December 27, 18^8. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
593 
Early Forced. Planted-out Trees. —If the house has been closed and 
a good body of fermenting material has been introduced but little fire 
heat will be required by night until the buds show signs of growing, 
particularly when the trees have been started about the same time for a 
number of years, but in the case of young trees that have not been 
forced they will require a somewhat higher temperature to cause them 
to break freely. Syringe twice a day with tepid water or a few degrees 
warmer than that of the house, and if found necessary to supply water 
at the roots use it at a temperature of 80° to 90°. 
Succession and, Late Houses. —Thin the wood that has reached the 
■extremity of the trellis, wash the trees with warm soapy water, and in 
the case of scale having appeared a wineglassful of petro'eum to a ga Ion 
of water may be added with advantage. Thoroughly cleanse the wood¬ 
work and. glass, and limewash the walls. Remove the old mulching if 
mot already done, and supply a layer of good manure about 3 inches 
thick. Keep the house cool and dry. 
Young Pot Trees. —Prepare for potting young plants intended for 
fruiting twelve months hence, using good fibrous loam with a fifth 
of old mortar rubbish, and a sixth of thoroughly decayed cowdung. 
Train to a clean, straight, single stem, and allow the radiating shoots 
to form the foundation of a good pyramid. If wanted for early work 
another season they should be placed in gentle bottom heat by the 
middle of January in order that they make and thoroughly ripen their 
growth by the early part of September, it being essential that they have 
a few weeks' rest before being again started into growth. Cuttings or 
«yes of kinds to be increased may now be inserted. 
Pines. —In most establishments where Pine Apples are grown there 
is a demand for ripe fruit in May and June. It will be necessary to 
take into consideration the present condition of plants that are to afford 
that supply. Where there was a good show of fruit of such varieties 
as Smooth-leaved Cayenne, Charlotte Rothschild, Black Jamaica, Mont¬ 
serrat, with Black Prince in October and November, the necessity of 
starting plants now will not be so imperative as where there was not a 
sufficient number of those varieties showing fruit at the time named, 
and as fruit of those indicated starting now will not be ripe at the 
requisite time, plants of the Queen, Enville, and Providence varieties, 
which require less time to arrive at perfection, should be induced to 
■start their fruit. Select from the successional stock plants that have 
been subjected to somewhat cool and dry treatment, choosing those that 
have an enlarged base with a tendency to open in the centre. Place in 
a light house or pit, and plunge them in a brisk bottom heat of 85° or 90°, 
the atmospheric heat ranging between 60° and 70° at night, according to 
■external conditions, allowing from 5° to 10° more by day. A genial 
atmospheric moisture must be kept up about the plants, but not by 
steaming from the hot-water pipes or syringing the bed between the 
plants, but by occasionally damping cool surfaces about the house. The 
soil must be examined once a week, employing tepid water with a little 
guano or other approved stimulant in it, applying it copiously when 
needed, and at no other time. 
Cucumbers. —Young plants coming into bearing should not be over¬ 
cropped, assisting them by removing unnecessary fruit blossoms, also 
male flowers and tendrils. Plants bearing will require to be trimmed 
at least twice a week, removing all weakly- and exhausted growths, re¬ 
serving as much of the young growths as luve space for expanding 
their foliage. Stop the shoots one or two joints beyond the fruit, but 
young plants should be allowed more freedom, laying the foundation of 
a well-furnished plant, avoiding overcrowding. In mild weather the 
temperature should be 65° to 70° at night. In severe weather G0° to 
■65° at night is more suitable, by day 70° to 75° with a rise of 10° from 
sun heat, admitting a little air at 80° if the outside air be moderately 
warm and soft, but if cold and sharp it is better to allow the tempera¬ 
ture to advance a little higher than admit cold air even when the sun is 
powerful; if the heat is turned off when there is hot sun it will do much 
to lessen the necessity for ventilation. A little flowers of sulphur dusted 
on the foliage and hot-water pipes is a good preventive of mildew 
and red spider. Quicklime rubbed well into the parts affected with 
•canker will subdue it. The floors will need damping in the morning 
and early afternoon. 
Raising Plants. —Sow now or early in the new year for raising 
plants to put out in pits or frames early in February, which are heated 
by hot water or fermenting materials. If no convenience exists for 
raising the plants a bed of fermenting materials should be made forth¬ 
with, the seed to be sown as soon as the frame affords a temperature, of 
70° to 75°. The plants from this sowing will be available for planting 
to afford a late spring and early summer supply of fruit, either in 
houses, in hot-water heated pits, or in pits or frames heated by ferment¬ 
ing material under good treatment, fruit being forthcoming in March 
and early April. No variety surpasses a carefully selected stock of 
Telegraph for general use, and Cardiff Castle is excellent both in crop 
and constitution. 
