December 1, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
479 
to one bud will give a larger bunch and of equal finish from the second 
bud. If the soil. be rich, loose, and plentiful, the chances are the 
shoots or canes will be gross, long-jointed, having large thin-textured 
leaves, the buds large, pointed, or if laterals are encouraged flat, and 
these may give the sensational bunches, which justly have their merits 
calculated by weight. If, on the other hand, the roots are in a firm 
but favourable rootingmedium, causing an increase of root ramifications, 
then the wood will be stout and short-jointed, the leaves thick and 
leathery, and the buds at their base will be round, plump, and well 
matured. It is,, of course, assumed the foliage has full exposure to 
light for the solidification of the growth as made, and that cultural 
requirements are granted in full measure. 
We endorse Mr. W. Taylor’s opinion, expressed rather more than a 
year back, that our older, and it must be said higher quality Grapes, 
are not seen with so high a finish as they were when mere size was not 
thought so much of as at present. Let the Vines be dressed, the house 
thoroughly and everything put into order, so that there need be no 
hurry to put things straight. Keep the house as cool as possible, so as 
to insure complete rest. 
Tate Houses .—Every precaution should be taken against damp. 
The most prolific cause of Grapes not hanging well is drip, it being use¬ 
less striving to keep Grapes beneath a leaky roof, as a single drop of 
water getting inside a bunch of Grapes is sufficient to spoil it, though 
the decay of it may be only a berry, which being in the interior is not 
detected until the disaster is so spread as to spoil the bunch. Remove 
all leaves as they become ripe, affording only sufficient fire heat to ex¬ 
clude frost, keeping at 40° to 45°, and close the house in damp weather, 
and seeking to insure a dry, cool, and equable temperature. 
Cucumbers. —The winter fruiters are showing plenty of fruit. Un¬ 
less the plants are extra strong two-thirds of the fruit should be re¬ 
moved, removing also the male blossoms and tendrils, with any super¬ 
fluous shoots and bad leaves, but do not stop the growing points over¬ 
much for the next few weeks, affording water moderately—a supply 
twice a week will suffice. Cucumber plants growing in pots or boxes 
will require water oftener, with liquid manure occasionally. A night 
temperature of 65° to 70°, falling to 60° in severe weather, 70° to 75° by 
day, advancing to 80° or 85° with sun, will be suitable. The plants will 
require moderate forcing from time to time, taking care that the soil 
has been previously warmtd, press it firmly, but not hard. The bottom 
heat should be kept steady at about 80°. Atmospheric moisture will 
require to be moderate, damping only on bright mornings or early in 
the afternoon. If a night covering be afforded of mats or frigi domo to 
the glass it will be highly advantageous, but it must not remain on by 
day to the exclusion of light, every ray of which the plants must have. 
Remove old foliage and exhausted growths from the autumn fruiters, but 
do not overstop the growing points, avoiding overcrowding and espe¬ 
cially overcropping. Fertilise the flowers during a continuance of dull 
sunless weather. 
Cheery House. —Pruning the trees must now be attended to. 
T ull-grown trees regularly stopped during growth will require very little 
pruning. . Any that have grown considerably should be cut back to 
about an inch from the base of the current year’s growth, and the worn 
out or decayed spurs may be removed. The terminal shoots in the case 
of trees not full-sized must not be shortened unless the extremity of the 
trellis is reached, and the central shoot or shoots of young trees will re¬ 
quire to be cut back as may be necessary to originate shoots for filling 
the space regularly. The fan mode of training is the most suitable, and 
is more particularly applicable to the Cherry, as it admits of replacing 
any branch that may fall a prey to gumming. The house should have a 
thorough cleansing, the trees being washed with soapy water (4 ozs. to a 
gallon is not too strong), and then dressed with a composition formed of 
half a pound softsoap to half a gallon of water, half a gallon of tobacco 
juice, with four parts flowers of sulphur and one part of slaked lime, so 
as to bring it to the consistency of thin paint, applying it with a brush, 
being careful not to injure the buds. The house must be thoroughly 
ventilated until the time arrives for starting the trees, and is better if 
the roof lights are off. 
Plum House. —Plums require the same temperature as Cherries. 
They also require similar treatment as regards pruning— i.e., all last 
year s growths will need shortening, superfluous shoots may be removed, 
avoiding having the shoots too thickly placed. Dishes of Plums are a 
welcome addition to the dessert. Early varieties should be chosen, as 
Early favourite, July Green Gage, Early Transparent, Green Gage, 
Denniston’s Superb, De Montfort, Jefferson, Transparent, and Kirke’s, 
with Coe’s Golden Drop if a long succession is required. It is best, 
however, to grow the early sorts in a house by themselves, and have the 
successions in another, so that the syringing necessary to keep the foliage 
clean may be pursued until the fruit commences ripening. The fan 
mode of training is the most suitable for the Plum. It is necessary that 
they have the roots restricted, as in wide, deep, and rich borders the trees 
grow too luxuriantly. Trees three or four years trained to a wall are 
the most suitable. Good loam, preferably rather strong, with a sixth of 
road scrapings and a tenth of old mortar rubbish thoroughly incor¬ 
porated, form a suitable compost. If the loam be light add a sixth of 
clayey marl instead of the road scrapings. A depth of 2 feet, and a 
foot of drainage secured by a layer of old mortar rubbish, will suit 
Plums well, feeding by the surface. 
