April 11, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
311 
Fruits under Glass. 
Earliest Grapes.—Whether grown in pots or borders, these 
will, as the berries begin to change colour, require free ventila¬ 
tion bv day on every lavo-urable occasion, avoiding much front 
air until the weather gets more genial; but a chink of air at 
the apex of the house should be kept on day and night where 
such structures will allow it without the rain falling on the 
bunches. The use of manorial waterings should be discon¬ 
tinued ivhen the Grapes reach this stage, clear water only being 
applied when necessary, though do not allow anything like 
dryness-, to occur, or they will fail to finish properly. If ft is 
not objectionable, a, mulch of strawy litter on borders when 
reaching the ripening stage will materially lessen the water 
supply, an important item in many gardens. Sponge the leaves 
if red spider appears, using a little soft soap in it, though 
owing to such mild weather since Christmas hard forcing has 
not been necessary, which generally forebodes the above pest, 
especially if the foliage is very near the hot-water pipes. 
Successional.—Keep the thinning of the berries well in hand, 
or it ia well-nigh impossible to carry out the work without 
marking or damaging the berries that will form the bunch, 
especially with such free-setting varieties as Foster's Seedling 
and Alicante, which so soon get crowded unless thinning com¬ 
mences within a very few days after the berries are set. Some 
gardeners make one thinning suffice, but I prefer to go over 
the bunches a second time, with the idea better-shaped bunches 
are the result. If the borders were watered just before the 
Vines come into flower the first- thinning can usually be done, 
and then an application of diluted manure water put on at 
about 7b deg. or 80 deg., which will suffice until the final 
thinning of the hemes lias been effected. Do not leave more 
than one: bunch on a lateral, and should there be two shoots 
from the same spur it is best to allow one only to carry fruit, 
and keep all sub-laterals pinched at the first leaf unless re¬ 
quired to* furnish the trellis. Vines in flower need a tempera¬ 
ture of 65 deg. during the night, dropping to- 60 deg. as soon 
as set until warmer weather sets in, when an extra 5 deg. will 
do no harm. Let- the day temperature range from 70 deg. to 
85 deg., according to external condition of the weather, only 
reaching the higher limit with full ventilation, closing about, 
2.30 p.m. on bright days. 
Muscat Vines should be given 5 deg. higher temperature 
than most other varieties of Grapes, specially during the flower¬ 
ing period, and do not rely upon tapping the rods, about mid¬ 
day to distribute the pollen as with Hamburghs, but lightly 
to-uch over each bunch with a camel-hair brush, bringing in 
foreign pollen on a sheet of glass if the Muscat bunches appear 
1 deficient of pollen, and avoid damping of border or walks until 
this artificial fertilisation has been carried out each day. Do 
not be in too great a. hurry to begin thinning the berries in 
case of imperfect setting. A practical' eye, though, can soon 
see which these are. 
I Melons. —Plants from seed sown in January and duly cared 
for will have fruit swelling away by this date, and will require 
some kind of support,- either with strands* of raffia-nets or inch- 
square pieces of board, track, having a smalt hole each co-rner 
for the string, or copper wire for fastening to the trellis, and 
a round hole in the- centre 1 in. in diameter for the escape of 
any exc-tss of moisture. I prefer these boards, as they keep 
the fruit in position, and are easily examined and last for years 
if stored away in a dry place when the season is over. Feed 
the plants twice weekly, avoid watering too near the base of 
items or too heavy syringings near that part, or canker is apt 
:o set in. Rubbing the affected parts with fresh slaked lime 
is the best remedy for this. Attend to the training, etc., of 
succession crops, and afford a night temperature about 70 deg., 
rclvancing to 85 deg. with sun-heat, closing about 3 p.m. 
flake another planting according to demand, and shade for a 
*o*uple of days, if found necessary, but after once established 
flelons will withstand full sunshine. James Mayne. 
Bictou, Devonshire. 
The Stove and Greenhouse. 
Climbers. — For adding to the effectiveness of the plant 
houses, climbers play a, very important part, and,.provided a 
careful selection is made when planting not to introduce those 
of too rampant growth into the structure, and by keeping them 
Pruned back, they will not harm the plants growing beneath. 
At this time established plants will be* growing freely, and 
they will need frequent attention to tying in the* growth, but 
this must not be done too- stiffly, or the plant’s natural beauty 
will be lost. 
Stove climbers- suitable for planting in small houses are 
Allamanda, Glorio-sa, superba, Clerodendron balfouriana, 
Iponmeas', Cissus discolor, Asparagus plumosus, Ficus repens, 
and Bougainvillea glabra. Greenhouse climbers of medium 
growt h are Fuchsias in variety, La.p-ageria, Mandevillea suaveo- 
lens-, Plumbago, white and blue, Cassia corymbosa, Clematis 
indivisa, and Tro-paedums. 
Bouvardias. —Prune the old plants, cutting back the shoots 
made last year to within an inch of the previous year's wood, 
turn out the plants and shake most of the old worn-out soil 
from them, and repot in as small pots as the roots can 
conveniently be got into. A suitable compost is one- consisting 
of equal parts loam, leaf-soil, and well decomposed manure, 
with a few shovels of sharp sand. Pass the whole through a 
ij-in. sieve and use in a moist but not wet state. Place the 
plants when potted in a warm and humid house, and keep 
well syringed. They will soon make new growths, and when 
these attain 2 in. they may be taken off with a heel of old 
wood and inserted in light sandy soil and plunge-d in a 
Cucumber frame, or similar warm and close structure. Pot 
on as they require it and give liberal treatment throughout the 
summer and early autumn. I am no advocate for coddling 
Bouvardias- in hothouses ; on the other hand, as soon as they 
have become thoroughly established in spring they should be 
removed to cold frames until the nights become frosty in 
autumn, or in salubrious districts they may he planted out on 
a warm border for the summer, and lifted in early autumn 
and potted up. 
Achimenes. —These quaint flowering subjects- are not now 
grown so extensively as their merits deserve. They are well 
adapted for growing in pots, pans, or baskets, and, when 
established and showing blossoms, they will withstand a long 
sojourn in the cool greenhouse or conservatory without harm. 
Equal parts of peat, leaf-s-oil, lo-am and decayed manure passed 
through a, 4-in. sieve, and adding some road or river-sand to 
make the whole porous, will suit, the Achimenes well. Lay the 
conns on the surface of the soil, and cover with ?, in. of fine 
soil and water in with tepid water. Keep near the roof-glass 
in the stove, and when the growths attain 4 in. or 5 in., support 
them with slight stakes. 
General Remarks. —Propagation of all kinds of stove plants 
of which it is desired to increase the stock should be followed 
up closely, in order that they may become well rooted before 
veiy hot weather prevails. 
The conservatory should at this time lie very gay with a 
variety of forced subjects, and as other plants are now coming 
into flower more quickly through the lengthening of the days 
and increased sun there-will be more necessity for rearranging 
the structure more frequently. K. M. 
Notes on Hardy Herbaceous Plants, 
Summer flowering Chrysanthemums —During the closing 
daj r s of summer, and all through the autumn, the brightest and 
most useful flowers we have are undoubtedly the early-flower¬ 
ing Chrysanthemums ; and it is surprising that their culture 
is not even more largely taken up than it is at the present 
time, though one notices with pleasure that they are making 
large strides- in the public favour, the amateur being able to 
grow them to perfection quite as easily as the professional 
gardener. For border decoration or using in a cut state thev 
are equally adaptable, and to those who have* not yet com- 