Melons.— Seed to afford plants for the first crop may be sown now, 
or early in the new year. Fruit from this sowing may be expected in 
late April or early May. Sow singly in 3-inch pots, filling the pots 
about half full of soil moderately light in texture, which will allow of 
soil being added as the seedlings advance, strengthening them wonder¬ 
fully. They should be kept near the glass, the object being to° insure a 
short stem and sturdy growth. A temperature of 63° to 70° at night 
and 70° to 75° by day is suitable. Blenheim Orange, scarlet flesh, and 
Longleat Perfection, whitish flesh, are excellent varieties. 
Tomatoes. —Where plants have not been raised from cuttings made 
in autumn, sow seed now rather thinly in light soil, and place in a 
house where there is a temperature of 55° to 60°. We prefer to sow 
singly in 3-inch pots half filled with soil, and to place them near the 
glass.. The plants are earthed as they require it, and are transferred 
to 5-inch pots, keeping them well down in the pots. From these they 
are transferred to the bed, which insures a depth of about 12 inches for 
soil, the part under being rubble, over and surrounding the hot-water 
pipes—in fact, the exact counterpart of a Cucumber house. The bottom 
heat makes much difference, just as it does with Cucumbers, especially 
for winter and early crops, but it is not essential. The plants should be 
encouraged to make a sturdy growth, keeping them when in the pots 
well up the light. Plant them out when they have filled the 5-inch pots 
with roots in ridges the whole length of the house and about one foot 
wide at the top, bad in some few days to warm and down to the first 
leaves, making the soil firm, so as to insure a sturdy growth. The 
plants must be 18 inches apart. Train to wires a foot from the glass 
with one stem, keeping off all side shoots, and the plants will be 
single cordons. Fruit will show right along, therefore stop only 
when the last truss is gained on the extent of the space. Good loam 
with a fifth of well decayed manure will grow them well, but some lime 
rubble, a little wood ashes and charcoal are advantageous. A 2-foot 
width of border is ample, the plants being earthed as the roots protrude. 
Surface dressing and liquid manure can be given when the roots have 
possession of the soil. When the first cordons are ripening the first 
clusters of fruit, a shoot can be encouraged from the base, and it can be 
taken up so as to succeed the one advanced in fruiting, and a suc¬ 
cessional supply of fruit thereby be maintained for a lengthened 
period. 
Growing in Pots .—Instead of planting out the Tomatoes can from 
the 5-inch be transferred to 10-inch pots, placing the base of the ball on 
the drainage or a very little soil over it, which will leave space for 
surface dressings. They are to be treated similarly to the other 
plants. 
Cutting Plants .—We prefer these for early fruiting. The cuttings 
are struck in September, kept near to the glass in 5-inch pots in a tem¬ 
perature of 60° to 65°, with 10° advance from sun heat. The plants 
get tall, but that makes no matter as we prepare the ridges as before 
stated, and by the middle of December or before the new year the 
p'ants are showing trusses of bloom, and we layer them in the ridges at 
the required distance at the joint below the truss of bloom, the plants 
being kept in the pots until the layer is well rooted and then detached. 
In consequence we have fruit from the lowest part of the plants, and 
they fruit right away. Those for pots are layered into their larger 
sized pots, they being about one-third or half filled with soil, the bend¬ 
ing over not interfering with the work of layering, only it must be done 
carefully. The 5-inch pots can be raised so as to facilitate layering into 
the fruiting pots. The cutting plants fruit earlier and give as a rule 
better shaped fruit than those from seed. Afford a night temperature 
of 55° to 60°, 60° to 65® by day, and 70° to 75° from sun heat, venti¬ 
lating from 65°. In dull damp weather a crack of air should be left on 
constantly, as a close atmosphere is very enfeebling. When in flower 
ventilate and rap the base of the trusses in flower to distribute the 
pollen. Fully one-third of each leaf should be pinched away, as it 
assists the fruit in swelling, practising it early. 
CHRISTMAS. 
To the Editor and to all our friends a Christmas greeting. 
Again a year has sped, the wings of time have carried us over 
another spring, and summer, and autumn. The book of the past 
lies open to our view; the book of the future lies before us, 
and its unsullied pages mock our most anxious inquiries. New 
hopes, new expectations cheer us on our way, and failure iD the 
past only spurs us on to hope for success in the time to come. The 
old year is in the throes of death, the new year is not yet born, 
but soon the old year and the new-born season must meet in close 
embrace, and then must part for ever. As the changing seasons 
give place one to another, so 1888 and 1889 must meet, and then 
the old year is left behind, and the new year pregnant with great 
issues grows on apace. But w r ith us the case is otherwise. The 
efforts of the past can only bear fruit in the future ; the tree 
planted in the present year will give no return until a new year s 
sun has coaxed it into growth : the stock of bees so carefully 
tended last autumn lies inactive and without profit to us until the 
sun of the future spring time rises high in the heavens and causes 
the myriad flowers and blossoms to yield their harvest of nectar to 
|BI 
BEE-KEEPER. 
