436 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Novein Wt 17* 1887. 
place, and as soon as the heat begins to rise in this plunge the pots to 
the rim in it. In ten days or so the growths will begin to push up, and 
they must be kept in the dark, as Seakale is not good unless perfectly 
blanched. After the first watering it rarely requires more, as the 
condition of the bed keeps the soil moist, and cutting the produce is all 
the attention it requires after the first operations have been completed. 
If the pots can be placed on a warm flue in a dark place growth will 
be produced, but in this case they will require much water, which should 
always be given at a temperature of 90°. Boxes might be used in the 
place of pots, and other dark places besides any indicated may be 
utilised for forcing. 
Asparagus, Seakale, and Rhubarb are the three favourite vegetables 
for winter forcing, but there are a few others of less importance for 
which there is a demand. Kidney Beans were dealt with in our last 
notes, and Mustard and Cress come more under the heading of salads 
than kitchen vegetables, but they are used in both the kitchen and 
pantry, and as other salads become scarce they will be much valued. 
They are the easiest and quickest of all to grow. They will be ready 
for use in ten days after sowing. If a little soil is put into any shallow 
box, made firm and watered, and the seed sprinkled on the surface, and 
placed in a temperature of 60°, growth will be rapid and satisfactory. 
We do not approve of covering the seed at this season, and it is a mistake 
to keep it too damp. When ready for use the boxes should be moved 
into a cool dry place. Chicory or Witloef, it matters not which, are 
useful salads in winter, and with Mustard and Cress and one or other 
•of these no one need ever be deficient of a good salad all the winter. 
The roots are Carrot-like in their habit of growth, and if dug and 
treated in all respects like Seakale they will furnish a fine quantity of 
valuable salacling. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. —Houses of Thin shinned Grapes .—The heavy and continued 
falls of rain have saturated the soil and atmosphere, causing Grapes, 
particularly Black Hamburghs, to damp considerably ; even Madresfield 
Court keeps better, not being liable to suffer from damp to nearly the 
.same extent as Black Hamburghs, and the liability to crack is entirely 
sit an end as soon as the wood and foliage is thoroughly ripened ; in¬ 
deed, Madresfield Court keeps capitally until the end of November, and 
might possibly be kept until January, but we have not been able to 
■save any as a test, so great is the demand for this Grape. Black 
Hamburghs, and other thin-skinned Grapes, have been ripened well; 
the skins may not be thicker, but the flesh is certainly firmer, the 
b.rries being particularly rich and sugary, and though ripe early in 
August are, with Foster’s Seedling, keeping wonderfully well. Vines 
ripening their crops in September arc still in foliage, and will bear more 
moisture at the roots and in the atmosphere than those that have had 
the Grapes ripe since August; indeed a moderate amount of air moisture 
is necessary to prevent undue evaporation, the shrinking of the Grapes, 
it not being so much air moisture as a stagnant atmosphere that is 
fatal to the keeping of Grapes. Slight heat in the pipes will be 
required constantly to maintain an equable temperature, but this must 
not be high, or it will cause the berries to shrivel prematurely, 50° not 
being exceeded by artificial means, ventilating fre-lyand early in bright 
weather so as to prevent moisture being condensed by the berries. The 
■outside borders have been protected from rains by shutters or other 
material, and if inside borders too are covered with straw the Grapes 
will keep better. Covering the border prevents its cracking, and keeps 
down moisture likely to arise and prove injurious. 
Houses Cleared of Grapes .—Directly the Vines are leafless and the 
Grapes cut attend to the pruning. If the Vines are strong, having 
stout, short-jointed wood, they may safely be pruned to a couple of eyes. 
If, however, the base buds are small, and the Vines have not from 
similar buds in previous years given as large bunches as desired, the 
laterals may be left a little longer, but it is necessary that a plump, 
round (not flat), well-developed bud on stout, hard, thoroughly ripened 
■wood be selected for pruning to, aiming at a close compact bunch of 
well-set berries with a stout footstalk in preference to a large uneven 
bunch, which usually follow large flat buds on long-jointed wood, the 
foliage supporting such being large, thin, and incapable of elaborating 
the food and concentrating it in the buds at their base. Avoid 
pointed buds, they usually are not productive of bunches, and if they 
are on long-jointed wood the bunches should have a tendency to revert 
into tendrils. Wash the house thoroughly, and cleanse the glass. R ‘move 
only the loose bark, avoiding the scraping. Tepid soapy water is 
unquestionably the best means of cleansing the Vines, using a brush 
with care and judgment, following with an approved insecticide. Remove 
the mulching or loose surface material down to the roots, and place on 
a couple or 3 inches thickness of fresh loam, mixed with some old 
mortar rubbish passed through a three-quarter-inch sieve, night soil, 
soot, and wood ashes. If the loam be light add some clay marl dried 
and reduced to powder. Of turfy loam cut 3 inches thick and chopped 
moderately small have twenty bushels, of sifted old mortar rubbish add 
two bushels, of night soil mixed with an equal proportion of dry earth 
one bushel, soot half a bushel, wood ashes one bushel, clay marl (if the 
loam be light), two bushels, and one bushel of bone meal. Charcoal 
may be added to the extent of four bushels, together forming a chaldron, 
when thoroughly incorporated, of dressing for Vine borders, good alike 
as a rooting and feeding area. The early watering will wash the 
assimilated matter down to the roots, and fresh feeders encouraged into 
it can be kept there by surface dressing or mulching with short manure 
after the Grapes are set, feeding with liquid as necessary. If the 
houses must be used for plants they should be kept cool, admitting air 
freely, not exceeding 40° to 45° by artificial means. It is best, however, 
to dispense with the plants, admitting air freely in all but very severe 
weather, a few degrees of frost doing no harm to the Vines, but insuring 
more complete rest. 
