712 
THE GARDENING WORLD- 
July 10, 1897. 
hints for mmateurs. 
Grapes Ripening.— Those amateurs who go in for a 
little Grape growing, and force their vines gently, 
may generally reckon upon getting ripe fruit about 
the middle of July without very much trouble. 
Such varieties as Foster’s SeedliDg for a white, and 
Hamburgh for a black, may be depended upon to 
give a good account of themselves year after year if 
treated fairly well. Now while there are many 
amateurs that look after their vines capitally in the 
earlier stages, and whose methods of cultivation are 
good and workmanlike, and would compare favour¬ 
ably with professionals, there is a good deal of rather 
haphazard treatment given the vines during the time 
when the fruit is ripening. Now we would not for a 
moment suggest that amateurs are the only sinners, 
for, truth to tell, there are not a few professional 
growers who during the ripening of the fruit treat 
the poor vines in a highly irrational and un¬ 
enlightened sort of way. First and foremost we 
allude, of course, to that pernicious plan of drying 
off. The practice is certainly dying out, but it is 
not by any means dead yet. 
That starving the vines for water is not the way 
either to obtain the best flavoured fruit, or to main¬ 
tain the vines in a state of health and vigour for 
many years, a few moments consideration will prove- 
All through the earlier stages and right up to the 
time when the berries commence to show colour the 
root action of the vines is stimulated by every means 
in the cultivator's power. Clear water and liquid 
manure are given freely, and as a consequence the 
borders in which healthy vines are growing are full 
of young absorbing roots. But the berries com¬ 
mence to colour, and the supply of water is cut 
short : what is the result ? First of all many of the 
young absorbing roots die, and those that do not die 
are crippled, so that the vines are bound to receive a 
check that cannot fail to be serious. 
This is what is really done in scores of vineries 
year by year, and yet people wonder why their vines 
soon become worn out. 
Having pointed out the evils attendant upon the 
drying off system it is now necessary to say what 
should be done in order to obtain j'uicy well-flavoured 
fruit, and at the same time insure the safety and 
well-being of the vines. 
Whilst the fruit is ripening less water will be 
required at the root, and in the later stages of ripen¬ 
ing liquid manure should not be given at all, but 
only clear water. This should still be applied in 
sufficient quantities to thoroughly soak the border. 
Choose the forenoon of a dry day for watering, as this 
allows of a greater part of the moisture being dissi¬ 
pated before nightfall. At this time of the year it will 
not be necessary to add warm water to the contents 
of the tanks in order to raise the temperature, but all 
water used should be exposed for a while previously 
to the sun and air. Water taken from wells and 
underground tanks will still be cold, and would do 
damage. 
During what may be termed the growing period 
the house has been kept comparatively close, and 
the air heavily charged with moisture. As soon as 
colour is observed in the berries these conditions 
must be modified to a considerable extent. The 
atmosphere of the house must be drier, and in order 
to effect this change dampings down must cease 
entirely. More air too, both by top and bottom ven¬ 
tilators must be given. An ideal state of affairs is a 
hot day with a gentle breeze passing through the 
house and causing the leaves to rustle gently. 
In many cases, it may really be said in most, the 
vinery is something of a greenhouse as well, that is 
to say it is fitted up with stages upon which pot 
plants are placed. Ferns, for instance, do capitally 
in a vinery, the moisture and shade is just what they 
revel in. It will now be too dry and arid in the 
vinery for these, however, and they should, there¬ 
fore, be shifted to other quarters with the least 
possible delay. 
Shading Yines.—Generally speaking, vines do not 
need to be shaded from the sun, but at this time of 
the year the sun occasionally proves too strong for 
them, and causes the growths to flag. This is 
especially the case when we get a very bright hot 
day after a few dull days. When flagging is 
observed the best thing to do is to spread Tiffany 
over the whole of the house so as to check the rapid 
transpiration of water that is causing the mischief. 
The border may then be examined, and if it is at all 
dry clear water, not liquid manure, may be given. 
This contingency of flagging vines may not have 
occurred in the experience of many amateurs, but 
during the present spell of very bright weather it 
may well do so, and forewarned will be forearmed. 
Gathering Peaches.—The majority of people if 
asked if they knew the way to gather ripe Peaches 
would probably say ‘yes ! if they had the chance " ; 
but all the same the chances are that they do not 
possess the requisite knowledge. Everybody knows 
how soft and easily bruised a fruit a Peach is, but it is 
not everybody that thinks of this when assaying the 
ripeness of the fruits. To catch hold of them and give 
them a squeeze to see if they are soft seems to be the 
easiest, and, at the same time, the most natural thing 
to do ; but woe betides the poor Peach that is thus 
treated. Every fingermark shows, and in a few 
hours the appearance of what was once a good fruit 
is totally spoiled. Now there is a way to gather 
Peaches, and to try if they are fit for gathering, that 
does not expose the fruit to these dangers, and every 
amateur should know it. In trying any fruit let it 
lie loosely in the palm of the hand, then clasp it 
round gently with the fingers, the tips of the fingers 
and thumb pressing gently on the base of the fruit 
near to the footstalk. Here the pulp is comparatively 
hard until the last stages of maturation are reached, 
consequently there is less danger of a bruise being 
inflicted here than anywhere else. Grasping the fruit 
thus, a gentle sideward pressure, which does not 
bruise the pulp because it is distributed over a large 
area of the surface, will determine whether it is fit fcr 
gathering or not. If it is, it will leave its stalk 
readily. All the fruits should be stood on their bases 
in such a way that they are not in contact with each 
other. Before taking them totable the flavour is much 
improved if the fruits are stood for a few hours on a 
shelf exposed to the sun, but, of course, shielded from 
birds and other two-legged but unfeathered 
marauders. Thoroughly ripe fruit fresh plucked 
from the tree, with the pulp quite warm from the 
sun's rays has, however, yet to be beaten for juicy- 
ness and exquisite flavour. 
