166 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  22,  1900. 
small  but  important  victory  was  followed  by  a  regular  monthly  plan  of 
campaign,  the  time  being  increased  by  half  an  hour,  with  certain 
variations  in  the  tactics  to  keep  the  bores  at  bay.  Many  attempts 
were  made  by  the  enemy  to  recover  lost  ground,  and  it  was  evident 
enough  to  an  old  soldier  that  this  young  recruit  was  the  hero  of 
a  hundred  fights.  Ere  a  new  year’s  day  came  round  the  field  of 
operations  was  secure,  and  very  little  scouting  by  the  “  O.  B.”  was 
necessary.  Just  a  little  scheming  to  make  the  monthly  plan  fit  into 
the  season  of  the  year  and  critical  reviewing  to  mark  progress.  At  the 
new  year  A - was  started  with  a  diary  and  a  box  of  drawing  tools  as 
longer  range  missiles  for  one  who  had  gone  from  strength  to  strength, 
and  was  now  more  than  conqueror.  Just  the  plain,  unvarnished  picture 
of  a  young  life.  No  more.  There  is  pleasure  and  pride,  however,  in 
adding  the  sequel.  The  A - now  occupies  a  higher  position  than  his 
one  time  master. 
“  Humph  !  ”  some  will  say,  “  don’t  see  where  we  come  in.”  Well) 
young  friends,  this  is  where  you  come  in — in  this  “  Domain  and  can 
we  persuade  our  esteemed  commander-in-chief,  the  Editor,  to  enlarge 
it  in  his  own  good  time  by  giving  the  old  mentor  a  little  more  license, 
and  yourselves  a  little  more  liberty,  it  will  be  our  mutual  prerogative 
to  “take  occasion  by  the  hand  and  make  the  bounds  of  freedom  wider 
yet.”  You  will,  as  well,  be  brought  into  touch — direct  touch — with  the 
great  world  of  gardening  whose  future  is  your  heritage.  A  great 
responsibility,  is  it  not  ?  This  future — viz.,  your  future  and  the  future 
of  gardening,  which  is  slowly  but  surely  being  interwoven  by  the  hand 
of  Time  ;  but,  “  Forewarned  is  forearmed,”  or  should  be.  That  many 
already  enjoy  all  the  good  counsel  and  sympathetic  assistance  their  own 
particular  officer  is  able  to  give  goes  without  saying ;  but  there  are,  in 
the  aggregate,  battalions  of  recruits  who  are  wholly,  or  in  part, 
deprived  of  this  help  by  unavoidable  circumstances  remains,  never¬ 
theless,  a  fact. 
Apart  from  this,  no  man,  young  or  old,  can  march  with  the  times 
unless  he  keeps  himself  posted  up  in  current  events  which  directly  or 
indirectly  concern  him.  Every  bothy  in  the  kingdom  should  have  its 
weekly  budget  of  high-class  gardening  news.  However  it  is  obtained, 
it  must  be  bad.  In  many  cases,  of  course,  it  goes  from  the  gardener’s 
house  to  the  bothy,  ofttimes  wot  h  the  injunctive  threat,  “  if  you  lads 
don’t  keep  this  paper  clean,  you  wo’n’t  get  it  any  more.”  It  is  an 
old  trick  with  these  gardening  papers  in  the  bothy  of  tearing  them¬ 
selves,  losing  their  leaves,  gathering  up  all  the  grease  spots  and  dirty 
finger-marks — doing  all  they  can,  in  fact,  “just  to  get  chaps  into  a 
row.”  Sometimes  the  foreman  “  whips  ”  it  off  to  his  room,  and  gorges 
it  by  himself ;  at  other  times  it  never  comes  at  all.  To  sum  up,  this 
spasmodic  supply  of  gardening  literature  to  the  bothy  is  very  unsatis¬ 
factory.  ’Tis  strange,  passing  strange,  that  what  should  be  first  is 
thought  of  last,  and  perhaps  least. 
