April !4, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
349 
except as a precaution a^inst injury from frost, as the shoots at this 
staple are so tender that the slightest twist the wrong way breaks them. 
It is a better plan to defer tying down until the shoots are less sappy, 
which may be when the fruit is formed, but a better plan still is to 
so dispose the rod that the shoots, instead of being brought down to a 
nearly horizontal position, will have a good incline upward, yet suffi¬ 
ciently outward or oblique to admit light to the basal leaves of the 
shoots. 
Muicat* in Flower. —Afford a free circulation of air rather dry, and 
a temperature of 80° to 85° or 90° by day, falling to 70° or 05° at night, 
raising the points of the bunches to the light, and liberate the pollen 
at midday by gently rapping the footstalks of the bunches. If there is 
a deficiency of pollen take it from those that afford it plentifully, such 
as Black Hamburghs, and apply it to the shy-setting varieties with a 
camel-hair brush. 
Thinning. —Where there is a quantity of Grapes to be thinned com¬ 
mence as soon as they are out of flower with the free-setting varieties, 
such as Black Hamburghs ; and some, like Gros Colman, Gros Guil¬ 
laume, and Trebhiano may be thinned whilst they are flowering. 
Follow it up early and late and on dull days. Surplus bunches may 
be removed, as overcropping proves fatal to colour and finish. 
Young Tineg. —Those planted last year are breaking naturally, and 
may be assisted with gentle fire heat in cold weather. The canes will 
have been fully depressed, so as to cause them to break regularly down 
to the basal buds, when they can be tied in position. Disbud, leaving 
the best shoots alx)ut 18 inches apart on both sides of the canes. Crop 
very lightly, one or two bunches being the maximum. Any extra Vines 
planted to fruit early and afterwards to be cut out may carry a bunch 
on each, six or eight bunches, or even more, according to the vigour of 
the Vines. 
Planting Vines. —This is the best time for planting young canes. 
We prefer the borders partly within and partly outside, planting the 
Vines inside the house. For very early forcing the borders are prefer¬ 
ably inside, otherwise we do not advocate confining the roots in this 
way. The border should be concreted at the bottom unless it has a 
substratum of gravel or other porous substance; rubble 1 foot thick 
must be placed on the concrete, and proper drains and outlets provided. 
Thirty inches depth of soil is ample. Turf 3 inches thick taken off 
loam friable rather than tenacious, broken up roughly and mixed with 
a tenth of old mortar rubbish, charcoal, and some crushed bones, form 
a suitable compost; but well-drained and fertile garden soil will grow 
serviceable Grapes. The Vines, it is assumed, were cut back in early 
winter and have been kept in a cool house, the eyes now having grown 
2 or 3 inches long. Turn them out of the pots, remove every particle 
of soil, carefully preserving the fibres. Spread the roots out straight 
and flat, the soil of the border having been brought to the required 
level, covering the roots to the depth of about 4 inches, working the 
soil well amongst them with the hand, and giving a good supply of 
water at a temperature of 90°, mulching with a little short litter. If 
the canes have not been shortened do not cut them now, but remove 
the buds from the upper portion down to where fresh growth is desired 
to issue, and cut away the disbudded part when the Vines have made 
some leaves, as there is then no danger of bleeding. Six feet width of 
border will be sufficient to commence with. Sprinkle the Vines and 
house twice a day, but avoid sharp forcing. Temperatures of 65° at 
night, 65° by day artificially, and 70° to 75° with sun are suitable. If 
the weather be bright and the panes of glass large, shade lightly from 
10 AM. to 2 P.M., when the house should be closed, damping all available 
surfaces. If the temperature run up to 85° or more it will be an 
advantage. When the Vines have started into growth give every 
encouragement, increasing the temperature to 60° to 65° at night, 70° to 
75° by day, and 80° to 85° from sun heat. 
Cucumbers. —Despite the cold winds these have made good progress 
lately, and require attention in tying out the growth, stopping one or 
two joints beyond the fruit, removing bad leaves and exliausted growths, 
so as to maintain a succession of healthy fruitful shoots. Water plants 
in houses abundantly, and with weak liquid manure about twice a week, 
syringing the foliage and walls daily about 3.30 P.M., when the house 
can be closed. Preserve a night temperature of 70°, 70° to 75° by day 
artificially, 80° to 85° from sun heat, ventilating from 75°, being careful 
to avoid cold and drying currents of air, and close sufficiently early to 
run up to 90° or more with plenty of moisture in the house. Sprinkle 
available surfaces in the evening occasionally with liquid manure, or 
fresh horse manure on the surface of the bed will answer the twofold 
purpose of evolving ammonia to the benefit of the foliage, and supply 
nutriment to the soil as well as encouraging surface roots. 
Pits and Frames. —Plants in those will hardly need shading as yet, 
but they must not be allowed to flag. Use tepid water through a rose 
watering pot at about 3 p.m., closing the lights at the same time, but as 
the nights are as yet cold be careful that the foliage becomes dry before 
night. Close early, employing a good thick night covering. Maintain a 
good bottom by linings, renewing them as necessary. Pot or sow ridge 
varieties if not already done, keeping these and other young plants near 
the glass. 