Strawberries in Pots. —The plants introduced to the vinery, 
Peach, or other forcing house should have the drainage scrutinised, 
making sure that it is free, and the loose surface soil removed, and a 
top dressing given of dried cow dung or horse droppings, rubbed fine 
with the hands, adding about a twelfth part of bone dust or other 
approved fertiliser well incorporated, then watering it with a rose 
watering-pot, so as to bring into a moist state, for if placed on dry it 
washes off in watering the plants. The pots may then be placed in 
position after removing any decayed leaves, making sure that there is 
no deficiency of water at the roots, for the old leaves will not show 
signs of a deficiency of water until the soil is very much too dry for 
healthy root-action, therefore rap the pots; a practised hand will 
readily detect by the sound which plants are needing water. La Grosse 
Sucree, Princess Frederick William, Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury, and 
Sir Harry are good varieties for early forcing. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Ladia anceps .—Where these plants are grown moderately warm they 
will be pushing up their flowers rapidly. A long time elapses before the 
flowers expand after the spike is first visible, and nothing is gained by 
hurrying them out. If kept gently advancing they are certain to 
produce large well coloured flowers of great substance. A portion of 
the stock may be retarded by keeping them in a temperature of 50° 
to 55°. Be careful not to give tlnse plants too much water at then* 
roots, and destroy aphides directly they are seen ; if allowed to establish 
themselves on the flower spike it will eventually turn yellow and fail to 
open its flowers. Do not allow the plants to be too near the glass while 
their spikes are developing, for if they nearly touch the glass they may 
be destroyed during a very cold night. 
Max'hVarui picta.— The sweet flowers of this variety are very useful 
in a cut state for small vases. Most of the stock may be removed to a. 
cool house and kept dry, while one or two plants, according to their size, 
may be allowed to come into flower. By introducing a plant or two into 
heat at intervals of three weeks a long succession of these flowers may 
be had. After flowering the whole of the plants may occupy the 
warmest end of the Odontoglossum house until February. While in 
this position only give sufficient water to keep their pseudo-bulbs- 
plump. 
Maxillaria grandiflora .—This plant should have thoroughly matured 
its growth, and may be removed to an intermediate structure for two or 
three weeks, and then to the coolest house, in which it will rest 
thoroughly. Give water on the same principle as advised for M. picta. 
Lycaste S7iinneri .—All plants that have completed their growth may 
occupy the warmest part of the coolest house. They must be kept on 
the dry side, in fact give them no more water than is really needed to 
keep their pseudo-bulbs plump. Any plants that have not yet matured 
their growth may be kept in warmer quarters for a few weeks until they 
have done so. 
Odontoglossum Rossi majus .—These have commenced unfolding their 
useful delicate flowers, and with a good stock of plants there is no 
difficulty in having flowers over a period of four or five months. To 
attain this end the latest of the plants must be retarted by placing them 
at the coolest end of the house. This variety will bear very cool treat¬ 
ment, in fact it will not be injured in the least if kept in any structure 
from which frost is excluded ; however, it is not advisable to subject the 
plants to a lower temperature than 40°. While under these conditions 
do not allow them to hang too near the glass, and they must not be so 
moist at their roots as those that are kept in a house 5° to 10° warmer. 
The Odontoglossum House .—Remove O. vexillarium, O. Roezli, and 
O. cirrhosum from the Odontoglossum house to a night temperature of 
55° ; a temperature of 45° to 50° is too low for them. In a low tem¬ 
perature they go back, in fact often dgcay altogether. O. cirrhosum is 
one of the first to suffer, but under warmer treatment during the winter 
it will grow luxuriantly and increases its size rapidly. On severe 
occasions only should the temperature of the Odontoglossum house fall 
to 45° ; on all mild occasions the plants will do better if the temperature 
ranges 10° higher, falling in the morning to 50°. At the warmest end of 
this house place O. grande, O. Insleayi, O. citrosmum, Ada aurantiaca, 
Mesospinidium sanguineum, and allied plants, and then arrange O. 
Alexandras, for even this popular variety will not bear with safety such 
a low temperature as O. P<scatorei and the varieties of O. triumphans ; 
less moisture should be maintained both in the atmosphere and about 
the plants. By no means allow them to become dry or to suffer by an 
insufficient supply about their roots. 
Slugs .—Where Odontoglossums are grown moderately warm to induce 
them to complete their growth and flower during the winter instead of 
spring, the flower spikes will from this date push up freely. Every 
attempt must be made to eradicate slugs, for they quickly devour a 
large number of spikes. If any exist in the house carefully protect the 
tender flower spike directly it is visible with cotton wool. Little pans 
with bran should be placed freely amongst the plants, and these 
examined two or three times during the evening. Lettuce leaves should 
also be freely laid amongst the pots, and carefully examined an hour or 
so after dark, and again about ten o’clock. Slugs are very fond of 
tender Lettuce leaves, and we generally succeed in catching more by 
this than any other means. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Commencement of the Pruning Season. —Much of the work of 
pruning and nailing wall trees as well as the pruning and training of 
the open garden trees ought to be completed before midwinter, advan¬ 
tage being taken of every fine and mild day to push the work forward. 
We usually commence with the Pears. The wall trees being of good 
size and full bearing order do not give much trouble. All leading 
growths where space has yet to be filled ought to be laid in to their full 
length, unless other side branches are needed, in which case they ought 