The  curious  part  of  the  matter  is  that  there  is  no  grudging  of  pence 
by  our  lads  of  the  bothy  for  reading  matter.  In  some  a  daily  paper 
and  sundry  weeklies  are  common  enough,  whilst  the  more  luxurious 
magazines,  with  their  stores  of  light  or  heavy  mental  ammunition,  have 
come  to  be  almost  a  necessity  ;  but  there  are  lots  of  bothies,  half  of  the 
whole  garrison  probably,  in  which  a  gardening  paper,  if  it  does  not  reach 
them  through  a  charitable  channel,  never  reaches  them  at  all.  Why  is 
it  so  P  Young  Britons,  of  course,  want  to  know  how  the  war  is  getting 
on,  and  how  the  world  wags  generally.  That  naturally  accounts  for 
the  newspaper  ;  and  then  there  are  “  Scraps,”  “  Tit  Bits,”  and  “  Comic 
Cuts,”  for  each  boy’s  particular  taste.  All  that  is  right  enough  we 
know ;  but  what  we  want  to  know  is,  where  the  literature  of  your  life’s 
work  comes  in  ?  Every  bothy  should  have  its  high-class  gardening 
paper  every  week,  and  all  the  week  ;  and  if  it  is  finger-marked,  dog’s- 
eared,  and  generally  dilapidated  by  the  time  the  fair  fresh  number 
appears,  it  will  at  least  show  that  it  has  done  its  duty,  and  the  boys 
have  done  theirs.  Read  the  war  news,  boys  ;  laugh  at  and  enjoy  your 
pennyworth  of  the  light  side  of  life  if  you  will,  or  share  the  brief 
triumphs  of  “’tecs”  and  mystery -mongers  if  you  must;  but  do  not 
ignore  the  gospel  of  your  own  high  calling  !  Still,  some  will  say 
perhaps,  “  Oh!  we  can’t  afford  a  gardening  paper  after  buying  so-and- 
so,  and  so-and-so.”  The  obvious  course,  then,  is  to  buy  it  first ;  and  if 
you  still  cannot  afford  it  amongst  you,  perhaps  your  sharper  eyes  can 
see  that  way  of  affording  to  do  without  it,  which  is  not  in  sight  of 
— The  Old  Brigadier, 
(To  be  continued.) 
Cannas. 
These  beautiful  plants  do  not  seem  to  be  so  universally  grown  as 
they  deserve.  Their  fine  spikes  of  bloom,  of  rich  variable  colours, 
add  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  the  greenhouse  during  the  spring  and 
summer  months.  To  have  plants  in  flower  in  spring  a  number  of  old 
plants  must  be  shaken  out  immediately,  carefully  removing  as  much 
soil  as  possible,  and  cutting  off  last  season’s  growth.  Divide  the  roots,  and 
place  into  well-drained  5  and  6-inch  pots  in  a  compost  of  rich  fibrous  loam, 
with  half  the  quantity  of  peat,  and  a  liberal  addition  of  broken  charcoal  and 
coarse  sand.  They  should  then  be  placed  in  a  house  in  a  moist  growing 
temperature,  or  a  heated  pit  would  answer  the  purpose  equally  as  well. 
Shade  when  the  sun  gets  very  bright,  and  syringe  frequently,  which 
will  keep  their  worst  enemy  (red  spider)  in  check.  When  the  iiower 
spikes  show  colour  transfer  them  to  a  cooler  house,  where  they  will 
remain  in  flower  for  a  considerable  length  of  time. 
There  are  a  great  many  varieties,  but  some  of  the  best  are  Queen 
Charlotte,  Marceaux,  Italia,  Asia,  aurea.  Duchess  of  York,  Admiral 
Avellan,  and  C  Henderson.  As  the  plants  finish  flowering  put  them  in 
a  cold  frauiG,  and  eventually  store  on  shelves  in  a  cool  house  or  shed, 
whete  they  are  protected  from  frost. — E.  B. 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Cucumbers. — In  houses  where  red  spider  has  appeared  on  the  winter- 
fruiting  plants,  coat  the  hot-water  pipes  with  sulphur  and  lime  in  equal 
parts,  formed  into  cream  with  water,  heating  the  pipes  to  as  near 
boiling  point  as  possible  for  a  couple  of  hours  on  a  calm  evening,  the 
house  being  kept  close,  and  then  allow  the  pipes  and  house  to  cool 
down  to  their  regular  temperature.  The  foliage  must  be  thoroughly 
dry.  The  same  process  may  be  repeated  in  the  course  of  a  few  days. 
It  is  generally  effectual  against  white  fly,  thrips,  and  mildew,  as  well 
as  red  spider. 
Plants  in  bearing  should  be  examined  once  or  twice  a  week  for  the 
removal  of  bad  leaves  and  exhausted  growths,  thinning  the  shoots, 
stopping,  and  clearing  them  of  old  or  deformed  fruits.  The  thinning  of 
the  shoots,  and  encouraging  young  in  place  of  spent  growths,  is  the 
way  to  keep  the  plants  in  continuous  bearing.  Stop  the  growths  a 
joint  or  two  beyond  the  show  of  fruit,  but  avoid  overcrowding.  Main¬ 
tain  the  bottom  heat  steadily  at  80°,  the  night  temperature  at  65®  to 
70°,  5°  less  in  severe  weather,  70°  to  75°  by  day,  rising  to  80°  or  85° 
from  sun,  and  closing  early  in  the  afternoon  so  as  to  run  up  to  90°,  95°, 
or  100°,  damping  the  paths  and  other  surfaces  in  the  morning  and  early 
in  the  afternoon. 
