July 12, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTaCE GARDENER. 
45 
individual applies it evenly to the Vines, it being important that they 
and every part of the house be well, but not excessively, wetted, for 
without that the eradication of the pests will only be partial. The 
application should be repeated two or three times at intervals of three 
or four days. Keep the borders sufficiently moist to preserve the foliage 
in good condition, it being better to mulch them lightly with partially 
decayed manure than to have supply heavy waterings at frequent 
intervals to keep the soil from cracking. Allow a little extension of the 
laterals, as this tends to keep the roots active and to preserve the 
principal leaves in health, or if these fall, prevents the starting of their 
corresponding buds. 
Late Houses. —Late Grapes intended to hang all the winter should 
have a final thinning, removing the smallest berries, and where too 
crowded allow every retained berry full space for development. Late 
Grapes should be more severely thinned than early and midseason ones, 
yet leaving sufficient berries to form symmetrical bunches, such as will 
retain their shape when dished, and have a good appearance. Inside 
borders must be kept well supplied with water, afterwards following 
with liquid manure or a top-dressing of some approved chemical manure, 
and wash in moderately. A light mulching of partially decayed lumpy 
manure will lessen the necessity for watering less frequent, attract the 
roots to the surface, and nourish them. Outside borders must have 
attention for watering, feeding, and mulching as circumstances require. 
Regulate the young growths as needed, adopting the extension rather 
than the restrictive system where there is room for it without crowding, 
keeping all gross laterals stopped, so as to cause an equal flow of the sap 
throughout the Vines. As the period when scalding occurs is at hand it 
will be necessary to guard against it by increased night temperature, or 
65° to 70°, and abundant ventilation, so as to reduce the atmospheric 
moisture or prevent the air heating more rapidly from sun heat than the 
berries. After the berries commence colouring danger from scalding is 
past, then the fire heat may be economised by reducing the ventilation 
early, so that the sun may raise the temperature to 90° or 95° on fine 
afternoons. 
Toung Vines. —Those of this season’s planting should, provided the 
light is not too much obstructed, be allowed to grow unchecked, it 
being presumed that they are to be cut back to the bottom of the 
trellis or to three buds at that at the winter pruning ; but the laterals 
must not be allowed to interfere with the leaves that feed the buds at 
their base expected to fruit next season. Supernumeraries intended 
for next year’s fruiting may be regularly stopped at a length of 7 or 
8 feet, pinching the laterals to one leaf as made, except those from 
the upper part of the canes, which at the first stopping should be 
allowed a little more latitude. When growth is completed the laterals 
ought to be gradually removed, taking care not to start the main buds, 
■0 as to insuie the thorough ripening of the wood. Afford water 
liberally, mulching and keeping the border moist, so as to encourage 
surface roots. Maintain a moist atmosphere by frequent sprinkling of 
available surfaces, and syringe the Vines on fine afternoons, closing 
early to attain a heat of 90° to 95°. Ventilate freely through the early 
part of the day to insure a short-jointed thoroughly solidified growth. 
Vines in Pots for Larly Forcing, —Cut-back Vines that were started 
early will have completed their growth, and will need to have the 
supplies of moisture lessened, discontinuing syringing and moderating 
the supply of water at the roots. Admit air freely, and afford all the 
light practicable to the principal foliage. If the canes do not ripen 
well keep through the day at 85° to 95° by moderating the ventilation 
and admit air freely at night. 
Cucumbers. —By husbanding the sun heat and early closing th^ 
night temperature may be prevented falling below 65° at night, when 
fire heat may be dispensed with. The plants should be gone over twice 
a week for stopping and thinning the growths, well thinning the old 
and training young shoots in their place, avoiding crowding and over¬ 
cropping as great evils. Apply liquid manure copiously twice a week, 
and occasional top-dressings of lumpy loam, with a few sweetened horse 
droppings, being careful not to overdo the latter, or the foliage will be 
injured. Syringe on clear days in the afternoon only, but maintain a 
good moisture by damping surfaces in the house as they become dry. 
Morning syringing is often a cause of much injury to the foliage, and if 
practised must be early. Shade only to prevent flagging, and be careful 
to provide it promptly on bright weather succeeding a dull period. 
Ventilate early, but avoid cold draughts, never admitting air in such a 
volume as to lower the temperature. Keep it through the day at 75° to 
90°, as the force of the solar heat dictates. In bright weather between 
80° and 90° should prevail in the house between 8 A.M. and 6 p.m. 
Close early, so as to increase to 90° to 95°, and admit a little air before 
nightfall, as a safeguard against condensed moisture, increasing it from 
seven to eight o’clock on fine mornings. 
Pits and Frames. —Night coverings will hardly be necessary now, 
but if put on it should not be until the sun leaves the frames, and they 
should be withdrawn early in the morning. Ventilate at 75°, and 
increase with the sun’s elevation, keeping through the day at 80° to 90°, 
closing at 3 to 4 P.M., then syringe, and after being closed for an hour 
or two admit a little air at the back of the lights to allow of any pent-up 
moisture escaping. Supply liquid manure occasionally, but keep it from 
the foliage and fruit, and let ft be weak and tepid. Remove unhealthy 
leaves as well as exhausted growths, thinning the shoots once a week, 
and stopping the young growths one or two joints beyond the fruit. 
