36 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 12, 1888. 
against nails, but where very plentiful one-half of those better placed 
may be pnl'ed oti with advantage. It being of great importance that as 
much sunshine and air as possible shall reach both the fruit and next 
season’s bearing wood, no time should be lost in thinning the young 
shoots.. Remove all foreright shoots, and do not leave more of those 
better placed than are needed to thinly furnish the trees with bearing 
wood. Crowded, they become soft and spindly, whereas when given 
plenty of room the young shoots are short-jointed and firm—such only 
being at all hardy or fruitful. Do not take the points out of the young 
growth, as it is near these the fruit is formed next year. - J. M. 
HO WORK .fW HE WE EK,. O 
mmmms 1 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
The Latest Peas. -Peas are common in September, but more 
scarce in October, and rare in November, but they might be t athered in 
all cases in October, and in many instances in November, if the seed 
was sown to produce plants that would bear at these times. As a rule 
the latest Peas are sown too soon, and they pod and become old before 
the season can be called late ; but when they are secured very late they 
are much valued, and are always good in flavour. As early crops are 
■cleared off plenty of space will be vacant for Peas, and a good sowing 
should be made now. Give them moderately rich soil and a warm 
sunny situation. Do not sow early varieties under the impression that 
they will do better than the late sorts. This is not an uncommon 
mistake. The late varieties are the best, and Sutton’s Latest of All is a 
useful variety. Laxton’s Omega and Ne Plus Ultra are also useful, but 
the latter grows too tall to suit small gardens. In the autumn it some¬ 
times runs up to 8 feet in height, and shades everything near it. It is 
often a difficult matter to find stakes for it, but the other two will do 
with stakes 3 feet in height. 
Early Potatoes for Seed. —The majority of growers save some 
trubers for seed, but unfortunately these are not always the best. 
No Potatoes are ripe yet, but often some of the smaller tubers are put 
aside at this season to keep for seed, and being unripe they do not 
answer the purpose well. We approve of saving seed, but the rows 
or part of rows intended to furnish tubers for this purpose should 
be left alone until the haulms have become brown and withered 
from maturity. The tubers are then firm and sound and capable of 
giving the best re ults next year. Many poor crops of Potatoes may be 
traced to planting badly ripened seel, and it deserves the most careful 
attention. 
Wire Netting as a Support for Peas. —Many Peas are attain¬ 
ing unusual height this summer. Those who are trusting to secure 
good crops without the aid of some kind of supports will be disappointed, 
as when the stems fall over the pods beneath are away from the 
heat and light rarely fill well. Many of them fail altogether, and where 
stakes are not obtainable wire netting is a good substitute. It may be 
bought in rolls of the usual length, and in 4 feet widths. The meshes 
are 4 inches, and it is very strong. It will last for many years if taken 
In and kept under cover when not in use. The other day a corre¬ 
spondent informed us that it did not answer with him. He had put one 
row of it along the centre of his Peas and they fell away on each side, 
but if the netting had been placed along each side of the row and 
supported with sticks at intervals every branch of the Peas would have 
been kept in. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. — Early Homes.—Bed Spider.— It is hardly possible in early 
forcing to escape attacks of red spider. More especially is this the case 
when the Grapes are kept for any length of time upon the Vines after 
being ripe. On account of the liability of Vines to attacks of red spider 
irrespective of the debilitation attending the consecutive yearly 
forcing of the Vines, we do not advise large houses with a mixed 
assemblage of Vines for early forcing, but structures only of such size as 
will admit of a supply of Grapes for the establishment or particular 
purpose for a period of six weeks. This admits of the foliage being 
afterwards cleansed with water from the syringe or engine ; but with a 
house having Sweetwater, Frontignan, and Hamburgh Grapes ripe in 
May, Muscats in June, and late sorts in July, the dry air essential to 
the ripening of early varieties will cause red spider to increase upon 
the foliage of the Muscats and other late sorts before they are ripe. 
This is most disastrous to present and future crops of Grapes. Instead 
of having a mixed collection of Grapes that started in December to the 
new year will afford fruit from May to August, we should divide the 
house into two or three compartments, so that the respective varieties 
may have their proper treatment secured to them. In case of an attack 
of red spider paint the hot-water pipes with sulphur brought to the 
consistency of cream with skim milk, applying it thinly with a brush 
when the pipes are heated to near boiling point, continuing the heat in 
the pipes for about an hour, then allowing the pipes to go gradually 
cool. The sulphur fumes will destroy the red spider, and often cause 
brown spots upon the skin of Muscat and Frontignan Grapes ; sulphur 
therefore, must be applied to heated surfaces with great care and 
judgment. Black Grapes are net so leadily affected by the sulphur as 
the white varieties. 
Late Houses .—Late Grapes intended to hang or keep through the 
winter must have a final thinning, removing the smallest berries, and 
where too crowded allow every berry retained full space ior development. 
