294 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 1, 1891. 
becoming plumper, whilst the freer access of light and air aifects the wood 
favourably. A free circulation of air is necessary to expel damp where 
Grapes are hanging, with a little constantly to prevent the deposition of 
moisture on the berries, a gentle warmth in the hot-water pipes being 
necessary when the external air is cold and damp, but the wood being 
ripe and the growth matured it will suffice to maintain a temperature of 
50°, and the cooler by day the house is kept the longer the Grapes will 
keep plump. Vines that have not the wood ripe should not have a less 
temperature than 60°, and this with a free circulation of air must be 
continued until there is no doubt on that point. Keep the laterals well 
in check, not allowing them to interfere with the chief growths. 
Young Vines .—Those that have a disposition to continue growing to a 
late period may be checked by stopping the shoots moderately, and facili¬ 
tate the ripening of the wood by a high and dry temperature by day, 
shutting off the heat and keeping the ventilators open by night. 
Late Grapes .—Where these were started in March and aided in 
spring by fire heat, as well as during the summer, the Grapes will be 
thoroughly ripe, which is much better than having to maintain a forcing 
temperature after October comes in to secure the ripening of the fruit. 
In the latter case the temperature must not be less than 70° to 75° by 
day and 65° at night, falling 5° through the night, allowing an advance 
to 80° or 85° from sun heat, continuing this until the Grapes are ripe, at 
least until the wood is brown and hard. The fruit being thoroughly 
ripe, in which state only can the Grapes be expected to keep satisfac¬ 
torily, and the wood thoroughly matured, all sprays or laterals may be 
removed down to the main buds, ventilating freely on all favourable 
occasions. Fire heat will then only be necessary to prevent the 
temperature falling below 50°. To prevent dust falling or settling on 
the berries raking or sweeping must not be practised. Slats or clean dry 
straw laid over the inside borders will to some extent prevent evapora¬ 
tion, assist in keeping the atmosphere dry, and prevent the soil cracking. 
The outside borders must be covered if the fruit is to keep well. Glass 
lights are best, wooden shutters good, and tarpaulin over dry bracken or 
straw answers well. A thick thatch of bracken or straw is very serviceable. 
Cherries. —A house of Cherries is not common, but there is no fruit 
that is more interesting or more profitably grown under glass. The house 
for Cherries should be light, well ventilated both at the top and bottom, 
and if to be forced efficiently heated. Side lights may be dispensed with, 
but wooden ventilators should be provided to open the whole length of 
the house and on both sides of a span. The trees may be trained to a 
trellis fixed 12 inches from the glass, or the trees may be trained on 
bushes or dwarf standards and planted out. In the case of permanent 
or planted out trees it is desirable to have the roof lights moveable, so 
that the trees can be fully exposed after the crops are gathered and the 
growth perfected. A lean-to may be 10 to 12 feet and a span 15 to 
18 feet wide with trees on each side, and in the lean-to the front trellis 
should only extend two-thirds up the roof and the upper part be kept 
4 feet from the glass, so as to admit light to the trees on the back wall. 
Two rows of 4-inch piping will be sufficient for the lean-to and two rows 
on each side for the span, 3-inch for the 15 feet house, and 4-inch for 
the 18 to 24 feet wide house. The borders should be entirely inside and 
not made all at once. A 4 to 6 feet width of border, according to the 
size of the trees, is sufficient to commence with. It should be drained 
9 to 12 inches deep, having proper drains to carry off superfluous water. 
Nothing answers better for drainage than brickbats with a 3-inch layer 
of old mortar rubbish over them. From 20 to 24 inches depth of soil is 
ample, but it must be deeper at first to allow for settling. Good turfy 
loam, preferably inclined to be heavy rather than light, four parts, lime 
rubbish from an old building one-fifth, and road scrapings one-sixth, the 
loam chopped up moderately small, the whole well incorporated, forms a 
suitable compost for Cherries. The trees may be planted as soon as the 
leaves begin to fall. Those that have been trained to walls four to six 
years are most suitable, as they will be in a fruitful state and calculated 
to give a crop of fruit the first season, and having been lifted annually 
they can be moved safely. The borders ought to be put together com¬ 
pactly, the trees firmly planted, and a good watering given, mulching 
the roots with a couple of inches thickness of short but not soapy 
manure. The most suitable variety is Black Tartarian, but Early Rivers 
precedes it, and should be given place where early fruit is required. 
Governor Wood is the best companion Cherry to Black Tartarian. 
