202 
JOUllNAT; OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 1, 1892. 
Outdoor vine*.—Regulate the laterals, and Bee that no overcrowd¬ 
ing takes place. Where good crops of fruit arc hanging little lateral 
growth will have been made lately, and what there is will, with some of 
the principal leaves, be required to shade the bunches of black Grapes, 
the white varieties enduring, as well as needing, more sun to ripen 
perfectly. Any bunches attacked by wasps or flies should be enclosed 
in gauze bags. 
Pluraa and Cherries.—Secure the current shoots of Plums and 
Cherries to walls. Shoots which have been summer pinched to form 
spurs will probably be producing sub-laterals. These will require pinch¬ 
ing or cutting back to one leaf. Any further growths produced after¬ 
wards rub out altogether. See that the current year’s shoots of Morello 
Cherries are not left too thickly placed. Now, while the foliage is on, is 
the best time to sec whether the shoots are crowded or otherwise. Any 
dead or dying branches remove at once, using a sharp saw, and making 
a clean smooth cut, 
FRUIT FORCING. 
vines.— Early Faming in Pots .—Vines for starting in November to 
supply Grapes lit for table next March or April must not be allowed to 
become dust-dry at the roots, for that impairs their vitality and causes 
the buds and growths to be weak. Hometimcs the shoots are blind—the 
incipient bunches collapsing instead of developing—through the Vines 
having been kept too dry during the latter part of their growth to insure 
the ripening of the wood. The Vines should now be at rest, the wood 
quite ripe, the buds plumped, the laterals cut close home, and the canes 
shortened to about (> feet, more or less, according to the situation of the 
buds. Dress the cuts whilst they are dry with the best French polish, 
or patent knott ing, as a preventive of bleeding. They should be kept in 
a cool, airy Iiouho. If the Vines have to be bought they should be 
ordered now, so as to secure sturdy well matured canes, with plump 
buds, of tho desired varieties. The most suitable varieties for very early 
forcing are White Frontignan, Foster’s Seedling, Rlack Hamburgh, and 
Madresfield Court. 
Earliest Forced Planted-out Vines .—To afford ripe Grapes in May 
the Vines should be started early in December, and they must be pruned 
and given a few weeks’ reHt before exciting them into growth. It is not 
necessary to wait until all tho leaves are down before pruning Vines 
with thoroughly matured wood for early forcing, but the wood must be 
brown ami hard, and the leaves turning yellow. If the Vines are in 
good condition they will afford useful bunches when pruned to a couple 
of buds from the base, but closely pruned Vines do not always produce 
bunches that aro sufficiently taking in appearance for homo use or 
market, and in that case tho spur shoots may be left a little longer—say 
pruned to three or four buds, with a view to larger bunches. When 
this method is adopted (and it becomes necessary when the Vines arc 
weak through heavy cropping or a long course of forcing) shoots should 
be encouraged from as near tho base as possible when the Vines start 
into growth, and these should not be allowed to carry fruit, but be 
stopped at about tho sixth leaf, the laterals at the first leaf, and the 
sub-laterals to one leaf as produced. The extra foliage will invigorate 
the Vines by the increased root action, and they will store more food, 
because they will lay-on new and larger layers of wood, through which 
the sap will flow freely, and the Vines derive increased benefit accord¬ 
ingly for future crops. Moreover, the current crop will receive more 
support in consequence of the extra foliage, and such shoots arc sure to 
form good buds, the fruiting growths being cut away in due time in 
favour of the other for fruiting the following season. This very old 
alternate system of fruiting necessitates the shoots being kept wider 
apart for development and exposure to light and air. Any extension 
should be cut back to plump buds on firm ripe wood, being guided by 
the space at command and the strength of the canes, always having due 
regard to ample space for the subsequent growths, for there must not be 
any overcrowding. 
Weakly Vines .—Those not in a satisfactory condition may be 
improved by removing the Boil down to the roots, picking it out from 
amongst them and supplying fresh loam, raising the roots where 
practicable and laying them in the new soil, especially those which are 
libry and those proceeding from the collar. If the loam be deficient in 
calcareous matter add from a sixth to a tenth of old mortar rubbish, 
according to the nature of tho soil, heavy soil needing most and light 
loam least. With the roots lifted, laid in fresh compost and covered 
I! or 4 inches deep the Vines generally form abundance of fibres in the 
new material and become almost independent of the deeper roots, which 
are comparatively inactive through the lower part of the border having 
become ell’etc. This is best done in advance of the leaves falling, and a 
gentle watering being given the roots will take to the new soil at once. 
It is a great mistake to allow Vines when at rest to become very dry at 
tho roots, for the borders crack and part from the walls, causing the 
young roots to perish, and the soil is difficult to make thoroughly moist 
after it gets into a parched condition. The outside borders should have 
a covering of Borne kind to protect the roots from the heavy autumn 
rains, which reduce tho temperature considerably. Glass lights are 
best, so raised as to throw off rain and admit of a free circulation of air. 
The sun heat warms the soil, and a covering of leaves, with a little litter 
on them to prevent their blowing about, conserves the heat. It is 
necessary, however, to secure tho thorough moistening of the soil before 
the Vines are started ; therefore some growers expose the borders to the 
October rains, and merely cover them with leaves before cold weather 
sots in. 
