1871. ] 
GARDEN NOTES FOR NOVEMBER. 
249 
plants in a healthy state through the dark months of winter. To have Grapes 
ripe in April, forcing should at once be commenced. Fork over the surface of 
the inside borders, and give them a good soaking of water, the outside borders 
being covered with fermenting materials. Give air freely on fine days, and com¬ 
mence with a low temperature ; the night temperature should not exceed 50° 
until the buds break, when it may be gradually raised to 55° ; an increase of 
from 15° to 20° may be allowed on bright sunny days; and by fire-heat 8° to 
10° above the night temperature. Keep all houses containing ripe Grapes cool 
and dry, and remove all decaying leaves off the vines; this, by allowing the air 
to circulate more freely around the grapes, will tend to their preservation. The 
trees in the early peach house should have all the air possible given them in mild 
weather, but as the buds will now become prominent, the lights should be closed 
in frosty weather. The trees in the late houses may be pruned, cleaned, dressed, 
and tied down in wet weather, when the men cannot work out-of-doors. Fig trees 
must on no account be exposed to the frost, as it is of the utmost importance to 
keep the embryo Figs from injury. Strawberry plants will now have done grow¬ 
ing, and should be put into winter quarters ; a sufficient number of plants for the 
first two or three batches for forcing may be put into a cold pit or vinery, if at 
liberty ; but where a large number are forced, it is not in general possible to find 
space for them under glass. A safe and excellent plan of wintering them, is to 
stack them up in ridges of five or six pots deep; thatching the tops of the ridges 
with straw to throw off the rain and snow, and in frosty weather placing hurdles 
in front and covering them with long litter; by this plan the roots and crowns 
are protected from injury. 
Immediately after the leaves have fallen commence the pruning of Hardy 
Fruit trees. It is a very general practice to leave all or most of the pruning until 
spring, but as I consider autumn preferable for pruning, I strongly recommend 
getting as much of it done in the autumn as possible. When there is a deal of pruning 
to get through, and it is left until spring, it not unfrequently happens that it does 
not all get properly done at that season, and the result in general is, that after 
a few years the trees get crowded with spurs and wood, and the fruit is of 
inferior quality. Figs should be well protected before the frost sets in. The 
instructions given for planting last month will serve for November, and most of 
the operations then recommended may still be performed. Keep the Fruit-room 
cool and dry. Look frequently over the fruit, and pick out any that are decaying. 
Great care should now be taken that all tender plants that have completed 
their growth be kept free from excitement during the short dull days and long 
cold nights of this month. Give air liberally in the forenoon on fine days, but 
as frost sometimes comes unexpectedly at this time of the year, be careful to shut 
up early in the afternoon. The more tender Hard-wooded plants should always, 
when wintered in the same house with the more hardy ones, as Camellias , Heaths , 
&c., be placed in the warmest part of the house. Pelargoniums , Cinerarias , 
