Janaary 21, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
53 
surface, and the best way is to fork it in immediately before putting in 
the crop. This, however, should not be taken as a substitute for winter 
digging, as forking manure into the surface and turning the soil up from 
12 inches to 20 inches are two different operations. 
Leeks. —Those who desire to have large Leeks for show by mid¬ 
summer and early autumn must sow the seed at once. The young plants 
will not bear forcing, and are best in a greenhouse or frame temperature. 
The soil cannot be too rich for them so long as they have a few pieces of 
fibrous turf to take to. A high temperature produces the largest plants, 
but it is a most difficult matter to prevent their flowering prematurely, and 
large numbers are often lost in this way. The main crop of Leeks will 
soon be valuable. They are useful in February and March; and when 
fully grown, as they all are now, they keep well if lifted and laid in 
behind a north wall or hedge. When left in the open quarters they 
generally become very tough in April and May, hut we have never 
noticed this with plants in the shade as suggested. 
Spinach. —It is a long time since winter Spinach was so scarce with 
us as it has been lately. Our culture was the same a3 in former years, 
but the hot dry weather experienced at the time of sowing and when the 
plants were young was rather too much for them. The roots are there, 
and they may grow freely when fine weather comes and will give us 
useful gatherings in spring. We shall not trust to this altogether, and 
some of the round-seeded sort will be sown at once. It will soon grow in 
a sunny sheltered position, and we advise all who may have been dis¬ 
appointed with their autumn-sown crop to sow at once. In April and 
May vegetables are often scarce, and a good breadth of Spinach is very 
serviceable. 
Spring Cabbage. —These always pay for the best of attention. They 
cannot be too early or too abundant. So far they have grown well, and 
those planted about the end of August are now forming good heads ; but 
it is those which turn in about the beginning of April and onwards which 
are the most useful. Where the plants which are being grown on for a 
supply at that time are not earthed-up sprinkle a small handful of guano 
round each, and then draw the soil firmly up to the stem. Any blanks 
in the rows should be made up before completing this operation, and 
where there are many plants in the seed bed plant out another batch. 
Cauliflower. —Autumn-sown plants which are being wintered in 
frames and under handlights are looking well, and if properly managed 
they should not deteriorate now. Avoid putting any dark covering over 
them unless it is absolutely necessary. When they are covered at night 
from frost, always take this off during the day, and admit air freely on all 
favourable days. This treatment will produce very dwarf dark green¬ 
leaved plants, and these usually succeed well in spring. Make a first 
sowing of anybody’s extra early under glass. A great many plants may 
be raised in two or three 6-inch pots, or the seed may be sown in cutting- 
boxes. Do not use sand in the soil, but sow in a mixture of loam and 
well-decayed manure. The latter should be u9ed rather sparingly. As 
soon as the plants appear keep them fully in the light and near the glass. 
Do not put them into a temperature above 60°. 
Leaf Soil. —This is excellent for many vegetable crops, and where 
pits are being cleared to be refilled in spring save all the decayed matter 
and put it under cover to keep it dry and ready for use. When the drills 
are opened for the reception of seed Potatoes, if a quantity of this is put 
down where each set is to be, and more on the top of the tuber, the 
Potatoes will turn out beautiful and clean. In heavy soils leaf soil may 
be used with advantage for all crops ; sand and old potting shed soil are 
also excellent for covering seeds in early spring, and now is the time to 
see that a stock is in readiness for use during February and March. 
Horseradish. —It is a mistake to dig and replant this annually, but 
it spreads so much that it ought to be taken up every two or three years 
and either put in a fresh place or restricted to the old. This may be done 
now. The ground in which it is growing should be trenched, and in doing 
so pick every one of the roots out. Select some of the thickest and 
straightest for replanting, and cut them about 6 inches in length before 
putting them in. The soil in which they are replanted should be 
rich and deep, 2J feet from row to row, and 15 inches from plant to 
plant will be found a good distance to plant. We dig the ground first, 
and then dibble in the roots afterwards, and the whole of the roots which 
are left are laid under soil or ashes for use as required. We always 
grow our Horseradish in rows between fruit bushes, and it has no chance 
of taking possession of vegetable quarters or disturbing any other crop 
of value. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Melons. —Seeds having been sown as advised the plants will now 
have formed the second or rough leaves, and as the root-act : on will be in 
proportion to the increased growth, the necessity for the removal of the 
plants into pots a couple of inches larger in diameter will become apparent. 
This must be done before the plants become root-bound, again plunging 
them in a bottom heat of 75° to 80° and near the glass, putting a small stick 
to each plant for its support until large enough for transferring to the 
hillocks in the Melon house. Plants that are intended to be planted in 
pits and frames, and trained over the surface of the beds, can be planted 
out as soon as they require more room at the roots. 
Soil .—The Melon requires good turfy loam, preferably heavy than 
light, which has been cut and stacked in the previous autumn. The top 
3 inches of a pasture grazed by sheep is best, and as a rule loam of this 
description without anything else is ample for the production of high 
quality fruit, but we add about a sixth of old mortar rubbish, and find we 
get a shorter-jointed growth, better textured foliage, and more fruitful 
plants, with heavier fruits. If the loam be poor add a fourth of thoroughly 
decomposed manure free from worms. A quart of soot to each bushel of 
compost may be added with advantage, and under any circumstances is 
beneficial. It should be under cover a few days to dry, bs chopped mode¬ 
rately small, and turned twice to become thoroughly mixed. 
