 
The old leaves of Muscat of Alexandria are more liable to be scorched 
under sudden atmospheric changes than any other variety, especially 
after a dull, cold period. In very bright weather a single thickness of 
herring net may be drawn over the roof lights, which breaks the sun’s 
rays sufficiently, and the berries will not be scorched or scalded on the 
upper side, as sometimes occurs in the early stages of ripening. Give a 
little air at night to prevent the condensation of moisture, and increase 
early in the day, so that the berries warm equally with the surrounding 
atmosphere. 
Midseason Houses .—Grapes that have stoned are swelling rapidly 
and require abundant supplies of water and nourishment. Native 
guano is a useful manure for Vines, Biood formed into a paste with 
wood ashes is also good. There are two ways of making it :—1, Collect 
the blood in a vessel, add the wood ashes dry and a little at a time, 
stirring until the whole becomes a stiff mortar-like mass and dry. Use 
a good handful per square yard when the Vines start into growth, again 
when the berries are thinned, and a third time when the stoning is com¬ 
pleted or the Grapes change colour for ripening. 2, Dry the blood, grind 
it, and add an equal quantity of wood ashes, applying the mixture 
as above. The advertised manures, however, save trouble, and are 
handy, also first-rate for their respective purposes, all being useful for 
accelerating and sustaining the crops. Some growers prefer a home 
mixture, which, according to M. Ville, should contain phosphatic, 
potassic, and nitrogenic elements, but he adds sulphur and lime in 
sulphate of lime (gypsum). A good mixture may be formed of three 
parts bona superphosphate, two parts powdered saltpetre, one part 
ground gypsum, mix and use from quarter to half pound per square yard. 
These artificials are mainly alluded to because they never impart an 
unpleasant taste to the Grapes. 
The watering, where the borders are well drained, will require to be 
continued at fortnightly intervals, or oftener where limited, until the 
Grapes are somewhat advanced in colouring, when it will suffice to keep 
the soil moist. A little ventilation should be provided constantly at the 
apex, increasing it early in the day, closing with a genial condition 
of the atmosphere. Fire heat will only be necessary to secure 60° to 65° 
at night and 70° to 75° by day, keeping through the day at 80° to 85°, 
and closing sufficiently early to run up to 90° or 95°. This will insure 
the berries swelling well, and with a free circulation of air a good finish 
may be secured. Where the Grapes are stoning a regular temperature 
of about 65° at night and 5° to 10° more by day will be sufficient, with 
a further advance of 10° to 15° from sun heat, admitting air early so as 
to dissipate the moisture before the sun shines powerfully upon the 
house. Although a moderate lateral extension be essential overcrowding 
must be avoided, retaining no more foliage than can have full exposure 
to light. Feed with liquid manure or surface dressings more of a sub¬ 
stantial than a stimulating nature, and mulch lightly, especially in light 
soils, to conserve the moisture and encourage surface roots. With the 
Grapes just thinned every encouragement should be given to the swelling 
by early closing and maintaining a moist and high atmosphere. Allow 
^^he laterals to extend as far as space admits without crowding, and 
gUpply water or liquid manure at the roots liberally, but avoid excessive 
yigour by applying phosphatic elements as superphosphate. 
Late Houses .—Except in the latest houses the Grapes will now have 
been thinned, and where not it should be attended to as soon as the 
fertilised berries can be seen by their taking the lead in swelling. 
Syringing may be practised once to cleanse the bunches of the remains 
of the flowers, otherwise the syringe should not be used over the foliage 
after the Grapes are set, as most water, even soft and clear rain, leave a 
stain which becomes conspicuous when the Grapes are ripe. Late Grapes 
should be thinned more severely than midseason varieties in order to 
admit air freely into the interior of the bunches, and make it 
easier to remove decayed berries. Permit the laterals to extend until 
the available space is fairly covered with foliage, but avoid overcrowding, 
especially of the principal leaves. Very close pinching may be practised 
where the crop is proportionate to the foliage, erring, if at all, on the 
side of a light rather than a heavy crop in such circumstances. Damp 
the available surfaces in the house in the morning and afternoon, and an 
occas'onal sprinkling with liquid manure will do much to invigorate the 
Vines and keep red spider in check. Surface-dress inside borders with 
sweetened horse droppings, little and often, as too much ammonia will 
injure the foliage. 
Give inside borders a thorough soaking of tepid water or liquid 
manure as may be considered necessary on account of the crops and 
vigour of the Vines. Outside borders also will require copious supplies 
of water where the rainfall is inadequate to moisten them through to 
the drainage, and they may be lightly mulched with short manure. 
