386 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ May 9, 1889. 
are light in weight for their size, and very indifferent in flavour. It is 
necessary that the shoots be trained thinly to prevent crowding. Keep 
the atmosphere dry and well ventilated when setting, being careful not 
to allow one fruit to take the lead upon a plant, watering well when the 
fruit is swelling, and keeping the soil dry when ripening. Attend to 
setting the blossoms in bright weather, nipping out the points of the 
reboots one joint beyond the fruit. Fruits becoming heavy, and in the 
ease of plants on trellises, will require support. Tables of half-inch deal, 
about 6 inches square, with a hole bored, at each corner, are useful, 
two pieces of string being passed through the hole from the top coming 
underneath the table and then passing through again to the top, being 
looped up to the trellis to relieve the Vine of its weight. Attend to 
stopping the laterals after the fruits are swelling, maintaining a good 
moisture by syringing the walls as well as the foliage at about 3.30 P.M., 
damping the floor several times in hot weather. Water or liquid 
manure will be required about twice a week. The night temperature 
should be maintained at 70°, 75° by day from fire heat, and 85° to 90° 
with sun. Ventilate freely, but avoid admitting too much air at a 
time with a view to reducing the temperature, but commence at 75°, 
and increase or diminish it gradually according to external influences. 
When the fruit is full sized and advanced for ripening gradually 
reduce the atmospheric moisture and the supply of water at the roots, 
but not so as to cause the foliage to flag, and afford a circulation of 
rather dry warm air when ripening, which improves the flavour con¬ 
siderably. Keep the temperature to 70° or 75° artificially, and 80° or 
90° with sun heat. Cut the fruits before they are dead ripe, keeping 
them in a fruit room for two or three days before sending them to 
table. Cracked fruits are produced by a close and moist atmosphere, 
with too much water at the roots. If any fruits show a tendency to 
crack cut the shoots about half way through with a knife a few inches 
below the fruit, and diminish the supply of water at the roots and in 
the atmosphere. Plants swelling their fruits should have every 
encouragement, syringing freely in hot weather at closing time', and 
besides damping the floors whenever they become dry sprinkle them in 
the evening with liquid manure or guano water, about 1 lb. to 20 gallons 
of water. <Shade ooly to prevent flagging. Ventilate freely in favour¬ 
able weather, commencing from 75° to 80°, increasing it or decreasing it 
as necessary, maintaining a day temperature of 80° to 85°, or 90° with 
sun heat, closing between 80° and 85°, and if an advance be made after 
closing to 90° or 95° or more it will increase the size of the fruit, and 
lessen the necessity for fire heat at night, but it must be accompanied 
by plenty of atmospheric moisture If thrips appear fumigate on two 
or three consecutive evenings, taking care to have the foliage dry, and 
for red spider dress the hot-water pipes with sulphur. 
Pits and Frames. —Train out the growths and maintain a good 
bottom and top heat by linings and thick night coverings, as the nights 
are yet cold. Plants swelling their fruits should be well earthed, 
the laterals thinned, and the fruits raised on pieces of slate on 
inverted flower pots. Sow seed for planting in pits and frames 
after they become cleared of bedding plants, potting off the seedlings 
as required. 
Cherry House.— Cherries ripening at this time are always most 
‘ welcome at dessert. The fruit must be kept dry, but the house must 
nevertheless have atmospheric moisture furnished by keeping the sur¬ 
face of the borders moist by damping with the svringe, air being 
admitted constantly, or condensation taking place will seriously affect 
the fruit, not only causing it to crack but impairing its quality. Damp¬ 
ing the border is calculated to mislead as regards its condition, which at 
this stage must be quite moist. Therefore, if necessary a thorough 
■supply of water must be afforded without delay. Tie in the shoots as 
they lengthen, and stop those not required for training at about the 
fifth leaf. Black aphides must be kept under by dipping the shoots and 
leaves in tobacco water. Ventilate freely on all favourable occasions, 
and when the external conditions are unfavourable recourse must be had 
to the heating apparatus to insure a circulation of warm dry air. 
Netting will be necessary over the ventilators to prevent the birds 
attacking the Cherries. Trees in pots should be well supplied with 
water. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Hellebores or Christmas Roses. —These are usually very impatient 
of being disturbed, and seldom flower well the season after they have 
been replanted. At the same time it is necessary to lift, divide, and 
■replant occasionally, especially if it is desirable to increase the stock. 
It should be done at once, or not till the autumn. Strong plants may 
be lifted, carefully split up with a plunging fork into small pieces, and 
these should at once be replanted. Although Hellebores delight in a 
rather heavy moisture-holding soil, the small divisions recover and root 
most quickly in a light gravelly or “ brashy ” soil, and in any case 
■should be dibbled out rather thickly among fruit trees or where they 
■will be partially shaded. From these positions they may be trans¬ 
planted to a more sunny position, where, if not arranged too thickly, 
they need not be disturbed for several years. It is advisable to arrange 
them so as to admit of their being covered at flowering time with span- 
roofed or other frames, or handlights, only the protected flowers being 
nearly pure white. Strong old plants may be lifted split into halves, the 
corners of these also being taken off, and the larger clumps replanted 
where they are to flo ver. A well-manured site with a cool bottom best 
suits them, either a south-east border or a west border answering well. 