Melons. —The fruits of the earliest plants are growing large, they 
must have the supports lowered. Frequently stop the laterals, or thin 
them where they are crowded. Supply water or liquid manure liberally 
to plants on which the fruit is growing fast, but avoid excess of liquid 
manure, which may injure the roots, and the fruit in consequence will 
not finish satisfactorily. Plants coming into flower should not have 
very copious supplies of water, only affording sufficient to prevent 
flagging, and a drier condition of the atmosphere is essential to a good 
set, especially so in the case of very vigorous plants. Attend regularly 
to the setting of the blossoms. Stop the shoots, however, one joint 
beyond the blossom when impregnated, but after the fruit is set remove 
all superfluous growths. Avoid giving stimulants to plants until the 
fruit is swelling, when liquid manure may be afforded liberally, especially 
to plants carrying heavy crops, until they are well advanced towards 
ripening. Maintain anight temperature of 70°, 70° to 75° by day, and 
80° or 90° with sun heat, when the plants may be syringed lightly,, 
except such as are in flower. Watch for canker at the collar, and rub it 
out with fresh slaked lime when it makes its appearance. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Shrubby Calceolarias. — There have been very few losses among 
these this season, and all are now growing strongly. Left much longer 
in the cutting beds the greater portion will be spoilt, and the sooner^ 
therefore, they are temporarily bedded out the better. If there are only 
a few dozen plants these may be transferred to shallow boxes of rich 
soil in preference to potting off singly into 6-inch pots, as there are 
often many failures in the case of the latter after they are finally bedded 
out. For larger quantities a rough frame or turf pit ought to be pre¬ 
pared, placing in this, on a hard bottom, 4 inches or rather more of old 
hothed material, making this quite firm, and placing on the top of it 
2 inches of loamy soil. In this the Calceolarias may be planted about 
6 inches apart each way, and if duly protected wiih either lights or 
mats and otherwise attended to, extra strong plants will be available- 
for bedding out, and which will move with a good ball of soil about the 
roots. Top the plants once only, and that a few days prior to moving 
them from the cutting beds. 
Lobelias. —Evidently the seed was well matured last season, for it 
never germinated more quickly and surely. The seedlings being much: 
crowded ought first to be pricked out 2 inches apart each way in 
shallow boxes of good fine soil and kept in gentle heat. They must be 
topped early, and when neat little plants are formed these may well be 
transferred to beds of fairly rich soil in frames or pits, disposing them 
not less than 4 inches apart each way. If there is a little bottom heat 
so much the better, and in any case they ought to be kept somewhat 
close and warm till all are growing strongly. Being kept from fiower- 
ing, strong stocky plants altogether superior to anything in pots or 
crowded in boxes will be ready by the end of May. Divisions and 
cutting-raised plants may be similarly treated. 
Perennial or Herbaceous Lobelias are very fine for either flower 
beds or borders, well repajing for any little trouble needed in their 
cultivation. Plants from seed sown in gentle heat would be too late to 
flower this season, but they might prove most serviceable next^ springs 
Seedlings now well advanced in growth to be pricked out either in bo-tes- 
or pans of good soil or potted off singly, and if kept in gentle heat 
till well established, then duly hardened and planted out, the greater 
portion will flower late in the summer. Old plants wintered under glass 
ought ere this to have pushed up numerous strong suckers, and each of 
the latter that may be separated, with a few roots attached, from the old 
stem will make a good flowering plant this season. Either place these 
divisions in boxes or pot off singly into 3-inch pots. Plant out early. 
Seedlings varying in character considerably should first be planted in 
mixed borders, the divisions obtained from named or selected varieties 
being the best for beds. 
Tuberous Begonias. —Those intended for bedding out ought never to 
be placed in pots, this remark applying both in the case of seedlings 
and old bulbs. Prick out the former first rather thickly in pans of light 
fine soil, and from these transfer to larger boxes or pans, arranging 
them about 4 inches apart each way. They grow more strongly in and 
move more readily out of boxes of fairly rich compost, and if kept in 
gentle heat till they are nearly large enough to put out, being then 
properly hardened off, an early and continuous display of bloom may 
reasonably be anticipated. Old bulbs to be also started in boxes or 
frames of rich but not heavy compost, from which all can eventually 
be transplanted with good balls of soil and roots, the latter soon taking 
possession of the soil in the beds. Little or no heat is needed for these 
old bulbs, but care must be taken not to sour the fresh soil by over- 
watering at the outset. 
Zonal Pelargoniums. —It is a great mistake to cut down autumn 
struck plants for the purpose of obtaining cuttings, as they seldom 
make good progress afterwards. Top them once or twice if dwarf bushy 
plants are needed, but if all are put out in a slanting direction and 
perhaps pegged down it is not advisable to stop them, spreading plants 
filling up best. It is the old plants stored thickly in pots and boxes 
that should be freely cut up, every shoot from these striking readily,, 
and can be grown to a good size by the end of May. Spring struck 
plants of the variegated forms are in some respects superior to those 
raised in the autumn, and cuttings of these may be taken up to the end 
of April, or even later. A rather dry position, such as an old flue or a 
staging over the hot-water pipes in a vinery, is what suits Pelargonium 
cuttings, water being given rather rparingly at the outset. All ex¬ 
perience the least check when planted out from small pots, but if the 
latter are not sufficiently plentiful let the more delicate variegated- 
varieties have the benefit of them. 
Annuals. —The present is a good time to sow Asters, Stocks, Zinnias, 
and llelichrysums in gentle heat, but Marigolds, which germinate 
quickly and grow rapidly, ought not to be sown for another fortnight. 
