482 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAkDENER. 
June 14, 1894. 
conditions they furnish a good successional supply of fruit, which may 
be still further extended by removing some of the fruiting plants to a 
cool airy place after the fruit is sufficiently advanced in ripening. The 
bottom heat should be maintained at 80° to 90°, those being the extreme 
points, but the more regular the heat at the roots the better. 
Successional Plants. —The weather is not yet such as to safely 
dispense with artificial heat, but fires will not be required much longer, 
as the sun heat, by the assistance obtained from the heated beds in 
which the plants are plunged, rarely allows the atmospheric temperature 
to fall below 65°, which is more suitable for the satisfactory develop¬ 
ment of the plants than a higher temperature from fire heat. As 
recently potted plants make growth quickly, strict attention should be 
given to ventilation to prevent an attenuated growth, therefore admit 
air at 75° to 80°, increasing it until 85° is reached, and above that 
ventilate fully, diminishing in the afternoon, closing the house at a 
temperature of 80°. Afford a light sprinkling daily in the afternoon 
when bright weather prevails. 
Starting Slickers. —From those on the early fruiting plants a sufficient 
number should be selected to meet the demand, and if started at once, 
the plants resulting will be suitable for fruiting from this time onwards 
another season, and prove supplementary to those started in March, 
their requirements being identical, only shading must be more effectual. 
Flgrs.— Early-forced Trees. —Generous treatment will be needed 
after the first crops are gathered to enable the trees to swell the second 
crop. Syringe twice a day to keep red spider in check, employing an 
insecticide if necessary, but not such as will discolour the fruit, which is 
easily done by any corrosive substance, and frequently by rubbing with 
the hand. Afford liquid manure when watering is necessary, trees in 
pots requiring it daily, sometimes twice a day, and trees in borders once 
or twice a week, according to the extent of the rooting area. The second 
crop should be thinned before the fruit is the size of Walnuts, and in 
thinning reserve the largest at the base of the shoots. Top-dress trees 
in pots with rich material, supplying a little chemical manure occasion¬ 
ally ; planted-out trees mulch with short, sweet, lumpy, partially decayed 
manure about an inch thick, and renew from time to time so as to main¬ 
tain that thickness. 
Succession Houses. —When the fruit commences to ripen a free 
circulation of air must be afforded, and it should be warm, as cold air- 
moisture settles on the fruit and may cause decay or result in “ spot.” 
Attend to tying-in and regulating the shoots by thinning and stopping, 
so as to afford the fruit the benefit of all the light practicable. The 
moisture in the atmosphere will need to be moderated, not wetting the 
fruit, though if red spider attack the trees the fruit should be gathered 
rather closely and a good syringing given, which will not injure the 
remaining fruit, provided it is done early on a fine day, so that the 
moisture does not remain long on them. Do not allow any lack of 
water at the roots, yet guard against excessive moisture in the soil by 
affording lessened supplies than when the fruits were swelling. 
Young Trees in Pots. —Those for next year’s early forcing must not 
be neglected in any cultural essential or disappointment will be the 
consequence. They must have all the light possible and be kept as near 
the glass as practicable without touching, so as to secure sturdy well- 
ripened growth, keeping them clean by syringing and the application of 
an insecticide if necessary, and affording liquid manure to effect a stout 
growth. Suckers must be removed. When the growth is completed 
the trees may be stood outdoors in a sunny place to induce rest, but the 
wood must be well ripened previously, and the sooner the better for early 
forcing. If any fruit shows it should be removed. This will not pre¬ 
judice but favour the formation of bud-Figs in embryo for producing 
the first and most valuable crop another season. 
Vines. — Late Grapes. —These must be thinned immediately they 
are large enough, the berries swelling so rapidly at this season that they 
soon become too large to be thinned properly and expeditiously, besides, 
when the work is deferred too long the size of the fruit is impaired. 
The laterals must not be allowed to extend so as to interfere with 
the principal foliage. The growth may be permitted to extend where 
there is space to admit of its full exposure to light, but not otherwise, 
as overcrowding and overcropping are often the causes of failure and 
more frequently so than any other error of culture. Remove all super¬ 
fluous, badly placed, deformed or small bunches. Crop lightly, which 
means size, quality and high finish ; bulk signifies small fruit, bad 
colour, poor quality, often shanking and always non-keeping. Water 
thoroughly when necessary ; one good watering is worth many driblets. 
Afford top-dressings of chemical manures occasionally and a light mulch 
of sweet lumpy manure will prove beneficial in most cases by encourag¬ 
ing surface roots and maintaining the moisture uniformly. 
Vines Cleared of their Crops. —Syringe the Vines occasionally to 
keep the foliage clean, afford water to render the soil moist, supply an 
occasional top-dressing of chemical manure of a phosphatic and potassic 
rather than a nitrogenous nature, and a light mulching to keep the 
surface from cracking as well as to prevent the roots going down in 
search of moisture. Allow a moderate extension of the laterals, but not 
permitting them to interfere with the principal leaves. Some lateral 
extension is absolutely necessary to prevent the starting of the main 
buds and the premature ripening of the foliage. There is no fear of the 
wood not ripening, the difficulty is in the opposite direction—loss of 
foliage and starting into growth instead of going to rest in late summer. 
Ventilate freely when the temperature rises above 60°. 
