76 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July J», 1885. 
away all old haulm, and use the stakes which have been at the early ones 
to support the late crops. 
Celery. —This will now take large quantities of water. Over-dryness 
at the roots is sure to cause it to run to flower. Planting out the 
crops should be completed as soon as possible. White Plume and the 
Turoip-rooted variety should not be put in trenches, but on the level. 
The earliest crops, which are now a good size, should be earthed up. D > 
not allow a particle of soil to fall into the centres of the plants. Clear off 
a few of the short outside leaves, and tie the plants up with a piece of 
matting until earthing up has been finished. Before earthing, the plants 
should be thoroughly watered, and then they will require little or no more, 
as the bulk of soil used in earthing will keep the roo's cool. 
Winter Parsley. —This is important there should bs no deficiency of 
it. Make a good sowing now in a position where part of the plants can 
remain, and the thinnings may be planted elsewhere. Parsley is not so 
liable to be attacked by tbe grab in autumn as during the summer, and in 
places where it cannot be grown with any great success in summer it may 
frequently be had in large quantities and in prime condition by sowing 
now. 
Leelis. —Where these are still in the seed rows or bed get them out as 
soon as possible. They are not particular as to position, but they must 
have rich soil. 
Autumn Onions. —These have gained a large size, and as some of them 
are beginning to split, the whole will be drawn up and laid out to dry in 
the sun. The split ones will be used at once, and the whole will be sent 
to the kitchen before the spring-sown ones are used. Water all crops which 
are suffering much through drought. Keep the hoes going, and give no 
quarter to weeds, especially those likely to seed. Clean flower pots and 
smart glass houses are very desirable at this season, but kitchen gardens 
overrun with weeds are not creditable,and a haniy man with his hoe on 
a sunny day would destroy the weed crop on some acres of land. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. — EaHy-forced Vines. — Where early-forced thin-skinned 
Grapes are preferred to thick-skinned varieties that have been kept in 
the Grape-room, the wood of the Vines will now be getting brown and 
hard, if, indeed, it is not quite ripe. The foliage being clean and healthy, 
a dry warm atmosphere with abundance of air by night will insure the 
perfecting of the buds, as upon this depends the production of compact 
closely set bunches, which colour and finish better than those from badly 
ripened wood. The laterals should be kept well in hand if the Vines are 
in good health, but if weak they may be allowed to extend. An occa¬ 
sional syringing will be all that is necessary to keep the foliage free from 
insect pests. 
Renovating\Early Vines. —Work of this kind should be taken in hand 
without delay. If the roots have the run of outside and inside borlers, 
one of them may be taken out and fresh compost supplied without running 
any risk as to the loss of the next year’s crop. It is important that the 
work be quickly and carefully performed, and the house kept close, warm, 
and shadel until new growth commences. 
Early Vines in Pots. —Those intended for early forcing may be 
removed to a south wall for a time, securing the canes to the wall as a 
protection against wind ; but if they occupy a house with moveable roof- 
lights, the latter may be drawn down to an extent that will favour the 
healthy maturation of the wood and due ripening of the foliage, without 
producing a shock so fatal to the fruiting of otherwise well-grown Vines 
in pots. 
Young Planted-out Vines. —Vines planted this spring should be 
encouraged with heat and moisture until they have filled the space 
allotted to them. A free lateral growth suits them best, as the object the 
first year is the formation of roots and a few well-ripened buds near 
the base for pruning back to, these being essential for affording sturdy 
short-jointed growths in the coming season. If supernumeraries are planted 
for affording fruit next year, they should have the laterals closely pinched, 
especially those from the joints, which are to afford fruit from the eyes 
there situated next season, it being important that the foliage have free 
exposure to light and air for the thorough maturation of the buds, but the 
laterals above next year’s pruning wood may be allowed extension, as it 
will facilitate root-action and be of benefit to the crop another season. 
Grapes under Sudden Changes of Weather. —Sudden changes from 
dull wet weather to bright sunshine are very trying to Vines in all stages 
of growth, particularly to Lady Downe’s, Muscats, Alicantes, and other 
late varieties that are liable to be scalded, and are equally unfavourable 
to the preservation of ripe Grapes, which soon lose colour when fully 
exposed. Where it is necessary to keep black Grapes for a long time 
after they are ripe, a little shade over the roof-lights on bright days will 
be of great service provided the wood and foliage are not deprived of the 
benefit of light when the sun is off the roof. Where this cannot be done 
some pilchard nets or a double thickness of herring nets thrown over the 
lights loosely will answer the purpose, as they do not exclude too much 
light, and may remain on until the Grapes are cut. The only safeguard 
against scalding is a warm atmosphere at night, with free ventilation by 
day, especially in the early part. 
Vines Swelling their Crops. —Every attention must be given to Grapes 
swelling, especially where the crop is heavy, seeing that the inside borders 
have sufficient tepid liquid manure, not less in temperature than the mean 
of the house. If the weather be dry outside borders will require similar 
attention, but if the rainfall be good all that is necessary is mulching 
with old manure. If the Grapes are well advanced, and the ripening is 
not wished to be accelerated, admit abundance of air through the early 
part of the day, closing with sufficient sun heat to raise tbe temperature 
of the house to 90° in the afternoon, and give a little night air. Ke°p 
the house well supplied with ammonia by the introduction of fresh horse 
droppings, not in great quantities, but little and often, and ply the syr nge 
on all available surfaces at closing time ; but avoid its careless use, as it is 
a great blemish to spot the Grapes. Red spider must, under any circum¬ 
stances, be kept in check, and if it appears there is no better remedy than 
the tedious one of spouging. Sulphuring the pipes whilst hot, though a 
certain remedy, must be done with judgment, as the skin of some Grapes 
is readily injured by its fumes. 
