'September 27, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
283 
5s, however, a question which individuals must settle for themselves, 
•depending as it does in its entirety on the condition of the soil. 
A rich fertile loam will grow Daffodils perfectly without manure 
•of any kind, while a poor, hungry, or gravelly soil will be benefited 
by a good dressing of cow manure worked in 3 or 4 inches below 
the bulbs, or failing this a good soaking of liquid manure may be 
•given with excellent results when the roots are most active—viz., 
from September to end of January. The idea of supplying liquid 
manure in winter to these and other bulbous plants has not received 
the attention its importance deserves, and is probably overlooked at 
a season when rain or snow have made the ground sufficiently moist 
for most things; but not only is it highly beneficial to Daffodils 
and Narcissus, but to Liliums, Spanish and English Irises, tuberous 
Anemones, and, in fact, the majority of bulbous plants which make 
.a quantity of fresh roots annually. 
For anyone desiring a select series of Daffodils and Narcissus to 
form a start, I have given the names of some of the best and 
most useful: Corbularia conspicuus, the golden Hoop Petticoat ; 
>princeps, sulphur and yellow, good for forcing ; nobilis, sulphur 
and yellow, trumpet reflexed and fringed ; maximus, deep golden, 
a fine flower ; obvallaris (Tenby Daffodils) the best forcing variety 
•of single Daffodils ; Telamonius plenus, the old double Daffodil, 
grand for forcing ; spurius, spurius major, and coronatus, all excel¬ 
lent for a second early batch indoors ; Golden Spur, a grand flower 
for any purpose ; Emperor, the grandest of all its tribe, too valu¬ 
able for forcing ; Horsefieldi, an exquisite flower, will force steadily ; 
Empress, a noble flower of great merit; rugilobus, a useful variety 
"very free flowered ; cernuus and its double form, moschatus, albicans, 
IVni. Goldring, cernuus pulcher, tortuosus, are all charming in the 
garden but not suited to growing in heated structures. Next I would 
name a choice kind which is always admired—viz., pallidus prascox, 
•a pleasing sulphur shade and most useful; then in the Incomparabile 
group are Stella, Glow, Cynosure, Princess Mary, and Sir Watkin, 
■each distinct and good. Barri conspicuus is remarkable for its large 
spreading perianth segments of sulphur and yellow, and cup stained 
-with orange scarlet, this is exceedingly showy. To those named may 
be added poeticus ornatus, poeticus plenus, and the sulphur and 
■orange Phoenix ; poeticus ornatus is the best white forcing variety 
in cultivation, and its flowers by the tens of thousands find their 
■wav into Covent Garden Market from January to April inclusive.— 
J. H. E. 
WINTER CUCUMBERS. 
During the summer months Cucumbers can be grown in almost 
any structure with success, but this is not the case when a supply 
lias to be maintained during the winter. The best of conve¬ 
niences are essential to success. They cannot be satisfactorily 
grown with other plants beneath them as may be done during the 
more favourable months of the year. The structure for this purpose 
must be of the lightest description, with plenty of bottom and top heat 
at command. A temperature of from 60" to 70° at night must be 
maintained, with a rise of 5° by day at the least. This should be 
•obtained without having to over-lieat the pipes. Nothing is more 
detrimental to the well-being of these plants than making the pipes 
burning hot, as the foliage is certain to be attacked by red spider. If 
the temperature cannot be readily maintained without over-heating 
the pipes it is almost useless to attempt the culture of Cucumbers. 
Applications of insecticides and other strong measures would soon 
destroy them ; in fact, if the syringe be used sufficiently frequently 
to keep the red spider in check would do more harm than good ; 
the plants at the most trying period of the season would be certain 
to fail. Under any circumstances the temperature must be regu¬ 
lated by external conditions. When the weather proves severe 
the lowest named only should be maintained; in fact, if the 
thermometer reads 60° early in the morning and then rises it will 
be more suitable to the plants than a higher degree. On mild 
•occasions, when it is 45° to 50° outside, the highest figures may 
be kept up with beneficial results to the plants. The supply of 
bottom heat is equally as important as the top, and should range 
from 75° to 80°, the same conditions being observed as advised for 
the top. 
The manner in which the bottom heat is applied is also im¬ 
portant. It is a great mistake to have the pipes any great depth 
below the base of the soil, and it is equally bad, if not worse, to 
have them arranged so that they unduly dry the soil. In the 
I arrangement of a house for this purpose preference would be given to 
I a plan whereby the pipes could be utilised for both top and bottom 
heat. They would not be confined, but slates half an inch thick, 
j or nearly, would be laid practically on the top of them ; in fact they 
would be arranged so that the flanges of the pipes were just clear. 