Houses of Ripe Grapes. —Black Grapes will be better for slight 
shade from powerful sun, some pilchard, or a double thickness of herring 
nets drawn over the roofs, will mostly be sufficient shade, and a good 
spread of foliage will not injure the berries, but assist in Hamburghs 
keeping colour. Moderate air moisture will not injure the Grapes if 
accompanied by free ventilation. Keep laterals fairly under, but a little 
extension will assist in the retention of the principal leaves, and upon 
their continuance in health depends the maturity of the buds for next 
year’s crop. Muscats and all amber-coloured Grapes improve in colour after 
being apparently ripe, and bear exposure to light without detriment up 
to a certain point, that of the rich golden amber stage, but after that 
they become darker and blotchy, then the skin is very susceptible of 
moisture, which must be strictly guarded against by free ventilation. 
Grapes Ripening. —Afford these a free circulation of air on all 
favourable occasions, with enough constantly to insure a change of air, 
as it is a confined stagnant atmosphere that does all the mischief in 
Grapes “ spotting ” and cracking. Keep sufficient heat in the pipes to 
maintain a night temperature of 65°, and 70° to 75° by day, with 80° or 
90° through the day from sun heat. Avoid a very dry atmosphere, 
damping occasionally, and do not allow the border to become dry. 
Moderate lateral growth will favour Hamburghs and Madresfield Court, 
but Muscat of Alexandria colours best when exposed to the light, 
yet a little lateral growth is desirable as a safeguard against shanking, 
and for the maintenance of healthy root-action. 
Grapes Scalding. —Muscat of Alexandria and Lady Downe’s are 
more liable to “ scald ” than most other varieties, but Hamburghs 
sometimes suffer severely when completing the stoning process. At 
that time air should be given abundantly, sufficient warmth being kept 
in the hot-water pipes to maintain a night temperature of 65° to 70°, 
and 5° to 10° more artificially in the daytime, leaving ventilation on at 
night, and increase it before the sun acts powerfully upon the house in 
the morning. This attended to there will be little, if any, scalding, for 
it is keeping close, moist, and cold that renders Grapes liable to scald 
if the weather prove bright. 
Vines in Pots. —Stop those for fruiting next season when from 6 to 
8 feet long, and pinch the laterals and sub-laterals to one joint as pro¬ 
duced. Obtain as much stored-up matter in the Vines as possible by 
judicious feeding and cleanly foliage thoroughly exposed to light and 
air. Vines intended for planting should be kept in comparatively small 
pots, and in that case they will not make a large amount of lateral 
growth, which need not be closely pinched ; but it is better to stop at 
the first joint, and afterwards not allow the sub-laterals to interfere 
with the principal foliage. 
Cucumbers. —Any pits or houses that have been used for forcing 
Strawberries, Vines in pots, or wintering bedding plants may be utilised 
for growing a late supply of Cucumbers. The plants may be grown in 
pots 12 inches in diameter, or larger, draining them w’ell, and only 
partly filling them with compost so as to leave space for fresh additions, 
or they may be grown in boxes of about 15 inches depth and 18 inches 
to 2 feet square. A wood or other trellis may be improvised at 
15 inches from the glass. No fire heat will he necessary, the house 
being closed between 3 and 4 P.M., syringing then, the floors and every 
available surface being kept damp so as to secure a good moisture 
through the day ; but do not syringe in the morning, it often being the 
cause of great injury to the foliage. Admit air at 75°, and allow the 
temperature to rise to 85° or 90° with sun, and close between 80° and 
85°, and if the temperature rise afterwards to 90°, 95°, or even 100°, all 
the better. Train with a single stem to the trellis, rubbing off all 
laterals to that height, then allow them to grow, pinching the leader 
after it has advanced about two-thirds across the trellis. The laterals 
may be stopped one or two joints beyond the show of fruit, covering 
the trellis evenly without overcrowding. 
In the Cucumber house fire heat will only be necessary to prevent 
the temperature falling below 65° at night and to ensure 70° to 75° by 
day. Attend well to stopping the shoots, removing bad leaves, well 
thinning the old growths, and watering with liquid manure about twice 
a week. Sprinkle some sweetened horse manure on the bed once or 
twice a week to encourage surface roots, and occasionally a little soot 
may be used, both of which give a deep green colour to the foliage 
and fruit. 
Pit and frame Cucumbers may be watered about 4 pm, closing then 
or earlier according to the weather, but it is not safe to close so early as 
to raise the temperature above 90° or 95°. Liquid manure should be 
given occasionally, but it is not desirable to apply it over the foliage nor 
too frequently. Keep the growths fairly thin, thinning out old shoots 
and encouraging others in their place so as to keep up a succession of 
bearing wood. Stop one or two joints beyond the fruit. Avoid over¬ 
cropping and allowing the fruit to remain on the plants a day longer 
than can be helped. Shade only to prevent flagging, and admit a little 
air early as a safeguard against scorching. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Asparagus. —Owing to the coldness of the weather Asparagus 
cannot have been exhausted so much as to make it imperative to cease 
cutting before Peas are plentiful. In the more southern districts it 
may be advisable to let all the shoots grow after the middle of June, 
but there is no very urgent necessity to cease cutting for yet another 
week or so in less favoured localities. It is during the ensuing few weeks 
that the foundation for the next crop will be laid. It either from undue 
exhaustion or neglect of the beds nothing but comparatively weakly 
growths form, then the shoots next spring will be correspondingly weak. 
Vigorous well matured growth form extra strong basal buds, hence the 
necessity for freely thinning out where there are great thickets of 
growths, and of taking good care of those reserved. When nearly fully 