Earliest-forced Vines in Pots .—The earliest started will now be 
showing signs of growth, so that the temperature may be slightly in¬ 
creased—53° min. and 66° max. by fire heat, with 10° more from sun heat, 
proportionately increasing the atmospheric moisture. The ventilation 
will require to be very moderate, and what is given should be at 
the top of the house ; if side ventilation be employed the cold air should 
be made to pass the heating surface so as to become warmed, as cold 
currents of ah are extremely pernicious. 
Cucumbers. —Cold sunless weather is very trying, as the continued 
firing dries the atmosphere more than is good for the foliage, the fruits 
becoming stunted and swelling indifferently, and when the pipes are 
close to the roots the soil is dried too much for healthy growth. Be 
careful in ventilating, providing it, however, whenever a favourable 
opportunity offers, but exclude it when the external air is sharp and 
cold. In bright but cold weather turn off the top heat when the sun is 
powerful and likely to raise the temperature above 80° in such weather, 
damping the house morning and afternoon, closing early. Care must be 
taken in damping, so as not to wet the embryo fruits, or they will damp 
off. Water will be required at the roots about twice a week. A 
temperature of 60° to (IS 3 at night and 70° to 75° by day is suitable. 
The winter fruiters or plants from the August sowing, and planted 
out in September, have grown to the extent of the trellis or nearly so. 
Unless there is undue vigour in the plants they should not be allowed 
to fruit for a few weeks. Attend frequently to stopping, thinning, and 
tying the shoots, avoiding overcrowding and overcropping as the two 
greatest evils, subduing canker at the collar with quicklime well rubbed 
into the parts affected, removing every decayed leaf promptly. If 
mildew appear dust with flowers of sulphur, it being well to dust some 
over the plants with a view to its prevention. Aphides should be de¬ 
stroyed by fumigation with tobacco, being careful not to give an 
overdose. 
Melons. —Except in the latest house these are about over. Our 
lastest Melons have the fruit just beginning to net, and will be ripe 
some time in December. They need a rather moist genial condition of 
the atmosphere to insure their swelling, damping the house in the 
morning and again in the afternoon, putting on a “ crack ” of air in 
the early part of the forenoon to insure the dissipation of moisture and 
induce evaporation from the foliage. The night temperature is 60° 
to 65°, and 70° to 75° by day artificially, advancing as much as can be had 
from sun heat after the sun passes the meridian. The plants have 
liquid manure about once a week. Plants that set their fruit early in 
September from late July sowings are ripening. The should have air 
constantlv, and a temperature of 70° to 73°, with as much more as can 
be accorded by day, husbanding the sun neat, but not closing the house, 
withholding water from the atmosphere and roots. The fruit will ripen 
and prove acceptable even at Christmas and new year. 
PLANT HOUSE?. 
Ca'anthes .—The earliest plants will be pushing up their flower spikes 
rapidly, and great care must be taken iu applying water to the roots. 
After the first two or three flowers open, or the foliage has all died 
naturally away, they will need very little water, if any. This depends 
very much upon the temperature in which they are placed to bring them 
into flower. If the temperature ranges about 63°, and the atmosphere 
is moderately dry, they will need sufficient water to keep the pseudo¬ 
bulbs fresh and plump. If they are in a temperature 5° lower, with a 
fair amount of moisture in the atmosphere, they will need no water. 
Nothing is gained by hurrying them out in strong heat; 60° by night 
with a rise of a few degrees by day will be ample unless they are needed 
in fio ver as early as possible. Later plants should be kept in the same 
temperature, except those that have bem grown purposely for flowering 
in January ; and these must be kept slightly warmer and judiciously 
watered until they have thoroughly ripened and matured their pseudo¬ 
bulbs. The plants still in active growth should be arranged close to the 
glass, and on the sunny side of the structure, for under the most favour¬ 
able circumstances it is difficult to mature them sufficiently to insure 
health and vigour. 
Cattieyas .—Such species as C. Trianae will have completed their 
growth as far as appearance is concerned. Remove all in this condition 
to the coolest end of the structure and admit more air to them than is 
needed for those in a less forward condition of growth. The atmosphere 
in this portion of the house should also be kept drier by throwing less 
water about the floor and amongst the plants. It is difficult to regulate 
exactly the condition of the atmosphere in this respect, but much can 
be done if the method pointed out is only carefully carried into effect. 
Drier conditions generally in this structure will be needed. The syringe 
should be dispensed with, and less water applied to the roots. Too much 
water from this date will end in the roots perishing, and if the atmosphere 
i? kept too moist the foliage is liable to be spotted. Anight temperature 
of 60° will be ample, a few degrees more on mild occasions will do no 
harm. Watch for yellow thrips, which, if once allowed to become 
established, will cause considerable labour and annoyance, besides injury 
to the foliage. The conditions of the atmosphere from this time are 
very favourable for this pest. Directly any are observed dust the parts 