A clear space would be left near the outer walls of the house, 2 or 3 
i inches in width, or even the space of a 4-inch pipe. This insures 
the whole of the soil in which the plants are growing being of a 
uniform temperature. However much piping may be employed for 
bottom heat, if the soil is against the outer walls it is damp the 
whole season, and many degrees colder than that nearer the inner 
walls of the house. Such arrangements materially lower the tem¬ 
perature of the soil throughout, and have a very detrimental 
effect upon the plants. If the bottom heat pipes are enclosed 
within the bed the chamber for the pipes should be covered with 
earth, not filled in with rubble as too often is done. There should 
also be room between the outer wall and the wall of the bed for 
one or more top heat pipes. Slates absorb heat quickly, and it is 
imparted to the soil without having that drying effect which is the 
case when the pipes are merely covered with loose rubble. When 
a coating of dry material is formed over the rubble the heat fails 
to pass through to the soil above. If slates are used it is not wise to 
lay the soil directly upon them, for they hold water by this means 
to an extent that cannot fail to be serious. This evil is overcome 
by placing on the slates about 2 inches of drainage, which allows 
superfluous water to pass away readily. 
There can be no doubt that a lean-to structure facing south, 
with a shed or other building behind it, is the best for winter 
Cucumbers, being much warmer than a span-roofed house in any 
position, although they can be grown in the latter if it runs north 
and south. If it runs east and west those on the south side may 
do well, while those on the north will not succeed. It is a general 
custom to arrange the wires upon which to train the plants 14 or 
16 inches from the glass, thinking that the nearer to the glass they 
are the better. This is the case with those grown during the 
spring and summer, provided the foliage has room to develope 
itself. But for winter culture the case is different. The wires 
should be 20 inches from the glass, and it would be better for the 
plants if they were 2 feet away. The footstalks of the leaves are 
very liable to grow longer during the winter than when they can 
enjoy plenty of light and air during the summer. When planted 
at only the ordinary distance from the glass they are apt to crowd 
themselves against it and hold too much moisture. Another advan¬ 
tage, and the principal one, is that they are much warmer than 
when they are close to the glass, and not so liable to injury from 
cold. 
Those who intend growing Cucumbers through the winter 
should plant the whole, or part of their early house, in June or 
the beginning of the next month, so that they can insure a supply 
of fruit until the end of November. Many winter Cucumbers fail 
towards the close of the year, or before, by cropping them too 
early in the season. Early cropping, whether the plants are in¬ 
tended for spring, summer, autumn, or winter, is one of the 
gravest mistakes. It is a general custom, and it is a very bad one, 
for it practically destroys the vigour of the plant for a long time. 
With winter Cucumbers this practice must be strictly avoided. 
The plants should cover a good portion of the trellis before they 
are allowed to fruit. If this is done, and the fruits that appear 
are removed until the middle of November, they will, with mode¬ 
rate cropping, afterwards yield a supply during the winter. 
To give the plants every chance of doing well, sturdy plants in 
5-inch pots must be placed out at once. If plants are not raised 
seed may be sown at once, but no attempt should be made to fruit 
them before the middle of December, but temporary plants may 
be placed amongst them to yield a few fruits until the others gain 
strength. For winter work the plants should not be placed nearer 
than 3 feet, and allowed to extend up the trellis about 4 feet before 
they are pinched. Every attention must be paid to them from the 
time they are planted, so that the growth they make is short-jointed 
and of the sturdiest description. This can be accomplished by 
ventilating liberally whenever the weather is fine. A moist close 
atmosphere that will encourage soft quick growth must be avoided 
from the first. If this is done they will attain considerable strength 
by the time the leader is pinched. The laterals should be removed 
to the lowest wire, and then allowed to extend until they meet, 
when the points of the shoots should be removed, the laterals 
being at least 16 inches apart, so that ample room will be left for 
training the sub-laterals on which the fruit is to be taken. It will 
be necessary, as these are laid in, to remove some of the main leaves 
to give the foliage of the sub-laterals room to develope. As a rule, 
they will show fruit at the first joint, and should be pinched one 
joint beyond, all the fruits being removed but one. Some of the 
sub-laterals will need removing to prevent crowding, and this is 
best done as soon as they start from the laterals. All growths 
afterwards may be pinched at the fruit, and not one joint beyond. 
By this means the wood can be removed from time to time as the 
fruit is cut, and thus afford ample room for fresh fruiting shoots. 
After the plants commence fruiting they must not be overcropped. 
If too many fruits show, remove them directly it can be ascertained 
that the required number will swell. It must be remembered 
that each fruit takes more than double the length of time to 
swell than is the case during genial weather. It is often necessary 