Ventilate early, or between 70° and 75°, and increase with the advancing 
sun heat; and allow a good rise from that source, closing at 80° to 85°, 
and rising to 90° or 95°. Leave a little ventilation at the top of the 
house at night to prevent excessive condensation. 
THE KITCHEN GAEDEN. 
Asparagus. —Seeing that cutting commenced nearly a month earlier 
than usual it ought to cease that much sooner, or the plants will become 
so much exhausted that next season’s growth will not be at all satis¬ 
factory. Strong crowns or buds are never formed at the base of weakly 
growths, and unless the rainfall is well up to the average during June 
Asparagus growThs in many cases will be very feeble indeed. In all 
warm localities Peas should now be plentiful, and that admits of 
Asparagus being withheld from the dining-table ; but in very backward 
localities there is less need for discontinuing cutting the latter for a few 
days longer. It is now when a mulching of strawy manure would be of 
the greatest service to the beds generally, and to those newly planted in 
particular, always supposing a close look out is kept for slugs. It is in 
showery weather when the slugs are most to be feared, and if let alone 
they eat all the bark from the young shoots and even those fairly old. 
Hand-picking early in the morning is the surest remedy, though occa¬ 
sional dustings of soot and lime will check them considerably. A liberal 
surfacing of salt in showery weather is most beneficial to Asparagus, 
and is also destructive of slugs and weeds. It is only at this time of 
year that it should be applied to clayey soils. Eough winds are very 
detrimental to Asparagus, and the extra strong tall growths should be 
supported by means of stakes of some kind. 
Stunner Beans.— Where the soil was properly moistened for the 
seed the plants have come up quickly, evenly, and strongly, and in 
many instances ought to be thinned-out rather freely. If there are any 
blanks to be made good or another row is needed make use of the 
thinnings for this purpose. Prior to moving them with a trowel give 
both the rows of plants and the sites to be planted a good soaking of 
water. When Kunner Beans are left as thickly as they come up, or say 
not more than 3 inches apart, they eventually smother and greatly 
weaken each other, whereas if early thinned to such distances as will 
leave one or, at the most, two plants to each stake or pole, that will give 
much better results. Crowded rows are the first to feel the ill effects of 
drought, and the first to fail later in the season. Stakes or poles from 
20 feet down to 4 feet in length may be placed to these Beans, as they 
will climb to a great height if liberally treated at the roots. The double 
rows should, if possible, have two lines of fairly long stakes, these being 
set out about 15 inches wide at the bottom, and crossing each other a 
similar distance from the top, and being duly laced together by means 
of other stakes running along the point of crossing, no winds will 
greatly disturb them. If stakes from 6 feet to 9 feet in length are used 
in single lines these also should be braced together near the top, or 
when heavily laden with haulm and beans strong winds will upset 
them. Never neglect this staking till the running growths are in a 
confused mass, as it will be next to impossible to properly uncoil these 
without damaging them. Those not to be staked must have the running 
growths kept closely snipped out, the strong flower spikes being then 
freely pushed out from the few joints about and above the seed leaves. 
In dry weather give occasional soakings of water and a mulching of 
strawy manure. 
Kidney Beans. —These also ought to be freely thinned out, leaving 
the plants of early or only moderately strong growers about 8 inches 
asunder, and Canadian Wonder 12 inches apart in the rows. If extra 
fine straight pods are desired at any time keep the plants staked upright, 
freely thin out the young pods, water in dry weather, and mulch. These 
are not much in demand after once Kunner Beans are plentiful; but 
where they are preferred successional sowings should be made every 
fortnight or three weeks, discontinuing about the first week in 
August. They succeed admirably through the centres of the spaces 
between Celery trenches, and are not greatly injured by having the soil 
narrowed up to the roots accordingly, as it is wanted for surrounding 
the Celery. 
Cauliflowers.— The earliest Cauliflowers did not, as a rule, follow 
immediately the latest Broccoli, but were not very far behind. Cater¬ 
pillars are very injurious to these crops, and ought to be kept down by 
hand-picking, or they will quickly spoil many of the hearts. In order 
to keep the latter thoroughly well blanched the upper leaves should 
either be tied together, or else some of the lower ones may be broken off 
and tucked over the heart. It is now when liquid manure, freely applied, 
will do the most good, this causing the hearts to attain their full size. 
Driblets are quite wasted on Cauliflowers, and they ought always to 
have a thorough soaking, once a "week being often enough in most cases, 
especially if solid manure was freely dug into the ground. Every 
opportunity should be taken of getting out the varieties Eclipse and 
Autumn Giant, these affording a long succession of extra solid hearts 
ne.xt autumn. On good ground 30 inches apart each way is not too 