Planting. —Cleanse the house or pit thoroughly, the woodwork with 
softsoap and hot water, the glass both inside and out with water only, 
and the brickwork with hot lime. Make a hillock in the centre of each 
light by putting in a barrowful of soil, flattening the top, which should 
be about 9 inches from the glass, and not more than 1 foot, the depth of 
soil in the centre of the hillock being 10 inches. The soil having 
been in the pit or frame a Lw days to get warm, a plant may be turned 
out in the centre of each hillock, or if the lights are large two plants, 
which is preferred by some for early Melons, but we elect to have but one 
plant in a light. In planting, press the soil firmly around each plant, be 
careful not to injure the stems or decay will soon destroy the plants. The 
soil at the roots should be moderately moist when turned out of the pots, 
so as to prevent the need of water at planting. A circle of quicklime 
may be drawn around each plant to keep slugs away and absorb 
moisture. 
When the plants have made a couple of rough leaves pinch out the 
points of the shoots just above the second rough leaf. Maintain a steady 
bottom heat of 80° to 85°, or. if from hot-water pipes, 75° to 80°, as when 
the heat is had from fermenting materials it must necessarily be high at 
the commencement; and the day temperature 70° to 75°, advancing 5° to 
10° from sun heat; the night temperature 65° to 70°. 
Cucumbers.— Winter Fruiters. —Plants which have been producing 
fruit all the winter now exhibit signs of exhaustion, and will be the better 
for having the surface soil of the bed removed, and fresh supplied with an 
admixture of three parts loam and one of decayed manure and leaf soil, 
with about a quart of wood ashes in each bushel. This surface dressing 
will have an invigorating and beneficial effect up on the plants by encourag¬ 
ing active surface roots, and when these are had the plants will be in a 
position to take copious supplies of liquid manure. 
Regulating the Growths. —Keep the young growths tied to the trellis, 
but not too tight, always leaving room for swelling; cut out exhausted 
growths and tie in young shoots so as to maintain a succession of bearing 
wood, anl consequently of fruit. Avoid overcrowding the shoots, giving 
each space for development, and the foliage full exposure to light, and 
above all avoid overcropp’ng as the greatest of evils. 
Young Plants, —Shift these as they require more room ; keep them 
near the glass till ready to plant for trellis training, putting a stick to 
each plant for support. The soil should be similar to that advised for 
Melons, and in the same proportions, adding a little charcoal to keep the 
whole porous, and made into ridges or hillocks. The treatment holds 
good with plants intended to fruit in pits or frames, stopping the plants 
at the second or third leaf. The temperature top and bottom should be tho 
same as advised for Melons. 
Vines. — Earliest House. —If the inside borders have not been watered 
since the Vines were started they should have a good supply at a tempera¬ 
ture of 80° to 85° as soon as the thinning has been brought to a close, or 
if the borders are at all dry a good watering may be given before the 
flowers open, when a rather dry condition of the atmosphere must be 
maintained, with a night temperature of 65° to 70°, and 70° to 75° by day 
artificially. The covering outside should also have attention, and if 
fermenting materials are used a temperature of 80° must be kept up by 
means of additions and frequent turnings. Proceed with tying and 
stopping young growths until the foundation of an even spread of foliage 
over every part of the trellis has been secured. Select the most compact 
bunches for the crop, fertilise all shy-setting varieties with Black Ham¬ 
burgh pollen as soon as they come into flower. Thin the most forward 
bunches of Black Hamburghs first, deferring the bad setters until it cm 
be seen which are the properly fertilised berries. We may mention 
Madresfield Court as decidedly the best Grape we know with a Muscat 
flavour for early or mid-season work. 
Second House. —Syringe two or three times a day, and turn the fer¬ 
menting materials frequently, alike to prevent overheating and to liberate 
moisture and ammonia. Discontinue syringing when the bunches become 
prominent, but keep up atmospheric moisture by damping the paths and 
walls two or three times a day until they come into flower, when a free 
circulation of air rather dry with a little more fire heat will facilitate the 
setting process. 
Vines in Pots. —Fruiting Vines must be carefully attended to, giving 
tepid liquid manure a few degrees warmer than the house, adding a little 
fresh top-dressing when the roots appear on the surface, and thin early, 
guarding against overcropping. Cut-back Vines intended for growing 
into fruiters may be taken into heat for starting, and when they have 
made 2 or 3 inches of growth shake out and repot them in rough rich com¬ 
post, using pots 6 to 9 inches in diameter, according to the roots ; plunge 
them, if possible, in a mild bottom heat, and keep them near the glass, 
so as to insure short-jointed growth and thick leathery foliage. 
Stored Grapes. —Look over these frequently. Dispense with fire heat 
as much as possible, a temperature of 40° to 45° beiDg sufficient; maintain 
it as equable as possible, keeping the shutters closed to effect that and 
reduce the need of fire heat. Admit sufficient air to prevent an accumula¬ 
tion of damp, and keep the bottles or troughs filled with clear rain 
water. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Draccenas. —The root stems of these plants that were placed in pans 
in autumn will now be ready for transferring singly into 3-inch po's. 
After potting, plunge them in bottom heat of 75° to 80°, and in a eh rt 
time they will be established and rooting freely in the new soil provide i 
they can be kept in a night temperature of about 65°. These plants will 
