132 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 13, 1904. 
i 
Fruit Under Glass. 
Muscat Vines.—Should ripe fruit be required for the August 
exhibitions the Vines should be started forthwith with a night 
temperature of 48 deg. or 50 deg. when the weather is. mild, 
advancing, to 55 deg. with fire-heat and another 10 deg. with 
sun-heat, syringing the rods twice daily until they start into' 
growth, when it should be discontinued, though the surround¬ 
ings must be moistened of mornings, and again when, closing, 
which should be soon after 2 p.m., less damping being necessary 
at this hour if the weather has not been favourable for the 
admission of fresh air to the structure. As the Vines burst 
into growth the night temperature may be increased 8 deg. or 
10 deg., admitting air cautiously in the early mornings of 
bright days as advocated for pot Vines. See that the border 
is in a, moist condition, and if water is found to> be required 
let; it be at a warmth of 80 deg. before applying the same. 
Where Muscats are looked for up to the new year—I mean 
Muscat of Alexandria-—keep the structures as cool as possible 
for the next five or six weeks, but, all 'Grapes that have to bei 
cut and bottled ought to be fully ripe by the end of September. 
Early Pot Vines.—Where the bunches.are set, many days 
must not be allowed to: pass ere a commencement is made at 
thinning of the berries, removing those that are placed towards 
the stem of thel bunch first, as well as the smaller ones, facing 
outwards. Do not touch the berries with any part of the body, 
as it causes them to have a rusty appearance, and use every 
care that the point, of the scissors does, not prick the berries 
that will have to remain to form the bunch. A thin-forked 
stick is necessary to hold the bunch in position, and to sup¬ 
port the shoulders while thinning is( being done, not, using too 
free a hand the first time of going over, though I know many 
gardeners make the one and first thinning suffice; but my 
practice is to always make a second journey, and oft,times such 
late-keeping varieties ,a.s ; Grosi Colman, Lady Downes, and 
Alicante get a third look over ,a,s the berries increase in size. 
As the, roots appear on the surface: of pot Vines, apply a, top- 
dressing of good loam, with a sprinkling of some Vine manure. 
A night temperature of 60 deg. will meet, their requirements 
at this stage. 
Early permanent, Vines that a,re expected to' supply ripe 
fruit towards the end of May or early June should have their 
borders examined, and have a thorough watering if required 
before the Vines come into flower, first sprinkling the border 
with an approved artificial manure. Pinch out the points of 
the laterals two leaves beyond the bunch, rubbing off those 
below the bunch, but retaining the one opposite the. same, 
subsequently stopping all sub-laterals, at the first leaf, and raise 
the night temperature to 65 deg., when in bloom, tapping the 
rods once or twice about, mid-day tor distribute the pollen, re¬ 
ceding to 60 deg. at night as soon a,s the berries are set. 
Early Peaches.—These will have passed out, of flower by 
now, and on bright mornings may have a light dewing over¬ 
head with the syringe with tepid water, and again, soon after 
2 p.m., the early morning damping proving sufficient during 
dull or wet days. Kernove surplus shoots gradually, those 
nearest, the pipes usually being the first to require attention, 
retaining the basal shoot on the upper side 1 of thei branch, as 
a better shape tree is the result. Keep a sharp look-out for 
aphis, dusting with tobacco powder, or lightly'fumigate with 
XL Ah two successive evenings. The same remarks as to Vine 
borders also apply here, guarding against, anything approaching 
dryness., The thermometer should read from 50 deg. to 
55 deg. at 7 a,.m., advancing to 70 deg. with sun-heat. These 
figure® stand good for some weeks' yet, and are applicable to 
Peach trees in pots. 
Orchard House.—Structures heated with hot water may now 
he closed, dispensing with fire-heat for a week or two while, 
such mild weather lasts. If the pot, trees were not attended 
to back in early autumn, remove-inert soil and top-dress with 
two parts turfy loam to one of well-decayed manure, adding 
a little lime-rubble or plaster to stone fruits, which will also 
do for borders. With established trees very little pruning 
should be necessary, but thin out any superfluous wood, and 
shorten any robust shoots, to a, wood bud, and wash the trees 
with a thin mixture of soft soap and sulphur dissolved in 
water, adding half a pint of quassia, extract, to three 1 gallons 
of the wash. Apricots and Cherries should be placed at the 
coolest end of the house if possible, and syringe the trees once 
or twice daily according to the weather, 40 deg. at night, or 
another 5 deg. when mild, being sufficient, admitting a little 
fresh air at 60 deg. to sweeten the 1 atmosphere of the house. 
See that the, borders are all right for moisture, and that pot 
trees are kept uniformly moist, but, not sodden at the roots. 
Unheated houses should not be 1 closed until the first week in 
March unless: the state of the trees need it, as we may yet get 
a, spell of severe weather. 
Melons sown about the middle of January will be ready to 
set out on hillocks as previously advised, or into 12-in. pots, 
which many gardeners adopt for early crops. Do not plant 
deep,—in fact, the less the stern is buried the better—but make 
the soil firm around the ball, which should be moist, before 
turning out of the pot, then no water should'be necessary for 
a week or more, and let. a, light dew overhead from the syringe 
he given twice each day. Stake 1 each plant as, they are set 
out, which should be 2 ft. asunder for single cordons—still one 
of the best, methods' for growing Melons—but should two or 
three Vines be required, pinch the point of the shoot at the 
third leaf, and allow more space between each plant. Main¬ 
tain a night, temperature from 68 deg. to 70 deg., with the 
usual advance by day, and guard against slugs and wood lice 
while the y-oung- plants are small. James Mayne. 
Bicton, Devonshire. 
Among the Orchids. 
Laelia anceps.—The whole of the coloured or typical forms 
of this, useful winter-flowering species will have passed out of 
flowei. Complaints as to the durability of the flowers have 
been, heard on all hands, and some cultivators attribute this 
fact to, the, use of leaf-soil among the porting compost as bein" 
the 1 cause of flowers not, lasting. In my opinion the coloured 
forms ar e, not to be compared, even under the best conditions, 
with the durability of the albino 1 or white kinds. When it 
becomes a question of the 1 lasting qualities and the causes, 
perhaps the unfavourable nature of the past summer and 
autumn may have had some little effect upon these, one of the 
chief of light-loving kinds of Orchids. No one expects really 
to, obtain a satisfactory crop of fruit from unripened wood. 
V by expect anything but want of substance in the segments 
of flowers from immature pseudo-bulbs? The 1 substance in 
the flowers has more to, do with their lasting qualities than 
many growers appreciate, and it, is only those who have culti¬ 
vated these kinds of plants 1 under the unfavourable conditions 
of tlm. smoke 1 -laden atmosphere of large towns and in manu- 
factuiing districts: who can fully appreciate 1 my remarks in 
this respect, 
I will go further, and advise my readers, even under the 
mod favoured cultural conditions, to, take more than ordinal'v 
care, and to use every conceivable facility to assist the plants 
that the resting season they will now enter upon mav aid them 
to properly ripen, without which we may look for diminished 
growth and unsatisfactory flowering next season. These 
.plants should be placed in a, cool, dry position, where they may 
lui^ © an abundance of full sunshine for the next’ two o-r three 
months. Water, especially where leaf-soil is used in, the pot¬ 
ting compost, may be practically withheld during the resting 
season, but in a season like, this, where there is a, prevalence of 
immature pseudo-bulbs, closer observation will be necessary, 
and for the first few weeks more liberal root moisture may be 
necessary to prevent the bulbs becoming shrivelled. It is 
