64 
JOURXAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
\ J inna-y 16, 1890. 
vrater I put 1 peck of soot, 1 ditto of lime. I dissolve 3 lbs. of soft- 
soap, 3 of Gisburst compound, in warm water ; this I place with the 
former; the whole is then strained through a piece of coarse canvas, 
and, as before stated, applied to the trees with the syringe. This will be 
found sufficient to dress a great number of trees. I am happy to say 
that on looking round the garden 1 found very little to complain of. A 
bud here and there was missing on the young growth, but this was 
where the dressing had not touched. I was sorry to find that nearly all 
my young Lettuce plants were missing, or only the midribs were left; 
also that the bird in question had actually cleared a Beurr6 Clairgeau 
Pear tree of its buds. Such a thing I cannot remember having seen 
before. Have any of your readers experienced it ? I have known these 
birds strip Green Gages of their fruit buds, but never Pears. The buds 
of this particular Pear .are very soft, and this would account for the 
birds attacking it. As I stated, I have always been a friend to birds 
but if they are going to serve me like this I am afraid we must dissolve 
partnership, for I really cannot stand this. They are becoming very 
numerous in this neighbourhood.—T. A. C. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Figs. — Early Forced Trees in Pots. —The growth being now some¬ 
what advanced, the temperature should be increased to 60° at night and 
165° by day by artificial means, and 70° to 75° with sun heat, commencing 
io ventilate at 70°, closing at 75°, and if the temperature rise 5° to 10° 
it will be an advantage, provided it be due to sun heat. Avoid a high 
temperature by artificial means, as the sturdier and shorter jointed the 
young shoots can be kept the greater will be the chances of a satis¬ 
factory early crop. The trees will need to be syringed twice a day, in 
the morning and again at closing time, but avoid a confined saturated 
■atmosphere in dull weather, but damp the paths and walls when they 
become dry. As the fermenting materials settle firmly about the pots 
•add more fresh leaves, bringing them nearer to the rims of the pots, 
taking care that the heat about them does not exceed 70° to 75°. Water 
the trees as required with weak liquid manure, and place some turves 
about 2 inches thick, grass side downwards, so as to reach over the rims 
■of the pots and form a cavity between the turves and stems of the trees. 
These should be watered with weak liquid manure, so as to keep them 
■moist, filling the space between the turves and stems of the trees with 
decayed manure. 
Fig Trees to Itigjen Fruit in May. —The house containing planted- 
out trees should have been already started, but there must be no further 
delay. The border being thoroughly watered, repeating so as to insure 
its thorough moistening, after which the surface may be mulched with 
short manure about 2 inches thick, placing it rather thicker near the 
•stem so as to encourage the roots to extend. The surfaces of the house 
and trees will require an occasional syringing, the night temperature 
being 50° and 55° from fire heat by day, and from 60° to 65° with sun 
heat, ventilating freely from that temperature. Well moisten the 
mulching. 
Vines. — Early Fore d Vines in Pots. —As soon as the fruit is set 
attention should be given to thinning, commencing as soon as the berries 
are fairly swelling, watering copiously with liquid manure, and damp¬ 
ing with the same in the afternoon. Encourage growths above the 
fruit, yet only as much as can have exposure to light. The soil should 
be surface dressed with short manure, and when roots are emitted 
freely from the “ collar,” some turves may be placed around the rims 
extending a couple of inches over the pots, so as to lie on the ferment¬ 
ing bed of leaves. The temperature may range.from 65° to 70° at night, 
70° to 75° by day, and 80° to 85° from sun heat, admitting air from 75°, 
and closing early, so as to raise it to 85° or 90° with sun heat, d.amping 
available surfaces at closing time, or early in the afternoon. Syringing 
the foliage ought not to be practised, as there is always danger of the 
water le.aving a deposit on the berries, which spoils the appearance of 
well-finished fruit. 
Early Houses. —These will now require great care in ventilating, so 
a.s not to admit draughts of cold air, which injure the foliage. Disbud 
■and tie the shoots down before they touch the glass. In stopping do not 
confine to any given number of joints beyond the bunch, but extend it 
■so that an ample and even supply of foliage will be insured, but do not 
crowd the house with more foliage than Ccan be fully exposed to light. 
Remove all superfluous bunches, overcropping and overcrowding of the 
foliage being most adverse to satisfactory results. When the flowers are 
open maintain a temperature night and day of 70° to 75°, and a rather 
■drier atmosphere, not allowing the fermenting materials to decline at 
this critical stage, but preserve a good heap of Oak leaves and stable litter 
in the reserve ground, to admit of a supply being obtained as required. 
Ihmses Started at the Xew Year. —The Vines ought to have the 
inside border thoroughly moistened by repeated applications of liquid 
manure at a temperature of 90°. It is more conducive to a speedy and 
good break than anything short of the employmentof fermenting material, 
which not only affords warmth but gives a moist ammonia-charged 
vapour highly conducive to rapid vegetation. The outside borders 
should have a goo:l supply of fermenting material, but if this cannot be 
done afford a good supply of dry litter or fern, so as to modify in some 
measure the chilling tendency of cold rams and snow. Sprinkle the 
Vines frequently ; maintain a temperature of 50° to 5.5° at night, 60° to 
65° by day, ventilating free'y above 65°. The rods and canes of young 
Vines should be slung in a horincntal position to secure a regular break. 