When the plants are enfeebled by bearing top-dress with lumpy loam, 
and layer some of the younger growths at a joint, from which fresh roots 
will be emitted and strengthen the succeeding growths. 
A few seeds may now be sown for late summer and early autumn 
supply of fruit. They will germinate, and the seedlings be fit to plant 
out in about a month. The plants succeed admirably in frames with 
bottom heat and with linings as the weather becomes cold and night 
coverings, they will supply good fruit until November or later. 
Pines. — Potting Sucliers from Early Fruited Plants. —Early sorts 
started at the beginning of the year for fruiting will now have ripened 
their fruits, and the late varieties will be so advanced as to admit of 
their being removed to a vinery or other house rather cool and dry, 
which will prolong the season and admit of the successional plants being 
afforded more room and light to induce a sturdy habit. The suckers 
from the early forced plants should be taken off without delay, potting 
them in fibrous loam, rammed firmly into the pots and around the base 
of the suckers, watering at once if the soil be dry, having in readiness a 
bed of fermenting materials, at a temperature of about 90°, at the base 
of the pots to plunge them in. They root most satisfactorily in a close 
moist pit, shading until that is effected. In plunging bring the material 
over the surface of the pots, so as to prevent the soil becoming dry near 
the top, the soil then having sufficient moisture until the suckers have 
rooted, especially if properly shaded from bright sun, and ventilated 
moderately at 85°. Do not subject the suckers to over-strong bottom 
heat. Beds that had a supply of fresh material in the spring will 
not require any now. They may, however, with advantage be turned to 
a depth of 20 to 24 inches, but those that had not a renewal of the 
material in spring should have an addition of about a foot of new tan 
mixed with the old to a depth of 18 inches, avoiding if possible the 
making of new beds ; but if it be necessary, 24 inches in depth of new 
tan will afford all the heat required for the suckers. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Watering- and IVXulcblng. —After a showery month there ought 
to be sufficient moisture left in well-cultivaled ground to meet all the 
requirements of Zonal Pelargoniums, Petunias, Ageratums, Iresines, and 
such like, and to be constantly drenching these with cold water would 
be a mistake. Tuberous Begonias, Violas, Verbenas, Calceolarias, and 
Dahlias, however, are essentially moisture-loving plants, and these pay 
well for being kept moist at the roots. In these cases again there is no 
necessity to very frequently water them. The better plan would be to 
give a good watering some evening before the ground becomes quite dry, 
or else to water for two evenings in succession, afterwards stirring the 
surface of the soil with a Dutch hoe, and then mulching with either 
fine well-decayed manure, leaf soil, cocoa-nut fibre, or even grass from 
the mowing machine. 
Staking Flowering Plants.— Where stakes are necessary these 
ought always to be given before the flower stems are far advanced, and 
before the plants have a chance of falling about the ground. If staking 
is long delayed it is scarcely possible to support the plants in a manner 
to avoid a bundled-up appearance, whereas every stem should be early 
supported, and the branches, if any, be allowed to spread out naturally. 
There ought to be no making a single stake, and one, or at the most 
two, strips of raffia answer for a mass of growths, more especially in 
the case of herbaceous plants ; but there should be divisions made, and 
three or more stakes used, and in any case avoid drawing the stems 
together, only to bulge out above and below. See that the ties do not 
prevent the flower spikes of Gladioli growing up straightly, and let the 
Dahlia stakes be both tall enough and stout enough to do good service. 
Sub-tropical Plants.— Where there are considerable numbers of 
large Palms, Cordylines, Phormiums, and such like in the conservatories 
some at least of them might well be utilised for the beautification of the 
pleasure grounds. In the houses they would be scarcely noticed at this 
time of the year, whereas if a few well grown specimens were plunged 
singly in various shady sheltered nooks they would prove very effective, 
and, if properly supplied with water, sustain no injury. It is not a bank 
grouped greenhouse fashion that is wanted, but rather something lighter 
and more natural. Flowering plants might also be used, notably 
Fuchsias, Heliotropes, Erythrinas, Agapanthuses, and large Zonal 
Pelargoniums, only in this case the positions assigned them must not be 
too shady. Any of these look well plunged in the turf, but they must be 
kept well supplied with water and liquid manure. 
Antirrhinums. —These are remarkably fine this season, and will be 
gay for some time longer. The dwarf bedding varieties, notably the 
pure white form, should have all flower spikes cut off directly they 
become shabby, allowing the seed to mature being a sure way to prevent 
the side shoots flowering. Keep all seed pods gathered or cut off, 
and a succession, probably a profusion, of flowers will be given till 
severe fros’s intervene. The white bedding form comes quite true and 
is best from seed, but those who prefer to save their own seed must 
keep the plants that are to produce it well away from any coloured 
varieties. 
Anemones. —Most of the tuberous-rooted species are best raised 
from seed, and it is not yet too late to sow. Make the surface soil quite 
fine, open shallow drills 6 inches apart, gently moisten, then sow the 
seed thinly, and cover with a little fine sandy soil. Weeds must be kept 
down, and all the further trouble that need be taken is to thin out the 
seedlings to 6 inches or rather less apart. Anemone seed does not 
germinate very quickly. 
Campanulas. —Any or all of the perennial varieties may yet be 
sown. The seeds are more likely to germinate quickly and strongly if 
sown in boxes, pans, or hand-lights set in a somewhat shady position and 
well looked after. Failing these conveniences sow on a light well- 
