460 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
■Tune 4. 1904. 
Fruit Under Glass. 
Melons, —The bright weather during the past month proved 
most valuable' to this fruit, whether a,t the point of ripening or 
pollination of the flowers. As soon, as a crop has been cleared 1 , 
remove exhausted soil, fork up 1 the bottom heating material, 
adding a few barrowloads of fresh if the bed has subsided much, 
and replenish with fairly heavy though turfy loam, with a 
scattering of wood ashes and soot. The soil should be fairly 
on the dry side, so that it can be rammed quite Ann with a 
large piecei of wood o>r a brickbat, and at this season the plants' 
may be set out within twelve hours of thei soil being put under 
glass, staking each plant neatly, and apply chilled water with 
a rose can, shading for a few hours if found necessary for a 
couple of days ; but if the planting is' done carefully this latter 
item ought not to be required. Should red spider have been 
troublesome with the early crop®, whitewash the walls with 
fresh-slaked lime, and in any case the glass, also woodwork 
should bei washed down before getting in the fresh compost. 
Frames standing on hotbeds: and 1 cleared of Potatosi, Oarrots, 
Turnips', etc., may be utilised for a crop of Melons, the pre¬ 
paration of the bed being the same as mentioned above, plac¬ 
ing a mound in. the' centre of each light, and planting two) 
thereon, stopping each plant as soon; as: they get a start, and 
train two or three bines from each, so as to cover the bed, 
these to' be pinched when, within a, few inches of the boards, 
and the laterals emanating therefrom to be fertilised, or 
rather the female blossoms 1 when open, until a set has been 
secured. Close early in the afternoon with a light dewing 
from the syringe until in flower, and avoid overwatering at all 
time®. 
Figs grown in. pots, and the fruits gathered, must on no 
account be neglected as regards watering and syringing of the 
foliage, and permanent planted-out, trgies with ripening fruit,si 
must be kept, dry overhead, or they are liable toi crack, while 
less root, waterings will suffice until the crop- is cleared, when 
continue the' treatment formerly advised, thinning the fruit 
wlierei too thick, as well as superfluous growths, and tie down, 
those retained before they become firm. Give abundant sup¬ 
plies: of manurial waterings at the root to, trees in unheiated 
houses, closing towards 4 p.m. with plenty of atmospheric 
moisture on bright days, less: sufficing on: wet or cloudy days. 
Muscat Grapes. —Those that were in, flower during the 
early part of May had perfect weather to aid the, setting of 
thei berries, but avoid thinning too freely until it, can be 
seen which berries are taking the lead, or ragged bunches may 
be the rule. Give' copious manurial waterings at, the root, 
and maintain a humid atmosphere, closing about 3.30 p.m. 
afternoons, and attend to the early airing of the houses in, the 
morning, and thus guard against either scalding of the foliage 
or berries. Remove laterals while young, and give the-bunches 
all the light possible, and mulch the border when thinning ha,si 
been completed. 
Late Hamburgh?, etc. —Get, the thinning pushed to' close of 
the former Grape, and give the border a thorough watering of 
liquid manure well diluted, and a mulch of partly decayed 
manure, thei ammonia thrown out, from, this being most, bene¬ 
ficial to' the Vines with advancing crops'. Grape® for use 
during Christmas and the first four or five months of the year 
require to be well thinned, so that light, and air 1 can play 
between the berries of bunches that have to hang on, the Vine 
until January, a thickly packed bunch decaying much quicker 
than one treated as advised. See that the' laterals are tied 
down clear of the glass and sub-laterals pinched at, the first 
leaf. Young Vines' recently planted and growing freely will 
take a, good supply of water at the root, and the foliage syringed 
twice daily : keep the leader tied to the wires and stop> lateral 
Growth at the first or second leaf. The border will be better 
for a mulch of strawy litter, and all Vine borders should be 
treated in like manner as soon as the final thinning has been 
done. Outside borders should be examined, and if found diy 
a thorough watering should be given, but it is more than likely 
with such a wet spring they will be moist enough, and at the 
time of writing rain is falling heavily. James Matne. 
Rieton, Devonshire. 
On the Editor’s Table. 
Cineraria stellata. 
We have received a box of cut flowers of the strain of Star 
Cinerarias grown, by Messrs. Ed. Webb and Sons in their nur¬ 
series at Wordsley, Stourbridge. The flowers are all built 
upon, the same pattern, in having short rays differing some¬ 
what in, width, but to. a greater extent in colour. Nearly all 
thei colours sent to us were well defined. These might be 
described as dark purple, carmine-purple, rose-purple, lieht 
blue, and pure white. These were all well-defined colours and 
quite equal toi the best in this class of plants, which we think 
should not approach the highly-improved garden, strain in anv 
way. The white one had a pale yellow disc, not violet, as is 
usually the case amongst, white Cinerarias. Amongst the 
colours were a rose one with a, white centre and a white one 
with pink tips to the rays. 
There can he no question that these Cinerarias are very well 
adapted for decorative purposes 1 , more so than the highly- 
improved garden, strain, notwithstanding the fact that the 
Tatter have' thpir uses. Thei stems in the Star Cinerarias are 
more slender, taller, and the flowers more gracefully disposed, 
so that they a,re admirably adapted for making groups in die 
conservatory by themselves, or mixed with other plants o-n 
certain occasions by those who feel so disposed. 
Sweet Peas from Boghead. 
Some half a, dozen, bunches of Sweeti Pea® have reached us 
from Mr. David Mitchell, The Gardens, Boghead, Bathgate. 
They have, of course, been, grown, under glass, and notwith¬ 
standing thei early period of the year and thei unfavourable 
character of the light, until recently the flowers were of full 
size and equal tO' the best of their kinds. All were from named 
varieties, including two white ones, one of which appears to be 
Dorothy Eckford, judging from its size. Two lavender varieties, 
including Lady Grisel Hamilton, were also sent. Gorgeous 
was fairly highly coloured, although grown under glass thus 
early, and another rose and salmon-red variety was equally 
fine in, its way. 
Mr. Mitchell commenced cutting in the first week of May, 
and usually the earlier flowers are the best, but those sent 
* certainly left nothing to be desired in the matter of size and 
colour from indoor cultures 1 . The latter would, of course, 
have been intensified if the plants had been grown, in the open, 
but it, isi certainly highly advantageous for a gardener to' be 
able to have Sweet, Peas thus early, with their delightful scents 
and beautiful colour's. He also sent a bunch of a bronze Pansy 
of a very novel colour. 
- Obituary. 
Mr. Henry Spreadborongh. 
Dr. Taylor held an inquest at the Surbiton District Council 
offices on the body of Henry Spreadborough, aged 72, a gardener, 
who died suddenly the other week. The jury returned a verdict 
of death from natural causes. 
Mr. Joseph Badcock, 
Very sincere regret was expressed and quite a, gloom cast 
over the town of Seaton, Exeter, on the 23rd ult., when it 
became known that Mr. Joseph Badcock, nurseryman, had died 
during the night. 
Mr. Robert Laing. 
Mr. Robert Laing, seedsman and fruiterer, died at Ins 
residence, 41, 'West Stewart Street, Greenock, in his seventy- 
fourth year. 
Early Tomatos at Ayr. —Mr. Thomson, St. Leonard’s 
Gardens, Owenfield Road, Ayr, placed the first pound of 
Scotch-grown Tomatos in <the Glasgow market on the 25th ult. 