Late Houses. —Grapes have had a grand time of late, thunderstorms 
to moisten outside borders, and a genial atmosphere, with abundance of 
light and heat. That is what Grapes want in the late stages of swelling, 
and because they often do not get those conditions inside the house the 
roots of the Vines are usually more abundant, and often of greater 
service in outside borders than those under glass. These must not lack 
water, for the Grapes swell considerably when ripening, and unless they 
finish plump they can hardly be expected to keep sound; indeed Muscat 
of Alexandria and late Grapes are a long time in ripening, and require 
abundant supplies of water at that period. They ought not to become 
dry at the roots even when the fruit is ripe. Those Grapes well advanced 
in ripening may have the atmospheric moisture reduced by freer ventila¬ 
tion, admitting a little air constantly, increasing it early on fine days, and 
by judicious early reduction of the ventilation the most can be made of 
sun heat. This is, after all, the best agent in the perfecting of Grapes, 
and moderate atmospheric moisture will not injure, but benefit the 
Vines, and assist the fruit in swelling. Whatever watering is necessary 
should be given in the early part of a fine day, and with air the super¬ 
fluous moisture will soon be dissipated, the moisture produced having 
no deleterious effects provided the atmosphere is kept in motion by 
ventilation, and, if need be, a gentle warmth in the pipes. A day tempera¬ 
ture of 70° to 75° is necessary by artificial means, falling 5° to 10° at 
night, but turning on the heat early in the morning so as to aid the 
sun heat, and with alternating cloud and sunshine secure a day tempera¬ 
ture of 80° to 85°, with 10° to 15° advance on clear days. Keep the laterals 
well stopped and thinned, thereby admitting as much light as posible 
to Muscats and white Grapes generally, but black Grapes are better with 
a good even spread of foliage, yet without crowding the leaves, and 
there must not be large reductions of foliage at a time, as that might 
accelerate shanking, whilst frequent pinchings will not produce any 
appreciable check, but concentrate the forces on the perfection of the 
crop. 
Young Vines .—Those which have made strong growth and are to be 
cut down to three plump buds from the bottom of the trellis to furnish 
a leader and Bide shoots, one on each side of the rod, another season, and 
to be grown in that way so as to produce their first crop in the third 
season, may be allowed to grow as long as they like, taking the pre¬ 
caution to keep the principal leaves that correspond to the pruning 
buds free of spray, so that that part of the cane may get thoroughly 
ripened. Vines, however, which are intended to do something more 
than “ prove the variety ” next year should have further growth dis¬ 
couraged by the removal of the laterals as they appear, taking care to 
leave some growth as an outlet for any excess of sap, otherwise the 
pruning buds may be started, and next year’s prospects jeopardised. By 
this time the wood will be getting brown and hard, and the laterals may 
be gradually removed, cutting them back in the first instance to one 
joint, and in the course of twelve to fourteen days they may be cut away 
close to the cane, provided they have not pushed fresh growth ; but if 
they start the buds on the laterals the growths must be pinched at the 
first leaf, and the removal of the laterals deferred to a later period. In 
this case the Vines should be assisted with fire heat, maintaining a 
minimum of 65° and a maximum of 75° until the wood is ripe, accom¬ 
panied with free top and front ventilation. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Zonal Pelargoniums. — These are now growing very strongly, 
more so than at any time previously this season. If left to themselves 
they soon become crowded and weakly, whereas if kept judiciously 
thinned out the growth is both Bturdy and floriferous. This also gives 
a good opportunity for putting in the requisite number of early cuttings, 
which will be found to pass through the winter more surely than late 
struck plants. If well established Zonal Pelargoniums, including the 
ever popular Henry Jacoby, can be kept well in boxes ; but the bronze, 
golden and silver variegated varieties ought not to be trusted in them. 
All the latter, as well as late cuttings of the ordinary varieties, winter 
best in pots, the pots also being very convenient for storing on dry 
shelves and stagings. Six-inch pots, each holding about seven cuttings, 
answer well at this comparatively early date ; but late cuttings keep 
better in 4-inch or slightly smaller pots, about five being placed in each. 
Any light sandy soil will do for the cutting pots, and if the cuttings arc 
at all sappy trim them and let them flag for several hours in the full sun¬ 
shine prior to inserting them. In any case keep them somewhat dry 
till they have callused, too much moisture causing them to damp off. 
If, therefore, the weather is dull and wet do not set the cuttings in an 
open sunny place, but give them the benefit of a glass covering, plenty 
of light and air being constantly admitted. The Ivy-leaf section, which 
not only bed out well but are particularly good for vases and hanging 
baskets, do not always strike so readily as is desirable, but if given the 
benefit of a moderately dry heat they will strike more freely ; so also 
will most of the scented leaved varieties. The majority of them will 
strike the most readily in the spring, but if there are no large old stock 
plants in pots cuttings must be rooted now, as old plants do not lift well 
from open borders. 
Tuberous Begonias. —These have not eclipsed the Zonal Pelar¬ 
goniums so much as usual, the dry hot weather suiting the latter but not 
Begonias. These will have their turn most probably in September. 
Begonia cuttings treated similarly to Pelargoniums strike nearly or quite 
as readily. It is somewhat late to dibble them into a sunny border or 
at the foot of a south wall, but a number of cuttings of the best forms 
might well be inserted in small pots. They will strike root, form tiny 
tubers, and then die down, growing strongly again next spring. Late 
raised seedlings or any left in seed pans or boxes should not be destroyed 
