OB 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[November 14. 
vigorous root-action—which will produce a hard cane, 
with plump eyes or heads, and, we may add, a potful 
of healthful roots. 
Whilst speaking of preparatory courses, let us name 
the “ rest period.” We much fear that small gardeners 
do not fully appreciate the importance of this; for 
we have seen pot vines—at least, those intended for 
forcing—standing behind sheds or outhouses, unplunged 
and unprotected in any respect. Now, this is very had 
gardening indeed. It should be borne in mind, that 
in such a situation there is every probability of the soil 
becoming “ soured,” as practical men term it; that is, 
having been denied the mellowing and revivifying in¬ 
fluences of the atmosphere through stagnation in the 
soil, it becomes closed up in all those interstices or 
breathing places, which it is the aim of every good cul¬ 
tivator to preserve in an open state. Unless a special 
provision is made the worms will enter, and by produc¬ 
ing the effects before-described, the whole volume of the 
roots will become corroded; and, indeed, many of the 
finer fibres totally destroyed. And although the vine, like 
the willow, is ever ready to renew its roots under favour¬ 
able circumstances, yet it is of immense importance to 
commence forcing with a good potful of sound roots; 
inasmuch as one of the fundamental principles of suc¬ 
cessful forcing in this and, indeed, all other fruits is, that 
the root be slightly in advance of the top. 
Another serious evil attends neglect of this kind: a 
plant in a pot unplunged is exposed to double or treble 
the amount of frost that one jflunged or growing in the 
natural soil is liable to. This will appear obvious, 
when it is considered that the ordinary or rather average 
ground heat is nearly always in advance of the atmo- 
sphere by a few degrees; and, moreover, that during 
very intense frosts, whilst the thermometer in the air 
may indicate twenty degrees of frost, one plunged a foot 
deep in the soil would not probably show above three or 
four degrees. Such are important facts, and should 
teach the amateur a lesson, not only with regard to his 
vines, but to every other plant in a pot—even an ordinary 
evergreen or shrub. Thus much for general principles 
and for prejiaratory matters, we may now pass on to 
details. 
The whole process of forcing pot vines may be divided 
into four distinct periods, each of which has something 
peculiar to be noted; not only with regard to tempera¬ 
ture, but also atmospheric moisture and ventilation ; 
they may be characterized thus:— 
1. The Breaking Period. 
2. The Setting Period. 
3. The Swelling-off Period. 
4. The Ripening Period. 
Before, however, proceeding farther, we may remark 
on the structure necessary or available. 
Were we to make choice of situations best adapted to 
carry out such nice proceedings, we shoidd prefer a pit 
or low house heated by fermented materials alone, up to 
the period when the “breaking” is fully completed; 
after which they would require the application of extra 
heat, which must, of course, be supplied by fire. Not 
that it is impossible to supply a necessary amount of 
heat by fermenting materials, but that, at or near- the 
period of blossoming, it becomes necessary to qualify 
an atmosphere charged with humidity by a change to 
what may be termed comparatively dry air, accompanied 
by a somewhat liberal circulation. During the first 
period much light is not essential, but as soon as the 
leaf begins to be developed, light becomes as necessary 
as heat; and by the time the leaf is unfolded, we must 
hear no talk of shade produced by trees overhead or 
otherwise : light is the very “ life and spirit ” of the vine. 
dhe structure adapted to the blossoming period will, 
indeed, also answer well for the swelling period, pro- 
i ided a heat can be guaranteed, under the most adverse 
circumstances, of 70° by day and 58° by night, indepen¬ 
dent of sunshine we mean. Added to this, there must 
be means available for sustaining a liberal amount of j 
atmospheric moisture; not that a damp air is always | 
to be in fashion, but, that by means of a liberal amount i 
of heat, and a proportionate amount of atmospheric j 
moisture, a free ventilation—minus cold draughts—may 
be daily made use of. Say what they will about cold 
currents, and some other horticultural scarecrows, there 
is nothing like fresh sweet air, at least in the case of 
fruits, where, in order to attain perfect maturity, every 
hour through the day should be adding growing matter 
to the system of the plant, for light alone would appear 
to be incomplete towards this end. “ Give us air, or we 
die,” is an axiom established by one of the best physiolo¬ 
gists of our day ; and let its echo, we say, resound 
through every bothy, stoke-hole, and gardener's hut in 
the kingdom ! 
As for the ripening period, everybody knows that a 
much drier air becomes absolutely necessary the moment 
the berries commence their last swelling and incline to 
the colouring process. The most liberal ventilation 
possible will be of the utmost service; indeed it becomes 
indispensable. In pursuance, then, of the course we 
chalked out for ourselves as to the order of the subjects, 
we may remark, that a mere pit, which could command 
75° of bottom-heat, would be the best place to start 
them in; and here they may remain plunged in the 
warm material until the bunches begin to appear, 
when, if no other source of heat exist in the pit, they 
must forthwith be removed to some house or roomy 
pit which can command 70° of atmospheric warmth. 
The common practice used to be, to place them on a 
back shelf over a back course of flues (generally the 
return flue), but in these days of hot water piping flues 
are almost out of date, and in many houses no piping 
exists at the back of the house. With due precautions 
as to protecting the sides of the pots from sudden dryness, 
these back flues were almost everything that could be 
desired, inasmuch as, from their being placed nearly 
in contact with the flues’ surface, they possessed one of 
the great desiderata in vine culture—a bottom warmth 
slightly in advance of that of the atmosphere. In whatever 
situation they are placed, there must be no obstruction 
overhead, for they must have all the light possible, and, 
moreover, a liberal amount of room to expand a good 
quantity of foliage to the light. 
We will now wind up our observations on this head 
by offering a few remarks on the mere routine matters, 
commencing with 
The First Introduction of the Pots. —In the first place, 
if the pruning has not been done, let them be cut back 
to as many eyes as appear sound and plump. About 
three or four feet is sufficient fora strong cane; those 
with less pretensions may be taken back to about four 
or five eyes. The only maxim in pruning is, to prune 
short enough ; that is to say, provided those eyes which 
are left can be relied on, for the less space the sap has 
to travel through, the less expenditure of its powers; 
therefore, no definite length need be assigned to them 
in pruning. As soon as pruned, apply a patch of thick 
white lead (such as used for making white paint) on 
every pruned end. This will prevent the possibility of 
bleeding, which they are apt to do on being introduced 
to heat, especially if powerful young vines possessing 
capital roots. By-the-bye, speaking of roots, reminds 
us that such should be examined when the plants are 
preparing for their course of forcing; the drainage, espe¬ 
cially, should be carefully examined, and if disarranged, 
should be made safe. All the loose or decayed soil may 
be, at the same time, discharged from the surface of the 
pots, and replaced with a good top-dressing, composed 
of equal parts turfy loam, of some age, and rich manure. 
The plants must now have a dressing applied to the 