Nets for Peach Trees.—When the fruit begits to 
ripen not a few cultivators proceed to suspend nets 
below the trees with a view to catching falling fruit 
and preventing it from bruisiDg by the fall. The 
remedy, however, is nearly as bad as that which it is 
meant to cure. The nets, although they may be 
adjusted very carefully and evenly, soon take the 
form of a number of bags or pockets. Into one of 
these pockets perhaps two or three fruits fail, and 
rolling down crash against each other at the bottom, 
the impact being quite sufficient to bruise them 
badly. Another plan is to cover the border with a 
good layer of hay to break the shock of the fall. This 
certainly is better than the nets, but it is far from 
being a perfect device, for after such a drop a fruit is 
scarcely in fit condition to be sent to table. The 
best plan, therefore, is to go over the trees each day 
and pluck the ripe fruits. Hay may well be laid 
down in addition to catch any that may be missed, 
for if it does no other good it will act like a mulching 
to the border and help to keep it moist. 
Watering Peaches.—With Peach trees, as with 
Vines, far too many people take it for granted that 
the moment a certain stage of ripeness of the fruit is 
reached, water may be entirely dispensed with. If 
the roots of Peach trees, like Rip Van Winkle could 
go to sleep for an indefinite period during which they 
need no nourishment, this would be all very well; 
but unfortunately for them it is not so. Water they 
must have, and if they are not supplied with it, then 
they must suffer ia proportion to the severity of the 
curtailment. The remarks made above concerning 
Vines may be applied io Peaches with equal force, 
and we should advise all our readers to take them 
well to heart and act upon them, and we shall then 
bear fewer complaints of Vines and Peaches so 
quickly lapsing into old age.— Rex. 
-- 
Sub rosa.—At some of the convivial meetings of 
the ancients a white Rose was suspended from the 
centre of the ceiling in order to indicate that what¬ 
ever took place in that room was confidential. 
Hence the word sub-rosa, so commonly used in 
modern English. 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
A nyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
"Amateurs’ Page ” on the top of their letters. 
Dividing Yiolets.— G. B. : You are very late in 
splitting up your Violets. Lose no time in getting 
them done, or the young plants will not have time to 
make any headway. Dibble the young plants out on 
a border facing either to the north or to the east, the 
latter preferably. In such a position they will be 
shaded from the hottest sun and will scon make a 
start. Keep them well watered if the weather prove 
dry, for you cannot afford to lose any more time. 
Show Pelargoniums.— W. Whitt: After the plants 
have got shabby as you say yours have, there is 
nothing to be gained by keeping them in the green¬ 
house, as they only prove a happy breeding ground 
for green fly. Turn them out of doors and stand 
them in a sunny part of the yard. Here they may 
be watered as required. Pruning may "be conducted 
when the wood is fairly hard and well matured, 
which will be towards the end of the present month, 
Gladiolas CoiYillei.—I have several 32 pots filled 
with this charming Gladiolus. They have bloomed 
well but have now quite died down. When shall I 
pot them up ? Shall I knock them out of the pots 
now? J. R: L. 
Leave them in their pots for the present, taking 
care to put them in a place where the rain cannot 
get at them. The corms may be potted up about the 
middle of August. 
Strawberry Layers.—In order to get plants to form 
a new bed next year, W. Tty, you may adopt one of two 
methods. The plan usuall^followed is to fill small 
60 sized pots with any soil that may be handy ; 
make it fairly firm and peg the runners down into 
the pots. Some growers prefer to let the runners 
root in the soil as they list, and lift them when well 
rooted, afterwards transferring them to their perma¬ 
nent quarters. The former plan is rather the handier 
of the two, although it is claimed for the latter that 
the plants do not receive any check and grow away 
very strongly. 
Vegetable Marrows.— C. Sharpe : We should say 
that is not at all a common practice to thin the 
growths of Vegetable Marrows, as the plants are 
allowed to grow as they please in most places. You 
will obtain finer specimens, however, by removing 
some of the weaker growths, and taking the points 
out of the stronger ones. For obtaining show 
Marrows you cannot do better than resort to this 
plan. 
Asplenium bulbiferum.—I have some plants of 
this Fern which were potted from large 6o’s into 4.8- 
sized pots in March. They have grown vigorously 
and their roots are coming through the hole of the 
pot at the bottom. Will the plants require to be 
potted again this year or not ?— Reader. 
If the plants have well filled the pots with roots, 
another shift may do them good. If given within 
the next month or six weeks, they will have time to 
fill the new pots also, and will thus be in a condition 
to pass through the winter safely. We do not advise 
potting Ferns late in the season, as a lot of cold soil 
about the roots during winter is apt to prove fatal. 
Laying Turf.— T. Menzies .—It is too late in the 
season to lay turf, as we now expect hot weather in 
long continued spells, and this would not suit the 
turf. Wait until September, when there will be a 
better chance of rain and heavy dews to assist 
growth. 
Pinks.—Blease tell me how to propagate these, 
whether by cuttings or layers F. Ashgood. As the 
Pinks are usually to be met with in thick clumps 
layering is rather difficult of performance. Cuttings 
root fairly easily. They may be taken about the 
middle of July, and inserted in small well-drained 
pots filled with light sandy soil. Cover them with 
handlights, shade, and keep them cool. From 60% 
to 70% would be a good proporition of rooted plants 
to cuttings. 