Cherries are readily forced in pots. This is a very desirable mode of 
cultivating this valuable fruit where variety and a long succession of 
fruit is in request. A cool house of Cherries in pots is a most useful 
adjunct to any establishment, and their culture is very simple, but the 
house must be well ventilated and the trees placed out of doors after 
their crops are removed, or the roof lights may be withdrawn for a 
time, especially when the trees are forced. Trees should be secured at 
once. If in pots they must be given a large size if they require it, 
disentangling the roots with a fork at the sides of the ball, and cutting 
back any straggling and thick ones. Provide good drainage and ram 
the soil firmly. Trees that are in as large pots as desired need only have 
the drainage rectified and the surface dressed, or the old drainage may 
be cleared away, a few inches from the base removed, the roots shortened 
back, and fresh soil given, as advised for borders, with a fifth of well- 
decayed manure, removing also the loose surface soil, and supplying 
rich material. If the trees are not already in pots, pyramids or bushel 
should be lifted, have their roots trimmed, and be potted firmly, allow¬ 
ing them to become established in the pots before subjecting them to 
forcing. The trees should be stood on a hard bottom impervious to 
worms, and surrounded with ashes to the rim, covering the pots with 
litter on the approach of frost. The trees should have a good watering 
after potting or having the roots interfered with. For forcing in pots 
Early Rivers, Empress Eugenie, Black Tartarian, Governor Wood, 
Black Eagle, and Mammoth are good. For a cool house the following 
are first-rate, and afford a succession of fruit from an early to a late 
period :—Compact growers : Belle d’Orleans, Early Rivers, Early Red 
Bigarreau, Empress Eugenie, Bigarreau de Schreken, Governor Wood, 
May Duke, Black Eagle, Archduke, Nouvale Royal, Florence, and Late 
Duke. Large growers : Early Jaboulay, Black Tartarian, Bohemian 
Black Bigarreau, Elton, Reine Hortense, Bigarreau, Bigarreau de Mezel, 
Mammoth, Duchesse de Palluau, Bigarreau Napoleon, Belle Magnifique, 
and Tradescant’s Heart. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Tomatoes. —Disease has spoilt the greater portion of the outside 
crops ; those that have escaped the most being located either against 
dry sheltered ■walls, under copings, and quite in the open. The first 
moderately severe frost would quite spoil the latter, and would also 
injure those against rvalls but otherwise unprotected. Seeing also that 
ripening nearly or quite fully grown fruit in heat greatly improves its 
quality, it is advisable on these grounds to clear the plants at once, 
hanging the fruit in bunches where they will ripen quickly. A dry 
forcing house, or failing this a kitchen in full use, answers well, single 
fruit being laid on the shelves. Thus treated much of the fruit will 
ripen sufficiently to eat in an uncooked state, and that which is not 
good enough for that would be improved by cooking. Should there be 
abundance of ripe fruit just now, convert much of this into sauce and - 
ketchup, the latter being preferred by many connoisseurs ; while quite 
the smallest fruit, and which would never ripen, could be made into 
excellent pickle or cooked in pies. Green fruit is also sometimes made 
into preserve, but with plenty of Plum jam there is less need of the 
Tomato substitute. 
Tomatoes under Glass.— These, whether old or young, in pots 
or planted out in narrow ridges of poor loamy soil, ought now to be 
growing strongly, yet sturdily, the principal portion of the crops being- 
either set, or in the course of being set, during September and October. 
Rank or soft growth is fatal to productiveness, and the most liable to 
take disease. The latter again spreads most rapidly during warm 
weather, and before much heat is kept in the hot-water pipes. In a 
dry, well heated atmosphere, such as can be maintained with the aid of 
heat constantly turned on, and air in small or larger quantities both 
night and day, according to the outer weather, disease makes but little 
headway, and under these conditions is less troublesome during the winter 
than at any other period of the year. The same treatment favours a 
sturdy fruitful growth, the flowers being strong and pollen abundant, 
nothing but a smart tap with a hazel twig towards midday being neces¬ 
sary to distribute the latter and to effect a good set. Lay in young 
growths thinly all over old plants, and stop the side shoots on young 
plants fruited cordon fashion at the first joint instead of cutting them 
cleanly out, fresh additions of young foliage being especially necessary 
where disease is troublesome. There is no necessity for or wisdom in 
starving Tomatoes, always provided the other extreme is avoided ; 
therefore top-dress with loamy compost occasionally, heavy crops 
being further supported by surfacings of special manure, or with liquid 
manure. Sulphur on the hot-water pipes is fairly effective against 
disease during the winter months, and proves fatal to the troublesome 
white fly (Aleyrodes vaporariarum). Now is also a good time for trying 
other remedies for disease, including anti-fungus powder and the 
Bordeaux mixture. 
Open-air Mushroom Beds. —The early part of September is the 
best time to make or spawn open-air ridge-shaped beds, for the simple 
reason if all goes on well the crops will be produced towards the end 
of October and more or less throughout the winter. There is no 
reason, however, why other similar beds should not be made and 
spawned throughout October, as these, if properly managed, will yield 
exceptionally heavy crops early next spring, severe frosts not in the 
least impairing their productiveness, though too much moisture might. 
In any case it is of the greatest importance that the material be extra, 
well prepared. Put together in a rank semi-raw state it is certain to heat 
very violently and perhaps fail to produce Mushrooms, while if the 
manure is too much exhausted of its heating properties failure may 
occur that way. Gentle fermentation, and turning it every alternate 
day is the better plan, this getting rid of much of the rankness in the 
course of a fortnight or rather more, without undue loss of vitality. 
If there is not sufficient moisture in it to insure gradual decay, then 
supply it with a watering-pot and rose, but saturating rains should be 
warded off with shutters or other contrivances. The manure being of 
a dark brown colour, sweet, and only just sufficiently moist to bind 
together when squeezed in the hand, is most probably in a fit state for 
making into beds. At least one part in three of the material should 
consist of short stained straw, the longer portions of the latter being 
stored and kept from heating in the dry, as this will be wanted for 
covering the beds. A ridge may be of any length, about 3 feet wide at 
the base, and nearly as much in height, the top being 6 inches or rather 
more across. It ought to be put together very firmly and neatly, and in 
a spot where the rainfall diaws away rapidly, and if some shelter from 
cold winds is afforded so much the better. The preference, where 
possible, may well be given to a spot where neither moles nor mice cart 
get at the beds, both being very fond of burrowing in them, while mice 
are also very partial to Mushrooms. 
Spawning the Beds. —Two or more trial stakes ought to be thrust 
deeply into the beds when first made, and very heavy rains be warded 
off, without, however, unduly confining the heat. In mild weather 
