December 8, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
508 
syringed well with a liquor of softsoap dissolved in hot water, and a 
mixture of lime and soot. See that the branches are well coated with it 
to keep the buds safe from the ravages of birds. Let the annual surface 
■dressing of the whole of the soil among the bushes and Raspberries follow 
at once. Old hotbeds or half-decayed stable or cowhouse manure answers 
admirably for this purpose. There must be no digging among bushes, only 
the surface dressing of dung, which serves both to keep the bushes healthy 
and vigorous and to keep down caterpillars in summer. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. — Early-forced Vines .—When the buds in the early house that 
was closed last month show signs of swelling, the inside borders should 
receive another supply of water in the case of vigorous young Vines, and 
liquid manure where they are old and require stimulating, applying it at 
a temperature of 80° to 90°. Some good fermenting leaves and short 
stable manure laid in heaps or ridges on the inside borders will help the 
surface roots, giving heat and genial moisture to the atmosphere, and so 
reduce the necessity for strong fires and incessant syringing. Young 
canes that have not been forced early will require bending down to a 
horizontal position to insure an even break down to the ba e e, but old 
Vines that have been some years may be tied down to the trellis imme¬ 
diately they are pruned. The dormant parts should be syringed three or 
four times a day until growth begins. Turn the fermenting materials 
over at short intervals, adding fresh material as necessary from the reserve 
ground to prevent the temperature falling below 75°— i.e., in the materials. 
Give a little air every day, allowing an advance to 70° or 75°, with gleams 
of sunshine, and the night ranging between 55° and 60° for the present. 
When the Vines are fairly moving all the buds show signs of breaking, 
remove the litter or fern from the outside border and cover with dry warm 
leaves to a depth of 18 inches, making them very firm, and place old 
lights or shutters over all, with a Bharp pitch to the front for throwing off 
snow and rain. 
Early Vines in Pots .—Pay attention to the fermenting material in 
pits containing these, and if every pot is stood on a pedestal built up 
from the bottom of the pit frequent additions may be made as the heat 
declines, the whole mass may be turned over without displacing them, 
and root-action will be steadier and less liable to a check when the pots 
are only partially covered or surrounded by the plunging material. Dis¬ 
bud and increase the temperature to 70° or 75° by day when fine, but do 
not allow the temperature to exceed 60° (and a few degrees lower will be 
better when the weather is severe) at night. 
Late Houses .—The attention of growers of late-keeping Grapes can¬ 
not too often be directed to the importance of starting the Vines and 
helping them forward with fire heat in the spring rather than trusting to 
solar beat in summer, and having to fire hard in late summer and autumn 
to get the fruit and wood ripe, or apparently so, by November. In fine 
seasons tbis answers very well, but m ordinary seasons it is not safe, as 
the foliage hangs late and is liberated by a rapid depression of tempera¬ 
ture. This sudden check, though it brings the leaves down, is not ripen¬ 
ing, and the Grapes rarely retain their colour and freshness until the time 
arrives for cutting in January, and when Grapes begin shrinking on the 
Vines it is useless trying to keep them until May. All Grapes intended 
for keeping fresh and sound for some months after they are cut should 
now be hanging on leafless Vines that completed the year’s functions by 
the close of November. Where the Grapes are in this condition keep the 
temperature steady at night at 40° to 45°, with just sufficient fire heat to 
dispel damp and to protect from frost. For Muscats the temperature 
must range a little higher, or about 50° by day, the chief thing being to 
prevent the deposition of moisture upon these and other thin-skinned 
Grapes; but fire heat, even with these, must be used sparingly, as they 
soon shrivel in a warm over-dry atmosphere. In damp weather, the out¬ 
side atmosphere being charged with moisture, the house should be kept 
close, dry, and cool; and in clear weather, the nights being frosty, some 
fishing nets or, better still, canvas drawn over the lights, will prevent 
radiation and lessen the need of fire heat and reduce its parching influence 
to a minimum, whilst the subdued light in the daytime will help the 
Grapes retain colour and secure a greater equalisation of temperature. 
Where late autumn vineries are required for plants the bunches, if any 
remain upon the Vines, may be cut and taken to the Grape room, the 
latter being cleansed, warmed, and ventilated. The bottles ought to be 
clean and filled with clear sweet rain water a few days before’ they are 
wanted, otherwise fire heat will have to be used to expel damp after the 
Grapes are introduced, and an excess of fire heatisquite as unfavourable to 
long perfect keeping as an excess of moisture. A piece or pieces of char¬ 
coal placed in each bottle is advisable, The Vines being free of leaves, 
each bunch should be cut to the pruning bud, and all the shoots beyond 
the bunches left intact to prevent loss of moisture from the beriies when 
the atmosphere is dry. The Grape room ought to have thick or hollow 
walls, and dry with perfect ventilation and sufficient heating power to 
keep the air dry and the temperature steady at 45°. When the Grapes 
are cut, and before the winter occupants are taken in, all work in connec¬ 
tion with the roots should have attention, and the pruning attended to, 
and the house put into thorough order ready for a fresh start when the 
proper time arrives. It is a pity that Vines should be made to act second 
to bedding plants, even at their resting period, for our experience points 
to the necessity of a complete season of rest for the Vines with full ex¬ 
posure to the atmosphere of a well-ventilated empty house. Select well- 
ripened prunings from these mid-season Vines for future stock, and lay 
them in the open air. 