Figs. — karly-forced Trees .—Trees that have been several months 
in bearing will need great perseverance in the application of water through 
the syringe to the foliage in order to keep down insect pests, and even 
then red spider and scale will gain a hold, particularly where the roots 
have not been liberally supplied with stimulating food. When this is the 
case, and succession houses are giving a supply, no time should be lost 
in throwing open the ventilators by day and night, exposing the foliage 
to refreshing showers by drawing off the lights on all favourable occa¬ 
sions. Warm thunder rain is, psrhaps, more cleansing than any other— 
at least, good rains benefit both the roo's and foliage by pissing through 
every part of the plunging material, which is matted with thick fleshy" 
roots. 
Succession Houses. —The sscoad crop will be considerably advanced, 
and will require liberal thinning. Syringe twice a day. The mulching 
must be kept constantly moist for the present, maintaining a brisk grow¬ 
ing temperature from solar heat after closing until the fruit shows signs- 
of ripening, when a drier atmosphere by night must be afforded ; but 
there must not ba any great reduction of the moisture by day. Attend 
steadily to the shopping and tying, avoiding overcrowding the young- 
shoots, as these, to give fine Figs, must be vigorous and allowed to grow 
up to the glass, so as to have all the warmth and light possible. 
Young Trees in Pots. —Those raised from cuttings or eyes must be 
potted without delay, so as to secure a well-matured growth. Young- 
early-started p at trees iutended for forcing for the first time should have 
the growths lipenei before they are taken outdoors for a season of rest, 
and when taken out a warm dry corner should be selected for p’unging- 
them in. If the roots have passed into the plunging material they should 
be cut through by degrees. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Rhodanthes. —These are amongst the most useful annuals in pots, and 
should be extensively grown for purposes of decoration. They are not 
only useful early in the season, but through the whole summer, and 
specially so during the autumn months. Sow seed at once for plants to 
commence flowering about the middle of October, and these will continue 
until Corysanthemums are plentiful. Pots 5 inches in diameter are the 
most serviceable size in which to sow the seed. After nearly filling them 
with a compost of good loam, one-seventh of manure and sand, a. little 
leaf mould may with advantage be added. Cover the seed lightly with 
soil, well water them, and then stand them in a frame until germination 
has taken place. The frame in which they are placed should be shaded to- 
prevent farther watering until the young plants appear. After the seed¬ 
lings are well up and ready for thinning, they will do as well plunged 
outside as grown in the frame if attention is paid to the watering, never 
allowing them to get dry. 
Campanulas. —The varieties of C. calycanthema are most useful in 
pots, both for cutt.ng and conservatory decoration, from the early part of 
April until they flower naturally in outside borders. The seed germinates 
so freely when sown on the surface of soil outside during showery weather 
in spring, that it is not necessary to sow the seed in pots and pans under 
glass. From seed sown early in the season good plants may now be lifted 
and placed into 6 or 8-inch pots according to their size, the latter being 
the most suitable. After lifting syringe freely and keep the plants well 
watered, and their growth will develope rapidly, and before ihe end of the 
season very strong plants will be the result. These should be housed in 
autumn in a cold vinery or Peach house after the approach of frost, or a cold 
frame. The earliest batch to flower may be brought forward in a little- 
heat early in January. The conditions of an early vinery or Peach house 
just started will suit them very well for a time, but after they commence 
growing a close atmosphere must be avoided. The later batch may be 
brought forward under cooler treatment. When large plants in 10-inch 
pots 3 feet or more in diameter are wanted, seed should be sown about 
the end of August in a box, and when large enough pricked out into other 
boxes, wintered in a cold frame, and then grown on the whole of the 
following season. Tno ; e who have not cultivated these plants in pots 
for early flowering will find that few plants repay better f»r the little 
care and trouble required. 
Mignonette. —A good number of pots should be filled with similar 
soil to that recommended for Rhodanthes, and then sown with the seed- 
of Mignonette for autumn and early winter flowering-. The same size 
pots are very suitable, and the same treatment may be given the plants- 
until tbe approach of cold nights, when they should be placed in a cold 
frame. A bed may be sown outside at once with the common garden 
variety, after enriching the soil with a little manure and pressing it 
moderately firm. When the plants are up they should be liberally 
thinned, and they will grow strongly instead of being weak and puny, 
which is the case when crowded. This bed should be oovered with a 
frame before the approach of frost, and the result will be abundance of 
material for cutting a r ter that growing outside has been destroyed by 
frost, and while those grown in pots are doing duty in the conservatory 
or any s ructure kept gay. Tree varieties to be grown into standards, if 
sown and treated as previously directed, should be placed into 9-inch pots- 
and secured to tbe trellis upon which they are to be trained. It is a 
mistake to allow the joung plants to become root-bound in their 5 and 
