August 28.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
331 
those elaborations proceed, which feed not only the 
fruit, but the buds from which the ensuing year’s fruit 
must be expected. 
Since, then, our English summers are not all that 
could be desired, it is evident that no spray should be 
permitted to shade the principal leaves : this is the 
first point as to tire acceleration of the crop, and should 
be rigidly adhered to all the summer, more especially 
when the berries are about to take their last swelling. 
All such (if not hitherto done) should be pinched back, 
or in mauy cases totally removed, for from the beginning 
of August the sun should not only shine on the foliage 
before alluded to, but on the wall behind. The shining 
on the wall is a point too little attended to, as to fruit- 
trees in general; we lay the utmost stress on it, and to 
that end train our main shoots of many fruits farther 
apart than many do. Some people seem to think that 
the more wood they can reserve of a fruitful appearance 
the better, but it is not so by any means ; a little 
thoroughly-ripened wood is by far preferable to any 
amount that is immature. 
Next in importance at this period is the stopping the 
points of every terminal shoot; there is no benefit in 
the extension of such after the middle of August. All 
new growths, indeed, afterwards, as before observed, 
take from the tree what they cannot repay, and should 
by no means be encouraged. 
And now we may say something of the root manage¬ 
ment. The vine out-doors, in this country, will endure 
an amount of drought that would almost prove fatal to 
many tender fruits. Nevertheless, to endure and to require 
are two very different affairs. Perhaps the majority 
of out-door vines receive, in the aggregate, by far too 
much moisture, especially if their soils are of a retentive 
character, but this they should never be. Still, when the 
soil is light, the border or site somewhat elevated, and a 
dry period occurs during the end of July and early part 
of August, there is no doubt that one liberal watering 
with liquid-manure would be of much benefit, as en¬ 
abling the trees to swell their fruit freely, and asprevent¬ 
ing anything like a stationary condition in the tree. 
For although the spray must be kept pinched back, yet 
it is a necessary and healthful condition in vines to be 
constantly producing a slight amount of it. This 
argues a lively root-action, and guarantees that the 
primary leaves shall be well charged with sap for accre¬ 
tive purposes. 
Coverings. —These may be used for two purposes: 
the one to augment the amount of heat, the other simply 
to arrest its radiation. Of the first character is glass ; 
and the second includes any kind of non-transparent 
material, as canvas, bunting, &c., &c., to which may be 
added copings, as an adjunct. The immense advantage 
of the glass is so manifest as to need no further remark ; 
but one thought certainly does arise in the mind whilst 
advising the application of glass; why not so place it as 
that the owner can walk beneath its protection, and if 
he chooses, take the liberty of putting pots of choice 
plants beneath the fostering roof ? And here we come 
at once to a sort of greenhouse. Well, and if we do, 
there need be no alarm. The worst of it is, that a 
greenhouse sounds expensive to those who have not 
hitherto indulged in this luxury; they cannot separate 
from such things the idea of expensive fires, professional 
attendance, &c., &c. Now it should be understood, that 
these are not necessarily connected. Certainly, if the 
owner will have a collection of plants, selected on the 
score of novelty or beauty, without regard to their 
habits, he will generally entail on himself the extras 
alluded to. And many err this way simply for want of 
setting out with a more definite object. However, we 
| must of necessity reserve farther remarks this way for 
another paper, and keep close to the case in hand. 
In fitting up mere glass frames as a temporary expedient, 
there should by all means be a coping above and a sill 
beneath. The coping may project about nine inches, 
and the sill beneath to receive the sashes about four | 
feet; still this depends on their height, for just as much , 
as will provide head-room for the operator will suffice. 
This will be found much better than placing the sashes ! 
nearly close to the wall. Some ventilation will at times 
be necessary, and this we would effect by means of the 
coping. The latter, therefore, must be at liberty to 
move up and down, and may be placed in an inclining 
way: the outer edge overlapping by a few inches the 
rim of the lights at the top, in order that when tilted, or 
rather drawn up, at any given angle, hail storms or 
dashing rains may be excluded. The top or rim of the 
lights may be made to abut against blocks, fastened to 
the lace ot the wall, and then a pulley here and there, 
with a rope attached to the coping, which may rise in 
lengths on hinges, will work the whole with facility. 
Then, in giving air, a pull at the rope would raise the 
flap to any graduated height, and a fastening must be 
made accordingly at the lower end of the rope : this will 
ensure a certain and easy ventilation, and exclude hail 
and rain. As to the application of canvas or other 
materials to prevent radiation, and the starving effects 
of cold winds, such may be applied as for the blossom- 
protection in spring. A thick material would, we think, 
be desirable, one withal somewhat close in texture. 
This may be applied as soon as possible, and should be 
let down betimes in the evening; in fact, covering up the 
trees just before the sun left the wall, say about five 
p. m. during the present month, and at four during the 
succeeding one. It must be taken off the trees as early 
as possible in the morning, say five to six o’clock. On 
dull afternoons it need not be drawn over the trees until 
nearly dark, for its purpose then would be simply to 
ward off cold winds and the night dews; the latter of 
which hold no mean position as agents in the dissipation 
of heat. During very cold and stormy days, it might 
remain over the trees nearly or quite all day. 
Some persons may think the partial deprivation of 
light very injurious: in a trilling degree it is so, but 
this will be more than compensated for by the increase 
in the aggregate amount of heat, for the latter more 
than light is the thing wanting to the vine during the 
autumn months. By a close attention to these points, 
there is little doubt that nearly three weeks may be 
gained, and this is about the amount of time by which 
our climate falls short. 
It is almost superfluous to point to the eligibility of 
the spare sashes of frames, pits, or greenhouses ; where 
these are available they should at once be applied. All 
that is wanting is to contrive some apertures at the top 
for the escape of superfluous heat, and capable of being 
closed with facility in due time. Such apertures may 
be very small, for we are not quite sure that the vines 
would take much injury after the end of August, if no 
openings were provided. It is, however, a duty on our 
part to point to the possibility of such a thing. 
By-and-by we will endeavour to show forth a system, 
which shall be adapted to those amateurs who do not 
possess a greenhouse, and who could wish one set of 
frames to perform every purpose for which glass is 
required. R. Eriungton. 
THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 
Of all the new plants of this season which are suit¬ 
able for the flower-garden, there are two which I want 
particularly to recommend, one of them as an excellent 
tedder, the other for a border plant where a selection of 
mixed plants are kept; and every good flower-garden 
ought to have a “ mixed border,” as highly cultivated 
as the best beds. Phlox clepressa is the plant for a 