If replanted in original position, remove some of the o’d exhausted soil 
and add fresh loamy compost. Any not lifted may have a little of the 
surface soil forked away, this being returned after a liberal dressing of 
partially decayed manure has been given. A summer mulching and 
plenty of moisture are beneficial to all alike. 
Violets. —Old plantations of these are not profitable, and a portion at 
least of the ground devoted to them ought to be occupied with young 
plants. The greatest number of flowers are produced by plants grown 
on rather poor and much exposed ground, those on rich, deeply dug, and 
rather loose ground forming much stronger foliage and finer but fewer 
flowers. For open air culture the best Czar types are the most service¬ 
able, the finest of these being Wellsiana, Victoria Regina, Odoratissima, 
and the old Giant. During average winters the double flowering Marie 
Louise, Comte de Brazza’s White, the Tree, and Parmaensis flore-pleno 
will survive in the open, but are not very serviceable, the flowers as a 
rule being late and borne on short footstalks. The two first named 
doubles are very gay at the present time, and if somewhat hardier 
would be admirably adapted for spring bedding. Strong runners 
dibbled rather thickly in boxes of light soil placed in a frame and kept 
rather close and shaded for a time soon become well rooted, and these 
put out on good ground eventually form the strongest plants. In but 
few places can this plan of propagating be adopted, the majority having 
to be content with lifting and dividing the old plants. These divisions 
duly stripped of superfluous runners should be dibbled in rather deeply, 
without, however, burying the hearts, about 12 inches apart each way, 
or they may be put out in threes and given another 3 inches. Leaf soil 
or the mould obtained from an old heap of decayed leaves and garden 
rubbish generally suits Violets well, and this should be forked into the 
surface rather than deeply buried. The earlier all this is done the 
better. Surfacings of leaf soil will benefit undisturbed Violet beds, this 
being applied after the plants are trimmed. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Azaleas. —Plants that are to be retarded for a few weeks should be 
placed in a cool airy structure with a northern aspect. If this cannot 
be accorded them it will be necessary to shade houses heavily on which 
the sun strikes with force. The flowers come forward rapidly in such 
structures however carefully the house is shaded and ventilated. They 
can be retarded very well by placing them behind a wall with a north 
aspect if covered by means of old lights and mats at night, or in the 
day during wet bad weather. Those in bloom should be gently shaded, 
which preserves the flowers for a longer time. The flowers of Azaleas 
when exposed to the sun do not last long at this season of the year, and 
quickly lose the bright colour the flowers possess when first expanded. 
As plants cease flowering remove the seed pods, and wash the foliage 
thoroughly with a solution of tobacco water if signs of thrips are 
visible, then place them in a warm temperature where they can be 
syringed twice daily. Keep the atmosphere moist and the plants shaded 
from bright sunshine. Potting may still be practised with any plants 
that need it, but be careful to press the new soil firmly round the old 
bulbs or serious results will follow. Do not mutilate the roots by trying 
to liberate them with a pointed stick, a common practice and one that 
cannot be too strongly condemned. Root-bound plants which cannot 
be given larger pots may have a little Standen’s manure applied to the 
surface of the soil about three times during the season of growth. Do 
not apply too much, or more harm than good will follow. A teaspoonful 
will be ample at one time for a plant in a 12-inch pot. 
Greenhouse Rhododendrons. —These are starting into growth, and 
will be benefited by light shade for a few hours during the hottest part 
of the day. Keep the atmosphere moist, and stand the plants upon a 
moist base. Syringe them liberally twice daily, and water them care¬ 
fully at their roots. This is particularly necessary unless the pots are 
full of roots, and then very liberal supplies are needed. On no account 
should the soil about their roots approach dryness, or their fine silk-like 
roots will perish. Any plants that need repotting may be attended 
to at once. The pots should be well drained and the soil, good peat and 
sand, pressed in firmly. Many varieties flower profusely when the pots 
are full of roots. 
Kalosanthes.— Grow these plants as cool as possible, or they become 
tall even after the trusses have formed. A portion of the stock 
may be retarded in cold frames. Any shoots not flowering may be 
taken and rooted. They can be rooted singly or a number together in 
4-inch pots, and afterwards placed into 6-inch pots. If these are grown 
cool and fully exposed to the sun afterwards they will flower next year. 
If rooted singly in small pots and not required in flower for two seasons, 
they can be pinched directly they are rooted, and plants with half a 
dozen shoots or more will be the result by the end of the season. 
Plants rooted in February, and now in 4-inch pots, pinched directly 
they were rooted, have on an average six shoots. These will be grown 
on and repotted, and their shoots pinched until September, when the 
foundation for good plants will be produced. 
Choisya ternata. — Prune back plants closely that have flowered, 
and induce them to break again in a close moist house. They must 
then be gradually hardened and fully exposed to the sun. If they need 
root space, repot them after they have broken into growth. Press the 
soil in firmly, employing loam, sand, and one-seventh of manure. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
William Bull, 536, King’s Road, Chelsea, London, S.W. — Catalogue 
of New, Beautiful, and Rare Plants. 
William Holmes, Frampton Park Nursery, Hackney.— Illustrated 
Catalogue of Garden Seats, Tables, and Appliances. 
Dicksons & Co., 1, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh.— List of Bedding and 
Border Plants. 