Pines. —During the Dext two months we may expect murky sunless 
weather, with long cold nights, constituting a condition not favourable to 
ventilation, though it may be advanced under favourable conditions, but 
such is not advisably enforced, nor is it judicious. A slow rate of progress 
should therefore be aimed at, lowering the temperature to its minimum 
in each compartment, that for the fruiting house being kept at 65° to 70° ; 
60° to 65° in the succession houses, and 55° to 60° in compartments where 
suckers are located. The atmosphere of the fruiting house will, in order 
to make the best of the fruit, require to be of an invigorating nature, and 
need unremitting attention. Sprinkling the pathways, and moistening 
other available surfaces in the house as they become dry, must be strictly 
accorded, and in proportion to the fire heat applied and the aridity that 
prevails so must the syringing of the plants be regulated. In light airy 
houses the plants will need dewing at least once a day, and on bright 
ones twice. This may be done so long as the water in the axils of the 
leaves are not surcharged to an extent that will affect the state of the soil 
around the collar of the plants—a condition that must be avoided. The 
plants should be examined once a week, and those that really require 
moisture should be given an abundant supply of tepid weak liquid 
mauure. Plants in fermenting beds will not require nearly so much 
water as those subjected to bottom heat from hot-water pipes, but they 
must be seen to as advised and their requirements promptly met. 
Successional houses and nursing pits having less heat will have a more 
equable state of moisture, which it should be the object to maintain, 
employing no more fire heat than is absolutely necessary, employing 
night coverings as the best means of dispensing with fire heat, and 
securing an atmosphere favourable to the steady progress of the plants. 
Let the plants have the full benefit of light and sun, closing early. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Poinsettias .—The brilliant scarlet bracts of these plants are more 
serviceable for various forms of decoration after Christmas than they are 
before. Perhaps the worst month in the year for flowers is January, and 
if grown specially for that period they will prove invaluable. If they 
have enjoyed an intermediate temperature only since they were removed 
from the cold frames they will now be dwarf and sturdy, with bold 
leathery foliage down to their base. The bracts will have commenced 
forming, and if the plants are required previous to the time indicated they 
should be brought forward in a temperature of 60° to 65°. The plants 
should be arranged close to the glass, for light and heat are essential to 
develope large well-coloured bracts. If the plauts are not wanted they 
should he allowed to remain in their present position, where they will 
steadily unfold fair-sized heads. It is much better to sacrifice a little in 
the size of the heads than to have them in full beauty at a time when 
scarlet is plentiful. If the plants are to be employed for conservatory or 
other comparatively" cool structure they must be carefully prepared for 
the purpose. If they are forced in heat and removed directly from a close 
moist structure to a cool one their foliage is certain to suffer, and then 
half the real beauty of the plants is desiroyed. When grown in strong 
heat it is important that they be hardened judiciously for decoration in a 
cool house, or they will not last half the time they are capable of doing. 
When grown in an intermediate house they can be removed to the con¬ 
servatory without preparation, for no check w 11 be occasi ned by the 
slight difference in the temperature. Weak stimulants should be given 
every time water is needed. 
Euphorbia jacguiniceflora and Centropogon Lucianus .—These should 
still be grown in an intermediate house, for they are not yet wanted 
either for the stove or the conservatory. These two plants are invaluable 
for either position, and will be found of great service after Christmas. 
Both structures are now very gay, the former with Plumbago ro«ea and 
Begonias of various kinds, while plenty of scarlet can be maintained in the 
latter by Zonal Pelargoniums, which at this season are indispensable. All 
plants of tbis description that can be retarded for use at that period 
should be, for care in this respect renders the forcing of greenhouse and 
hardy plants easy and certain. However, if previous directions have not 
been carried out, and these plants must be brought into bloom, the same 
care must be exercised in hardening them before placing them in the con 
servatory as advised for Poinsettias. 
Eranthemum pulchellum .—For the supply of blue flowers for the 
stove, intermediate, or warm conservatory few plants equal this old 
inhabitant of our plant houses. Its flowers, which are produced succes- 
sionally, are not of much service for cutting, but they are indispensable 
for associating with other flowering plants in pots at this season. There 
is generally at this time of the year a scarcity of blue flowers, and there¬ 
fore this old plant should be growD, for plants in various sized pots from 
5 to 10-inch when well bloomed are very effective amongst others. Those 
grown for this purpose should be brought forward in succession, and a 
supply of blue flowers can thus be maintained until Hyacinths are 
plentiful. 
Begonias .—Such kinds as B. manicata and B. heracleifolia will bear 
cooler treatment than many suppose, for our plants have remained in 
perfectly good condition in a cool house in which the atmosphere has been 
kept dry. They will now be given a temperature of 50°, while a portion 
will be removed into a higher temperature to bring them into flower. If 
they are all given the same temperature they come into flower at one time, 
and are therefore not so useful. When these plants are in flower they are 
invaluable for the conservatory where light effective arrangements are 
required, for the plants can be so arranged that the flowers rise above 
many other plants. The first named is the lightest in appearance, but it 
is not so telling as the larger pink flowers of the latter, which also lasts in 
perfection a greater length of time. In whatever structure these plants 
