September 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
325 
in looking upon the formation of woody growth and 
fruitfulness as processes identical, whereas they are 
somewhat different. Hence we allow the runner of 
the strawberry and the lateral of the vine, under 
certain modifications, to remain, so as to secure a 
vigorous root action, while the fruit is setting, swell¬ 
ing, and ripening; and vve gradually remove one and 
the other when these processes are accomplished: not 
because we believe that such removal will add to the 
luxuriance of the woody matter contained either in 
the strawberry-plant or the vine, and thus produce 
stronger plants and stronger wood, but because we 
believe that the juices raised by the vigorous root 
action will be gradually lessened in their quantity by 
the check given by the reduction of the evaporating 
surface; and thus, though the leaves left will at first 
be supplied with more than their usual quantity, 
which of itself will be no disadvantage, the even 
balance will ere long be restored ; while thus the 
juices raised will be more highly elaborated, and the 
secretions formed rendered more mature, by each re¬ 
maining principal leaf being more exposed to sun, 
heat, and air, than otherwise it could have been. 
Vines in Pots. —We might leave these statements 
as guides to T. W., and other correspondents, hi their 
treatment of young vines in pots. Those growing 
where they have had no fire heat, unless already 
they are well ripened, should have some artificial heat 
forthwith applied, in unison with plenty of air, and 
every ray of sun that can reach them. The growth 
of vines in particular, and other fruit-trees in general 
in pots, is very interesting; but the chief utility of 
the system consists in getting them to produce early 
when it would not be advisable to start the main 
crops. For this purpose the vines should be well ma¬ 
tured, the eyes plump, and the wood firm. If, how¬ 
ever, as we suspect, the growing system is still going 
on, he must exchange it gradually for the maturing, 
by removing laterals, and disbudding, and giving less 
and less water, so that before long he may move his 
plants to a north wall, and from thence, when the 
leaves have all fallen, they may be transferred to the 
passage of an ice-house or any other very cool place, 
as all deciduous plants like repose before being sti¬ 
mulated into action. 
If the young shoots are long, say from three to four 
yards or more, it is desirable to concentrate as much 
as possible of the elaborated juices at the lower end 
of the shoot, say from a yard to a yard and a half in 
length ; and for this purpose all the buds beyond may 
be gradually removed, beginning at the termination 
of the shoot, and retaining all the leaves. The dis¬ 
budded part may be afterwards removed at the winter 
pruning, but its retainment before the new foliage 
expanded, especially in early forcing, we consider 
would be rather advantageous, though to some its 
presence would look slovenly and unsightly, and 
would be described by others as highly unphiloso- 
phical. When T. W. starts his vines they will thank 
him for a gentle moist heat from fermenting sub¬ 
stances, but he will not think of doing that for some 
time to come. For such modes of growing vines, the 
plants may be raised from pieces of the wood con¬ 
taining a single bud, at the expense and trouble of 
frequent shifting until they are placed in their fruit¬ 
ing pots ; or they may be raised from large pieces of 
the wood containing a bud or two, according to the 
coiling system of Mr. Mearns. Those who think of 
trying that method had better preserve some of the 
best pieces from the pruning of their vines in winter, 
placing them in dry earth to preserve their vitality, 
and in due time full information will be given for 
rearing plants by both systems, so as tq secure future 
and early fruitfulness. R. Fish. 
THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Mushroom Beds should now be made for produc¬ 
ing the winter supply. Take care for this purpose 
to make use of moderately dry materials, such as 
horse and cow droppings, which must be well mixed, 
and incorporated with some good loam, to prevent 
the beds burning or becoming too dry for the spawn 
to work in, which sometimes happens if the mate¬ 
rials are not at first well and systematically mixed 
together. If a gentle warmth is maintained and 
good spawn secured, the quantity of mushrooms of 
fine quality which a bed of moderate dimensions will 
produce is surprising. The bed should also be cased 
with good sweet loam, about two inches thick. 
Cardoons. —A portion of the strongest plants 
should now be bandaged up with liay-bands, &c., to 
bleach them. 
Carrots should be sown now on warm borders, to 
stand the winter, for producing young carrots in the 
early spring. 
Potatoes should be taken up and stored away 
now on dry days, as, if stored in wet weather, they 
are liable to more excessive fermentation. 
Routine Management. —Continue to stir and sur¬ 
face-hoe all growing crops whilst the weather is fa¬ 
vourable. Manure and trench all spare ground, and 
fill all vacant spots with anything likely to be useful 
for the late winter or early spring months. Nothing 
more profitoble can be planted for this purpose than 
strong coleworts, the best kinds of cabbage, and 
bulbs of the Swede turnip. 
Winter Spinach should now have its final thin¬ 
ning, and the ground be kept well stirred about it. 
Turnips and Weeds grow fast at this season. It 
is a good plan to go over the turnip quarters with 
the hand and thin them out regularly, leaving the 
crop from seven to nine inches distant from each 
other, taking all the pulled-up weeds and turnips 
either to the pigstye, weed-corner, or to some other 
quarter which is shortly to be dug in. After this 
thinning and hand-weeding is done, take the draw- 
lioe and stir the earth carefully without injuring the 
leaves. The above will be found a clean, tidy way 
of doing the work at this season of the year, when 
we are often having showers. It may take a little 
longer time, but this will be amply made up, because 
work well done is twice done. 
The Rake should not be a leading tool in the kit¬ 
chen-garden, but it will be found useful occasionally 
at this season just to lightly catch up the principal 
weeds in some quarters, walks, and garden paths, 
between seed-beds, pricked out seedlings, &c. Let 
all such refuse be taken away to some other quarter 
to be dug or trenched in with other manure. 
Cucumbers and Melons. —Give particular atten¬ 
tion to the directions given last week. 
Onions. —Take the advantage of all dry days and 
windy weather to take up the onions that may be 
ready but are still on the ground. They may be dried 
off" on boards in open airy sheds, or open airy lofts, 
and such like places, to be looked over again on 
rainy days, ancl, when perfectly dry, to be stored 
away in their proper places. 
Celery. —Take the digging fork and break up the 
ground thoroughly and finely; then let it stand for 
an hour or two to dry, after which go along the rows 
with the hand and chaw up the leaves together, press- 