Young  plants  should  be  planted  in  ridges  or  hillocks,  about  2  feet 
wide  and  10  inches  deep,  formed  of  turfy  loam  laid  up  sufficiently  long 
to  destroy  the  herbage,  mixing  with  about  a  fourth  of  well  decayed 
manure.  Plants  for  trellises  should  be  trained  with  a  single  stem, 
secured  to  a  stick  tied  to  the  lowest  wire  of  the  trellis,  rubbing  off  the 
laterals  as  they  appear  until  the  height  of  the  trellis  is  reached.  The 
plants  in  pits  and  frames  should  be  stopped  at  the  second  rough  leaf, 
and  the  resultant  growths  at  about  every  foot  of  extension.  This  will 
give  plenty  of  shoots  for  bearing,  which  must  not  be'  crowded,  and 
should  be  stopped  at  a  joint  or  two  beyond  the  show  for  fruit.  If  the 
sun  be  powerful,  and  the  plants  show  indications  of  flagging,  shade  for 
a  few  days. 
Pines.- — Plants  Starting  into  Fruit.- — Those  plants  started  at  the 
new  year  by  an  advanced  temperature  and  moisture  will  now  be  show¬ 
ing  fruit.  The  temperature  about  them  may  be  maintained  at  65° 
to  70°  at  night,  and  75°  to  80°  in  the  daytime  under  favourable  circum¬ 
stances,  ventilating  at  80°,  allowing  an  advance  to  85°,  and  close  about 
that  figure.  With  fruit  advancing  the  plants  will  require  more  water 
at  the  roots,  examining  the  whole  stock  once  a  week,  but  supplying  it 
to  such  plants  only  as  need  it,  always  in  a  tepid  state,  and  with  a  little 
stimulant  in  it,  as  guano  or  some  approved  fertiliser.  Recently  started 
plants  to  afford  a  succession  of  fruit  should  have  a  night  temperature 
of  65°,  and  70°  by  day,  which,  with  a  rise  of  10°  to  15°  from  sun  heat, 
will  be  sufficient  for  them  for  some  time  longer. 
Vines. — From  Eyes. — Buds  inserted  a  short  time  ago  have  rooted, 
and  if  in  small  pots  they  may  be  shifted  into  a  larger  size  as  soon  as  the 
roots  reach  the  sides,  standing  the  pots  on  slate  or  tile  shelves  over  hot- 
water  pipes  in  preference  to  plunging  them  in  bottom  heat.  If  the 
eyes  were  inserted  in  pots  or  pans  several  together  they  may  be  placed 
in  small  pots  singly,  plunged  in  bottom  heat,  and  when  the  roots  reach 
the  sides  transfer  them  to  6-inch  pots.  Syringe  well  amongst  them,  and 
stop  the  laterals  at  the  first  joint. 
Early  Vines  in  Pots. — Top-dress  with  rich  turfy  loam  and  decayed 
manure  in  about  equal  parts,  placing  rims  of  zinc  or  turves  round  the 
tops  of  the  pots,  and  when  the  roots  are  working  freely  in  the  top. 
dressing  sprinkle  a  little  fertiliser  on  the  surface  occasionally.  Keep 
the  laterals  well  in  hand,  avoiding  crow'ding  the  trellis  with  foliage 
that  cannot  be  fully  exposed  to  light.  Ventilate  early  in  the  day, 
affording  a  little  air  at  70°,  increasing  it  with  the  heat  to  85°  or  90°. 
Avoid  cold  draughts,  as  they  are  prolific  of  rust,  and  impair  the  assimi¬ 
lating  power  of  the  foliage. 
Early  Forced  Planted-out  Vines.  —  The  Vines  started  early  in 
December  must  have  the  thinning  of  the  berries  attended  to  as  soon 
as  they  are  well  set.  Endeavour  to  obtain  compact  bunches,  tying  the 
shoulders  in  preference  to  cutting  out  a  large  number  of  berries. 
Remove  superfluous  bunches  unflinchingly,  striving  for  a  full  crop  of 
well-furnished  bunches,  properly  swelled,  and  perfect  in  colour  and 
finish.  Allow  the  laterals  to  extend  beyond  the  bunches  as  far  as  is 
consistent  with  the  exposure  of  the  foliage  to  light,  tying  and  stopping 
them  as  required.  Afford  a  liberal  supply  of  water  or  liquid  manure  as 
required  to  maintain  the  soil  in  a  moist  state,  and  mulch  with  an  inch 
thickness  of  sweetened  horse  droppings.  The  night  temperature  may 