Houses of Late Grapes. —These may now be removed to a dry room 
where they will keep quite as well as if left on the Vines. Cut the 
bunches with as much wood attached as can be spared, and place the 
stems in bottles filled with soft water, each containing a few pieces of 
charcoal. Fix the bottles in an inclined position, so as to admit of the 
bunches hanging clear of the sides, and they may be so far apart as not 
to allow the bunches to touch each other. Keep the temperature of the 
room at about 45°, examining the bunches occasionally for decayed 
berries, which must be carefully removed. Prune the Vines, dressing 
the cuts with Thomson’s styptic or patent knotting, and the house 
thoroughly cleansed. Admit air freely in favourable weather, seeking to 
give the Vines as long and complete rest as possible. Where the borders 
are not satisfactory lift the roots and relay them in fresh compost, and 
where the Vines have inside and outside borders the renovation may be 
accomplished without loss of crop by renewing the former one year and 
the latter the next. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Forcing. —We shall not lift any more Rhubarb or Seakale roots for 
forcing, but the crowns will be covered with pots, old casks or boxes, 
and surrounded with hot manure. The produce will be ready in about 
three weeks after being covered, and while the roots will not be seriously 
impaired the fermenting material used in forcing will he in good con¬ 
dition for digging-in when the Potatoes are planted. Continue to lift 
Asparagus roots, and introduce them to a bottom heat of 70°, with the 
object of securing the produce in twelve or fifteen days. Kidney Beans 
sown in December are now 4 inches high, and ready for the largest pots. 
When short of pots or space we place four into an 8-inch or 9-inch pot. 
To still further economise space we have grown them in narrow boxes to 
suit some of the shelves, but they were not so prolific in the boxes as 
the pots. Ne Plus Ultra is our favourite forcing Kidney Bean. Where 
Green Mint or Tarragon are required lift a few roots, pot, and place 
them in any odd but warm corners to induce growth. 
A Deficiency op Manure. — Artificial manures answer many 
good purposes, but few if any of them can be used year after year as 
substitutes for farmyard manure, and it is this that is most valued for 
the great majority of vegetable crops. Market growers who have 
constantly to study the problem of how to make ends meet never 
grudge a lavish expenditure in manure, and private growers may 
remember this with advantage in dealing with the manure supply. At the 
same time cultivators may do much to increase their manorial resources 
by burning prunings and refuse, collecting all decayed vegetables and 
leaves, and securing manure from various sources to mix up with a 
general heap for use at cropping time. The present is the best time to 
form a heap of this kind, as it requires to lie for some time before being 
used, and if a quantity of soot can be mixed all through it the whole 
wilt be improved and cleared of insects—an important point in prepar¬ 
ing a miscellaneous manure heap. 
The Salad Supply. —The frost and severe weather has almost 
destroyed the open air Lettuces and Endives. Those in frames are sound 
and good, but the deficiency of them that may soon occur should be met 
by an extra supply of Mustard and Cress, introducing more Chicory 
roots to the forcing quarters. With a supply of those, and stored Beet¬ 
root, no one need regret the absence of Lettuces in the early spring 
salads. Anyone with a glass house and a temperature of 60° may 
produce a constant supply of Mustard and Cress throughout the spring. 
Reviving Old Mushroom Beds. —Some of our beds that have 
been bearing since the end of October are now showing signs of being 
exhausted, but it is the heat that has declined and not the spawn that 
has failed. Sometimes when we have kept on our midwinter beds until 
the spring or early summer the natural warmth has induced them to 
begin bearing anew, and this induced us to revive fagging beds by 
supplying them with water heated to 90°, treading them the following 
day and heating the surface as in the first instance, and then covering 
them with a thick layer of dry hay or straw. As a rule the results of 
these simple operations are very gratifying. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Loam.—It a good stock has not been wheeled under cover, no 
time, should be lost in doing so, to have it in good condition for use 
when required. As opportunity offers it should be pulled to pieces and 
the worms removed. As this work proceeds it is a good plan to select 
the most fibrous portions, and store it for ehoice plants that need a 
compost of this nature. This is readily accomplished by the aid of an 
inch sieve. That which passes through should be again placed in a 
finer sieve, and the particles that pass through reserved for seeds, seed¬ 
lings, cuttings, and small plants where a rough compost would prove 
unsuitable and out of place. It is surprising when good quantities of 
loam are prepared for use in this manner how quickly the work of potting, 
filling pans and boxes for seeds and cuttings can be carried on. It is a 
mistake to leave work of this nature until the busy season of the year. 
Leaf Mould. —The quantity required for use during the spring 
months should also be under cover, ready for preparation during un¬ 
favourable weather. This undergoes a similar process to the loam, dif¬ 
fering only in being passed through a sieve with a half-inch mesh. A 
heap of rough material may also be prepared by breaking it up with a 