Late Grapes should be more severely thinned than early and mid¬ 
season ones, leaving sufficient berries to form, symmetrical bunches 
having a good appearance when dished. The recent rains have been 
sufficient for some time, and with mulching ample nutriment will have 
been washed into the soil. Inside borders should be kept well supplied 
with rain water, previously mulching with short stable manure, but not 
a quantity all at once, as the ammonia arising from fresh horse manure 
will have a disastrous effect upon the foliage and tender skins of the 
Grapes. Ammonia vapour is unquestionably useful, but requires to be 
furnished judiciously. As the period when scalding occurs is at hand, 
we would repeat our advice to guard against it by increased night tem¬ 
perature and abundant ventilation, so as to reduce the atmospheric 
moisture until the critical stage is passed. After then fire heat may be 
economised by closing early to admit of the sun raising the temperature 
to 90° or 95° on fine afternoons. Regulate the young growths as re¬ 
quired, adopting the extension rather than the restrictive system where 
there is room for it without crowding, keeping all gross laterals stopped 
so as to cause an equal flow of the sap throughout the Vines. 
Young Vines. —Those of this season’s planting should, provided the 
light is not too much obstructed, be allowed to grow unchecked, it being 
presumed that they will be cut back to the bottom of the trellis, or to 
three or four eyes at the winter pruning. Supernumeraries intended 
for next year’s fruiting may be regularly stopped at a length of 7 or 
8 feet, removing the laterals from the buds intended to give fruit next 
year, preserving the old leaves, and as the wood will require thorough 
ripening, a free circulation of air will be necessary, with fire heat if the 
weather be cold and wet. Vines in pots intended for fruiting next 
season should by this time have completed their growth, especially those 
required for early forcing, and may be exposed freely to light and sun to 
thoroughly ripen the wood and the buds. 
Figs. —Those ripening the fruit must have a circulation constantly 
of dry warm air, which can be secured at this time of year without 
re-orting to artificial heat except in dull cold weather. Second crops 
will be advanced in size, and if the fruits are too numerous they must be 
thinned if the trees are expected to afford early fruits next season. 
Attend to stopping and tying in the shoots, guarding against overcrowd¬ 
ing, watering the borders copiously, especially those of limited area, 
syringing forcibly twice a day to keep them in check. 
" Trees in Pots. — T>o not neglect to S'ringe trees in pots intended for 
early forcing next season at least once a day, in hot weather twice, 
affording liquid manure at the roots, and pinching to induce fruitfulness 
in young plants. Stopping must be regulated by the vigour of the 
plants. Vigorous growers will need to be more closely pinched than 
those of moderate giowth. Such varieties as Early Violet, Early Pro¬ 
lific, Black Ischia, Giil de Perdrix, and White Marseilles are of good 
habit and do not require such close stopping as Angfilique, Brown 
Turkey, and others of more vigorous habit. It is important that the 
trees have plenty of light, are not crowded, and are well ventilated to 
solidify the growth as it is made. 
Figs in Unheated Houses. —The best results attend trees with the 
roots restricted to borders of about one-third the width of the trellis 
the trees are to cover ; well drained and formed of good loam, with a 
fifth of old mortar rubbish and a sixth of load scrapings, well incorpo¬ 
rated and made firm. Surface-mulching and watering with liquid 
manure will ensure fine fruits of this much neglected but delicious 
fruit. The trees must have unobstructed light ; the nearer the shoots 
are to the glass, only the foliage does not touch, the better. The best 
variety unquestionably is Brown Turkey. Train the growths thinly 
and on the extension system, stopping shoots available for laying in as 
spurs at the fifth or sixth joint, but avoid overcrowding. Syringe well 
to keep down red spider, especially at closing time— i.e., in the after¬ 
noon, when the temperature is between 80° and 85°, so as to run up to 
90° or more, providing a little ventilation before night, so as to allow 
the pent-up moisture to escape. Increase the ventilation from 73° in 
the morning, and keep through the day at 80° to 85°. Grand fruit will 
be had in August and onwards. The only precaution necessary is to afford 
a free circulation day and night after the fruit commences ripening, and 
to not supply water excessively, but afford needful supplies to keep 
the foliage healthy, mulching with short dry litter to prevent moisture 
unduly risiDg, and to lessen the necessity for water. 
Cucumbers. —Repot the plants for autumn fruiting, pinching out 
the growing point beyond the second rough leaf of those intended for 
frames, and complete the preparation of the dung for affording bottom 
heat. Those intended for trellises should not be stopped, but trained 
upright, securing them to a small stick, and rubbing off the laterals as 
they appear to the height required to reach the trellis. Get the soil 
ready—good fibrous loam, with a fifth of fresh horse manure, and a 
fourth to a sixth of old mortar rubbish, according to the presence of 
grit in the loam, well incorporated, form a suitable compost. The house 
must be thoroughly cleansed after the old plants and soil have been 
removed. Although fire heat at this time of year in bright weather is 
unnecessary, yet in a prolonged period of damp dull weather the nights , 
are cold, and the low temperature causes the fruits to become yellow, 
stunted, and curled, with canker at the collar of the plants and mildew 
